Beziers were relegated by a single point in their first campaign up in Ligue 2 and can reflect upon numerous squandered opportunities to make up that ground in what was a frustrating campaign.
The southern side suffered due to their poor home form over the course of the campaign. It would take them until March to win in front of their supporters, and though they did so on another two occasions – fine wins over Brest and Nancy – they had ultimately left themselves too much to do. Points had been thrown away regularly late in games at home, and not conceding any one of those goals would have kept them safe.
One thing that Beziers were not short on were heart, which was reflected by the fact they made a strong push for survival at the end of the season, ultimately losing only one of their last six games and only three of their last 13. A dire sequence over the winter months would account for them, however.
It was largely going forward they had their problems, and that top scorer Aboubakary Kante finished with 10 goals masked the fact that he had spent much of the season struggling as much as his team-mates in front of goal. Once he gained confidence, he flew, and if Beziers had another such player then perhaps they might have been safe.
Ibrahim Sissoko was sent back to Lorient midway through the season due to disciplinary issues, having shown a strong suggestion he could have been that man. The players signed in January to replace him flopped, hurting the team.
Injuries forced constant changes in the midfield, which was a sector that lacked goals more than anything. Combined, they contributed just eight times. Again, January additions like Emmanuel Banda and Dorian Bertrand did not make the desired impression.
Beziers had a mixed season at the back, though that could again be a symptom of the significant selection concerns they had over the course of the season. Had winter addition Julien Cetout managed to regain his fitness just a little quicker, it might have been telling. Meanwhile, goalkeepers Novaes and Yan Marillat both suffered long-term injuries.
It was a season in which all the fine margins seemed to go against Beziers, who for all their fighting spirit were unable to count on the quality to make up for that.
