While Nantes lived up to – and perhaps even exceeded – pre-season expectations by finishing in a mid-table position, it was ultimately a disappointing campaign for Claudio Ranieri’s side, who had climbed as high in the table as third early in the campaign.
Ranieri brought with him a brand of Italian pragmatism that allowed Nantes to excel in the early weeks of the season, once they had gotten over an opening night hiccup against Lille and a defeat to Marseille. Thereafter, their defensive strength was really to the fore, with a run of five wins in six matches propelling them rapidly up the standings.
While they were solid at the back, the same could not be said at the other end of the field. Prejuce Nakoulma, who was devastating last season, fell out with the coach and never truly got going this season, while summer Kalifa Coulibaly spent much of the season laid up injured.
Indeed, many of the players drafted in failed to make a truly telling difference, with Andrei Girotto and Rene Krhin sporadic at best in midfield and Joris Kayembe another who was largely sidelined.
In the defence, however, the additions of Lucas Lima was strong on the left while in goal Ciprian Tatarusanu was one of the league’s most reliable shot-stoppers.
Nantes’ success with their defensive work started to fade around October, however. A shock Coupe de la Ligue loss at Tours precipitated a period of more indifferent form, though they were able to beat Monaco at home before Christmas.
After the winter break, though, they faded rather. The defensive excellence that had been evident in the first half of the campaign did not replicate themselves. Indeed, they mustered only four cleansheets in the second half of the season. While their attack did improve a little, it did not do so quickly enough.
Meanwhile, away from the field, there was disquiet between the coach and the board, and Ranieri will leave in the summer, while there is fan discontent over a proposed move to a new ground. All is not rosy, then.
