Valenciennes

[FredVaFC59100]

17 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Furthermore, out of respect for you, dear friends in Southampton, I will not comment on my compatriot's remarks above.

 

Thank you kindly for the clarification; I initially thought you were showing respect to Sport Republic.

[FredVaFC59100]

7 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

Merde!        😩

What are your thoughts on that performance, Fred?   💩

Big Merde! 

There is no hope as long as SR will stay at the helm of the club. The governance is horrible, The guy sent by Solak lives in Dubai and rarely shows up; Feels like he does not really give a merde. How can you succeed in Football w/o leadership ?

It is worse on the pitch though, a bunch of overpaid mediocre has-beens/never-was players, that run straight like chickens with their heads cut-off, that only care about their big fat checks at the end of the month.

The only one that stands out is Rento Takaoka, why ? Because he is fit, because he has work-ethic and give it all out until the last minute. 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello friends, how are you today?

After last Friday's defeat against Concarneau, Valenciennes are playing away at Aubagne in the league tonight.

I don't need to tell you that we're expecting a reaction from our players tonight, with what we hope will be a much better performance.

Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. French time, and the link to the match is below:

In my next post, I'll also share a press article by our coach Stephane Moulin.

Have a great day, everyone, and Allez VA!

[ChristopheVAFC]

« Je ne suis pas quelqu’un qui abandonne » : Stéphane Moulin a été déçu mais pas abattu pour relancer Valenciennes - La Voix du Nord

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"I'm not someone who gives up": Stéphane Moulin was disappointed but not dejected as he sought to revive Valenciennes.

The Valenciennes coach wanted to clarify his frank comments after the match against Concarneau. Yes, he was disappointed and frustrated, but the dejection has dissipated; he's already back in the fight for the expected rebound this Tuesday in Aubagne.

Stéphane Moulin is committed to being honest in front of the microphones and leaving the waffle in the locker room. We certainly won't hold that against him in a team that has mastered the art of stating the obvious. On Friday, after the defeat against Concarneau, the Valenciennes coach expressed his dismay, disappointment, and incomprehension at the scenario that saw his team falter after opening the score. "I don't understand why this is happening again." "I've never experienced anything like that. I don't understand how this team operates with such incredible mental weakness," Stéphane Moulin said.

"When I come to answer your questions half an hour after the match, there's still a lot of disappointment, but the dejection isn't there the next day," Stéphane Moulin said.

And it shouldn't be seen as anything other than the frustration of a match that didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. "I do my job, and when I come to answer your questions half an hour after the match, there's still a lot of disappointment, but the dejection isn't there the next day. I'm not someone who gives up, I never give up," he insisted. "But I'm not going to say everything's fine when I think it's not. I'm a real, whole person. I say what I see and what I think, and then you either like it or you don't, that's how it is." »

"If I'm asked questions and I don't answer them, I don't see the point," Stéphane Moulin added.

Twenty-four hours to truly process the situation
Stéphane Moulin, and one or more of his players, depending on how the evening went – after Friday's defeat, only Romain Thomas was in the mixed zone – spoke in two parts about half an hour after the end of the matches. First to the journalists present to cover the match, and then later in a program broadcast on the club's website. "And if I'm asked questions and I don't answer them, I don't see the point," added the Valenciennes coach.

Disappointed, frustrated, and annoyed, Stéphane Moulin, 58, explains that he has evolved in his way of processing bad matches. "Before, it took me 48 hours to digest a disappointment like this. With time, 24 hours later, I'm already ready to take up the challenge, even if after a match like that, the night is short. But just because I say things aren't going well doesn't mean they'll never get better." Back in training Saturday morning and again Sunday and Monday, the Valenciennes players haven't really had the chance to dwell on their missed evening, with a league match starting this Tuesday in Aubagne.

Aubagne – VAFC, this Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m.

Absent: El Hadary, Inchaud, Collet, Niakate (injured);

Belloumou (doubtful), Courtet, Sissoko, Maréchal (suspended)

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

On 18/10/2025 at 05:27, FredVaFC59100 said:

Thank you kindly for the clarification; I initially thought you were showing respect to Sport Republic.

