[FM24] The Builder & The Professor - Stage 4 Manchester United

[keeper#1]

August 2023 - It's Time For The Real Thing

The summer sun is still shining in Nancy and it was time for the beginning of the National season.  How would Olivier's attacking 3-4-1-2 formation work in this division?  How big is the gap between the Canadian leagues that Olivier played in and the third tier of France?  Olivier was nervous and excited at the same time for that first match.

The club opened on the road at FC Martigues and in front of a small crowd used two first half goals to claim a 3-1 victory.

Now, Nancy returned home for their season opener.  Poor SO Cholet never stood a chance.  Like the Martigues match, Nancy scored three goals in eight minutes as the team sent the fans home happy as they cruised to a 4-0 victory.

The last match of the month was, what Olivier thought was going to be a tough match against Le Mans.  It took some time for Nancy to grow into the match but once they got that first goal.  They never looked back and notched another 4-0 victory into the books.

Obviously with three wins by large margins, Nancy sit on top of the table and in the automatic promotion place into Ligue 2.  But there are a lot of tough matches still remaining and managers will adapt to the playing style of Olivier as the season goes on.  But for now, Olivier and Nancy are going to enjoy their time sitting in first place.

With only one match per week, Olivier hasn't had to test the depth of his lineup.  He's pretty much rolled with the same starting XI in each match and has had success.  Very few injuries to test the lineup depth as well.

 

[SixPointer]

46 minutes ago, keeper#1 said:

August 2023 - It's Time For The Real Thing

The summer sun is still shining in Nancy and it was time for the beginning of the National season.  How would Olivier's attacking 3-4-1-2 formation work in this division?  How big is the gap between the Canadian leagues that Olivier played in and the third tier of France?  Olivier was nervous and excited at the same time for that first match.

The club opened on the road at FC Martigues and in front of a small crowd used two first half goals to claim a 3-1 victory.

Now, Nancy returned home for their season opener.  Poor SO Cholet never stood a chance.  Like the Martigues match, Nancy scored three goals in eight minutes as the team sent the fans home happy as they cruised to a 4-0 victory.

The last match of the month was, what Olivier thought was going to be a tough match against Le Mans.  It took some time for Nancy to grow into the match but once they got that first goal.  They never looked back and notched another 4-0 victory into the books.

Obviously with three wins by large margins, Nancy sit on top of the table and in the automatic promotion place into Ligue 2.  But there are a lot of tough matches still remaining and managers will adapt to the playing style of Olivier as the season goes on.  But for now, Olivier and Nancy are going to enjoy their time sitting in first place.

With only one match per week, Olivier hasn't had to test the depth of his lineup.  He's pretty much rolled with the same starting XI in each match and has had success.  Very few injuries to test the lineup depth as well.

 

Can’t start much better than that! 

[Shrewnaldo]

Lenny Nangis - what a blast from the past that is. He was a flying winger for me back in my Toulouse save on FM12. I can only imagine he's somewhat slower these days.

What's the "builder" target for Nancy then? At what point can you move on?

[keeper#1]

2 hours ago, Shrewnaldo said:

Lenny Nangis - what a blast from the past that is. He was a flying winger for me back in my Toulouse save on FM12. I can only imagine he's somewhat slower these days.

What's the "builder" target for Nancy then? At what point can you move on?

Same targets as before.  The only change is I'm moving the Stage 2 coaching badge targets into Stage 1 since Olivier is starting with a National A license.

[13th Man]

Sad about the finance bug, but Nancy should be fun.  Great start after a so-so preseason.

Also really like the system.  Very proactive and a good balance with attacking roles having cover - thinking specifically the BWMd + WBa on the right.  I'd imagine good movement with the front three as well, with the SS running into the space made by the TFs and causing problems.

Certainly looks like it's going well so far!

[DefinitelyTaylor]

Echoing the words of others, it’s a shame that you had to cut your time in Belgium short. Nancy is a great starting-point though, one of many good sides now in the third-tier. You can’t begrudge that start to the campaign either. Nice work! 

[cerud]

Love me a journeyman save. And the added criteria you have for moving on is sure to be fun!

Also, a Canadian manager? Sign me up!

 

[keeper#1]

9 hours ago, cerud said:

Love me a journeyman save. And the added criteria you have for moving on is sure to be fun!

Also, a Canadian manager? Sign me up!

