While ASSE displays an attractive face and gives hope, the situation is very different on the Montpellier side in Ligue 1. With only 9 points after 17 days, the MHSC seems to be heading straight towards Ligue 2, in a negative spiral which worries more and more.
Beaten by Angers, a direct competitor in the fight for maintenance, Montpellier sees the play-off zone move away to seven points. A chasm for a team which has the worst goal difference in the championship with -26. Jean-Louis Gasset's men are struggling to find solutions, and the statistics paint an even darker picture. The team delivers worrying figures.
- 42 goals conceded : Montpellier is the fastest team to reach this total in Ligue 1 since Nice in 1978-1979. An unenviable record which illustrates the glaring weaknesses of the Hérault defense.
- 9 points only : The MHSC is having one of the worst departures in recent history. Of the 17 teams having scored less than 10 points after 17 matches, only two managed to maintain their position (Sète in 1947-1948 and Ajaccio in 2011-2012).
- Success rate on centers: 22.31% : Montpellier fails to exploit its offensive situations. Against Angers, the Héraultais attempted 33 crosses, but only 3 found takers. A blatant inefficiency in a sector that they use very frequently.
- 6 expulsions this season : The MHSC is also undisciplined. In the defeat against Angers, two players saw red, bringing the team's total of red cards to six, a sad record shared with Hellas Verona in the five major championships.
An almost impossible mission?
With such a mid-season record, the Montpellier residents will have to achieve an exceptional second half of the championship to hope to maintain their position. Jean-Louis Gasset, accustomed to challenges, will have to find solutions quickly to get his team out of the rut. But with such worrying performances and negative dynamics, salvation seems far away.
Jean-Louis Gasset spoke after the meeting… disappointed: “We drank the chalice down to the dregs. It's unhappiness. When you attack a season like that… I told my players: you took four points in eight matches with one coach, then five in nine matches with another. We are where we should be. We tried to put things back in place, but we didn't succeed. You have to face reality, it was very difficult. Today, it's mission impossible. Halfway through the Championship, we lost at Le Havre (0-1), at Saint-Étienne (0-1), at home against Angers… It's going to take a little miracle. »
The MHSC must react, otherwise it will sink definitively and say goodbye to Ligue 1. In the meantime, their direct rivals like Angers or Saint-Étienne can rejoice in this poor performance, which gives them a chance to breathe in the fight. for maintenance.
To be continued…
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