FC Sochaux-Montbeliard: Simeone's influence, Succeding Expectations and Set Piece Woes

Often when playing Football Manager I find myself compelled to stop and write about it. More often than not, it's because I feel the need to stop and take stock of what has happened and/or to get a clearer picture of my plans for the future. I like it when people write blogs to explain why they choose certain systems, or why they decide to sign or sell certain players. In the case of this blog post, it's effectively one long self-indulgent pat on the back for myself.

In the last post I covered the recent past of FCSM. Their administrative relegation to the third tier, winning promotion at our first attempt, our play-off heartache and eventual title success in Ligue 2 and our mid-table finish on our return to Ligue 1.

Expectations and Tactical Shifts

After an 11th place finish I was concerned that expectations would have risen for the following campaign. This, however (perhaps fortunately), was not the case and we enter the new season as the overwhelming favourites for relegation. Our board and fans clearly share this view, with their hopes for the coming season limited to merely avoiding the drop.

Ideal.

A big thing I wrote about in the last post was our out of possession shape, and how this approach has changed a lot in our first 4 seasons. I've switched shapes and tailored instructions to try and make the team more defensively solid, but have utilised player roles within that to try and maintain a 3-2-5 shape when we have possession. Here is a brief recap:

• Season 23/24: High pressing 4-3-3. Inspired by Klopp's style and probably suited our circumstances at the time, being one of the stronger sides in the 3rd tier.

• Season 24/25: Mid-block 4-4-1-1. Use of inverted full-backs and libero influenced by Guardiola's current system at Man City.

• Season 25/26 & 26/27: Mid block 3-4-3. Idea to have more players deeper when defending, and catch opponents on the break more.

We've been very strong defensively, but we really struggled to create chances, get shots off and most importantly - score goals. This season I'm reverting to a back four system for a couple of reasons.

The first is down to recruitment. If I was continuing with a 3-4-3 I felt I needed to improve our options at wing-back, but didn't have the budget to do so.

The second is that I wanted to field two central strikers and try to hit them earlier, with more direct passes. I felt a 4-4-2 was the best option to achieve a good balance given what we had available.

I also tweaked some roles slightly, so our structure when we had possession would change slightly. It often looked like more of a 3-3-4 as opposed to a 3-2-5, giving us a little extra defensive insurance when attacking.

Out of possession we'd defend in a compact 4-4-2. Wide players dropped deep to help their full-back, and the two holding midfielders would screen their central defenders. We defended in a mid-block, but when we pressed we'd do so aggressively and try to keep the opponents at arms length.

When thinking of which teams do the 4-4-2 the best, the immediate example is Diego Simeone's vintage Atleti side. They usurped Barca & Real to win the title in 2014, and would regularly reach the latter stages of the Champions League (including two finals) with the style that came to be known as 'Cholismo'.

Narrow & compact, aggressive yet disciplined, fighting and clawing their way to victory by any (sometimes unsavoury, depending on your view) means necessary. Brought to life by players like Diego Costa, Diego Godin, Gabi, Koke and Saul Niguez who all seemed born to play for El Cholo. I wanted us to adopt that identity, starting this year and improving longer-term.

Summer Transfers

We had an incredibly tight budget - the smallest in the League - so I had to be really selective with my transfer decisions. As mentioned above, I couldn't afford to go and bolster my wing-back options, but I needed to strengthen and add depth in a couple of positions.

Firstly, let's deal with who left.

Marc Popow, Leny Tela, Kintana Ravonjiarivelo, Aylan Khoudjat & Alex Daho are all released. Selim Pelissard, Willy Kambwala, Charly Dosso, Noah Ndilu, Robinio Vaz & Alban Valade all leave for nominal fees.

Sonny Laiton, our first-choice keeper since joining from Auxerre, joins Everton for €3.5m, while Rayan Raveloson & Samy Faraj leave on loan deals.

No major incoming fees, but we've reduced the wage bill enough to allow for some manoeuvring. We don't need to have a big, big squad and I didn't want too many unhappy players on the sidelines causing issues for the squad, so this suits us for this year.

The first signing is Habib Diarra, who joins on a free transfer from Strasbourg. Strong yet mobile, good in possession but not lacking in defensive situations, he will prove very useful this season and beyond. He can play in one of the pivot positions in a playmaker role or, more likely, as a Segundo Volante.

To replace Sonny Laiton, we opted to sign a back-up and promote Gaetan Poussin to No. 1. The experienced Fabrice Ondoa joins as a cost-effective second choice. He suits the style and is only on a one-year deal. I don't expect him to play too often this year, and we can upgrade this position when we have the budget to do so.

To offer cover in our forward positions we signed two low-budget, experienced strikers. First is former Reading striker Yakou Meite. Powerful, hard-working but erratic, Meite is decent back-up for the season, but again I don't expect him to play too much. He can be utilised as a Pressing Forward or a Target Forward.

