Valenciennes

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Orleans 1 up at half time. VA defender tried to chest it back to the keeper. Orleans I tercepted the ball, and passed it into the centre to be put in.

Saying Orleans looked likely from that flank would be overstating it. They had a couple of glimpses, as they had a glimpse on the break once. Louchet hasn't had much to do.

Not that VA have been miles better, but we're clearly the dominant team. They started with, and maintained, more urgency than usual. Having Abi once again gives more of a focal point. 

A nice through ball to Courtet on 20, resulted in a ball across to Abi, only for the Orleans defender to get to the it first. A strong header went over around 30, to be followed by another header, on 36 hitting the bar. 

Courtet was left in the middle of the box a few mins before the break. He chested it down, only to snatch it wide. He had a lot more time and space than he thought. He had snatched an effort well wide earlier on, after it had rebounded to him. 

VA have to at least keep their pace for the second half. We've seen heads drop before, after defensive errors. There's no need for it, as there's plenty of time to turn things round.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Well... It's been a difficult week right to the end...

I couldn't go to the stadium and didn't see the match, but unfortunately we lost again tonight...

Valenciennes 0-1 Orleans...

 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

VA fail to find the gear to drive to success.

VA motor to towards the foot of the table.

Taxi for SR!

Oh, the motor puns are all there to celebrate Toyota's links with the club.

VA came out brightly enough in the second half. Abi managed a couple of touches, to get it under control through on goal only to put it wide. El Hadary took an extra touch before shooting, where an earlier effort looked more likely. At the other end Orleans found themselves through on goal, a good dribble through the defence going wide.

The game began to dip after that. Moulin brought on 3 subs on 65 and another 2 on 75. An Abi effort is the only thing that comes to mind.

VA have struggled to look coherent with the basics this season. It's no surprise that they always look worse when they chase the game, and have too many attackers on.

Our Rento was one of those coming on in the 75th minute. His effort was put off by Abi being in close proximity. The longer it went, you could see it weighing on the players. They're all too familiar with this.

With VA pushing up, Orleans had a couple of breaks, but couldn't take advantage of any of them. They preferred to manage the game by milking each foul and goal kick. This always infuriates Courtet, so often trying to get VA back into a game. So, he picked up a yellow again for that.

Big boos at half time, and more boos at full time.

A broader picture is that VA had chances to win it, only to be undone by another defensive blunder. There were positives. But clutching at them, considering VA's resources, doesn't reflect well on SR.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello friends !

please read the press revieuw today:

Quote

National : «rien ne nous sera épargné», défaites, point en moins, sale semaine à Valenciennes - La Voix du Nord

National League: "Nothing will be spared us," defeats, points deducted, a bad week in Valenciennes

Beaten after largely dominating Orléans on Saturday, Valenciennes concluded a complicated week in many respects, marked by the loss of a point in the standings due to a forfeit.

Stéphane Moulin struggled to find the right words, Rémy Boissier resigned himself to "spending another two days brooding," while Jean Louchet sighed with helplessness. "We could replay this match ten times, we wouldn't lose it," raged the northern goalkeeper. Against Orléans, the Valenciennes players were hit hard by the cruelty that football can sometimes be capable of: despite a flurry of chances and the legitimate feeling of having done everything right, except for being clinical, they must now cope with the immense frustration of a defeat.

This could have been just another frustrating match if this defeat hadn't capped off an already unpleasant week, a far cry from the festive atmosphere surrounding the game celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Yaris to roll off the Toyota assembly line in Onnaing. Seven dark days began in Le Puy a week earlier, where Valenciennes suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat after conceding an improbable goal just before halftime. And then, as is often the case with Valenciennes, off-field issues intruded: seven weeks after the incidents during the match against Sochaux, the club paid a heavy price for the outburst of anger from some of its supporters who had gathered around the pitch, preventing the game from being completed.