Please know that I will always have eternal respect for my club and its institution. My opinion is and will remain that we should trust SR as much as we trusted EZ.

You also mentioned Dirk Gerkens in another post, who is the club president, appointed by Dragan Solak last year. I don't think this role is the most important one in itself.

The most important person, and the one who I believe has the most responsibility, is our managing director, Yohan Godin, who I know does his utmost every day to improve the management and day-to-day running of the club, and no one can fault him for his work.

It's no surprise, nor is it a lie, and I agree with you too, the team is still not living up to our expectations, and I think the SR management is the first to be disappointed by this.

However, the recruitment process was well chosen and the profiles are fairly consistent, but for the moment, it is not working perfectly. I can only hope that this will be resolved very soon and that Stephane Moulin will find the keys to making things better.

[ChristopheVAFC]

The match has just ended.

Aubagne 1-1 Valenciennes

Goalscorers:

- Sofiane BOUDRAA (7') for Aubagne.

- Mabrouk ROUAI (87') for Valenciennes.

Note that Aubagne's goalscorer belongs to... Valenciennes! He has been on loan this season...

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello friends, I hope you are all well today?

Here is some news from Valenciennes.

Tonight, we return to league action as we welcome Quevilly Rouen (Normandy) to the Stade du Hainaut.

The club hasn't played for two weeks, and last Saturday, around fifty supporters took the opportunity to send messages to the players at the VAFC training centre. Below is a press article summarising this initiative:

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VAFC: "No unnecessary pressure" but a real reckoning from the fans

Having fallen back into its old habits, VA is once again provoking the ire of its supporters, some of whom showed up at the training center on Saturday morning to set the record straight. It's not so much the results that are upsetting the ultras as the attitudes they've witnessed on the pitch.

Having endured a diet of hardship for far too long, the Valenciennes ultras have grown tired of this regime, which offers them decidedly too little excitement. Remarkably patient despite the bitter pills they've swallowed (relegation to the National league, last season's lack of achievements), they've reached a point where their kindness shouldn't be taken advantage of. "We're not the most problematic or the most aggressive supporters," observes Hugo, "but we're starting to get fed up." “We’re already out of contention (eight points behind second place) even though we’re not a third of the way through the season, we don’t understand it.”

“We know how to handle things”

Hugo was among the fifty or so fans who responded on Saturday to the (public) call, issued the day before by the Ultras Roisters, to come and confront the players and coaching staff at the training center. They could have taken the club by surprise, but they haven’t reached that level of anger yet. “That’s not how we operate, we know how to handle things,” insists the group’s spokesperson, Stéphane Beaumont. No insults, no firecrackers, no banners, but a measured address at the end of the session that the Valenciennes players listened to without a murmur. Sporting coordinator Mathieu Frison was present: “We understand the fans’ disappointment; their reaction isn’t inconsistent with our start to the season. We acknowledge a certain inconsistency in our performances, even within the same match.”

“If they’re too comfortable here, they should tell us. They should enjoy their good fortune in having this training center, this stadium, this fanbase!” said Stéphane Beaumont, spokesperson for the Ultras Roisters.

This was glaringly obvious against Concarneau (1-2) on October 17, and the hard-fought draw on Tuesday in Aubagne (1-1) did little to reassure Valenciennes’ most ardent supporters. The goal wasn't "to play the bad guys, to scare the players, or to put unnecessary pressure on them," insists Stéphane Beaumont, "but rather to make them face their responsibilities, they who carry the weight of an institution that's over a century old. If there's too much comfort here, they need to tell us. They should take advantage of their opportunity to have this training center, this stadium, this crowd (6,876 spectators against Concarneau)! We want warriors, players who are hungry for victory on the pitch."

Last month, a tense situation had already emerged in the background of the match against Paris 13, which a series of three clean sheets, including a strong performance in Caen (0-0), quickly defused. "We tend to get carried away, sometimes a little too quickly," admits Hugo. After this latest tightening of the screws, the players know they're under scrutiny once again.