Our second striking option is former Lyon & Villarreal man, Karl Toko Ekambi. His physical attributes have fallen off quite dramatically, but he is reasonable back-up on a low-cost, one-year contract. I like him as a potential Trequartista. He can float around and pick up dangerous positions, without worrying about defensive responsibilites.

My final signing is Edouard Michut, who joins on loan from Reims. He is defensively capable enough to operate as a pivot, but it is his playmaking abilities from that position that led me to sign him. Good enough to go straight into the team, but young enough to continue to improve, he is the ideal profile.

Elsewhere, Abdallah Nkosi, Patrick Thouvenin & Yamoussa Cisse are brought into the first-team after developing really well in the last 6-12 months.

Pre-Season & Early Form

I always enjoy pre-season. It's time to try some tactical tweaks out in a low-risk setting, improve players tactical understanding, as well as fostering stronger team cohesion and morale. It's easy to underestimate the importance of these things, but they should never be overlooked.

Our first two friendlies were against local lower league French opposition. We were still using the 3-4-3 and recorded relatively straight-forward victories (3-0 and 3-1), and our pre-season was up-and-running.

We headed off to our training camp in Austria, and tested out our 4-4-2 for the first-time. Three dominant performances produced a 5-0 win over Olimpija, a 4-0 win over Rapid Vienna and a 1-0 defeat to LASK. On our return we faced Sevilla, who beat us 3-0 despite a relative even game in which they only had 3 shots on target.

At this point it was really tempting to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but I persevered.

The following game against Bayer Leverkusen was the one that convinced me the system would serve us well during the season. We beat the side who would eventually finish 3rd in the Bundesliga 4-2, and it was thoroughly deserved.

We start strong and N'dri Phillipe Koffi – who scored 3 goals in the whole of the previous season – nets two as we win 3-0 away at Nantes. Academy graduate Patrick Thouvenin scores in a 2-0 win over Lyon to make it two wins from two.

Pre Xmas

After a slight wobble we come back strong in September with a 1-0 win away at Rennes thanks to a scrappy 94th minute winner from Steve Mounie (clip below). We also leave it late to beat Lens thanks to goals from Traore & Koffi and go into the international with a 2-1 win at Reims with Karl Toko Ekambi hitting his first of the season.

We hammer Strasbourg 4-1 but lose 3-2 to a very good Nice side, despite leading twice. We beat Troyes 2-0 but take our medicine against PSG with a 3-1 defeat. Mbappe, as you may well be aware, is a freak of nature and his €975k pw salary highlights the gap between PSG and the rest.

November is a good month as we beat Montpellier with Koffi and Traore again on the scoresheet. We defend strongly in a draw 0-0 at Monaco and come from behind to beat Bordeaux at home with all three goals coming from academy graduates (Thouvenin, Pendant & Makosso).

We come from behind again to defeat Toulouse with Stephane Diarra netting the winner, edge out Lorient with a late Habib Diarra strike and we end the first part of the season with dropped points against Nantes in a 3-3 thriller.

January transfers

Bertrand Traore is the only departure of note, leaving to join Brondby on loan. He's been a good player for us, but I have my eye on other targets and it's a good time to move him on.

Disappointingly, Reims decide to recall Edouard Michut, who has been such a key player for us in a Regista role. They wanted him to play in central midfield, not defensive midfield.

We had limited options in the Summer window, but now I really wanted to press forward and sign players who I felt would fit the 'Cholismo' style.

Kamory Doumbia (€825k) joins from Reims and is effectively my replacement for Traore/Toko Ekambi in the Trequartista role. He has reasonable technical ability, is better athletically and also offers the flexibility of being able to play in behind the main striker if I want to switch to a 4-4-1-1.

Next to join is Oumar Diakite (€400k) also from Reims. He is a player I've had on the shortlist for years, and is available on a cut-price deal with his contract coming to an end. He has good athletic ability and looks suited to a Pressing Forward role and looks a threat running in behind. His arrival effectively end any real playing time for Karl Toko Ekambi or Yakou Meite.

Rassoul N'diaye arrives from Reading for just €200k. He fits the profile I like in midfield as he is strong, mobile, comfortable in possession but is mainly a ball-winner. He is a good all-rounder who really adds good depth. He also came through our academy, which is a nice bonus.

Our final signing is another former academy player. Jerome Onguene returns for a third spell (I signed him on loan last season) and will join permanently in the Summer. He is a little older, but is at an age where he can still perform for a few years, yet.

I'm happy with these signings, as they improve the squad and are all a good age profile. They also fit the 'Cholismo' profile of matching physical prowess with good attitude. I hope they prove to be good value for money.

Back on it

We beat ASM Belfort 5-2, but crash out of the Cup with a 1-0 defeat to Clermont. It was maybe a stretch to imagine we could lift the Coupe de France, but I'd have liked to have gone further.

We return to League duties with a 1-0 win over Brest, but fall to a 2-1 defeat at Lille.

