THEIs AS Saint-Etienne “A mythical club in the process of sinking”, in the words of Prime Video commentators trying to fill the air, Friday, October 22? The hour of delay in the kick-off of Angers’s reception certainly left time to reflect on his situation, in an atmosphere of chaos.
If the label of “legendary club” is still acquired in ASSE, its sinking is not yet certain, despite eleven days without a win, a last place and supporters convinced that the worst is certain. Their vindictive slogans and a volley of smoke fired across the lawn (empty at the moment) meant it well enough.
In football only the truth of the score and the points ultimately count, and the truth of the pitch is only a figment of the mind. It would appear less hopeless, if we still made the case: the Saint-Etienne season looks like a combination of unfavorable circumstances, illustrated by the puddle that prevented an equalizer against Bordeaux.
Burlesque stampede
The Greens collected some frankly undeserved results, were ruthlessly punished for their every mistake, and paid for a mediocrity in front of the goal that Wahbi Khazri cannot compensate on his own. The heavy defeat in Strasbourg (5-1) is their only rout, in the burlesque genre – an autogoal accompanied by a concussion of the goalkeeper and an expulsion a few minutes later.
But this team has never given up, finding the resources to go for three equalizations in the final minutes, maintaining their principles of play, and they are, just over a quarter of the championship, only four points away. of the first non-relegation.
In reality, Saint-Etienne is not one of those teams in distress on the ground which we see that they will never have the means to save themselves, their only hope residing in the hypothetical and often illusory “psychological shock” the change of coach.
The situation is not that different from last season, when the Greens had a seven-game losing streak before lifting their heads to finish the competition in 11e square. Once again “on the brink”, should they throw themselves into the void?
The watchword of the supporters, however, is “Puel resignation” and the names of coaches cited to succeed him (Pascal Dupraz, René Girard, Luis Fernandez) do not seem to alarm them of the suicidal nature of this option – especially at a time when Ligue 1 clubs are finally trying to get out of it. by ambitious game projects.
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