AS Saint-Etienne: Youth Is Served as Saint-Etienne Looks To Build for the Future

As winter quickly approaches, and the domestic calendar continues to play out, the pieces to the Ligue 1 season continue to fall into place. With 12 games in the books, there has been plenty of time to assess where a team stands and where it might be heading.  While teams like PSG are sitting where expected, and others like Marseille have been disappointing, Saint-Etienne has been a pleasant surprise to this fan.

As the hot summer months passed by, things were looking down for my beloved green. I professed my frustration with their selling ways in an earlier article.  After the article was published, things got worse, as Matuidi skipped town for PSG. I began reading up on the competition in Ligue 2, for this seemed to be our obvious destination.

The summer closed with the addition of Jeremy Clement from PSG. This was a positive signing as I had always viewed Clement as a solid midfielder with a good work rate, but it was not enough to overcome the loss of the big three (Payet, Riviere and Matuidi). Since the season started, it has become more apparent Saint-Etienne is putting their trust in the youth, while mixing in some experience.

The experience has come in the form of Clement and goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier (formally of Monaco). The 27-year-old Clement had found himself on the outside looking in on PSG’s crowded midfield, and took the opportunity for regular playing time with ASSE. His leadership on the pitch has kept Les Verts playing solid football for most of the season. Ruffier’s influence in the back has been a stabilizing force for a defense that lost long time contributor Carlos Bocanegra. Ruffier’s knack for coming up with key saves has earned his club several points in this campaign.

The youth has been served, as several young players have found themselves become regulars. Twenty-one-year old Josua Guilavogui has appeared in 11 games (10 as a starter) next to Clement in the midfield. He forced his way into the rotation last season with 22 appearances. He has shown a steady maturation and has been more direct in his play, creating more opportunities for himself.

The defense has seen the biggest influx of youth as 20-year-olds Loris Nery and Faouzi Ghoulam are just short of matching their number of appearances for Les Verts last season. Both are learning on the job, but have acquitted themselves well. Perhaps the young player with the most potential is French U-17 defender Kurt Zouma. The 17-year-old has made five appearances this season, and has shown the ability of a future top-choice defender. Combining these youngsters with the veteran addition of Paulao from Braga and Sylviam Marchal has helped to speed up the development of these young defenders.

While the future of the backline looks to be bright, the attack has been lacking. Outside of Pierre Aubameyang, there has not been a consistent attacking threat. Aubameyang is on loan from AC Milan, and has shown he has what it takes to be a scoring threat in Ligue 1. It would be in ASSE’s best interest to try and turn his loan into a permanent transfer. Adding to the attacking woes has been the form of Bakary Sako so far this season. The usually offensive minded Sako has been an almost non-factor offensively, posting only one assist to date, after scoring seven goals last season. Bolstering the attack in January would go a long way in assuring ASSE remains well above the relegation fight.

If the kids can continue to develop while helping to grind out results, ASSE may be setting the foundation to begin climbing the table in a year or two. While it is not competing for a title, there is progress, even if it is baby steps. Progress is all this fan asks to see, for now.