Nimes depart Ligue 1 after failing to build on their escape of last season, and they will surely look back ruefully at this season as one in which they could have achieved more.
Indeed, three successive wins against Dijon, Bordeaux and Lorient got them in a position to achieve safety, and they even subsequently won away against champions Lille, but they simply did not have the mentality that allowed them survival. They failed to win successive games against 10 men in key fixtures and were unable to get results when they absolutely mattered.
Head coach Jerome Arpinon was a controversial appointment last summer and did not guide the team well early in the season, despite a spectacularly 4-0 win over Brest on the opening day, which suggested Nimes would be capable of playing some blistering offensive football. Ultimately, that was an early flash in the pan.
There were some positively in an attacking sense, most notably Zinedine Ferhat, but Moussa Kone and Yassine Benrahou were ultimately disappointing performers.
In the midfield, Andres Cubas was an impressive signing but missed some key fixtures due to injury while Lucas Deaux lost his form in the second half of the season. The multifunctional Renaud Ripart, meanwhile, was a reliable presence wherever he was used – from defence to attack.
A lack of settled defence, particularly at centre-back, did not help Nimes at all, while goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet had a mediocre season. The standout defender was definitely left-back Birger Meling, even above captain Anthony Briancon.
Nimes, meanwhile, face an uncertain future, with an owner who wishes to sell at all costs. It could be some time before this historic club returns to Ligue 1.