A respectful and cordial exchange lasting about ten minutes. I hope it will be beneficial for tonight's match!

Speaking of tonight's match, I'm sharing the link below with you. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. French time, as usual.

great day everyone !

Allez Valenciennes !

[ChristopheVAFC]

Half-time now at the Stade du Hainaut.

Valenciennes are ahead on the scoreboard! (1-0).

Quevilly are playing with 10 men after receiving a red card.

VA dominated overall in the first half.

The supporters' banner on the theme of Halloween tonight: "Chase away the ghosts of the past".

[ChristopheVAFC]

The match has just ended at Stade du Hainaut.

A 2-0 victory against Quevilly Rouen.

Not the match of the year, but a valuable victory that boosts morale.

In my opinion, we could have scored a lot more, but 2-0 is already good.

Have a great evening, everyone, and Allez VA!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

A 2-0 win.

But a 2-0 win that was only on the cards because the visitors got a man sent off. Up until then QRM had the best chances.

Even after that VA plodded to take advantage of the situation. The breakthrough came from a corner.

As the game went on, it was one way traffic. Not many chances created as QRM defended without too many problems.

The second goal also came from a corner. A nice touch and shot, after two VA players got in each others way and the ball reached the finisher.

Not a blistering performance, but enough to stave off another awkward chat with some fans.

Versailles next week.

[Weston Super Saint]

11 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

A 2-0 win.

But a 2-0 win that was only on the cards because the visitors got a man sent off. Up until then QRM had the best chances.

 

As an SR club, surely they're aware that playing against 10 men is actually harder than playing against 11, non?

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

As an SR club, surely they're aware that playing against 10 men is actually harder than playing against 11, non?

In fairness, I think that's a Saints thing.

How many times have Saints failed to take advantage playing against 10 men? Too many for my liking.

OR how many times the opposition have several players injured and playing reserve midfielders as defenders.......AND Saints still manage to effing lose.

Every single time!

 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 hours ago, Weston Super Saint said:

As an SR club, surely they're aware that playing against 10 men is actually harder than playing against 11, non?

Exactly what was going through my mind, as I was watching it. 🙂

[FredVaFC59100]

5 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Exactly what was going through my mind, as I was watching it. 🙂

That is the SR effect; centralize data player metrics and statistics at SR's headquarter for identical play across teams. We don't buy mediocrity, we breed it... 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello friends, I hope you're all doing well?

Today is match day for Valenciennes, who are travelling to Versailles (this club is playing this season at PSG's former training centre, the ‘Camps des Loges’).

After last Friday's hard-fought victory against Quevilly Rouen, the aim is to keep up the momentum and take at least one point tonight (three points would be ideal).

Kick-off is at 7.30 p.m. French time and the link to the match is below:

Allez VA !

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Today press article from "La Voix du Nord"

VAFC : « Les arrêts valent plus cher », pour Jean Louchet, de la difficulté de faire mieux avec moins - La Voix du Nord

VAFC: "Saves are worth more," says Jean Louchet, on the difficulty of doing more with less

Less involved this season in the National league than he was in Ligue 2, at the time of relegation, Jean Louchet plays an even more crucial role in the Valenciennes goal. "The few times he makes a save, he has to be decisive because it's his job," maintains his coach, Stéphane Moulin.

It's like Cleopatra's nose and what Blaise Pascal said about it: if it had been shorter, the whole face of the Earth would have changed. Similarly, the match against Quevilly-Rouen would undoubtedly have been very different without the two vital saves made by Jean Louchet in the first ten minutes. "We tell ourselves that a goalkeeper has to be decisive." "He was there in the last match, since he only had two saves to make, not necessarily easy ones, but he made them and kept us at 0-0," observed Stéphane Moulin, whose team, also helped by Njiké's sending-off after half an hour, managed to force a result (2-0).

"We need our goalkeeper, like all teams, but we need it even more because we don't concede much."

