When Pascal Dupraz took over as Toulouse manager last March they were 10 points from safety. He pulled off one miracle and is now aiming for another

“You’re dirty kids! You’re dirty kids!” was the cry of a joyous Pascal Dupraz as his Toulouse side returned triumphantly to their dressing room. His team had just beaten champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Municipal, having looked doomed to relegation just six months earlier. Toulouse’s win over PSG in September and the 3-1 victory over Monaco a fortnight later marked the peak of an astounding rise for a club that was being remoulded in the image of their violently charismatic coach. A considerable trough followed the peak as they struggled over the winter months but the signing of striker Andy Delort in January has propelled Toulouse back to their compelling best.

This time last year Toulouse found themselves 10 points from safety with just 10 games to play. They were all but down after a 2-1 defeat to Rennes left them second from bottom with only four wins in 28 matches. A meandering, limp campaign led by the aloof Dominique Arribagé had flickered and died, leaving Toulouse coachless, rudderless and hopeless. Club president Oliver Sadran has since admitted “there was no plan B” when Arribagé left.

But a few days later a solution was found in the shape of the erratic, prickly and unfashionable Pascal Dupraz, who was unveiled as head coach. “We must fight against fatalism. We must find, or at least increase the collective qualities of the team, pour in enthusiasm and love,” was his message to the club and players. Dupraz’s previous experience of relegation scuffles was mixed – he had kept Evian (his only other notable appointment) in Ligue 1 in the 2013-14 season but took them down two years later.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pascal Dupraz on the touchline. Photograph: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Dupraz’s reign at Toulouse got off to a concerning start. Within days he was hospitalised with chest pains, which had been evident during his time with Evian. A training session was cut short and Dupraz was forced to watch his first game as manager from bed. Nevertheless, his arrival had an immediate impact as the team secured a 1-1 draw with Marseille and then, on his return to the touchline, dismantled Bordeaux 4-0.

The glorious run continued. They won 15 points from Dupraz’s first nine games and, miraculously, were now on the brink of survival. They were now bombastic and intense. Prize asset Wissam Ben Yedder, now of Sevilla, was cajoled into landmark performances, scoring eight goals in the 10 games he played for Dupraz. Danish international forward Martin Braithwaite, who was handed the captaincy, marauded down the left flank and scored goals. However, it was the faith placed by Dupraz in a burgeoning generation of youth products, his “dirty kids” as he playfully referred to them, that proved crucial.

Dupraz placed his faith in four youngsters – goalkeeper Alban Lafont (now 18), centre-back Issa Diop (now 20), technical midfielder Yann Bodiger (now 22) and holding player Alexis Blin (now 20) – a quartet that dictates how the team plays. Lafont’s consistency, commanding presence and lightning reflexes have made him one of the league’s best keepers; Diop’s pace, power and intelligence will bring suitors in the summer, while Dupraz was quick to highlight the persistent heel issue of Blin during the side’s winter slump as a key cause.

Dupraz’s passion, intensity and boldness were swiftly embodied by his players on the pitch as they morphed into a compelling, aggressive and effective unit. As the side’s results and displays improved, Dupraz quickly endeared himself to the fans.

Toulouse is not what you might call a “footballing hotbed”. Predominantly a rugby town, attendances had dipped below 9,000 under Arribage. But, after criticising the vivacity of the support and accusing the fans of “wearing mittens”, Dupraz ensured that the pivotal final home game of the season, against Troyes, was a sell-out and the Stade Municipal a cauldron. A Tinder-themed display before a home game in August featuring Dupraz and the phrase “it’s a match!” served to illustrate his popularity and ascension to cult-hero status.

Dupraz’s management style is unusual and even old-fashioned. He routinely harangues his players, often delivering instructions in an alarmingly aggressive manner. Crucially, however, he is positive and supportive. He is rarely interested in plugging gaps with too many new signings, preferring to fashion a more effective, cohesive unit from what he already has. Anyone who could destabilise the group is cast aside. Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro was stripped of the captaincy and swiftly dropped; the promising Zinédine Machach was sent to the reserves after a disagreement in Dupraz’s first week in charge. Dupraz, however, insists: “A coach has to love his players.”