 

Welcome aboard!

[keeper#1]

2023-24 Mid-Season Review

 

League Table

League Matches

Cup Matches

Individual Player Stats

Finances
Projected Finances

Analytics

The Story

Eugene Olivier has made it through the first half of his first season with Nancy.  The club started out red hot winning their first three matches.  After that, the club started to cool off and come back down to earth.  By the time the Christmas break rolled out, Nancy was sitting in 4th place just outside the promotion places but still in contention for both promotion and the league title - the ultimate goal.  During the first half of the season, Nancy allowed him to get his UEFA C Coaching Badge.  He learned a lot of new things and concepts during that course - things that he could bring into Nancy's tactical setup.  He knows that being a one-trick pony with just one tactic is not a good long-term strategy.  He is going to need a Plan B.  That is his goal for the Christmas break - come up with a Plan B tactic.  He needs to spend some time thinking about what will work best.  The French instructor went on and on about the benefits of the 4-3-3 formation and how it is a very balanced formation.  Olivier could go in that direction but he needs something that will fit his squad.  Lots of things to think about while the players are celebrating the holidays.

Youth Intake Preview

Olivier was excited to hear from the Head of Youth Development that the spine of the club could be vastly improved when the new crop of youngsters join the club in the spring.  Quality center backs and central midfielders should be joining the club.  However, it will come at the expense of quality on the wings.  He may need to go outside the club to find options at those positions.

@Deisler26 - I hope you don't mind that I poached your posting format.  I like how it puts the screencaps in links instead of in the text of the post.  Makes the post take up less space and makes for a cleaner page when you get toward the end of the page.

 

[Deisler26]

Fine with me, buddy!

[SixPointer]

3 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

Fine with me, buddy!

High praise if you ask me 

[keeper#1]

2024 Youth Intake

For some reason, the youth candidates screen wasn't working for me so I had to create my own for this great youth intake.

9 players rated as "elite talents," 6 more rated as "top talents" and just one as a "good talent."  It doesn't get much better than that.

GK Jean Egata Patche 24A

Gregory Grandin 24B

Jonathan Suzanne 24C

Moussa Fofana 24D

Hamza Haddad 24E

Arthur Mendes 24J - listed because HOYD rated him as the Star Graduate

[Rikulec]

Ah, the famous crazy French youth intakes. 

[keeper#1]

2023-24 Season Review

League Table   xG Table

January-May 2024 Fixtures

Individual Stats

Finances

Projected Finances

Analytics : General Performance  Attacking Efficiency   

The Story

Eugene Olivier had a great first half of the season but the second half of the season was one to forget.  Nothing he did worked.  His tactic was found out and teams that he beat in the first half were now beating him in the second half of the season.  Squad morale started to fall.  There were some whispers in the locker room about "la stupide canadienne."  As morale drops, the form dropped even more.  Things were starting to spiral out of control.  The club only won one of their last seven matches.  The club is in an obvious need of a reset during the summer offseason.  A complete tactical rethink, a roster overhaul and maybe a staff overhaul are all in the cards for the summer.  The club needs to improve if it wants to move back into Ligue 2.  Olivier faces pressure from the board as his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season.  Will he do enough to keep his job at Nancy or will he fail and have to move clubs at the end of next season?  A big summer awaits!

Interesting Stat Within the Stat

Olivier went through and broke down every club's xG per shot to see if there was any correlation between xG per shot and promotion/relegation.

Nancy finished 9th in this category right where they finished in the league table.  The two promoted clubs (Sochaux and Red Star) each finished in the top six.  Red Start finished second in both the category and the table.  League winners Sochaux finished sixth in the category.  The bottom four teams, in this category, all got relegated.  Le Mans is a statistical anomaly.  They finished third in xG per shot but got relegated.  Their problem was not generating enough shots per match.   

 

 

 

[keeper#1]

The Builder - Stage 1

Olivier has ticked off two of the five objectives to complete Stage 1 of this stage

• Win a Cup or a League Table - X
• Sell a Player to a Club in a Higher Division - O Shaquil Delos
• Give an Academy Player a Start - X
• Player Named to League Team of the Year - O
• Obtain Continental C and B Licenses - 1/2 X 1/2 O

 

[Shrewnaldo]

Oh my good lord, that intake. How did you end up with a South Korean player? Do you have a South Korean staff member or does the club have ownership links?

