retired_bbcarr

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | C | Rouen | | 38 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 59 | 39 | +20 | 65 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | P | Châteauroux | | 38 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 58 | 43 | +15 | 63 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | P | Cannes | | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 56 | 42 | +14 | 62 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | Angoulême | | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 49 | 36 | +13 | 61 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Clermont-Ferrand | | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 52 | 44 | +8 | 56 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Racing 92 | | 38 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 49 | 46 | +3 | 56 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Cherbourg | | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 52 | 48 | +4 | 55 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Wasquehal | | 38 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 55 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Pacy | | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 47 | 48 | -1 | 55 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Valence | | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 46 | 39 | +7 | 54 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Toulon | | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 49 | 47 | +2 | 53 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Louhans-Cuiseaux | | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 47 | 55 | -8 | 52 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | GFCO Ajaccio | | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 42 | 50 | -8 | 51 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Noisy-le-Sec | | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 49 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Libourne St-Seurin | | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 41 | 46 | -5 | 47 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Pau | | 38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 47 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | R | Paris FC | | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 42 | 56 | -14 | 43 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | R | Martigues | | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 40 | 58 | -18 | 42 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | R | Viry | | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 38 | 50 | -12 | 42 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | R | Châtellerault | | 38 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 30 | 58 | -28 | 25 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_bbcarr

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Arnaud Brocard | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Jacques Leglib | 39 | - | - | 2 | 42% | - | - | - | 6.74 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Julien Labat | 7 (11) | - | - | - | 61% | 2.93 | 3.23 | - | 6.39 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Dieudonné Bikoyoi | 21 (3) | 1 | 2 | - | 75% | 2.35 | 0.32 | - | 6.67 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Eugène Kangulungu Mbahu | 30 | - | - | - | 82% | 2.76 | 0.10 | - | 6.60 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Lionel Bah | 30 | 1 | - | - | 73% | 2.20 | 0.76 | - | 6.57 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Karim Tafer | 4 | - | - | - | 62% | 4.75 | - | - | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Damien Moulin | 4 (1) | - | - | - | 69% | 3.25 | 0.46 | - | 6.80 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Anthony Gardan | 12 (4) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 78% | 1.45 | 0.08 | - | 6.31 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Vincent Di Bartolomeo | 30 (2) | - | 2 | 1 | 74% | 2.91 | 0.20 | 18% | 6.88 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Vincent Laban Bounayre | 34 (1) | 3 | 5 | 6 | 65% | 1.36 | 2.81 | 28% | 7.14 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Christophe Walter | 32 (1) | 5 | 8 | 3 | 78% | 1.44 | 1.48 | 38% | 7.27 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Matthieu Aernoudt | 15 (7) | - | 3 | 1 | 69% | 1.05 | 2.49 | - | 6.55 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Mathieu Dinet | 1 (9) | 1 | - | - | 74% | 2.33 | 0.21 | - | 6.30 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Fouad Dahmoume | 1 (3) | - | - | - | 64% | 1.72 | - | - | 5.75 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Nicolas Cami | 22 (5) | 10 | 3 | 3 | 75% | 1.13 | 0.44 | 58% | 7.11 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Djamel Mahamat Bindi | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 84% | - | 1.16 | - | 7.50 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Mourad N'Zif | 29 (2) | 1 | 1 | - | 62% | 1.63 | 2.64 | 54% | 6.48 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Cédric Faivre | 9 (3) | - | 5 | - | 81% | 1.94 | 4.21 | - | 7.33 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Youssef Sekour | 5 (7) | 1 | - | - | 84% | 2.13 | 2.79 | - | 6.75 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Madjid Bouabdallah | 10 | 2 | - | - | 62% | - | 1.75 | 36% | 6.90 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Gaël Bonnel | 12 (13) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 70% | 0.26 | 0.78 | 57% | 6.76 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Wnt | Yahia Kébé | 10 (3) | 5 | 2 | - | 91% | 0.23 | 1.37 | 55% | 7.23 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Inj | Nicolas Sartolou | 12 | 6 | - | - | 61% | - | 2.08 | 40% | 7.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | Unf | Bertrand Tchami | 27 (1) | 6 | 1 | - | 58% | 0.12 | 2.72 | 55% | 6.82 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_bethricci

great story terk :thup:

retired_w0lfpack1

Congrats on the escape, Terk. I'm glad you've returned to the story - your tales always intrigue me.

