Liam Rosenior has taken Strasbourg up the table – and divided the fanbase | Ligue 1

Liam Rosenior has divided the fanbase at Strasbourg. Since BlueCo bought the club in 2023, fans have remained silent in the first 15 minutes of matches to protest against their multi-club ownership model. But factions have emerged at the Meinau, with some fans no longer adhering to the hardline stance of silence during the opening exchanges of matches. Rosenior’s ability to lodge a European challenge with the youngest squad in Ligue 1 is to blame.

Ultras group UB90, BlueCo’s most ardent opponents in the stands, remain vocal outside the ground, contesting the strategy implemented at Strasbourg and opposing the wider philosophy that sees them tied in a multi-club project with Chelsea. They stayed quiet on Sunday as fellow European challengers Brest paid a visit, but the same did not go for all four corners of the ground. Rosenior has trodden carefully, simultaneously understanding fans’ concerns while also also toeing the party line, defending the owners and confirming their good intentions.

But, while philosophical objections remain – certainly among the ultras – good results seem to have won over the masses. Strasbourg have picked up 20 points in their last nine league games – only PSG have won more in that time – and they are now in the driving seat to qualify for Europe.

Rosenior has been the linchpin of the success. Young players tend to be inconsistent but Rosenior fields the youngest XI in the league most weeks and his team are solid; only the current top four have lost fewer games than Strasbourg this season. The Englishman has also been pragmatic at times, holding on to “values” but changing the playing style when required and creating an exciting transitional side.

Strasbourg also have the quality to dominate opponents. Andrey Santos, the leading tackler in Ligue 1 and one of the best in Europe, was a miss in their goalless draw with Brest on Sunday, but he has been crucial; all indications are that he can have a similar impact at Chelsea next season.

Santos is the standout but Dilane Bakwa, who has the most assists in Ligue 1, has been electric on the wings; Emanuel Emegha has 10 league goals, a versatile skillset and a volume of running that is difficult for defenders to handle; Diego Moreira’s positional versatility is essential for Rosenior; and Guéla Doué and Mamadou Sarr have been rocks at the back, protecting Djordje Petrovic, who is thriving on loan after a middling season at Chelsea. In short, BlueCo have constructed a more coherent squad at Strasbourg than they have at Chelsea – at a fraction of the cost.

No wonder some of the sceptics in the fanbase are being won over. And for a club that have been accustomed to fighting relegation in recent seasons, there could yet be a tangible reward. The draw against Brest wasn’t one for the neutrals. The first shot on target for either side came in the 82nd minute and Strasbourg only registered three shots in the game, their joint-lowest total in Ligue 1 since Opta began taking records.

“If you can’t manage to win, you can’t lose,” said Rosenior after the match. “We weren’t good on the ball. There are days like that.” The result, however, does their chances of reaching the Europa League or Conference League no harm. They are seventh in the table, above Lens and Brest, who look to be their biggest challengers in the run-in.

In an upside-down world, qualification would not silence the doubters – it would make them louder. Rosenior, in his debut season at Strasbourg, in his first job outside of England, is already turning doubters into believers.

Talking points

Backroom bickering took centre-stage in the buildup to the Lyon v PSG game on Sunday night. Lyon president John Textor continued his row with his opposite number, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, claiming that “PSG’s finance model is illegal” and threatening to take the case to the European Court of Justice. Before the game on Sunday, a transcript – and video – of a tense meeting in July between the major stakeholders in French football was leaked, in which Al-Khelaifi referred to Textor as a “cowboy”. Textor made a theatrical entrance to the game, donning a cowboy hat and doffing it to a jubilant home crowd.

Some theatrics were saved for the match. The game burst into life in the second half. PSG won 3-2, with Ousmane Dembélé continuing his fine streak of goalscoring form and Achraf Hakimi netting a neatly taken double. “Nobody is untouchable,” said Textor after the match but PSG, who remain unbeaten domestically, look to be in a league of their own.

PSG’s lead increased to 13 points this weekend thanks to Marseille’s surprise 3-0 defeat by Auxerre, who have not won a league game since November. This one was also dominated by off-pitch antics. Marseille created an atmosphere of suspicion before the match, questioning the decision to appoint Jérémy Stinat as referee. Stinat had been at the centre of controversy in January when his intervention contributed to the Marseille sporting director, Medhi Benatia, receiving a red card and a three-month ban.

If Marseille were angry with the referee before the game, they were furious with him after it. Stinat sent off Marseille defender Derek Cornelius, with Roberto De Zerbi’s men 1-0 down at the time. “It was scandalous,” said De Zerbi. “The referee was not serene during the match. Perhaps past controversies influenced his decisions. None of the referees were up to scratch for a game of this level. I hope Cornelius’s red card won’t be seen outside France because it gives a bad image of French football.”

The Marseille president, Pablo Longoria, went further, saying: “This is corruption. It’s planned. It’s rigged. This is a shitty league.” He even threatened to take the club out of Ligue 1 should the offer to join a Super League arrive. The FFF has called his comments “unacceptable” and Ligue 1 referees have announced they will launch a joint complaint for defamation. Longoria’s antics have created a smokescreen, masking the fact that Marseille are definitely out of the title race and now just three points clear of third-placed Nice.

This is an article from Get French Football News