Returning to the top flight after a three-year absence, Lorient arrive as Ligue 2 BKT Champions - and Christophe Pélissier's men looked the part as they beat Strasbourg 3-1 on the opening day of the season. What lies ahead for Les Merlus?
Although they won the title prematurely, when COVID-19 put an end to the Ligue 2 BKT season with ten games to play, coach Christophe Pélissier has no doubts his side are a worthy addition to France's top flight.
"I think we deserved to be promoted because we were in the top two places for 27 of the 28 rounds," said the Lorient boss. "But of course there is a feeling that we didn't really finish the job, especially as we missed out on the run-in, which is always full of adrenaline… So yes, this promotion campaign was certainly different from the other ones I've experienced in my career."
Challenge accepted
Pélissier is well versed when it comes to promotion - last season's was the fifth he has earned in his managerial career. After masterminding Amiens' historic rise to Ligue 1 Uber Eats in 2017, the 54-year-old kept the northern club afloat for two years before moving on to a fresh challenge with Lorient in Ligue 2 BKT.
"Lorient were one of the most interesting options I had. The confidence that the club showed me, offering me a long term deal, was very important in my decision," he told the Ligue 1 Show. "They allowed me to come with my own coaching staff too, so that helped sway the balance. Not to mention the club's facilities and the ambition here. It was a great challenge to accept!"
Reinforcements
This summer, the promoted club have been working hard to strengthen their squad.
"We decided to work on three fronts. The first, and most important, was to keep the team's backbone in place. Guys like Enzo Le Fee and Yoane Wissa signed contract extensions, Sylvain Marveaux too, so that was important," he explained. "Then we needed to bring in promising players that we had spotted in Ligue 2, like Adrian Grbic, like Stéphane Diarra, and others who bring more experience, like Mathieu Dreyer and Jeremy Morel."
Morel's addition could prove a shrewd piece of business. The former Lyon and Marseille defender returns to his hometown club with his trademark fight, and with nearly 400 Ligue 1 games' worth of experience in his bags…
"Of course, I'm here to act as a role model in some ways but that's not all," said the journeyman defender. "Even though I've had a decent career, I think that I have to show what I can do out on the pitch if I want my team-mates to listen to me."
Pélissier is clearly pleased with Morel's attitude, as well as his history with the club.
"I think it's important to have players like him," said the gaffer. "Someone who came through the academy here, who has had a great career and now is back to bring his experience to the table to help Lorient grow."
Grbic: 'An easy decision'
Austrian striker Adrian Grbic joined in the summer after netting 17 goals in 25 games in the second tier for Clermont… enough to convince Lorient to spend a club-record €9m.
"For me, it was easy decision to join Lorient, because I know the players from last year," said the 24-year-old Austrian sharpshooter. "I know the players, I know the staff. I looked up the history of Lorient and I know there have been so good players who make afterwards a bigger step to another club."
And it seems that everyone at Lorient was well aware of who Grbic was, too.
"I saw immediately that he's a deadly finisher, and that he's got a powerful shot on him," said Morel before his coach chimed in. "Yes, Adrian scored lots of goals last season with Clermont, but this is another level. We have to make sure we help him reach that level!"
While it's certainly a step up from Ligue 2 BKT to Ligue 1 Uber Eats, this is exactly the challenge Grbic was looking or when he signed for Les Merlus.
"Of course, they expect a lot of me, and of course I am here to progress," said the Austrian, who struck form the spot on debut as Lorient put Strasbourg to the sword 3-1 on the opening day of the season. "I want to progress in Ligue 1 and make the next step and I want to help my team with scoring goals, to win games!"
Fight!
With Grbic's goals and Morel's maturity, Lorient have two big assets they can count on this season. Neither, though, bring any guarantee of success, and the Bretons will have to be ready to fight to ensure their survival.
"We can't play with any fear, we have to be up for every game, embrace the challenge of the season, and enjoy ourselves!" said Pélissier, who also saw last season's club top-scorer Yoane Wissa and Pierre-Yves Hamel find the back of the net to complete the comeback against Strasbourg. "We'll see how things turn out at the end of the season."
However, despite the strong start, Morel knows that Ligue 1 Uber Eats is a marathon and not a sprint…
"We have to remain humble," cautioned the veteran. "We have to have ambition, and we have to play to our strengths!"
Aim high
Pélissier is on the same page as his stalwart defender, but definitely on a different one from most French coaches, who typically look to keep expectations low by underplaying whatever ambition they may have.
"I'm not going to tell my players that our main aim is to survive," said the effervescent Pélissier. "I want them to play with a certain style and to maintain a certain tactical balance… If we manage that, we'll have every chance of staying up!"