Last season was historic for Stade Brestois. Not only did they qualify for European football for the first time in the club’s history, they qualified for the UEFA Champions League no less.
Amid departures at the club, notably Lilian Brassier, Martín Satriano and Steve Mounié, replicating that feat looked like a tall order, especially when Bradley Locko suffered an ACL injury just before the start of the season. However, the drop-off has perhaps been more severe than expected.
Olympique de Marseille swept them aside 5-1 in the opener and that loss was followed by another loss, this time against Will Still’s RC Lens (2-0). The defeat against OM in particular hurt their goal difference and so after two rounds of games, Brest sit rock bottom of Ligue 1.
Whilst alarm bells perhaps aren’t yet ringing, given the calibre of opponent that Les Ty-Zéfs have faced, Eric Roy has demanded self-reflection from his players. “The players need to acknowledge their current level and they all need to take a look at themselves […] there are lots of players that were here last season and that are not performing at last season’s level,” said Brest’s manager post-match.
Should there not be a reaction against relegation contenders AS Saint-Étienne next weekend, alarm bells may indeed begin to ring.