[keeper#1]

1 hour ago, Shrewnaldo said:

Oh my good lord, that intake. How did you end up with a South Korean player? Do you have a South Korean staff member or does the club have ownership links?

No idea.  No South Korea staff or ownership links.  So, no clue how he ended up in France because he's not a dual national either.

Edited with more details - he just got called up for the South Korea Olympic Team....he's 16.

Edited November 3, 2023 by keeper#1

[keeper#1]

2024-25 Midseason Report

League Table

August-December Fixtures

Individual Stats

Finances

Projected Finances

Transfers

Youth Intake Preview

The Story

Olivier spent the summer bouncing around Europe in search of a new tactical scheme to improve his squad's standing.  He made a journey up into Belgium and Holland and watched some field hockey matches (for those who have read my other stories - I'm a field hockey umpire moving up to the U23 level for next collegiate season) and was impressed by the tactical fluidity and passing that the players showed on the pitch.  The club went through the friendly season and the first few matches with a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation.  No one had a real set position and it had it's pluses and minuses.  The offense flourished under the new system.  However, the defense was lost.  Goals were being scored by opposition at an alarming rate.  The club was averaging around two goals per match in both goals scored and goals allowed.  Wins were turning into draws.  The club was starting to slide down the table.  Olivier went back to the drawing board.  He went back to his mother's thoughts of setting traps for the opposition.  Making them think they entering a position of strength but was actually exposing their weakness.  Four of the first five matches with the new trap formation were clean sheets.  The multi-goal allowed games were becoming fewer and fewer.  The club was moving up the table.  They headed into the Christmas break sitting in 3rd place and in the fight for promotion.  They suffered a difficult cup draw against Ligue Two side Auxerre and got knocked out in the 7th round.  The club can solely focus on the league.  16 matches stand between themselves and potential promotion/league title.

Tactical Thoughts

While in Belgium and Holland watching field hockey, this was the attacking shape that Olivier was shooting for with the Nancy squad.

It is very aggressive.  It plays with just one center back when in the attacking phase.  The number five is a Libero/free player that pushes up into the defensive midfield when in attack.  It requires a smart center back that can move the ball quickly and make the correct decisions.  If the four or six get stuck, they have a pair of passing options in the defensive midfield or back to the number 3 who transfers the ball quickly to the opposite side.  Then, the ball can move up the field either with a pass or by dribbling into the attacking midfield or forward line.  The problem became when the opposition tightly marked the number 3 and cut off the passing lane to the defensive midfield.  Turnovers and 2 v 1 or 3 v 1 turned into goals allowed.  That tactical reaction by the opposition is what caused Olivier to switch into what he is calling the Nancy Trap.

 

 

[keeper#1]

The Builder - Stage 1

Olivier has ticked off four of the five objectives to complete Stage 1 of this career

Win a Cup or a League Table - X

Sell a Player to a Club in a Higher Division - O Shaquil Delos

Give an Academy Player a Start - O Gregory Gardin 24B

Player Named to League Team of the Year - O

Obtain Continental C and B Licenses - O

[13th Man]

Great improvement from year 1 to 2 so far!  That new tactic looks a lot like the Coiled Spring I made at Austin FC (see below), and it did exactly what you were saying - draws the opposition in by giving up ground, but the shape is solid and the midfield roles proactive enough to win the ball back, and then the front three are breaking in space...then the CMa comes in as a dangerous runner from deep.

Spoiler

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by 13th Man

[keeper#1]

10 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Great improvement from year 1 to 2 so far!  That new tactic looks a lot like the Coiled Spring I made at Austin FC (see below), and it did exactly what you were saying - draws the opposition in by giving up ground, but the shape is solid and the midfield roles proactive enough to win the ball back, and then the front three are breaking in space...then the CMa comes in as a dangerous runner from deep.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

It does.  I had to dig through my FM23 notes of "what tactics worked well" and which didn't.  My first attempt at 4-3-3 "trap" did not work at all.  It was the 2-1 loss to GOAL FC match.  I went back and simplified things A LOT before rolling out the Nancy Trap which is what we have been using from that GOAL FC match onwards.  I needed to give them a solid shape to play as.  My hopes of 11 players playing a fluid interchangeable unit were just hopes.  The players got lost.  Defenders pushed forward but attackers never filled the vacant space in defense.  We are still shaky at the back.  If we give up the first goal, we are in trouble because teams will start to sit back and make us do the attacking work while putting 10 or 11 players behind the ball.  