retired_bbcarr

I had become used to football summers, a two week break with a mobile phone kept close by and more work to be done in the office than there is during the season. I took my time away in New York, during which time I was barely off the phone trying to tie up deals for the players which would keep us from being involved in the same relegation mess as the season before.

Our first friendly was scheduled early, we played the last weekend in June, before any reinforcements had arrived in Pau. The game was against PSG’s reserve side and two goals from the visitor’s Edouard Cissé put us to the sword.

We finally made some progress in the transfer market in the few hours after the PSG match. 23 year old former Lille winger Mathieu Robail joined from Fontenay-Le-Comte for £45,000. Robail made his debut in a match against Ligue 2 side Tours; a game in which we proved our worth, running out 4-1 winners thanks in main to a hat-trick from Bonnel.

My struggle on the recruitment side of things was to find any strikers who were significantly better than those we already had, and I wasn’t particularly happy with the ones at the club. Defenders and midfielders were easy to find, veteran Brazilian right back Demétrius Leita Ferreira – a former Marseille and Bastia player – joined for a final year before he retired. He was soon joined by Pape Sarr, an attacking midfielder who had played nineteen games for Lens as they were relegated from Ligue 1 during the previous season.

retired_bbcarr

“Dad was disappointed you didn’t come back to Forest. He thought you’d jump at the chance.”

“I didn’t even think about it. I’m happy here.”

“Well, they’ve appointed someone else.”

“I know. Chus Pereda. We don’t have to talk about football.”

“What do you want to talk about then?”

“Anything. How’s it going with Andy? Still turning down his proposals?”

“He hasn’t asked again. But I’m still happy with him, before you butt in.”

I was talking to Hannah on the phone a few times a week now. I knew her other half would be spitting blood about her having contact with me, that was probably half the reason I was so eager to speak to her. Everything still seemed so natural with her, but not even the thought of being nearer didn’t make me want to consider a return to England. Not yet, anyway.

--

The season began with us facing Angoulême at the Stade Lebon on the first Saturday in August. Attacking midfielder Nicola Mirza had joined us on a free transfer just before the game, and sat on the bench as we kicked off. Robail and Ferreira lined up on the pitch, with Sarr in the stands thanks to an ankle injury. We suffered early on with both Lionel Bah and Julien Labat limping off injured, but the only goal of the match also came our way when Robail pounced on a loose ball after Cami’s thunderous shot was parried.

--

“Anyone you’d recommend?”

“Fabrice Fiorèse.”

“I recognise the name.”

“Played for Marseille. Only left them in June. We know Dijon and Paris FC are in for him, but I reckon we’d have a shot at landing him.”

“Excellent.”

New scout Paul Fenwick’s recommendation of Fiorèse certainly took my interest. If we could get him in then our defence and midfield would be able to compete with the best in the league, all that would be missing would be someone to regularly put the chances created in the back of the net.

retired_coachmike7

Terk I must say this and the first part, which all of it I've been reading in one day :eek: :eek: but it's sheer class mate. Keep it up!!

retired_bbcarr

cheers glad to know it's being enjoyed

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

“Ferreira needs to come off. We’re looking fragile at the back.”

“We should attack. Bring Sartolou on. We’ve only got one sub left.”