After a very long wait, living with a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, Valenciennes (VA) lost the match (3-0) and had a point deducted from their league position. While the club is considering appealing this decision, at the risk of a harsher penalty, putting this episode behind them and accepting the new standings to look ahead is undoubtedly the least bad option.

"We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." Stéphane Moulin, VAFC coach

Terrible weather

"We're having a week where we're down to minus one," laments Stéphane Moulin. "We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." The Valenciennes coach doesn't know the half of it: one day at a time, but a week has seven, and the second blow came on Friday with the release of a video by YouTuber Romain Molina, who launched a scathing attack on the club's management. More than the content itself, it mainly confirmed a well-known situation: there's a lot of backstabbing going on internally, and the atmosphere, certainly not helped by the team's results, is particularly toxic between the various factions within the club.

All of this is quite far removed from the pitch and all the positive aspects, notably Bryan Passi's contribution in the air, which could have been highlighted in the match against Orléans, a match that capped off a very unpleasant week. But when the tide isn't turning... "I just want to be in Rouen to play another match," Jean Louchet said before leaving Hainaut. That's probably the best thing to do.

[BARCELONASAINT]

your club are touting out Marks Inchaud to an American team, this is the 4th player Valenciennes have tried to entice the American team to take this month! It sounds to me the club are desperate to claw some money back in.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Hello friends !

please read the press revieuw today:

National League: "Nothing will be spared us," defeats, points deducted, a bad week in Valenciennes

Beaten after largely dominating Orléans on Saturday, Valenciennes concluded a complicated week in many respects, marked by the loss of a point in the standings due to a forfeit.

Stéphane Moulin struggled to find the right words, Rémy Boissier resigned himself to "spending another two days brooding," while Jean Louchet sighed with helplessness. "We could replay this match ten times, we wouldn't lose it," raged the northern goalkeeper. Against Orléans, the Valenciennes players were hit hard by the cruelty that football can sometimes be capable of: despite a flurry of chances and the legitimate feeling of having done everything right, except for being clinical, they must now cope with the immense frustration of a defeat.

This could have been just another frustrating match if this defeat hadn't capped off an already unpleasant week, a far cry from the festive atmosphere surrounding the game celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Yaris to roll off the Toyota assembly line in Onnaing. Seven dark days began in Le Puy a week earlier, where Valenciennes suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat after conceding an improbable goal just before halftime. And then, as is often the case with Valenciennes, off-field issues intruded: seven weeks after the incidents during the match against Sochaux, the club paid a heavy price for the outburst of anger from some of its supporters who had gathered around the pitch, preventing the game from being completed.

After a very long wait, living with a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, Valenciennes (VA) lost the match (3-0) and had a point deducted from their league position. While the club is considering appealing this decision, at the risk of a harsher penalty, putting this episode behind them and accepting the new standings to look ahead is undoubtedly the least bad option.

"We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." Stéphane Moulin, VAFC coach

Terrible weather

"We're having a week where we're down to minus one," laments Stéphane Moulin. "We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." The Valenciennes coach doesn't know the half of it: one day at a time, but a week has seven, and the second blow came on Friday with the release of a video by YouTuber Romain Molina, who launched a scathing attack on the club's management. More than the content itself, it mainly confirmed a well-known situation: there's a lot of backstabbing going on internally, and the atmosphere, certainly not helped by the team's results, is particularly toxic between the various factions within the club.

All of this is quite far removed from the pitch and all the positive aspects, notably Bryan Passi's contribution in the air, which could have been highlighted in the match against Orléans, a match that capped off a very unpleasant week. But when the tide isn't turning... "I just want to be in Rouen to play another match," Jean Louchet said before leaving Hainaut. That's probably the best thing to do.

Very fluffy, apart from the confirmation around Molina's interview.

"We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." Stéphane Moulin, VAFC coach

Luck has had nothing to do with abject recruitment, tactics, cohesion or standard of play. VA are exactly where they are purely on merit. They've done nothing to deserve a higher position in the standings. Exactly as they deserved where they ended up last season.