Promotion is a possibility this season but I don't think we are strong enough defensively to win the league. 

Edited November 7, 2023 by keeper#1

[keeper#1]

2025 Youth Intake

While not as good as last year's intake, it is still a quality intake filled with players that will help us going forward.

Lamine Sogoba 25A

Adama Kone 25B

Riad Amrini 25C

Ryan Geay 25D

Ludovic Robinet 25E

 

[keeper#1]

2024-25 Season Review

League Table

January-May Fixtures

Individual Statistics

Team Statistics

Finances

The Story

What was the theme for the second half of the season....not losing.  Nancy did not lose a match until the last match day of the season.  Based on other outcomes from the final match day, Nancy were the ones who lifted the Championnant National trophy on goal difference (+27 to +24) over SO Cholet.  On paper, Nancy was not the best squad in the league.  But the matches are not played on paper.  What did they have?  They had a system which Olivier was able to get them to buy into.  They had a belief that they were not out of any match.  Down by two heading into the second half?  No problem.  We will just shut the other side out and score two of our own to earn a draw.  They peppered the opposition with shots on goal with a league-leading 445 shots on goal.  Those shots led to a league-high 135 quality chances.  The club needed to shoot a high volume because they ranked near bottom of shots on target and conversion rate.  The defense side: Nancy allowed the fewest goals in the league and ranked near the top of shots allowed.  How did the defense do this?  They simply were not asked to play defense that much.  The offense got the ball and kept it.  We were a case of "the best defense being a good offense."  Olivier was able to get the locker room rally around his concepts that he implemented in the second half of the season.  And those concepts have earned Nancy a place back in Ligue 2 for the 2025-26 season.  The question is will Olivier be there to lead them?

The Builder

Olivier has ticked off all five of the objectives to complete Stage 1 of this career

Win a Cup or a League Table - O

Sell a Player to a Club in a Higher Division - O Shaquil Delos

Give an Academy Player a Start - O Gregory Gardin 24B

Player Named to League Team of the Year - O

Obtain Continental C and B Licenses - O

[keeper#1]

Stage 2 Job Search

After the 2024-25 season ended, Olivier took a look at the available job market landscape and narrowed his search for a new club down to three options (two in France and one in Italy)

He sent off his CV and some clips of Nancy in action.  Nantes had some interest but it cooled quickly.  Frosinone continued their interest and followed up with a job interview.  Only one club seemed to have the same level of interest in Olivier that Olivier had in them.

Caen also brought Olivier in for a job interview.  How would Olivier handle these interviews now that he had a track record in Europe?  Could he, potentially, handle a jump to a bigger club with top flight aspirations?  Those questions will be answered later today.....

[keeper#1]

On To Stage 2 - Stade Malherbe Caen

The board at Nancy were waiting to hear about the status of their manager...Eugene Olivier.  They knew he had gone out on interviews but had not heard back.  Olivier was still running the day to day operations of the club - signing players to contracts, putting together a friendly schedule, etc.  But that day finally came, Olivier was offered a contract by Stade Malherbe Caen which he accepted.

Why did Olivier make this switch?  One look at the balance sheet will tell you why.

Caen has a lot more resources at their disposal.  Olivier is given a wage budget that is 3x the size of his wage budget at Nancy and the transfer budget is almost 4x that of Nancy's.  Now, of course, more resources comes more responsibility and more pressure to get things done.  Caen is expected to be in the mix for promotion back into Ligue 1.  Is Olivier the manager to lead them back into the French top flight.

Caen finished in 6th place, last season, in Ligue 2 and the board only want a return to a top-half finish this season.  The supporters are asking for the same.  The league is packed with so quality teams so it will be a difficult job to get the club promoted up into Ligue 1.

Full update on the squad at the end of the summer transfer window.

[Rikulec]

Looks like a logical career move, best of luck at Caen! 

[keeper#1]

Reminder of Stage Two Objectives

The only change is Olivier needs to obtain his UEFA A and UEFA Pro licenses.

[Shrewnaldo]

Any plans to go back to Nancy for players or staff? Have you checked when you're playing them? Any chance you could relegate them? 

[keeper#1]

Meet the 2025-26 Les Vikings de Caen

The summer transfer window has slammed shut and it was a busy one for Olivier as he reshaped the Caen squad.

