PSG - chickens coming home to roost. Fair play hits club hard.

PSG now knows the penalty they will pay under the new UEFA "Fair Play" rules to target rampant spending (think PSG and Manchester City). Speaking of the citizens, they are believed to be fined a hefty amount as well - 50m pounds. But for this post, let us focus on what PSG is facing next season. After trying to convince UEFA that their sponsorship deal

PSG ... you have been naughty

with the Qatar Tourism Authority for £167m-a-year was deemed not valid and put PSG in violation of the fair play rule. The penalties PSG face:

• PSG will not be able to increase their payroll, which is already the highest in Europe at 240m euros.
• PSG will not be allowed to purchase any players during the transfer window until they sell off players. They can also only spend 60m Euros on one "star player" but cannot break it down into 2 players for 30m or 3 for 20m. Not sure what about buying rotation players at say 5m Euros...
• With regards to transfers, they are allowed only 21 players on their Champions League roster as opposed to the usual 25 player list. Also at least 8 must be formed by the club.
• Finally they will have to pay a nice little fine of 60m euros paid out over 3 years. 

With this ruling, expect things to be very interesting in Paris this summer. It could be argued that if PSG had a healthy Zlatan they might have gone further in the Champions League, something their wealthy owners are most interested in than saving a few Euros to get back in the good graces with UEFA. Their current squad should once again challenge for Ligue 1 as well as domestic cups next season, even if they do not add any new players. Other than the obvious impact on the coffers, here are some story lines to be watched:

• Look for many of the rumors of player exits to gain more steam and some coming to fruition. Even without this penalty, PSG had to do something with Cavani. Under Blanc's current system, the striker has had difficulty emulating the impact he had in Italy with Napoli. Rolling out a 4-3-3 left the Uruguayan striker out wide, somewhere he did not seem comfortable being. With rumors abound about him heading to the EPL, Manchester United being one of the most discussed destinations, I think there is fire where there is so much smoke. Look for Cavani to end up either in Manchester or in London with Chelsea.  This will also free up 10m Euros in salary.
• The log jam in the midfield. Blanc leans on the trident of Matuidi, Motta and Veratti in his 4-3-3. With the addition of Cabaye over the winter, and the rumors of targeting Pogba as well as the emergence of Rabiot and you have a bit of a log jam. It will be interesting to see if the Pogba transfer gets shelved and what happens with Rabiot, who is rumored to be heading to Chelsea. Will PSG look to off load Veratti? Sell him to the likes of Arsenal? What about the Pastore? Who is really a central midfielder and has been more of a bench player. I see Pastore being moved, probably back to Italy as he is excess already and moving his 4m Euro salary would be seen as an addition by subtraction. I think Rabiot will be kept. Not only is he a talent but he is home grown...something that is going to carry even greater importance next season. Also, look for Sissoko to be moved as well.
• Speaking of log jams, what about the wingers? Menez, Lucas and Lavezzi are all

  

  Closer to reality?

  options on the wings. As is, out of position Cavani. However there are some rumors that PSG will make a push to bring back Hazard to Ligue 1. The fact the Belgium winger has had some words with the Special One, might add some fuel to that fire. Could PSG move Menez and Lavezzi, to then use their one big signing to get Hazard? That would slot Hazard on the left and Lucas on the right...seems like a good formula. With Menez and Lavezzi out - PSG would save over 7m Euros. Granted if they added a player of the likes of Hazard they would be adding payroll.

PSG will have to do some house keeping this summer. They will have to get rid of some of the expensive dead weight they have - Pastore, Menez, Sissoko are first to come to mind. They will need to figure out what to do with Cavani. I think the situation, both on the field and on the balance sheet means he will be heading out of Paris.

By the beginning of next season PSG will still be a favorite to win the Ligue 1 title. The question will become, can they manage the balance sheet and the penalties to get their club to a position where they can challenge for a European title?

PSG rebuffed again by managerial target...getting a tad embarassing.

