"Raised in every way," a week of high tension in Valenciennes
From the thrashing in Dijon (4-1) to this final match of the year against Sochaux, Valenciennes endured a difficult week trying to recover, come to terms with the disappointment of their first half of the season, and focus on the essential adjustments needed.
The radio silence that followed the Valenciennes players' match in Dijon continued on the bus ride home, a journey that must have seemed endless before their arrival at Mont-Houy at 3:30 a.m. The next day, Stéphane Moulin tried to recover from a sleepless night and a match whose content had "frightened" him, while his assistant, Patrice Sauvaget, watched the reserve team's match featuring Samy Baghdadi and Mark Inchaud, two summer signings from whom much more was expected. The victory and first place for Pierre Blois's team are obviously not enough to overshadow the oppressive atmosphere that has descended upon Valenciennes.
The owners were not pleased.
The performance in Dijon stunned many: the fans, of course, whose banner ("You're a bunch of...") served as a welcoming committee upon their return from Burgundy, but also internally, where the feeling of failure is widespread. This includes the very highest levels of Sport Republic. The thrashing against Dijon, and more broadly, the first few months of the season, have considerably irritated even Dragan Solak, the owner and main financier of the investment fund that owns Valenciennes. The Serbian billionaire had, until now, excelled at delegating and keeping a watchful eye on things from afar since acquiring Valenciennes.
"We misjudged the individual and collective value of this team." - Stéphane Moulin
“In those moments, when nothing is going right, we get a lot of flak from everyone, and rightly so,” admits Stéphane Moulin, who has even more opportunity to sense the immense disappointment while chatting with some supporters after Wednesday’s training session. Faced with the defeat in the Dijon match, the coaching staff doesn’t want to dwell on the team; the focus is on simple things to avoid further damaging their badly shaken confidence, even though the question of their overall level can no longer be ignored.
It becomes all too obvious as soon as the opponent is a bit tougher, like against Fleury, Dijon, or the upcoming Sochaux match. “We made a mistake in analyzing the individual and collective value of this team. And I do mean ‘we,’” emphasizes Stéphane Moulin. “We made mistakes, but I take full responsibility, and I work with the players I have.” "For now, it's not what we expected; obviously, it's far from sufficient."
Decimated Central Defense
While the past week has been difficult at all levels, the coming weeks will be marked by the urgent need to strengthen the team, target the right players, and shake things up. It's no longer a possibility; it's now a necessity. With all this going on, we almost forget that there's a match to play. Facing Sochaux, who arrive firmly entrenched in the top three with their three former Valenciennes players – Vincent Hognon, Julien Masson, and Aymen Boutoutaou – whose mere presence will further highlight the choices made last summer. Since the headwinds continue to blow in gusts, Valenciennes will field a central defense that is both decimated and experimental due to the absences of Thomas, Coeff, and Landre. All this in an atmosphere that reeks of tension in the stands.
Those who attend will see Valenciennes sporting a new shirt sponsor (Burger King), officially announced on Thursday, which seems to be the only bright spot in recent days. As has often been the case since Sport Republic took over, VAFC has been far more effective behind the scenes than on the pitch. It's never too late to offer a more nuanced perspective and add a touch of color to what has been a rather gloomy week so far.
VAFC – Sochaux, Friday at 7:30 pm at the Stade du Hainaut. Unavailable: Landre, Coeff, Thomas, Baghdadi, Collet (injured), Belloumou, Inchaud (doubtful)