Summer 2025 Transfers

Four players joined the squad as Olivier attempts to inject some quality players in the 18-21 age bracket.  The club has loads of U18 talent that is a year or two away from seriously pushing for a place in the senior side.

CM/DM Mathis Picouleau (released by Nimes): A defensive-minded midfielder who can link the defense to the attacking players in the midfield and on the forward line.  Formerly of Nimes in the Championnat National but he was one of the few talents on their roster and left due to not agreeing to a new contract.  He became too big for Nimes but is the right size for Caen.

CB Momo Mbaye (signed from Bordeaux for 1.2M): We are thin along the center of the defensive line.  Combination of older players who are not Ligue 2 quality and younger players who have yet to develop into Ligue 2 quality players.  Mbaye attempts to bridge that gap.  In his prime at age 27, he can't crack the first team at Bordeaux so he needed to take a step down to get that first team football which he is looking to play.

CM/DM Eggart Aron Gudmundsson (on loan from Lille - option to buy for 3M): A "swing" midfielder.  A midfielder who can play as a defensive midfielder in attacking formations and as a central midfielder in counter attacking formations.  Olivier did not want to tie up almost half of the transfer budget in one player early in the window.  So, he worked out a loan deal.  He can play for us for a year and then we can decide if we want to keep him around or not.  

DM Nolan Ferro (signed from Strasbourg for 3M): Ferro was signed on deadline day to help shore up the defensive midfield position.  A true ball-winning midfielder who thinks defense first and offense is secondary.  The club lacked a young defensive midfielder and Ferro filled that void.

2025-26 Les Vikings de Caen

Defense and Goalkeepers: Likely starters: GK Anthony Mandrea (28) RB Hugo Vandermersch (26) LB Ali Abdi (31) CB Momo Mbaye (27) CB Ibrahim Traore (21)

Midfielders: Likely Starters: DM Nolan Ferro (19)/Eggart Aron Gudmundsson (22) CM Sergio Ortuno (26) CM Seydouba Cisse (24) RW Moussa Sylla (25) LW Enzo Lombardo (28)

Forwards: Likely Starter: Norman Bassette (20)

[keeper#1]

On 10/11/2023 at 20:46, Shrewnaldo said:

Any plans to go back to Nancy for players or staff? Have you checked when you're playing them? Any chance you could relegate them? 

I brought over a pair of my first team coaches and that was it.

Nancy have not had the best start.  At the end of October, they are in 17th place with only one win in 12 matches.  Only team preventing them from being in the basement is SO Cholet, who was promoted with Nancy.

And they just sacked their manager.

[keeper#1]

2025-26 Midseason Update

League Table     xG Table

July-October Fixtures

November and December Fixtures

Individual Statistics

Team Statistics/Analytics

Defender of the First Half - CB Momo Mbaye

Midfielder of the First Half - CM Seydouba Cisse

Forward of the First Half - CF Norman Bassette

Finances

The Story

Olivier came into the season with some fresh tactical ideas to use with his Caen squad.  He wanted to have a side that controlled the ball and used that possession to make progressive passes and attack the opposition.  He did not want to sit back and counter like he did, last season, at Nancy.  Like many of Olivier's ideas, what looks good on paper did not quite work out in practice.  His defense was easily pulled apart on the counter when the offense lost the ball and could not immediately win it back.  Far too many goals were being let in.  The offense was forced to play from behind and battle against teams which would put in a low block once they got the lead.  The early part of the season was a struggle for Olivier and Caen.  Then, Olivier did what he really did not want to do.  We want back to the Nancy Trap tactic.  It took a couple of matches for the Caen squad to get used to the setup and they needed a few players to return from injury.  But once all of those things happened, things started to click for Caen.  They had a 10-match unbeaten run come to an end on the last match of 2025 when Auxerre beat them 1-0.  The squad is playing well.  Players like Seybouda Cisse and Norman Bassette are getting scouted by other clubs and could be sold, hopefully in the offseason, for a good profit which can be used to further invest in the squad and club infrastructure.  The club, at the moment, are in a good place and are ready to kick on once again after the Christmas holiday.  They got knocked out of the Coupe de France early so, like last season, it just concentrating on league matches for the rest of the season.

 

[Shrewnaldo]

Ouch, going out to St-Malo must hurt. They must be down the pyramid quite a bit, no?