Stéphane Moulin, VAFC Coach

The art of making the right move at the right time. "We need our goalkeeper, like all teams," continued the Valenciennes coach, "but we need it even more because we don't concede much." This is precisely the challenge facing Jean Louchet, who was so often brilliant in Ligue 2 (2023-2024), within a Valenciennes team in decline. “The matches are completely different,” he admits. “I was conceding more goals, but it wasn’t as noticeable.” Now, when danger lurks, “it’s all about big shooting opportunities. When you have three, four, five saves to make in a match, it’s easy to stay focused.” When chances to shine are rarer, when they’re limited to one or two saves, the line “between a good and a bad match” becomes very thin.

“He went through a bit of a slump”

Stéphane Moulin breaks down the goalkeeper’s start to the season (11 goals conceded in 11 National matches, 5 clean sheets) into segments: after two very good performances (Châteauroux, Le Puy), “he went through a bit of a slump, which he bounced back from last week.” A dip in form that the coach partly attributes to the hard work the 28-year-old put in to return from injury (ruptured anterior cruciate ligament) last year. “He suffered the physical and perhaps even mental repercussions.”

“When things aren’t going his way, it means something’s missing and you need to do more. You have to make that little bit of luck; it’s not just luck.”

Jean Louchet doesn’t believe that. Not always helped by circumstances, “deflected shots,” like the one he conceded in Aubagne from the Provençal team’s only shot on target, or shots “coming out of nowhere,” he may have left some matches “extremely frustrated,” but he doesn’t make excuses. “When things aren’t going his way, it means something’s missing and you need to do more. You have to make that little bit of luck; it’s not just luck.” »

VERSAILLES – VALENCIENNES, Friday, 7:30 p.m. Unavailable: Wahib, Rouaï (suspended), Thomas (injured), Belloumou, Inchaud, Collet (returning from injury).

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Louchet, for me, has been one of the better players. The team don't create much, inviting pressure on a defence that isn't always good/ structured well enough to stop their opponents. Louchet's had to bail them out in some games. Less a slump than having to sit behind a team who are just where their form suggests they should be in the table.

[ChristopheVAFC]

1 hour ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Louchet, for me, has been one of the better players. The team don't create much, inviting pressure on a defence that isn't always good/ structured well enough to stop their opponents. Louchet's had to bail them out in some games. Less a slump than having to sit behind a team who are just where their form suggests they should be in the table.

For the little history, Jean Louchet was one of the first recruits of the Sport Republic era.

 

Spotted by our goalkeeper coach, he is now the only remaining player from the 15 recruits of summer 2023.

 

He quickly became one of the most beloved players among supporters, but was unable to prevent the team's relegation to the third division...

 

Last year, he started the championship before suffering a serious injury that kept him off the pitch for eight months.

 

During his recovery, he even extended his contract with us until 2027.

 

He regained his place in the starting line-up at the beginning of the season and I think he hasn't been at his best so far, but overall, he has an exemplary mentality and is very demanding of himself and others.

 

Jean, like the other players, is capable of doing better and must do better, that's for sure!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

49 minutes ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

For the little history, Jean Louchet was one of the first recruits of the Sport Republic era.

 

Spotted by our goalkeeper coach, he is now the only remaining player from the 15 recruits of summer 2023.

 

He quickly became one of the most beloved players among supporters, but was unable to prevent the team's relegation to the third division...

 

Last year, he started the championship before suffering a serious injury that kept him off the pitch for eight months.

 

During his recovery, he even extended his contract with us until 2027.

 

He regained his place in the starting line-up at the beginning of the season and I think he hasn't been at his best so far, but overall, he has an exemplary mentality and is very demanding of himself and others.

 

Jean, like the other players, is capable of doing better and must do better, that's for sure!

I can't think of too many conceded goals, where you can't track errors further up the park. That's not just on players, but on what they've been asked to do, the positions they've been asked to take up, and the recruitment which has left some roles vacant.

One aspect of a side without much attacking shape, is that it also limits Louchet's distribution. A team's well practiced movement and shape, gives the keeper options. At the moment his best hope is that Courtet clones himself to take up the 3 roles he's trying to fill in every game. 🙂

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Half-time in Versailles!

