SM Caen has recently found itself at the bottom of Ligue 2, enduring something of a footballing nightmare with nine consecutive defeats. The team finally broke their losing streak, albeit only slightly, by managing to secure one point from their match against Pau FC, thanks to their new head coach Michel Der Zakarian.
The match, held at the Stade d'Ornano, was filled with emotion and drama. Early on, Pau FC’s Antoine Mille opened the scoring with a penalty kick, sending shockwaves through the Caen supporters. Just four minutes later, Caen struck back with Yann M'Vila equalizing from close range after some impressive buildup play. This moment brought temporary joy to the home crowd, who were desperately hoping to see their team climb from the bottom of the league.
After M'Vila's equalizer, the game took yet another turn. Caen seemed to have the upper hand when defender Romain Thomas scored to give them the lead after the opposition lost Xavier Kouassi to a red card. Unfortunately for Caen, their joy was short-lived, as Thomas was sent off just minutes later for his own foolish actions, leaving both teams with ten players on the pitch.
The second half was just as chaotic. Caen's hopes of claiming their first victory took another blow when they conceded yet another penalty after Brahim Traoré fouled Pathé Mboup, who scored and sealed the match with the final score at 2-2.
Despite the meager return of one point, speculations arose over Kylian Mbappé's involvement with SM Caen. The majority stakeholder visited the team earlier last week, apparently to motivate and support the players during this tough period. While some fans viewed his presence positively, not everyone was thrilled with his management approach.
According to former professional footballer Jérôme Rothen, Mbappé's role has come under scrutiny. Rothen passionately criticized the young star's absence from the team, stating, “Ce club va crever, c’est trop tard” (This club will die, it's too late). His comments echoed the frustrations of many concerning the management of the club and the need for more active involvement from Mbappé.
After the match against Pau, emotions ran high, and many supporters were curious if this visit and the new coaching appointment could generate some much-needed spark for the beleaguered team.
Valentin Pineau from Ouest France noted, “Tout a été fait pour qu’il y ait un réel tournant cette semaine” (Everything has been done for there to be a real turnaround this week), referencing the arrival of Der Zakarian and Mbappé's motivational appearance. With both the team and supporters craving improvement, the impact of these changes remains to be seen.
Moving forward from this draw, Der Zakarian’s strategy will require immediate execution. His plans to shift Caen from the possession heavy play style employed by previous coaches to something more pragmatic seems sensible, and fans are eager to see how it will evolve on the pitch.
Certainly, with passionate supporters behind them, the hope remains alive even as they sit at the bottom of Ligue 2. While the season is still young, there are many games left to be played, and if the team can consolidate their defense and build on this small, but significant momentum, they might just be able to claw their way out of the relegation zone.
With Kylian Mbappé's status as the majority stakeholder, his influence—though still questionable—could prove pivotal as the season progresses. Caen is faced with the formidable challenge of turning around their fortunes and fighting for survival to potentially avoid dropping to the National league, but encouragement from multiple fronts, including their fans, new coaching strategies, and Mbappé's management, could be the keys to their redemption.