The downward trend on the finances looks ominous. Any trouble if you don't get promoted this season?

[keeper#1]

1 hour ago, Shrewnaldo said:

Ouch, going out to St-Malo must hurt. They must be down the pyramid quite a bit, no?

The downward trend on the finances looks ominous. Any trouble if you don't get promoted this season?

Your questions about finances leads nicely into my post about the winter transfer window.

January 2026 Transfer Window

The winter transfer window which saw two starters leave the club.

The first starter to leave was our leading goal scorer Seydouba Cisse.  Cisse had made it known to me, during the summer transfer window, that he wanted to leave for a bigger club.  He wasn't sure that Caen was a serious Ligue 2 title contender.  In July and August, no one was able to meet Olivier's valuation for Cisse.  Midway through January, Cagliari, in Serie A, came in with a offer close to his asking price.  Olivier negotiated with the club and was able to secure an 11 million euro transfer for the player.  Nine million euros in the initial fee and fee installments with other two million euros due when he makes his first appearance for the club.  The club has a few internal options at the position so they will get the first crack at filling his shoes.  If they do not, then the club will go out in the summer and try to find a replacement.  Later in the window, La Liga club, Granada, made an inquiry about the services of Enzo Lombardo.  Lombardo was interested in making the move.  While, the fee was not as high as Cisse's fee, Olivier was able to negotiate a fee of four million euros in a combination of initial and future payments with another million euros coming when he plays his first match for Granada.  This fee has already been paid out to Caen.  The club has a couple of 17-year olds who could fill his shoes but they are not quite ready to fill those shoes.  Olivier went to his scouting department who told him about Viktor Dukanovic at Strasbourg who was looking for a situation where he could get some playing time.  Olivier was able to negotiate a fee, while high, was still low enough for the club to make a profit on the Lombardo sale.  How did this transfer activity impact the club's bottom line?

It puts the club well into the black and should keep the club there until the annual sponsorship and season ticket revenue comes in to boost finances even more.

 

[Hootieleece]

I knew you would have to sell players to balance the books until you are in a position to play in Europe. 

[keeper#1]

Just gotta hope that the scouting department finds the right players and the development team develops who we already have in the club.

[SixPointer]

Nice move and a very realistic step on the builder

[keeper#1]

2026 Youth Intake

Not as good as last year's intake and some poor personalities leading the way at the top of the class.

Valentin Boyer 26A

Hans Lesperance 26B

Bakary Diop 26C

Islam Benhamou 26D

Nicholas Chevallier 26E

[keeper#1]

Quick End of Season Update

[Hootieleece]

How many teams have the potential to get promoted? 3?  Two for sure and the winner of the playoff Semifinal plays the playoff team from Ligue1?

Good Luck with the run, I hope you do it.

[keeper#1]

13 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

How many teams have the potential to get promoted? 3?  Two for sure and the winner of the playoff Semifinal plays the playoff team from Ligue1?

Good Luck with the run, I hope you do it.

3 teams have the potential to go up.  Champ and runner-up go up directly.  3th-5th go into the playoff.  4th plays 5th in a "quarterfinal."  Winner plays 3rd in the "semifinal."  Winner of that plays 16th in Ligue 1 in the Final.

Edited November 17, 2023 by keeper#1

[keeper#1]

2025-26 End of Season Report

League Table

January-May Fixtures

Individual Stats    Team Stats

Finances

Analytics Hub

The Story

The Vikings saw their season end in heartbreaking fashion in the Promotion Quarterfinals against Le Havre.  Le Havre jumped out to a 1-0 lead midway through the second half.  Caen kept knocking on the door to get the tying goal but it took a stoppage time penalty to tie the match at one.  The Caen celebrations were very short lived as Le Havre came right back down the pitch and scored from the left wing then the final whistle blew and Le Havre advanced to the Promotion Semifinals against Guingamp.  On the whole, it was a good season for Caen.  They punched above their weight by reaching the playoffs when only a top-half finish was expected.  The season could have been different if Seydouba Cisse had not forced his way out of the club in the middle of the season.  We could never really fill the void that he left in the midfield.  We went from 11 goals scored in that position in the first half of the season to just two in the second half.  That's a big dropoff.  Norman Bassette, our center forward, tried to fill that void and was on a great run of goalscoring form throughout January and February.  Then, he picked up a month-long injury.  The goal scoring completely dropped off until he came back to the starting squad and got back into match shape.  All told.  We still had a better season than relegated Nancy who have fired their second manager this season.