Valenciennes are ahead thanks to Ylan El Hadary's goal in the 4th minute. (0-1).

Valenciennes are putting up a fight in this first half.

Let's hope for more of the same in the second half.

Allez VA! ❤️🤍

[ChristopheVAFC]

The match has just ended at the Versailles stadium.

Despite a good performance overall, VA conceded a draw (1-1).

There was clearly an opportunity to take all 3 points tonight...

Have a good evening and allez VA! ❤️🤍

[Holmes_and_Watson]

A frustrating, but fair draw.

Great opening few minutes. Lots of controlled passing from side to side looking for an opening. That brought a first chance. Then aggressive tackling got the second chance and a goal.

VA had 2 good chances at least to extend their lead. But as the half went on Versaille  started to get opportunities of their own. The best of which hit the bar, with Louchet never near it.

Second half saw VA happy to sit, with Courtet running about by himself, with no supporting press.

The game changed on 65 minutes. I don't know if VA's manager had planned to absorb any pressure for 20 mins. Perhaps that wasn't the plan, and he wanted the team to push out. Perhaps neither. I did see one of the outgoings players with ice on their knee later, so maybe it was an enforced switch. But 10 and 11 were replaced, with our Rento coming on.

The home side hadn't been creating much. VA had begun to push forward a little.  In fact Courtet had fallen when given a good chance just minutes before the changes. 

After the switch, VA offered very little. Versailles were given just a little more space with the attacking subs of VA. One of those deflected across the front of goal, with Versaille in space to finish with another deflection.

VA were back to their usual disjointed attacks. The closer to the end, the more it looked as though the home side would get all three points. They were the better side by then, and knew how to put a move together. Moulin seems stuck trying to get a tune out of a team he wouldn't have bought himself.

It was completely understandable to have made those changes on 65 minutes. His team should be better. In hindsight, he will probably have preferred to have left it as it was and absorbed any pressure for a 1-0 win.

 

 

[Anders]

what happened to Derrick Abu?

[ChristopheVAFC]

9 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

A frustrating, but fair draw.

Great opening few minutes. Lots of controlled passing from side to side looking for an opening. That brought a first chance. Then aggressive tackling got the second chance and a goal.

VA had 2 good chances at least to extend their lead. But as the half went on Versaille  started to get opportunities of their own. The best of which hit the bar, with Louchet never near it.

Second half saw VA happy to sit, with Courtet running about by himself, with no supporting press.

The game changed on 65 minutes. I don't know if VA's manager had planned to absorb any pressure for 20 mins. Perhaps that wasn't the plan, and he wanted the team to push out. Perhaps neither. I did see one of the outgoings players with ice on their knee later, so maybe it was an enforced switch. But 10 and 11 were replaced, with our Rento coming on.

The home side hadn't been creating much. VA had begun to push forward a little.  In fact Courtet had fallen when given a good chance just minutes before the changes. 

After the switch, VA offered very little. Versailles were given just a little more space with the attacking subs of VA. One of those deflected across the front of goal, with Versaille in space to finish with another deflection.

VA were back to their usual disjointed attacks. The closer to the end, the more it looked as though the home side would get all three points. They were the better side by then, and knew how to put a move together. Moulin seems stuck trying to get a tune out of a team he wouldn't have bought himself.

It was completely understandable to have made those changes on 65 minutes. His team should be better. In hindsight, he will probably have preferred to have left it as it was and absorbed any pressure for a 1-0 win.

 

 

Our biggest flaw at the moment is that we're not clinical enough; we need to be much more effective in front of goal.

In the first half especially, we had the chance to score two or three goals, but we only scored one... I think signing another effective striker in January would be a good idea...

It's a real shame because this lack of efficiency in front of goal allows our opponents to believe they can win, and that's what happened again last night...

In the second half, there was a difficult period and we had two players taken off with potential injuries (Ylan El Hadary and Streddair Oyuzu Appua)...

We conceded a few more chances and Versailles wanted to get back into the game, which they unfortunately managed to do...

There's no league match next week, but the coach has announced a friendly match against a Belgian Division 1 team.