Sidy Diagne gives us a 1-0 win in a tight game with Rennes, before we blow Lens away with a 3-1 win. Early strikes from Koffi and Mounie (2) put us 3-0 up after 25 mins and we cruised it from there.

We come from behind yet again, this time to beat Reims 2-1 with Youmousa Cisse hitting the winner late on, but we finish the month with a poor performance in a 2-0 defeat at Lyon.

Steve Mounie scores in the first minute at Strasbourg and we hold on for dear life to claim a vital 1-0 win, before our worst performance of the season against a terrifying Nice side, losing 4-1 at home. There's an argument to suggest they are the best I've faced this season, and Kephren Thuram is a player I'd love to have in my ranks.

Oumar Diakite hits a brace in a 2-1 win at Troyes. He seems to have settled well and is showing early signs of what an important player he could be. We put in a really strong performance against PSG, but they prove too strong for us yet again.

The Run in

A late goal costs us in a 1-1 draw at Montpellier, and Monaco beat us 2-0 on our own patch. This is a disappointing start to the final run of fixtures as we look to claim a European place.

Then comes our most dramatic moment of the season. With us losing away at bottom side Bordeaux, Oumar Diakite comes off the bench in the 89th minute to net a 91st minute equaliser. He appears to have given us the lead in the 95th minute until the assistant referee flags for offside. After a lengthy VAR check the goal is given and we win 2-1.

He does it again a week later with a 90th minute winner against Toulouse. He ends the season with 9 goals in 10 starts (11 sub appearances) and proves to be an incredible bargain.

We hammer Lorient 4-1 to set-up a tense finish to the season. We have just 36% possession, but give away very few chances and continue to hit them on the break, with their goal coming from their only shot on target in the 94th minute. This is pretty much exactly the type of performance I was hoping to see from our side throughout the season.

We're level with Strasbourg on the final day. We're away at Marseille and they are at Monaco, and we know if we better their result, we enter the Champions League.

We leave the Velodrome with a 0-0 draw after another sturdy showing, really limiting our opponents to very few chances in what has become a recurring theme this season. Meanwhile, Strasbourg lose 1-0 at Monaco thanks to an own goal after going down to ten men. Champions League, here we come!

Statsy bits

It might be an attempt to validate or even sensationalise the 'achievement' of finishing 4th, but the wage budgets of the clubs really put it into perspective.

Not only that, but this season we were still leaning heavily on Nolan Galves, Sidy Diagne, Christ Makosso, Elie Kayembe Tete & N'Dri Phillippe Koffi - all of whom started with us in the 3rd tier.

All in all, I'm please that, despite our underdog status, we've beaten the odds, punched above our weight and made it to the Champions League.

Defensively, we're pretty similar to where we were last season. Only two teams allowed their opponents more passes than Sochaux and both of them (Bordeaux & Troyes) were relegated. However. we allowed the 5th fewest Final Third Passes Against per game. What this tells me is that we're allowing opponents possession - but in areas we're comfortable with.

Only 4 teams allow fewer shots than us, which is a slight improvement on last season. We rank 4th for Clean Cheets, 5th for xGA and have the third best record for Goals Conceded. All the indicators show an improvement in our defending, which is great.

	26/27	27/28
Goals Against	8th	3rd
xG Against	9th	5th
Clean Sheets	7th	4th
Shots Against	6th	5th
Shots on Target Against	6th	5th

Our average possession is 49% - roughly the same as last season - and I'm comfortable with us not having a lot of possession.

But what of our attacking statistics?

Last season our attacking play alone was similar to the teams battling relegation, whereas this year we improved to roughly a mid-table side.

	26/27	27/28
Goals Scored	15th	9th
xG	15th	10th
Chances Created	11th	7th
Shots	13th	10th
Shots on Target	17th	10th

This, coupled with a slight improvement in our defending, contributed enormously to our successful season.

Our set pieces have been a great source of frustration for me again this season. We have, given our height and power, massively under-performed in this area for years now.

After initially handing the reins to our Set Piece Coach, I took control this year but we've seen no real improvement. If I'm being honest, we're probably regressed and are under-performing more than ever.

To put it into some context, our goal difference from corner kicks alone is -5. Strasbourg - who we narrowly finished above - are at +9 meaning a 14 goal swing in their favour, purely from corner kicks.

Wrapping Up

An amazing season, one of the most fun I've had in a while. I set out with a plan of how I wanted the team to play in and out of possession. There were slight tweaks depending on personnel, the opposition and the game state. It felt like I was really thinking through decisions and I was seeing the impact of it.

And we got our reward!

Champions League football is amazing, though I'd have preferred Europa or even Conference League action as I'd love to have a crack at winning a European trophy.

Next season I want to lean into the idea of Cholismo. I want to improve the options in our squad with that style in mind. I'm happy with our defensive work, and our attacking play has gotten better - though there is still room for growth. The main focus next season is to continue with the 4-4-2 system, but aim to do it better.

As discussed, the biggest improvement we can make is with our set pieces - so I have to try and dedicate some time to working on that.