Caen has won only one of its last ten games, and has only been successful four times in fourteen days since the start of the season. This is the mid-term observation of a Normandy team on the wrong track for much longer than last summer. The weed control trainer Stéphane Moulin did not fail to remind him on the eve of the trip to Amiens.
“The team have won just 6 of their last 36 games. With three different trainers“. A finding obviously heavy with meaning, and overwhelming. Despite a jump at the start of the season, Caen has indeed fallen back into its pace of relegation. If it continues on this slippery slope, it will not be able to save itself in extremis a second time.
Change and a finally effective formula?
To stem the fall, the new Caen staff has already used many schemes, many formulas. Coming out of the defeat against Grenoble (0-1, 14th day), Stéphane Moulin even thought he had tried everything.
The sixth setback of the season digested, he put his brain back in court because after all, it is his job to find solutions. From the perspective of moving to Amiens, for the 15th day of Ligue 2, the coach decided to change his playing system once again. three-way hinge in front of Riou.
Oniangué and Zady Séry on the bench
In this one, a priori, Oniangue point. In difficulty in recent games, and involved in at least two conceded goals, the captain will take his place on the bench tonight. For the benefit of the young Brahim Traore, who should start for the second time this season, the first in defense.
Another victim of the consolidation of the defense, Caleb Zady Sery. Hitherto immutable but yet disparaged, the Ivorian midfielder pays for his inability to be as decisive as hoped.
His ousting from the starting XI proves that he has undoubtedly missed his chance to be the playing master of Stéphane Moulin’s team. A role that seems perfectly suited to Medhi Chahiri. Personally decisive with three goals in the last four games, he was very close to delivering an assist to Abdi against Grenoble. The player on loan from Strasbourg is clearly the best weed keeper since the start of the fall, and his teammates would be well advised to follow suit.
Abdi and … Gonçalves in piston?
In Amiens, he will share the keys to the game with the Norman pair Deminguet-Lepenant, as well as with Nuno da costa, very visible during the first 45 minutes against Grenoble, but probably too tight for an entire match.
The transition to 3-4-3 should it seem also offer Anthony Gonçalves a return to the typical team. The veteran finds a post of piston which did not suit him well under Almeida but for which he was always involved and applied. His return to grace is also a consequence of constants failures of Armougom, of the limits of Fouda, and the fact that Vandermersch is still too fair to find Ligue 2.
On the other side, to the left, Abdi will have to finally show itself in its best light. Relieved on one part of his defensive tasks, it is to be hoped that he will regain his level at the start of the season, where he was clearly a driving force behind the Caen winning machine.
With all these changes, Stéphane Moulin hopes to have finally found the right formula for his team to find the path to victory. By sticking his system on the defense to five of Amiens, he also intends to resolve the difficulties of his players to bypass tight defenses. Another key to regaining success.
Amiens – Caen live on France Bleu from 6.30 p.m.
Follow the meeting live and in full from 6.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. with Boris Letondeur and Esteban Pinel.