Jean Louchet sighed with helplessness. "We could replay this match ten times, we wouldn't lose it," raged the northern goalkeeper.

VA will find away to lose a lot more than he thinks. Clumsy penalties, poor clearances, underpowered back passes, and intercepted chested balls back to the keeper are only some of the recent highlights.

They were better against Orleans. But they've been very poor on a number of other occasions.

"there's a lot of backstabbing going on internally, and the atmosphere, certainly not helped by the team's results, is particularly toxic between the various factions within the club."

A blame game compounded by having a raft of people involved shirking responsibility. If only the team could turn the resources into results, so they could continue to get well remunerated for little apparent competence.

 

 

 

 

[Convict Colony]

21 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Luck has had nothing to do with abject recruitment, tactics, cohesion or standard of play. VA are exactly where they are purely on merit. They've done nothing to deserve a higher position in the standings. Exactly as they deserved where they ended up last season.

Jean Louchet sighed with helplessness. "We could replay this match ten times, we wouldn't lose it," raged the northern goalkeeper.

VA will find away to lose a lot more than he thinks. Clumsy penalties, poor clearances, underpowered back passes, and intercepted chested balls back to the keeper are only some of the recent highlights.

They were better against Orleans. But they've been very poor on a number of other occasions.

"there's a lot of backstabbing going on internally, and the atmosphere, certainly not helped by the team's results, is particularly toxic between the various factions within the club."

A blame game compounded by having a raft of people involved shirking responsibility. If only the team could turn the resources into results, so they could continue to get well remunerated for little apparent competence.

 

 

 

 

Exactly this.

The better managers make wins happen and eliminate luck as a factor, poor ones blame it.

[FredVaFC59100]

8 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

Exactly this.

The better managers make wins happen and eliminate luck as a factor, poor ones blame it.

touché

 

 

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

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

Today is match day for Valenciennes, who are traveling to face the league leaders, FC Rouen.

Needless to say, it won't be easy, and I'd be delighted to come away with a point tonight.

After last Friday's home defeat for the 25th anniversary of the TOYOTA factory, despite a match where VA had many opportunities without scoring, we will need to be effective in front of goal tonight because I don't think we will have many chances to score...

Of course, winning tonight would be a great achievement, but it won't be easy against a team that is desperate to get back into Ligue 2.

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

Have a great day, everyone, and ALLEZ VA!

 

 

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Quote

National : « même en R1, il était déjà pro », à Valenciennes Thibault Maréchal est allé chercher sa deuxième chance - La Voix du Nord

National League: "Even in R1, he was already a pro," says Thibault Maréchal, who seized his second chance at Valenciennes.

Released by Lens in 2022, the midfielder returned to amateur football before bouncing back into the professional ranks at Valenciennes. Impressed by his determination, those who helped him relaunch his career are not surprised by his increasingly frequent appearances in the National League.

Slowly but surely, Thibault Maréchal is making his mark. Without making a fuss, without demanding anything, the midfielder is gradually establishing himself in the National League squad. This will come as no surprise to those who regularly watch Valenciennes reserve matches, who quickly recognized his technical ability and work rate, clearly a cut above the rest in R1. A starter against Orléans, not in the squad the previous week in Le Puy but already in the starting eleven against Bourg-en-Bresse, Maréchal isn't yet a guaranteed starter, but his trajectory is upward, and he'll be traveling to face league leaders Rouen this Friday. Stéphane Moulin, who discovered him this season, quickly invited him to training, and his first minutes in the National league came at the end of October, during the victory against QRM.

"After every match, the opposing coaches would come up to me and say, 'Who is this player?'" What struck me was how humble he was," said Benoît Cordiez, his coach at Aire three years ago.

