Most of you know that I am pretty keen on this Nancy team and especially Jeff Louis, I have to be honest and say that they are better suited to playing on the road, where they can play to their strengths, but if they are to break into the top three, this is a must win fixture and a two goal + victory this evening, should see them move into the promotion places and put pressure on Caen , who play tomorrow. Nancy did us a favour at Chateauroux with a comfortable 3-0 win last week , but it makes more sense to reproduce the notes from last month:

Nancy again ( v Niort) looked probably the most dangerous team in Ligue 2 on the break, they turned defence into attack within seconds to score their goal and were 2-3 times very close to releasing someone one on one. They are perfectly set up to playing on the road and following their win at Tours last month I wrote ...."I loved the way they pressed from the front and they put huge pressure on the Tours backline, the hosts were weakened as we discussed, but I could not have been more impressed. To say they break with pace is a bit of an undestatement and in Haitian internation Jeff Louis, they look to have unearthed a gem. Nancy took him from Le Mans a couple of years ago, he didn't make a start in Ligue 1 last season and I know he initially struggled with the physical step up from the amateur to professional game, but he is extremely talented and now that he has filled out a little, there is no limit to how far he can go. He pace is electric, he has an eye for goal, five in his last two starts and Nancy had better extend his contract quickly, as the bigger boys will be calling.

However, I suspect the real key to the upturn in fortune, was the return of coach Pablo Correa, who was in charge for nine long successful seasons between 2002-11, the Argentine, also spent his last five seasons as a player here and knows what makes the club tick. They are 8-3-2 under his leadership and I think he is going to take them back to Ligue 1 this season."

They have not kicked on quite as I would have hoped, but have not had the best of luck either, they did win at Arles with ten men  and never deserved to lose at Troyes. They will always get chances on the road and pass very slickly around the box, big loss today with suspension to the aforementioned Louis, but they are more than a one man team and the win at Arles, came not only without him, but with only ten men on the pitch for the final 32+ minutes, to score the winner in injury time showed terrific fight and resolve. 

Unlike last week, there is no doubt about Louis or any other key offensive players, they are without suspended right back Joffrey Cuffaut (29-1-0), but they have a decent record in his absence.