Having beaten Troyes, Toulouse knew that a win on the final day at Angers would keep them up but Dupraz had saved his best trick for last. On the eve of the encounter, the Toulouse players sat in a small, poorly lit room. The staff gathered around the walls and their manager stood before them. With the fire in Dupraz’s eyes verging on the maniacal, he unleashed a tirade of affection upon his players: “You deserve to stay up. For two and a half months I have been saying that you will stay up. The problem is not whether or not I will look like an idiot – it is to see whether you have the mental, physical and technical capacity to do it. It is now that you have to do it. Not tomorrow, not yesterday. It is now! I have realised that I am not the only one who loves you. The staff, they love you. The fans have chastised you but they have shown you that they love you. What we will see here is undeniable. What we will see are people who love you.”

This was followed by emotional messages of support from the players’ loved ones projected on to the wall behind the coach. As the lights came up and the players dried their eyes, Dupraz ended with a simple “bon match.” It is difficult not to be moved by the full 117 seconds of unbridled passion, whether you speak French or not. The Toulouse squad were inspired. With rivals Reims ahead against Lyon, a win was essential and, having been 2-1 down, an 83rd-minute free-kick from Bodiger, one of Dupraz’s “dirty kids”, won the game and kept Toulouse in Ligue 1.

Nevertheless, the revolution would soon falter. This season started as the previous one had ended, with their devastating home form proving too much for Monaco and PSG. But the turning point came during the visit of Lyon in October. A clumsy afternoon from Lyon full-back Rafael saw him dismissed with the visitors 2-1 up but with over half an hour still to play. But instead of roaring their side home, as had become their custom, an air of quiet expectancy descended upon the Stade Municipal, as if a result against one of the league’s best teams was now a formality. The fight had vanished. Toulouse were unable to make any meaningful inroads into the Lyon defence and the contest finished, anticlimactically, 2-1. Although injuries to Blin, Diop and Trejo were destructive, the intensity, courage and tireless enthusiasm that Dupraz demanded from his players dissipated in the following weeks and they proceeded to lose nine of their next 13 games, now appearing brittle and timid.

With once bright European hopes fading and the side dissolving into mid-table obscurity, it was time for Dupraz to break with tradition. The additions of Ola Toivonen and Christopher Jullien aside, the acquisition of Swedish international winger Jimmy Durmaz was the club’s only real attempt to add some flair to an otherwise workmanlike squad during the summer. But it had become clear Toulouse were in need of a sizeable shot in the arm to wake them from their deepening slumber.

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Andy Delort – who had scored a dozen goals for Caen last season, moved to Tigres in Mexico and then decided he wanted to come home – was linked with the majority of the league’s 20 clubs. But it was Toulouse and Dupraz who secured his services in what was, for Les Violets, a hefty €6m fee. Delort suits Toulouse and Dupraz perfectly. “I already loved him very much before. We have the same vision of football,” said Delort. Toulouse are unbeaten since Delort’s arrival, which is in no small part down to Delort, who has opened the scoring in his first three starts, two of which were four-goal wins.

Delort is a readymade Dupraz player. His rumbustious intensity embodies the spirit of his new manager on the pitch. With the new signing installed, Toulouse are returning to their best. Braithwaite is back among the goals, visiting teams are being overwhelmed and defensive mistakes have dried up. The fearless Toulouse has returned and Delort is leading the charge.

Despite a disappointing 1-1 draw this Sunday against a Lille side that is in a state of flux, Toulouse are now back in the hunt for a European place. The six-point deficit to Marseille in sixth is sizeable but not insurmountable with 10 games to play. Delort is quickly becoming ingrained in the Dupraz philosophy and leading his new side by example. Dupraz and his rebranded “dirty kids” are far from being done with the race for Europe just yet.