The journey has only just begun, but the path taken by the 23-year-old midfielder validates the dedication he showed after being released by Lens in 2022. Despite dozens of training sessions with the first team and regular appearances in the National 2 (fourth tier), Thibault Maréchal didn't make the cut. He never gave up on his ambition to reach the highest level. Originally from Aire-sur-la-Lys, he bounced back there to relaunch his career. "His cousin was on my team, and when I learned he wasn't being kept on by Lens, we contacted him, and he immediately became a driving force," recalls Benoît Cordiez, then coach at Aire. "After every match, opposing coaches would come up to me and say, 'Who is this player?'" What struck me was how humble he was. Because I've seen players who have reached the top and then come back down, and they tend to be self-absorbed. Not him at all, he worked harder than everyone else. In R1, he was already a pro.

"His life revolves around this goal."

To the point of paying for his own personal training sessions with a physical trainer in addition to the three weekly training sessions. Unsurprisingly, after a year, Maréchal moved up a level, to Pays de Cassel in N3, where the determination is the same. "He was a key player for us," testifies Samuel Goethals, the Cassel coach. "He has this goal of becoming a professional and has done everything to achieve it. It's impressive because in N3 you come across many players with that same attitude, but how many are truly ready to make the sacrifices? He's like that, rigorous, very disciplined, and has an impeccable lifestyle. His life revolves around this goal."

As discreet as he is determined, the midfielder spent two seasons at Cassel before joining VA last summer, initially for the reserve team. “He’s a great player, that’s why we went after him,” said Pierre Blois, the VAFC coach in the R1 league, who hasn’t seen much of him lately. His career path and regional roots also make Thibault Marechal a breath of fresh air for a club that has often recruited far from home in recent seasons.

“He’s a discreet guy, capable of putting the team first, but he’s also a true competitor,” added Samuel Goethals. Like him, Benoît Cordiez isn’t surprised by the trajectory his former player has taken. Perhaps a little more surprised by the speed with which he’s reached the National league. “Physically, he probably still needs to bulk up a bit because the physical demands are very high up there, but I’m convinced that if we give him time, he can still take his game to the next level.” »

Rouen (1st) – Valenciennes (14th), Friday 7:30 pm, live on BFM Lille

[Convict Colony]

Have to say i am feeling a bit tired today so missing the league leaders away seems good fortune.

Hopefully a win but a run of draws or wins needs to start.

Bonne Chance

[Maggie May]

7 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

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

Today is match day for Valenciennes, who are traveling to face the league leaders, FC Rouen.

Needless to say, it won't be easy, and I'd be delighted to come away with a point tonight.

After last Friday's home defeat for the 25th anniversary of the TOYOTA factory, despite a match where VA had many opportunities without scoring, we will need to be effective in front of goal tonight because I don't think we will have many chances to score...

Of course, winning tonight would be a great achievement, but it won't be easy against a team that is desperate to get back into Ligue 2.

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

Have a great day, everyone, and ALLEZ VA!

 

 

 

Are Valenciennes on the road to Rouen?

[ChristopheVAFC]

3 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

Have to say i am feeling a bit tired today so missing the league leaders away seems good fortune.

Hopefully a win but a run of draws or wins needs to start.

Bonne Chance

Have a good rest tonight, my friend!

Let's hope for a good result indeed! 

[ChristopheVAFC]

2 hours ago, Maggie May said:

Are Valenciennes on the road to Rouen?

I'm not making the trip tonight, but the players have been there since last night and the few fans who are making the trip are on their way.

[Tommy Mulgrew]

18 minutes ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

I'm not making the trip tonight, but the players have been there since last night and the few fans who are making the trip are on their way.

Pssst, Christophe, “Rouen” = “ruin”.    👍😂

[Convict Colony]

3 hours ago, Maggie May said:

Are Valenciennes on the road to Rouen?

elite banter

[ChristopheVAFC]

The match has just ended on the pitch in Rouen.

A ray of sunshine in this difficult season with a 2-1 victory for Valenciennes.

I can only hope that this victory will restore the players' confidence and morale.

This result is unexpected, but it's three points that give us some breathing space and allow us to move away from the bottom of the table.

We'll sleep well tonight and have a good weekend.

Allez VA !