I’m not entirely sure why I listened to Brahim, it was obvious that Sète were the stronger team going into the last twenty minutes, and with Ferreira clearly flagging at the back, we desperately needed to shore up and hold onto the lead we had. However, we went with Sartolou, and eight minutes later I was praising my assistant’s judgement as Walter crossed into the box and Sartolou headed home. We had taken the lead early on through Faivre and had certainly been the better side throughout the first half, but as the game went on, the visitors got stronger, but our eventual victory placed us second in the table.

Three days later we were in Colombes facing Racing 92 at the Stade Yves du Manoir. Two minutes after kick off I was wishing I was back in Pau as Mamady Sidibé gave the home side the lead. Sidibé thought he had a second on the half hour when Jacques Leglib made a howler, letting a shot squirm underneath him and into the net, but luckily the linesman’s flag was already held up, coming to our rescue.

The team took that as something of a wake up call, and Cami laid on a ball for Bindi who rifled a shot into the top corner. A minute into injury time at the end of the half, Faivre crossed and Cami was this time scorer, sidefooting the ball in off the inside of the post. Again, however, second half frailties came to haunt us, and Racing should have been level before they eventually equalised, Serge Ayeli curling home a free kick in the seventy-first minute.

retired_bbcarr

“You’ve been busy, Stephen. And I’m Brahim tells me there could be another few cheques to sign soon.”

“Only one more. If we’re lucky. Sébastien Escobar hasn’t impressed. We’ve made an offer to Pascal Bérenguer though.”

“But the other two, Julien Harrouard and Fabrice Fiorèse, these are good names for us. I’m impressed with the squad you have now. Maybe we can do more than just escape relegation.”

“I wouldn’t get carried away just yet, Jacques.”

The chairman found it a bit more difficult to keep himself under control after we defeated Wasquehal at home just two days after our conversation. Harrouard started as the only fit right back at the club whilst Fiorèse had to make due with a place on the bench. For long periods of the game, it looked like we would have to make do with a draw, the visitor’s defensive line held strong. But with just eight minutes remaining, Faivre crossed for Cami to volley home and then in injury time, Fiorèse latched onto a long goal kick from Leglib and rounded Romain Salinin the Wasquehal goal before side-footing home.

The win over Wasquehal had us second in the table – although we were level on points with both Sochaux and Valence who sat either side of us. We suffered a bit of bad news when midfielder Pascal Bérenguer turned down our three year offer to sign for Racing 92 instead, but I honestly couldn’t hold onto a bad thought about our start to the season.

Lionel Bah returned to the starting line up for the trip to face 16th placed Lille-Rousse in Monticello whilst Mirza and Fiorèse made the line up for their first starts. We didn’t have to wait long for the opener this time, but the source was the same as it had been previously, Faivre crossing and Cami sliding the ball home. Faivre was the provider for our second before half time, again his ability to get to the byline and put the ball in the box proving vital, this time for Mirza to net his first goal for the club.

retired_bbcarr

With N’Zif out for a month with a broken wrist, we took on Toulon at the Stade du Hameau for a Wednesday evening game. The visitors were the better side in the first half, Cédric Sebin giving them a lead just before the half hour. However, indiscipline came to our rescue as Benoît Leroy was sent off just before the hour, and though Sarr missed the resultant penalty, goals from Robail and Sartolou snatched us a win we barely deserved.

Having overtaken Sochaux given their loss at Valance, we travelled to Montbéliard to face the favourites for the league title. What was a hard job became even more difficult after Fiorèse managed to collect two yellow cards in the first nine minutes, but it still took until the second half for the home side to run riot, goals from Alexandre Lecomte, Azar Karadas and Basile De Carvalho completing an easy victory.

August ended with a home visit from Cherbourg in front of our poorest crowd of the season. We were obviously still suffering a hangover from the Sochaux performance, and Distel Zola took advantage to give Cherbourg the lead late in the first half. We should have equalised in the second half, twice Sébastien Pauvert was forced into good saves and Cami hit the bar in the eighty-ninth minute, but the eventual defeat slipped us down to third in the league.