The latest out of the French capital is that the latest managerial target - Rijkaard - said "thanks but no thanks. This comes hours on the heals of another Italian saying no thank you to PSG - Capello. This is getting a tad embarrassing. So let's see...Mourinho, Villa Boas, Hiddink, Benetiz, Wenger, and probably a few others we don't know of have all said no to the wheel barrels of money that PSG wants to throw out players. Should we start panicking? Maybe a little.


PSG has historically had a revolving door when it comes to their managerial positions. This has only become more magnified with the media circus that has become the every day entourage of PSG. But this is becoming a serious concern. PSG's success, money not withstanding, seems to be hanging loosely together. With the likes of Ibra teetering on the edge of wanting to leave. Having a well respected...and stable...manager in place is vital to keeping all these loosely assembled parts together. The longer the process and the more high names managers say no to PSG, the more precarious the possibility for future success seems. Add to this mix the new riches from newly promoted Monaco and PSG might find itself in a real sticky situation in League 1.

So PSG are rumored to be turning back to Laurent Blanc. Which I thought was a decent choice a few weeks back. But after having done another loop with AVB, Hiddink etc since then, will Blanc be eager to go back to that well? Messy messy messy.

Come on PSG, find your man, and get him into the Parc des Princes...and soon.

PSG Ligue 1 Champions...3 questions for how they defend title next season

PSG capture the Ligue 1 title, something that was expected after the club made some major moves last season. It was not without some difficulty. After winning the crown, PSG will be expected to defend their title...potentially begin a run of form similar to Lyon's run from a few seasons back. PSG have the resources and already the talent to defend their title. There are three main questions that will linger with the club:

• The main question - who will be managing the club? With Ancelotti all but heading off to Real Madrid it is clear that PSG will have a new manager for next season. The rumor mill was ripe with stories from North London that Wenger would make the move across the channel, but those have recently simmered down. What about Rafa from

  

  We hardly knew ya!

  Chelsea? Ugh. Please no. Although PSG might have a decent shot at a cup with the Spaniard at the helm. Mourinho was spoken of as well, but all signs indicate he will head back to his stomping grounds a the end of King's Road in London. Of course two Italians could have outside shots at getting the gig - Mancini who was just let go at Manchester City and Allegri from Milan. Both dark horse outsiders. What about Pellegrini from Malaga? He seems destined for City, but you never know. I think an outsider to keep an eye on is Laurent Blanc. Who has been out of work since France crashed out of the Euros. The former French national team manager would be a good fit - he knows Ligue 1 from his time managing Bordeaux. Blanc might see this as a chance to take over a club with the resources and ambitions to allow him the environment to succeed. And would thrust him right back into the lime light.
• Whoever is the manager will have to find someone to help shoulder the scoring load of Ibra...that is if the temperamental Swede remains at PSG! The Swede led Ligue 1 with 29 goals. The next highest goal scorer for PSG - Gameiro - had...6 goals. Yikes, talk about over-reliance on one player. Assuming Ibra stays, that might be a big assumption, PSG will need to find someone not named Ibra to score more than 6 goals. The Napoli striker - Cavani - is highly rumored to be heading to Paris. As well as a rumor of Rooney being in the sites of the Parisian club. Of course there is the outlandish rumor that PSG see themselves as serious contenders for Ronaldo...not sure that is going to happen. I think the Portuguese superstar might get overwhelmed by the financial offer from Paris, but I just do not see him wanting to go the Ligue 1 over a return to the EPL. I think PSG will hold on to Ibra, at least for one more season, and add the likes of Cavani to try to spread the scoring burden.
• Can PSG develop or acquire the necessary depth to be serious players for both

  

  Get this man some help!

  Ligue 1 and Champions League glory? Other than Ibra, PSG became overly reliant on the likes of Matuidi, Alex and others. In order for the club to be more of a player on multiple fronts they need to add some more depth. More importantly the talent they already have must step up their game. The likes of Pastore, Menez, Lucas, Lavezzi to name a few need to contribute more when it comes to PSG's game. Adding some depth in the midfield to take away some of the pressure on Matuidi would be helpful. This transfer season will be telling for what PSG can expect next season.