[ChristopheVAFC]

4 hours ago, Anders said:

what happened to Derrick Abu?

To be honest, I don't have much news about Dierrick, but I'll try to find out more soon.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Press revieuw after the match:

VAFC : quand El Hadary va tout va, malheureusement il n’a pu jouer qu’une mi-temps… - La Voix du Nord

Quote

VAFC: When El Hadary is on form, everything is going well, unfortunately he only got to play one half…

With El Hadary scoring in the opening minutes and pulling the strings, VA had an excellent first half-hour on Friday. The 19-year-old Malagasy player went off injured at halftime, and Valenciennes ended up being pegged back in Versailles (1-1). A real shame.

It's not exactly a life of luxury in Versailles, which inherited the land that the former lord, crowned king of Europe this spring, PSG, abandoned for a prestigious estate in Poissy. This is clearly enough to satisfy the FCV supporters, who should have heard them singing their joy at being so close to home (at the Camp des Loges training ground in Saint-Germain-en-Laye) to the tune of Joe Dassin's "Le Siffler sur la colline" (The Whistle on the Hill). Their satisfaction likely stems from the fact that their team had a thunderous start to the season, although their pace has slowed considerably in the last four matches.

El Hadary scores after three minutes

The blame lies largely with Dijon and Sochaux, who recently thrashed them, and partly with Valenciennes, who dominated them for thirty-five minutes. This materialized in an early goal (3rd minute) from the returning El Hadary, who was hailed as a savior (a Messi?) after the adductor injury that had sidelined him for the last three games. This Valenciennes team, depending on whether their 19-year-old Malagasy player is on the pitch or not, presents a different face. "We can't be dependent on one player, but we're more precise and more dangerous with him," Stéphane Moulin had acknowledged the day before the match. This was once again proven true on Friday. “He’s such an important player for us!” the coach repeated afterward. “He’s played five matches, he’s already scored three goals…” While that statistic doesn’t tell the whole story, it speaks volumes about his influence. “He links the midfield and the attack, he’s dangerous, he’s skillful, so… Even with his physical limitations—because we managed him carefully so he could play this match—even in those conditions, he still manages to make the difference for us.”

The problem for Valenciennes is that their diminutive playmaker came up against a bigger and stronger opponent at the end of the first half and had to leave the field at halftime. He left the stadium walking with a crutch, the top of his right shin wrapped in an ice pack. “I hope we don’t lose him, because right now, it’s worrying.” Another very lively player in the first half – two of his shots (22nd, 25th) deserved a much better outcome – Stredair Appuah also went down (65th), likely with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee.

"You can go from black to white, that's just how it is. Right now, we're in the gray area, which is better than black."

Definitely not good news for Valenciennes, who have plenty of reasons to leave this match frustrated, as they were ultimately pegged back in the second half. "We had several opportunities to score another goal, unfortunately we didn't, and as often happens in these kinds of matches, our opponent reacted and we were under pressure," explained Stéphane Moulin. Versailles scored a bizarre goal, the ball gliding through the entire Valenciennes defense from a corner, without anyone touching it. Except for substitute Traoré, unmarked at the far post (1-1, 69th minute). "We always have to do something to turn a victory into a draw. It's a shame, because I liked the way we approached the match. And in that respect, we're improving." Valenciennes will take it. "It's not all negative, but in terms of the result and points compared to what we offered and what we came here for, there's a shortfall. We can go from black to white, that's how it is. Right now, we're in the gray area, which is better than black."

-----------------

VERSAILLES – VALENCIENNES: 1-1 (0-1).

Stade Georges-Lefèvre, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Referee: Mr. Legat.

Goals: Traoré (69th minute) for Versailles; El Hadary (3rd minute) for Valenciennes.

Warnings for Valenciennes: Koum (5th), Boisser (38th), Takaoka (82nd), A. Diomandé (87th).

Versailles: Barbet; Tchato, Cissé (Kalai, 57th), Moussadek; Renaud, Ouchen (Traoré, 57th); Ben Brahim, Basque (captain), Fischer; Zemoura (Doucouré, 57th), Guillaume. Coach: Jordan Gonzalez.

