Pablo Correa’s Transition Tactics At AS Nancy Lorraine 2024/25 – Head Coach Analysis

In 1995, technically gifted attacker Pablo Correa joined AS Nancy Lorraine from Montevideo Wanderers in his native Uruguay.

In his first season with Les Chardons, he helped them earn promotion to Ligue 1.

From there, he’d go on to strike up a memorable offensive partnership in the club’s history alongside Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino.

Shortly after retiring as a player, Correa joined Nancy’s coaching staff in the year 2000.

Two years later, he’d go on to become the club’s manager, replacing Moussa Bezaz.

The Uruguayan would go on to hold that position as Nancy boss for just short of a decade, leaving at the end of the 2010/11 season with the club having earned promotion to Ligue 1.

After that, they enjoyed a period of stability in the French top flight for the remainder of Correa’s initial tenure and won the 2006 Coupe de la Ligue title, thus qualifying for European football.

Correa returned in 2013/14 with Nancy back down in Ligue 2.

Once again, he engineered progress for the Grand Est club and masterminded yet another promotion to the top flight in 2015/16, though it would be short-lived as they went back down the following season.

A poor start to the subsequent 2017/18 season in the second tier marked the end of Correa’s second stint as Nancy boss.

However, the now-57-year-old veteran of Stade Marcel-Picot returned in 2023, with Les Chardons now playing their football in France’s third-tier, Championnat National, with the single goal of propelling them up the French football ladder once more.

Last season, after returning to the club in November, Correa guided Nancy to a sixth-place finish.

Now, six games into the 2024/25 campaign, Nancy sit second in the division and look like a team that means business to mount a promotion push this term.

Our tactical analysis piece aims to provide insight into how Correa is setting up his team to challenge for promotion to Ligue 2 this season.

Our analysis focuses on how Correa’s tactics are centred on maximising his side’s capacity to threaten in transitions.

Pablo Correa Counterpressing Tactics

Firstly, counterpressing is a notable element of this Nancy side’s tactics.

So far this season, they’ve completed 95 counterpressing recoveries in National 1, equalling 15.83 counterpressing recoveries per 90.

These 95 counterpressing recoveries were accompanied by 55 high regains (the shaded area on our viz) and 13 dangerous recoveries (defined on the viz).

Their 13 dangerous recoveries (just over two per match) display the effectiveness of their transitional attacks, which have been a staple of their tactics this term.