I think that I will have a couple of interesting posts for you this week, so please check back regularly to clubgowi over the next seven days or so. Today, you can read the subscriber newsletter in full, don't get too excited, it is only one preview, we average 25-35 per week, across 52 weeks of the year and had eight on Saturday alone, but we do have the odd quiet day.

 

That is not to say that, whether it provides a winner or not, the preview below is not without interest and it is a good sample of the detail that can be found on a day to day basis in the newsletter.

 

That is what the free to view content is, a sample, just a taster of what the newsletter provides through 500-550 issues per year. The service is not for everyone, but circa 91% of subscribers who take out a six month subscription ,renew and that says more about clubgowi than ROI or anything I could write by way of promotion, or sales pitch.

 

Keep in touch !

 

 

We are coming off a very strong week and hopefully we can build on that over the next seven days, which is all I wish to say on the matter, not wishing to tempt fate !

 

Schedule for this midweek is straightforward, all standard 10.00 UK sending times up to and including Thursday, when I will update plans for the weekend.

 

Tomorrow looks promising/busy and there are likely to be 4-5 previews , with a full round in the Championship, in addition to Champions League action, much more low key today, with just the Ligue 2 game capturing my attention ......

 

France: Ligue 2 : Clermont- Troyes
 

Troyes got back to winning ways last Tuesday when I wrote ....
 

I am not sure there is too much they can do about that approach, this is a team and coach totally committed to playing on the front foot, which is something we have discussed time and time again over the last 2-3 seasons and there is no way they will change their game plan and they will be 100% focused on maximum points this evening.  Defensive midfielder Thomas Ayasse missed out on Friday, but returns tonight and the protection he brings to the backline will be welcomed back wth open arms. Given that he was missing, I felt it odd they left veteran Benjamin Nivet on the bench so long and likewise striker Ghislain Gimbert (14 goals last season), he did not score until R6 last season and then notched six in five weeks, so is another striker who might be about to hit form.
 

They won that 4-1 with Ghislain Gimbert (see above) scoring twice, I have been spot on with these strikers to follow in recent weeks and having broken his duck for the season, it is very hard not to see him being productive over the next few weeks and mirroring his form of last season, but and there is always a but, he has been left out tonight by coach Jean-Marc Furlan who marches to the beat of his own drum and is not your archetypal Ligue 2 boss. He has opted to go with Henri Bienvenu and five goal Corentin Jean upfront. Jean picks himself and it is clear Bienvenu and Gimbert will battle to lead the line and that they want to persevere with the former as long as possible, as they "broke the bank" to bring him in (even free transfers cost money) and he was wanted by several of the top Turkish clubs, having been prolific and having gained Champions League experience at Young Boys, Fenerbahce and Eskisehirspor, averaging a goal or assist every 119 minutes throughout his career. On the day his signing was announced, Furlan said  "With this signature, we send a message to our audience: we want to be the strongest, the best. "We want to continually advance the club ." However, Bienvenu will know now that he is competing with Gimbert and that can only be good for the visitors. Rincon returns to central defence replacing Florian Jarjat and this is a strong squad , full of goals, 19 in their last 9 competitive away starts, which included a 3-0 win here in Clermont at the end of last season.
 

Troyes will go top of Ligue 2 with a point, but all three would give them a healthy five point advantage over Nancy who are currently in fourth and given their normal style of play, it is impossible to see them coming here looking for anything other than a maximum return.
 

The visitors are 2-2-0 in Monday night road games, which all came against "big name" teams ( Nantes twice, Sochaux and Brest), Clermont are regulars in the televised fixture, but have only won one of the last 12, losing 7 of 9. Last of which was a 2-1 defeat at Valenciennes seven days ago .....
 

Two struggling teams often means goals, that mantra is usually saved for later in the season, but these two have big defensive issues and I cannot see how either can keep a cleansheet.
 

They were two down there, but again scored very late, striker Idriss Saadi scored his sixth goal of the season and that is a wonderful return for a struggling team who have only managed five other goals and the scorer of two of those, Souleymane Sawadogo is missing this evening. They get Bockhorni back tonight, but still look short in terms of the backline and heavily reliant on Saadi, who will be watched like a hawk, upfront. He actually has 12 goals in 18 starts across the end of last and this season, but came up short in the aforementioned heavy home defeat to Troyes and the visitors will be confident they can again stop the supply to the 22yo, who must have a host of scouts watching his every move.
 

A win will take Clermont out of the bottom three and with a daunting trip to Dijon on Friday their only other start for 19 days, they will surely give everything to collect the win and that, I feel, will play into the hands of Troyes, who would be happy to go toe to toe and end to end, with any Ligue 2 team .

 

 

 

Clermont : L'Hostis, Jeannin,Agounon, Avinel,  Bockhorni, Martin, Lippini,Betsch, Capelle, Diogo, Ekobo, Hamdi, Moulin, Novillo, Salibur, Vidémont,Saadi.

 

Troyes: Denis Petric - Franck Grandel - Rincon - Matthieu Saunier - Lionel Carole - Guillaume Lacour - Quentin Othon - Jessy Pi - Thomas Ayasse - Benjamin Nivet - Yoann Court - Stéphane Darbion - Karim Azamoum - Khassa Camara - Henri Bienvenu - Corentin Jean.
 

Key stat: Troyes have led at the break in all three road wins this season and in their last five away victories in all comps.
 

Monday night games: Away team has scored in 11 of 12,  twice in 5 of the last 10. There is one anomaly and that is 11 of 12 have produced at least two goals, but only one (2-2) had four or more, so ten featured either two or three goals (five of each).  I guess that makes the 2.0 for exactly 2 or 3 goals to be scored "value", but it is not a bet I have ever played myself, correct scores of 2-1 and 1-2 are both quoted at around 11.0 and give a combined 6.0 at best quotes, which is a little more like it, but for me, I will keep things simple and stick with the asian line.