BREST
Manager: Eric Roy
Key Arrivals: Camara (Saint-Etienne), Satriano (Inter), Martin (Lille)
Key Departures: Honorat (M’gladbach)
Prediction: Extremely lucky to survive last season thanks to Ligue1’s unusually weak bottom third, the new campaign could be one step too far for an understrength team who finally lost talismanic forward Franck Honorat. Workmanlike and badly lacking creativity, avoiding the bottom three will be tough.
CLERMONT
Manager: Pascal Gastien
Key Arrivals: Keita (Lyon), Caufriez (Spartak Moscow), Boutobba (Niort)
Key Departures: Khaoui (Khor Fakkan)
Prediction: Some shrewd scouting and a tough-to-beat yet bold set-up equalled a scarcely believable 59-point haul last term. More of the same style, while holding onto their better players, should see Ligue1’s smallest club survive again, although another top-half finish seems unlikely.