It’s all gone distinctly pear-shaped at Grenoble Foot. Several years of hope, excitement and entertaining football culminated in the opening of the splendid Stade des Alpes in 2008 and a somewhat unexpected promotion to the top flight, but after a single season of solidity in Ligue 1 (and a run to the semi-finals of the cup) it all started falling apart. The 2009-10 season saw GF rooted to the foot of the table from day one and never even looking remotely likely to avoid the drop, and the 2010-11 season has started in a similarly dismal way. Bottom after thirteen games with only ten points, it’s going to take a serious turnaround in the club’s fortunes and a return to the ranks of the National division, a level left behind amid euphoric scenes in 2001. It’s not hard to see where the problems lie: seven goals in those thirteen games tells its own story.
Given the continual discussions about the club’s finances, it will be interesting to see if funds will be made available for new players during the next transfer window. With a change in manager already this season, the new manager must surely have his own ideas about the players he needs. But regardless of the resources available, it’s going to require a lot of efforts on the pitch to avoid gaining the distinction of being the club with the finest stadium in the third division.