Ligue 1 talking points

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mario Balotelli was back in action for Nice this weekend. Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images

• Nice were their methodical selves in a 1-0 win against Dijon on Saturday, winning for the fourth time in five matches since losing at Monaco - and three of those wins have been by the same scoreline. Mario Balotelli returned to the starting line-up and delivered a battling performance, even if he failed to find the back of the net. While the Italian still has much work to do to return to the level he reached earlier in the season, his movement was impressive, and Nice have continued to score goals from a variety of sources. At the Stade Gaston Gérard on Saturday, Wylan Cyprien was once again making a vital contribution in that regard. His well-taken finish midway through the second half was his third goal in five matches. No other midfield player has more in the league this season, and the way the youngster’s role has shifted in the attacking third in the absence of Alassane Pléa and Ricardo Pereira is impressive; his goals have kept Nice in the title race and on track for Champions League football next season.

• Rafael’s move to Olympique Lyonnais was considered an acknowledgement of the Brazlian’s slow slide, which had been apparent since at least 2013. He was often heavily reliant on his pace to recover from his defensive mistakes but, as he aged, his ability to cover ground declined sharply and he was unable to keep pace in the Premier League. This trend continued last season as well, with both Bruno Génésio and Hubert Fournier often preferring the more experienced and defensively sound Christophe Jallet in the biggest matches, even if it came at the expense of Rafael’s attacking prowess. Jallet has struggled with injury for most of the current season, though, leaving Génésio little in the way of alternatives. Given the scintillating recent form of Bordeaux’s pacy left winger, François Kamano, it seemed as if Lyon could be in some difficulty at the Stade Matmut Atlantique on Friday, but Rafael put in his best performance of the season, with Lyon unlucky to concede as the officials seemed to miss an offside call. Roma beckon in the Europa League on Thursday, and will hardly be an easy proposition but, with Rafael on this kind of form, Lyon’s chances look improved.

• Angers’ surprising move to a 3-5-2 paid immediate dividends against Caen, the league’s most regular practitioners of the system. Angers’ young wide players have been at the forefront of their style this season, but there was also acknowledgement that being played on the right was failing to get the best out of Karl Toko Ekambi, signed from Sochaux in the summer. The Cameroon international played last week at centre-forward in Angers’ habitual 4-3-3, scoring a brace in a 3-0 win over Bastia. With Famara Diedhiou returning from suspension, manager Stéphane Moulin needed a way to keep the in-form Ekambi on the pitch but also find a place for his leading scorer. Using three at the back and no natural defensive midfielder, Angers turned in one of their best attacking performances of the season. Conceding two goals against a mediocre Caen is far from ideal but the result – their fifth straight win all competitions – took Angers into the top half of the table for the first time since November. With safety now all but achieved, the hope here is that the team continue to play with this sort of gusto.

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• Marseille would have been downcast after falling to Monaco in their 4-3 Coupe de France thriller on Wednesday, but they seemed to recover well enough, thumping Lorient 4-1. After having come back from a goal down three times midweek, only to lose in extra time, Rudi Garcia’s side put their frustration to good use. The win was only Marseille’s third on their travels this season, but showed this team’s potential, even in the absence of the injured Bafétimbi Gomis. Playing a new formation, a 4-2-3-1 with Rémy Cabella deployed as a false nine, Marseille were ruthless and will undoubtedly gain confidence in their pursuit of European football. None of their three rivals for a top-six finish won and, with Angers and Lille to play before the international break, the embarrassment of last week’s 5-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain is fading fast.

• Metz endured a week of mixed blessings; the news that their appeal against a points deduction for crowd behaviour was successful was a huge boost to the club’s struggle for relegation. Winter arrival Cheick Diabaté was on the scoresheet for the third match running, but Rennes’ last-minute equaliser meant that the team are now winless in four in the league. Even given how poor Lorient and Bastia continue to be, relegation is still a worry with a visit from the Corsicans looming a week from Saturday. The team have played much better since the turn of the year, but the result against Rennes should go a long way towards emphasising the importance of maintaining focus throughout a match. Without that common goal in mind, Metz’s struggles, once a thing of the past, are likely to continue.

Ligue 1 results

Bordeaux 1-1 Lyon, PSG 1-0 Nancy, Bastia 0-0 St Étienne, Caen 2-3 Angers, Dijon 0-1 Nice, Metz 1-1 Rennes, Montpellier 1-1 Guingamp, Lorient 1-4 Marseille, Toulouse 1-1 Lille, Monaco 4-0 Nantes.

• This is an article from Get French Football News

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