Valenciennes: Louchet; A. Diomandé, Landre, Coeff, Koum; Sissoko (Maréchal, 85th), Boissier; Appuah (Baghdadi, 65th), El Hadary (K. Diomandé, 46th), Ipiélé (Takaoka, 65th); Courtet (captain). Coach: Stéphane Moulin.

 

[Mboto Gorge]

Find it interesting when reading about Valenciennes, that they’ve now spent more time in the French 3rd tier since SR bought them, than they have in their previous entire existence. I see a pattern emerging. 

Edited Saturday at 07:07 by Mboto Gorge

[FredVaFC59100]

15 hours ago, Anders said:

what happened to Derrick Abu?

Same faith as SR's French players "investment" Joachim Kayi Sanda and Daouda Traoré ? : lost in translation. SR does not buy mediocrity, it breeds it.

[ChristopheVAFC]

On 08/11/2025 at 03:18, Anders said:

what happened to Derrick Abu?

Speaking of Dierrick ABU, despite what some people may think, I have some news!

He is currently playing for our reserve team and yesterday he played the entire match.

Our reserve team is leading the 6th division (regional 1) championship.

The team was relegated from the 5th division last year and the goal is to bounce back immediately.

[ChristopheVAFC]

look this press revieuw of Valenciennes B team after the game yesterday:

« Si ça continue, il n’y a rien à faire », Valenciennes s’offre aussi l’invincibilité de Maubeuge - La Voix du Nord

Quote

“If this keeps up, there’s nothing we can do,” Valenciennes extends Maubeuge’s unbeaten run

Maubeuge put up a fierce fight against Valenciennes’ reserve team, who remain undefeated, but Célestin Nyemb once again found the back of the net, and Valenciennes continues its near-perfect run in the R1 league, which it dominates from start to finish.

“What they’re doing is fantastic. Even though they’re young, and sometimes in the amateur divisions it can be difficult to play with only young players, they’re getting the job done. And if they keep this up, there’s nothing we can do.” The praise comes from Samir Belloumou, who has stepped down from the VAFC first team to take the captain’s armband for the reserve team and get back on the pitch for over 70 minutes after a month and a half sidelined due to a series of injuries. The 31-year-old defensive midfielder, who knows the higher divisions very well, seemed like a de facto assistant coach among the young players. He witnessed firsthand, as he had earlier in the season in Camon, the full force of Valenciennes' young squad, top of their league and still undefeated.

"Perhaps we showed them a little too much respect."

Even Maubeuge, third in the table and also riding a wave of unbeaten momentum before arriving at Mont-Houy, couldn't stop their run. They only truly showcased their talent in the second half, with Taylor Mupinda coming off the bench and introducing a bit of uncertainty into the outcome of the derby, which ended with a red card for each side. But one half against the presumed promotion contender isn't enough to change the outcome of the match. "We're disappointed with our first half. We didn't intend to sit so deep." “Perhaps we showed them a little too much respect,” lamented Lias Daara, the Maubeuge coach. There was a golden opportunity to start strong, but Poli’s penalty was easily saved by Obin (16th minute). Then things moved very quickly down the wings, with an unstoppable Ben Osman and Kylian Kouakou, who were unstoppable throughout the second half. The latter provided the assist for Célestin Nyemb’s brace (39th, 45th minutes), making him the group’s top scorer (now with 9 goals). The 19-year-old striker wasn’t as clinical at the beginning and end of the second half, which would have given Valenciennes some breathing room. If Saint-Amand slips up this Sunday, the reserve team could build on a comfortable five-point cushion. “We’re off to a good start this season.” "From an accounting standpoint, we couldn't do better, it's practically perfect," noted Valenciennes coach Pierre Blois with obvious satisfaction. VALENCIENNES – MAUBEUGE: 2 – 1 (2-0).

Goals: Nyemb (39th, 45th) for Valenciennes; Mupinda (78th) for Maubeuge.