[SuperSAINT]

Congrats @ChristopheVAFC

Those directors are going to dine out expensively this evening 😜

[ChristopheVAFC]

5 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Congrats @ChristopheVAFC

Those directors are going to dine out expensively this evening 😜

Thank you for your congratulations, my friend!

At this hour, there aren't any big restaurants open anymore, haha. 🤣

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Christophe: a play on words in English - on the road to ruin; (it does not seem to work in French).  But then, out of the blue, a victory to (perhaps) disprove it.  

3 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

Pssst, Christophe, “Rouen” = “ruin”.    👍😂

 

6 hours ago, Maggie May said:

Are Valenciennes on the road to Rouen?

“Ruine” instead of “Rouen):

Sur la voie de la ruine

Sur le chemin de ruine

Aller à vau-l'eau

Sur la pente glissante

 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Drama as the ref sends a player from each side from the pitch!

But only as their kit didn't conform, and then they came back on. 🙂

I was going to say the ref had an excellent game. He didn't fall for any of the Rouen players rolling about. VA tried it a couple of times later with equal success. But the ref awarded the free kick that wasn't, when Fuss fell over going between 2 defenders. Fuss was then on the end of the free kick, with a good shot from outside the box.

That led to an entertaining final few minutes. The home side upped their tempo, trying to get the equaliser.

It was a pacier game than most. That shaped the proceedings, as it was quite scrappy as a result of the higher tempo. But where Rouen would normally have the job done, it was VA who looked to have the most energy. Moulin used his subs judiciously to bring freshness into midfield, and to replace Abi, from the mid point of the second half.

While Courtet and Abi, playing a little wider, with El Hadary supporting, and often leading, could use work as a unit, it did stretch the game. Moulin at least now has an option to pin opponents back a bit.

A scruffy corner in the first half, and a decent Courtet stretching shot at the start of the second had been VA's highlights before their opener.

Niakate had just forced a save from a lovely, low, long range effort. He was then able to score from the corner. A minute of a player imposing himself on the game, made the difference.

While Rouen had made Louchet the busier keeper, their best chance was cleared from going in, off the leg of a defender. They had broken through with pace a couple of times, past Passi, early on. But the VA defence was organised enough to be in position to get the blocks in, when it mattered.

Leading, there was a bit of common sense when going forward. But when Appuah found himself in loads of space, when Rouen clumped together in midfield, he ran through and powered it in.

VA took the chances they got, while Rouen never created anything clinical. VA deserved the victory, and will be delighted with it. But that is the baseline performance of a side looking to win their league. That is something they can look to improve upon each game, but not fall below.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

4 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Have a good rest tonight, my friend!

Let's hope for a good result indeed! 

 

3 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

elite banter

You loved the team puns I made last season, and you know it. 🙂

[ChristopheVAFC]

7 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

Christophe: a play on words in English - on the road to ruin; (it does not seem to work in French).  But then, out of the blue, a victory to (perhaps) disprove it.  

 

“Ruine” instead of “Rouen):

Sur la voie de la ruine

Sur le chemin de ruine

Aller à vau-l'eau

Sur la pente glissante

 

Thank you for clarifying that, my friend.

I didn't know that expression. 😅

[ChristopheVAFC]

The press after the match 1

Quote

National : « c’est aussi pour nos supporters », à Rouen le très gros coup de Valenciennes, ça, c’est une équipe ! - La Voix du Nord

National: "It's also for our fans," Valenciennes' huge upset in Rouen – now that's a team!

VAFC celebrated a huge victory on the pitch of league leaders Rouen (2-1). Strong and united, the Valenciennes players returned home with all three points and proof that they are capable of great things. Could this be the true face of VA?

Something always seems to happen on that Rouen pitch, which we're starting to think is blessed for VAFC. Two years after a French Cup quarter-final as crazy as it was historic, won on penalties, Valenciennes once again became a nightmare for the Normandy side, league leaders and only beaten once this season.

