Clermont’s mid-table finish does not adequately reflect how good a season they enjoyed, with head coach Pascal Gastien having been nominated for the Ligue 2 Coach of the Year award. They were universally regarded as one of the most attractive teams to watch and were praised for their technical abilities, though at times they lacked direction and were not as potent as they could have been.
The signing of Florian Aye from Auxerre last summer to replace the prolific Ludovic Ajorque proved an inspired move. Aye scored 18 for the season and netted more than twice as many goals as any other Clermont player. Indeed, he scored as many as their next four leading marksmen combined. He not only brought finishing, but more athleticism and speed to their side.
Gastien might reflect upon a slightly disappointing contribution from his offensive midfielders, but in particular Franck Honorat, who was on loan from Saint-Etienne. He did not hit the heights of last term, while Alassane Ndiaye was rather inconsistent.
Injury problems hit their small squad in midfield and defence, with Lorenzo Rajot a long-term absentee. These issues were especially chronic towards the end of the season, when Gastien was often left to field a midfielder in the heart of his back four.
The coach, meanwhile, should perhaps shoulder some of the blame for the manner in which Clermont tailed away at the end of the season, having publicly given up the fight to finish in the top five when it seemed it was arithmetically still possible.
Perhaps this will help Clermont next season, as he experimented using different players in different system, even leaving a number of outgoing players on the bench.
Unfortunately for Clermont, they are poised to lose numerous key figures, including goalkeeper Remy Descamps, who was superb on loan from PSG, Honorat and Aye, although they have already moved to replace him with Austria Under-21 international Adrian Grbic. As ever, next season promises to be a delicate balancing act at Stade Gaston-Pied.