Yellow cards for Valenciennes: Said Mmadi (45th), Kouassi (59th), Osman (90th); T. Djelaoui (48th), Poli (87th), Meziti (90th), Christiaens (90th).

Sent off for Valenciennes: Boua Dié (90th) and Maubeuge: Diselers (90th).

VAFC: Obin; Abu, Said Mmadi, Niakate, Babela; Kouassi, Belloumou (captain), Maameri; Kouakou, Nyemb, Osman. Coach: Pierre Blois. Entered into play: Carnier, Ngoya, Boua Dié.

MAUBEUGE: Dejonge; Maachou, Mayet, Diselers, N. Djelaoui; Delmaroneo, Christiaens, Meziti; Roget, Poli, L. Djelaoui. Coach: Lias Daara. Entered into play: Lienard, Mupinda, Doufene.

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Revieuw press for Valenciennes team:

VAFC : trois matchs pour espérer ou se désespérer - La Voix du Nord

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VAFC: Three matches to hope or despair

Forced to a draw in Versailles (1-1), Valenciennes entered a series of four tough matches on Friday against opponents ahead of them in the standings. "When the road gets steep like this, you have to shift gears," said Stéphane Moulin. This end of the calendar year feels like a moment of truth for his team.

Frustration hung in the air at Saint-Germain after a match that VA had largely controlled for thirty-five minutes and should have sealed during that period of dominance, a fact that the rest of the season unfortunately confirmed. "It's not all negative, but in terms of results and points compared to what we offered and what we came for, there's a shortfall," admitted Stéphane Moulin at the foot of the team bus. "You can go from black to white, that's how it is. Right now, we're in the gray." Valenciennes were clearly aiming for three points against Versailles, an opponent five points ahead of them in the standings.

Twelve points in seven matches

The frustration also stemmed from the team's real progress over the last seven matches, despite the setback against Concarneau. Since September 12th and their 1-0 victory against Paris 13, Valenciennes have taken twelve points, placing them near the top of the table during this period. A ranking based solely on the last seven matches played by all the teams would place them fourth, behind Rouen (19), Dijon (14), and Orléans (13), but ahead of Concarneau (11), Fleury (10), Sochaux (9), Aubagne (9), and Versailles (8). Stredair Appuah, who left the game injured after being one of the main instigators of Versailles' defense, can see that the team is moving forward. “Even in training, we’re putting in more intensity, and that translates into matches, so it’s great. We didn’t get the three points, but I think we didn’t deserve to lose.”

“If things go well, we can get back on track, we can practically lose all hope, and then we can continue to play in this part of the table that we’re not happy with either.”

Stéphane Moulin, VAFC Coach

On Thursday, Stéphane Moulin emphasized the importance of the following day’s match in Versailles and the three subsequent games (Fleury, Dijon, Sochaux), given that his team had so far consistently stumbled against the best (Rouen, Orléans, Concarneau). “When the road gets tough like this, you have to shift gears. It’s time to show and prove to ourselves that we’re capable of raising our level. We have to go through this if we want to keep getting closer to the top of the table.” “

The end of the calendar year feels very much like a moment of truth for Valenciennes’ season: “Anything can happen,” the coach remarked, outlining three possible scenarios. “After these four matches, if things go well, we can get back on track; we can practically lose all hope; and then we can continue to languish in this mid-table position,” the middle of the table, “which doesn’t suit us either. I’ve spoken with the players, and they’re aware of that.”

 

[S-Clarke]

4 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Speaking of Dierrick ABU, despite what some people may think, I have some news!

He is currently playing for our reserve team and yesterday he played the entire match.

Our reserve team is leading the 6th division (regional 1) championship.

The team was relegated from the 5th division last year and the goal is to bounce back immediately.

I've got a suggestion for Sports Republic based on that. Given where your reserve team sit, and where our reserve team sit...it may be prudent for SR to just own the B Teams at their clubs, and let grown ups take charge of the first team's at their clubs.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

6 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

The team was relegated ... last year and the goal is to bounce back immediately.

 

This sounds familiar. 🙂

Good to see Abu back.