This is a significant achievement for VA, who secured their first away win of the season. After so many evenings spent grimacing at performances or dwelling on setbacks, relief, joy, and the legitimate feeling of a job well done shook the locker room and the club's management in the stands.

"We see what we're capable of."

The happiness is immense, commensurate with the performance delivered in Normandy, given the hard-fought battle to return with such a full trophy. "I'm very proud of what the players showed," savored Stéphane Moulin. "There was solidarity, a desire to excel; when you put in the effort and believe in yourself, you see what you're capable of. We did just about everything right."

The defense held firm under the pressure from the opposition before halftime. Niakaté, the standout player of the evening, cleared two balls off the line (29th, 53rd minutes), Louchet saved a close-range header (14th minute), and Valenciennes bent but didn't break. Often criticized this season, the Northerners displayed admirable solidarity this time, with clinical finishing to boot. Sakhalou Niakaté, rewarded for his outstanding performance, and then Stredair Appuah, with his first goal of the season, paved the way to victory for a team that also performed well in midfield and dug deep at the back.

All of this feels like a turning point, one they'll need to confirm next week against Saint-Brieuc. Could this be the true face of Valenciennes? The future could be even brighter. In the meantime, VA is savoring the moment and looking ahead. "We know it's a tough time for them right now, so this is also a message for our supporters," said Stéphane Moulin with a smile.

ROUEN – VALENCIENNES: 1-2 (0-0)

Goals: Niakate (63'), Appuah (84') for Valenciennes, Fuss (90'+3) for Rouen

Yellow cards: Passi (12'), Landre (43'), Louchet (79') for Valenciennes; Renel (90') for Rouen

ROUEN: Temperton; Bouzamoucha, Goprou, Mendy; Goumot (Fuss 67'), Renel, Bezzekhami (Cartillier 82'), Bassin; Kéroudéan, Rocha (Guiry Egny 75'), Ba Sy. Foreign: Régis Brouard

VAFC: Louchet; Niakate, Landre, Passi, Koum; Daubin (Boissier 75'), Maréchal, Rouai; El Hadary (Appuah 63'); Abi (Ipiele 82nd), Courtet (cap). Etr: Stéphane Moulin

[ChristopheVAFC]

The press after the match 2

Quote

National : un but, deux sauvetages, la très grande soirée de Sakhalou Niakaté fait briller Valenciennes - La Voix du Nord

National League: One goal, two saves, Sakhalou Niakaté's outstanding performance shines for Valenciennes

The right-back made two crucial saves for his team before opening the scoring. He was the hero of the victory in Rouen.

We don't know how many messages he received, but his phone nearly went haywire as he recounted his incredible evening. Sakhalou Niakaté certainly deserved the congratulations of his teammates from the youth academy, who will undoubtedly be talking about his performance in Rouen again when he comes to watch them play on Sunday against Saint-Amand in the top-of-the-table clash in the R1 league. In Normandy, he perfectly showed his teammates the way to win a big match.

"A perfect evening"

First, there were his two saves to keep his team in the game. Kenny Rocha's shot was about to go in (29th minute)? Niakaté headed the ball on the line with Jean Louchet beaten. Early in the second half, he had another chance to shine when, somehow, he tipped a ball over the bar that the whole stadium thought was heading for the goal (53rd minute). With a formidable opponent on his back, the imposing Ba Sy, Sakhalou Niakaté was pushed to his limits. "I asked everyone to do a little more, and he did, as he always does when I call on him," praised Stéphane Moulin.

"And there you have it, three points!"

The center-back by trade, deployed on the right in Rouen, also did that little something extra to stay true to his coach's vision: he opened the scoring and put Valenciennes on the path to victory. He won the corner after a thunderous 30-meter strike, which he promptly converted. "It's a perfect evening," he said, beaming, quickly bringing the joy of the moment back to the team. Niakaté's fine evening brought glory to Valenciennes and also rewarded a player who has been moving between the reserve team and the first team (6 matches, 2 goals) this season without getting carried away: "No matter where I play, I continue to work hard and I maintain the same determination. I only knew the day before the match that I was going to play; and there you have it, three points!" Simple as that.

