The scathing defeat against Rennes could well leave deep marks in the Saint-Etienne ranks. A fourth humiliation in just four months since the long-awaited return to Ligue 1. Enough to fuel frustrations and questions on the ASSE side. As is often the case in these situations, a culprit seems essential to explain the crisis, and all eyes are on two obvious culprits: the new management of ASSE and its coach, Olivier Dall'Oglio, whose short-term future seems more uncertain than ever.
A forced marriage from the start at ASSE?
The arrival of Kilmer Sports Ventures last June reshuffled the cards in Saint-Étienne. However, Olivier Dall'Oglio found himself kept on the bench thanks to an automatic extension clause activated by the rise. If the idea of stability seemed judicious at the start, the partnership between the Cévenol and the new leaders – Ivan Gazidis and Huss Fahmy – looks more like a union of convenience. Not extending ODO for more than one season allows you to maintain control over a potential change of coach.
For the leaders, the objective set was clear: to ensure maintenance while developing a young and inexperienced group. A difficult mission, but not unrealistic. However, despite 13 points in as many days – a record that could be considered correct on paper – it is the manner that poses a problem: heavy defeats, a team without reaction in the face of adversity, and a chronic inability to adapt to the high level.
A recurring request: experienced reinforcements
Since July, Olivier Dall'Oglio has continued to hammer home this: his group is lacking experienced executives. If the arrival of Yunis Abdelhamid has been validated, it remains, in the eyes of the coach, insufficient to meet the demands of Ligue 1. An observation which, it seems, is struggling to convince the new leaders.
For Kilmer Sports Ventures, the objective is to build over the long term, with measured investments and rigorous management. There is no question of squandering millions without hoping for capital gains. Certainly, the winter transfer window should make it possible to adjust a limited squad, but no financial madness will be tolerated. Will the leaders change their tune by bringing in a few players experienced in Ligue 1 games? The Data model will be retained, but will it be adapted?
A truce under tension
Before thinking about the transfer window, three crucial meetings await ASSE: the reception of OM in the championship, a trip to Toulouse, then a new clash against the Marseillais in the Coupe de France. According to L'Équipe, Olivier Dall'Oglio would be kept in his post at least until this winter break, barring a major debacle.
The coach knows, however, that he is walking on a tightrope. Management did not wish to extend his contract beyond the current season, further reinforcing the instability around his position. With a workforce that it considers insufficient, the Cévenol must nevertheless compose and try to find solutions. But how long will it last under these conditions?
An outcome already written at ASSE?
If the departure of Olivier Dall'Oglio at the end of the season now seems obvious, the scenario remains to be written. The coach has proven in the past that he knows how to bounce back from pressure and surprise his detractors. So, can history change again? Wait and see.
