Football Season Guide

Caen enjoyed their best season in over 20 years last term as they finished seventh in Ligue 1, but building on that will be a major challenge for Patrice Garande’s outfit. Over the course of the summer, they have managed to protect the majority of their starting players, with the one exception of Dennis Appiah, a full-back who has departed for Anderlecht. But there is trouble brewing with Andy Delort, who was outstanding for them last term. He has fallen out with the leadership of the club and is not currently training. As their battering ram and chief offensive threat, this is a huge blow to the Normandy outfit, who have so far refused to let him depart. Ivan Santini, however, is expected to arrive from Standard Liege to alleviate this situation, and while on paper he appears a strong addition, there is no guarantee he will fit into their system quite as well as Delort did. Pape Sane has arrived after a strong spell at Bourg in Ligue 2, but he has never played in the top flight before and is untested. Crucially, Ronny Rodelin has been retained after a highly successful loan spell, while more experience has been added to the midfield in the form of Steed Malbranque, who represents a good option to change things up should Julien Feret go off the boil. Ismael Diomande is another loan player to have been retained but he is unlikely to win an immediate place in the starting XI, particularly if Caen go with the 4-1-4-1 system that was used so regularly by them last term. Mouhamadou Dabo has arrived as a direct replacement for Appiah, though it may be that Romain Genevois, who was joined from Nice, is used on the right of the back four instead of his usual position in the centre. Caen might not have the biggest squad, but it is versatile and – aside from in attack – there would appear to be plenty of depth.