[Convict Colony]

10 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

The match has just ended on the pitch in Rouen.

A ray of sunshine in this difficult season with a 2-1 victory for Valenciennes.

I can only hope that this victory will restore the players' confidence and morale.

This result is unexpected, but it's three points that give us some breathing space and allow us to move away from the bottom of the table.

We'll sleep well tonight and have a good weekend.

Allez VA !

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Convict Colony

[Convict Colony]

8 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Drama as the ref sends a player from each side from the pitch!

But only as their kit didn't conform, and then they came back on. 🙂

I was going to say the ref had an excellent game. He didn't fall for any of the Rouen players rolling about. VA tried it a couple of times later with equal success. But the ref awarded the free kick that wasn't, when Fuss fell over going between 2 defenders. Fuss was then on the end of the free kick, with a good shot from outside the box.

That led to an entertaining final few minutes. The home side upped their tempo, trying to get the equaliser.

It was a pacier game than most. That shaped the proceedings, as it was quite scrappy as a result of the higher tempo. But where Rouen would normally have the job done, it was VA who looked to have the most energy. Moulin used his subs judiciously to bring freshness into midfield, and to replace Abi, from the mid point of the second half.

While Courtet and Abi, playing a little wider, with El Hadary supporting, and often leading, could use work as a unit, it did stretch the game. Moulin at least now has an option to pin opponents back a bit.

A scruffy corner in the first half, and a decent Courtet stretching shot at the start of the second had been VA's highlights before their opener.

Niakate had just forced a save from a lovely, low, long range effort. He was then able to score from the corner. A minute of a player imposing himself on the game, made the difference.

While Rouen had made Louchet the busier keeper, their best chance was cleared from going in, off the leg of a defender. They had broken through with pace a couple of times, past Passi, early on. But the VA defence was organised enough to be in position to get the blocks in, when it mattered.

Leading, there was a bit of common sense when going forward. But when Appuah found himself in loads of space, when Rouen clumped together in midfield, he ran through and powered it in.

VA took the chances they got, while Rouen never created anything clinical. VA deserved the victory, and will be delighted with it. But that is the baseline performance of a side looking to win their league. That is something they can look to improve upon each game, but not fall below.

Sounds like the performance the fans have deserved.

The question is could you see this performance coming based on previous matches or this came out of nowhere ? I've got to hope the manager has slowly improving the game tactics and mgmt to get this but i dont watch all the games.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

Sounds like the performance the fans have deserved.

The question is could you see this performance coming based on previous matches or this came out of nowhere ? I've got to hope the manager has slowly improving the game tactics and mgmt to get this but i dont watch all the games.

After the final whistle, the camera zoomed in to look at a group of away supporters. A shout out to them for going that far this season, without seeing a win.

The above reports about "perfect evenings", "nearly everything going right" and "turning point" are fluff.

With the budget and backing they have, VA should not be seeing this as an "upset" or a "huge victory" These players, and this manager, were brought in to win the league. The manager has to instill those standards.

It looks as though they've had their annual SR chats with the squad and made it clear who is in their plans for the remainder of the season. The squad appearing last night were the ones most willing to put some effort in, complimented by some of the new signings.

A good win. VA did well with the few chances they had. As the game went on, the defence looked more solid. But they were still vulnerable. There's a reason the right back got man of the match. They, and Rouen, struggled to put any passing moves together at a higher pace. And, finally answering the question, they did win a game earlier in the season with some very nice passing. So, they can do it, and there should be more to come.

The arrival of Abi, is the big change. It fills the massive gap in the first team, and gives everyone options. He, and the others are settling in. There's been some progress with the systems. So, again, this isn't out of nowhere. But more to come there too.

[Convict Colony]

thanks for the summary also can we make sure every Fri I go to bed early and Christophe doesn't go to the match  🤣