Dijon secured Ligue 1 football next season but only after a playoff victory over Lens, taking the tie 4-2 on aggregate due to a couple of goalkeeping errors from their opponents.
It was touch and go whether the Burgundy club would even get into the playoffs for a long period, but they finished the campaign strongly under the guiding hand of Antoine Kombouare. Indeed, in their last eight Ligue 1 matches, they picked up four victories and another draw, with a stunning 3-1 win in Lyon their catalyst for survival.
Much of the middle part of the season had been grim for the club. They started the season well, with three successive wins, but aside from a 6-3 Coupe de France success at Saint-Etienne followed by a 2-0 home win over Monaco, there was little to shout about thereafter. Unsurprisingly, head coach Olivier Dall’oglio did not last long and was replaced by Kombouare, who had been sacked by Guingamp.
Kombouare was expected to bring about a more hard-nosed approach to Dijon’s play, but it took a long time for this to manifest, while he also struggled to strike a balance between this and effective offensive play, often leaving star creative player Naim Sliti on the bench. In the end, it was two Sliti goals that saved the club.
By the end of March, Dijon had fallen to the foot of the standings amid a succession of defeats in which their offensive line failed to fire. One of their chief issues was a wretched season from Julio Tavares, who is a far more effective forward than his five goals might suggest. These strikes came at either extremity of the season, and at least he came good late on when his side needed him.
Under Kombouare, Wesley Said was Dijon’s most effective attacking player, though he was a little unrefined with his finishing.
Injuries also played a part to the club’s struggles. Right-back Valentin Rosier missed a huge portion of the season due to a foot injury - he offers quality at both ends of the field – while Mehdi Abeid was similarly sidelined at key times.
Defensively, Dijon were not impressive. Wesley Lautoa had a solid season but otherwise they struggled to come up to the mark, although centre-back Nayef Aguerd did weigh in with three goals from 13 games. In goal, too, they struggled to find genuine quality.
Having been given an almighty scare this season, investment is needed if they are to survive next – they are not up to standard in any area of the park.
