MHSC – Nice: Montpellier condemned to play to hope to save its place in Ligue 1

Le salut montpelliérain passera par le talent de ses joueurs offensifs. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

Montpellier cannot rely on its defensive stability or on profiles cut out for maintenance.

It is twenty-one consecutive days that the Montpellier goalkeepers have gone to fetch the ball at least once from the back of their net. A statistic that speaks volumes about Montpellier's defensive deficiencies that neither Michel Der Zakarian nor Jean-Louis Gasset have been able to stem.

Although things have improved with the return of the coach with the cap, MHSC still concedes a goal. Like his predecessor, he tried twice to switch to a five-man defence away from home, at Le Havre (1-0) and at Lens (2-0), without success.

Montpellier is not made to suffer

“We haven't played a match since the start of the season without conceding a goal. When you never keep a clean sheet, you can't bring back a good result from away. That was the guiding idea”, justified the former Marseille coach after the defeat on Lens soil.

Except that with this system, Montpellier initially just defended and suffered. It must be said that the full-backs Enzo Tchato and Issiaga Sylla do not quite have the profile of pistons, Jordan Ferri and Joris Chotard are more than ball-winners and the two chosen attackers, Arnaud Nordin and Mousa Tamari do not have the profile to keep the ball with their backs to goal. The two wingers also suffered against the physical Lens defenders.

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“We found the formula at home”

They were more comfortable when their team regained control of the ball, helped by the entry of Wahbi Khazri to keep possession. “I thought that with his experience he could disrupt Danso a little more. Which he did on the occasion when he dribbled well and passed back. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough”, regrets Jean-Louis Gasset. Whose team is better when it plays higher up the pitch, controls the pace of the game and can circulate the ball. This is how the opportunities for Savanier (70th, 75th) and Sylla (75th) came about.

MHSC has in its squad profiles that are more playful than destructive and its survival will be achieved through play and goals more than through low blocks and possible counter-attacks, even if Montpellier can also be dangerous on offensive transitions. They proved through their performances at La Mosson that they could worry top-level teams (Brest, Lille) by dominating them in the game. “We may have found the formula at home. But away, we've lost three matches”, summed up the Pailladin coach well.

Perhaps he lacks in his squad that slightly more physical profile that they have been asking for in their time Michel Der Zakarian and Olivier Dall'Oglio. This famous sentinel capable of recovering balls, imposing his power, taking balls with his head and protecting his defense.

While waiting for this hypothetical arrival, Montpellier will have to make do with its more forward-looking midfielders, its technical playmaker, its fast wingers. A group designed to be in the middle of the table more than to play for survival . But the MHSC has put itself in this situation and it will only get out of it by playing. Condemned to play…

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