 

[keeper#1]

Summer 2026 - Building the Caen Academy

During the 2025-26 season, Olivier took courses to obtain his UEFA A License.  He did a lot of networking during the course and linked up with some up and coming coaches in the Ajax system.  They met, had phone conversations, Zoom meetings and had many text exchanges.  During that time, they told him all about the Ajax Academy and how the club used the academy to better the first time and using the sales of developed talent to build up the infrastructure of the club.  Olivier spent the summer putting the first building blocks of the Caen Academy into place.  It is nowhere close to a finished product but the pieces are slowly coming together.  It's going to require a lot of scouting during season to fill in some of the gaps.  The "easier" part has been done.  Selling off some of the older talent that has no chance of making the first team at the club.

Summer Transfers

Not a lot of true transfers.  We out-right cut some players.  Some left on loan.  So, we didn't raise a lot of money in the transfer sale market.  The good news is I spent even less on players coming into the club.  Only one true transfer in and the rest were on expiring contracts or not no transfer fee to bring them to Caen.

Transfers who are projected starters

Ahmed Fofana

Leo Leroy

Positional Backups

Yann Batola

Imran Moussaoui

Daouda Peeters

Longer Term Project

Joao Freitas

League Table

Individual Stats

Fixtures

Finances

 

[Jogo Bonito]

Unlucky to fall just short, but hoping you can take the small extra steps next year. Nice to see the name Daouda Peeters there, he's had a tough few years (interesting story) but I hope he can go on to have the decent career his talent was predicted to deliver. If that can be under your management, it would be very pleasing.

[Deisler26]

I reckon you can take the next step in the coming season!

[keeper#1]

35 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Unlucky to fall just short, but hoping you can take the small extra steps next year. Nice to see the name Daouda Peeters there, he's had a tough few years (interesting story) but I hope he can go on to have the decent career his talent was predicted to deliver. If that can be under your management, it would be very pleasing.

What happened to him, IRL?  Lower division teams (not named Wrexham) don't get a lot of media coverage in the US.

Edited November 21, 2023 by keeper#1

[Jogo Bonito]

8 minutes ago, keeper#1 said:

What happened to him, IRL?  Lower division teams (not named Wrexham) don't get a lot of media coverage in the US.

There is a 14 minute long video (made by Juventus) but not in English, so the written article below gives you some basics.

https://football-italia.net/video-juventus-tell-story-of-paralysed-next-gen-player-who-fought-back-to-full-fitness/

[keeper#1]

Paralyzed?!?!?!?!  My word what a comeback!

[keeper#1]

An unsolicited job interview.  Brest currently sit in last place of Ligue 1 on just three points.  They are impressed with Olivier's job with Caen but Olivier is unsure about moving to last place team in a higher division BUT if he can keep them up, there could be money to be had.  Plus, Caen's board has been non-committal about a contract extension.  Conversely, Olivier has only achieved one of the five Builder objectives at Caen should not move until he's completed those objectives.

[keeper#1]

In the end, Olivier was offered the Brest job but decided to stay at Caen and continue the project.  He was also offered an interview with Monza (last place in Serie A) which he rejected.

[keeper#1]

2026-27 Midseason Report

League Table     xG Table

July-September Fixtures

October-December Fixtures

Individual Stats

Team Stats

Finances

Defender of the First Half - CB Rene Lefeuvre

Midfielder of the First Half - CM Mathis Picouleau

Attacker of the First Half - LF Victor Dukanovic

The Story

The best way to describe the first half of the season is inconsistent offense.  The squad was great at beating the teams at the bottom of the table.  Against the top of the table, we were awful.  Got behind early and could never catch up.  Olivier is struggling to come up with a solution to the problem.  Play defensive - give up the early goal and never generate enough offense to come back.  Play attacking - jump out to an early lead and then watch the defense slowly fold as the match wears on.  The club isn't in a strong enough financial position to go out and improve the squad.  The young players are not good enough, yet, to push the starters for playing time.  This season, it quickly turning into a lost season with the club just drifting around the middle of the table.  Not really pushing for a return to the playoffs.  Not bad enough to fall into a relegation fight.  We will see what the second half of the season will bring.