Nantes 2023/24: Pierre Aristouy’s fatal problems at the back and solutions his successor must consider – scout report

Appointed in the final weeks of the 2022/23 campaign, Pierre Aristouy initially had one job on arrival at Nantes: save the club from relegation. He helped them achieve their goal on the final day of the season, with Les Canaris finishing just one point clear of the drop zone after winning in game week 38 versus Angers.

With Aristouy still in charge this term, Nantes sit in a somewhat healthier position — 11th, five points clear of the relegation zone, four from the relegation playoff position. However, it would be wrong to then believe all is well and there’s nothing to worry about just because they occupy a better position now than they did when Aristouy first took over. This season has seen plenty of issues for Aristouys side, leading to his dismissal earlier this week.

Nantes have conceded the second-most goals (23) and third-most xGA (24.08) of any side in France’s top flight this term, at the time of writing. Furthermore, their xG per shot against of 0.148 is the highest in the league — not a table any club wants to be topping.

Our tactical analysis piece will provide an analysis of the reasons behind Nantes’ defensive struggles in the 2023/24 campaign and offer some solutions to combat these issues at the back, putting the club on track to avoid the relegation scrap come May and enjoy an overall more comfortable campaign.

Long passing

Firstly, Nantes have played the fifth-highest amount of long passes (40.05 per 90) in Ligue 1 this term. That in and of itself isn’t a problem, but it provides added context as to why it’s such a concern they’ve got the worst long pass success (49.7%) in their division for the 2023/24 campaign.

Plenty of their long passing comes from the goalkeeper. This happens primarily as a result of high pressure from the opposition and tight marking forcing Nantes’ defenders to move back to the ‘keeper, who then has to play the ball long, as he’s faced with the same high pressure and lack of nearby options due to tight marking.

At times, this can work out positively and foster some decent ball progression. Take figures 1 and 2, for instance. Here, Alban Lafont is pressed aggressively after receiving a back pass. However, he can spot left-back Quentin Merlin in space out wide.

Lafont can clip the ball over the opposition’s forwards, finding Merlin out wide in a position to progress upfield. Merlin is a key player for Nantes, so finding him in such space is a huge positive for Les Canaris and a situation they’ll undoubtedly look to recreate when possible.