Great to see PSG getting their hands back on the Ligue 1 title. But the hard work has only begun.

PSG...Ligue 1 theirs to lose?

So the Manchester City on the Seine has made a number of big time moves this transfer season. Doing some of their shopping in Italy, see below, as well as the top five most expensive transfers in Ligue 1:

date	player	to	from	m€
Jul 12	Thiago Silva	Paris SG.	Milan	42
Aug 12	Lucas Moura	Paris SG.	Sao Paulo	40
Jul 12	Ezequiel Lavezzi	Paris SG.	Napoli	26
Jul 12	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Paris SG.	Milan	21
Jul 12	Marco Verratti	Paris SG.	Pescara	11

With this new purchasing power, that puts PSG in the same level as the top clubs in Europe, it also puts expectations on a whole new level. One that PSG has seldom been able to live up to, even before the petro-dollars came pouring in.

Of course while PSG has been bringing in players, they teams that will challenge PSG are losing players - Lille lost their best player, and the best player in Ligue 1 Eden Hazard and they might also lose their right back Debuchy to Newcastle, Marseilles lost Diarra and their coach, defending title holders Montpellier lost Ligue 1 leading goal scorer Giroud and might lose young starlet Mbiwa.

Lyon has stood pat so far, but they are just trying to keep their key players, such as Lloris (who I still think would look very good in North London red) and Cissokho.

What me worry?

So it is PSG's title to lose...at some level yes. They came very close last season to capturing that elusive Ligue 1 title. Something they have not done since Weah and Ginola have graced the pitch at the Parc des Princes. The pressure does mount on Ancelotti now. How will he leverage all the assets he has?

What will he do with what appears to be a log jam at striker - Ibra, Hourau and Gameiro (I think one of the two French strikers will need to be sold). If Ancelotti sticks with his preferred formation of 4-3-2-1 he does not really need three international strikers. What about Nene? Will the Brazilian stay or does he not have a place on the field? Assume Menez, Lavezzi, Pastore and Verratti will be rotating for the two offensive roles...Nene seems odd man out. Especially with young Brazilian midfielder Moura coming in January. The three deep lying midfielders will most likely be a combination of Motta, Matuidi, Sissoko, Chantome and Bodmer - with the first three getting the bulk of the time.

The back line will also need some managing with a log jam at central defense, especially that Silva is now in the mix. He would appear to be a lock for one of the central roles. With Sakho seeming on the outside looking in, will he get moved? One area that is not a concern is in goal where Sirigu will continue to be PSG's #1, with Douchez more than capable as his back up.

PSG have a lot of options, a lot of money and a lot of expectations. With Champions League football as well as the expectations for Ligue 1 glory, much will depend on how the team is managed and how Ancelotti manages his players time and egos. PSG must get off to a good start and more importantly, they have to stop giving away points to teams they should beat. This has haunted them and cost them dearly over the past few seasons - two loses to lowly Nancy last season cost them the title....I think PSG will win the title this season and get to the knock out stage in the Champions League.

Look for Nene, Sakho and Gameiro to be moved before end of August or in the winter. Also look for PSG to make a big name signing over the winter as well.

PSG fall a tad short

What an ending for Ligue 1, not as crazy as what happened across the channel a week ago with Manchester City, but still a crazy ending. With Montpellier only needing a draw away to already relegated Auxerre and PSG needing to win versus Lorient and hope that Auxerre pull of the upset, it made for a tense last day.

Enjoy it while you can..

It started off well for PSG with Auxerre some how going up 1-0 versus Montpellier...and then all hell broke loose. Toilet paper, tennis balls and other objects rained down onto the Auxerre pitch from idiotic fans protesting the storied French side's relegation. This caused delays, teams being pulled from the pitch and questioning whether or not the game would continue.

Meanwhile, PSG decided to once again make things difficult and give up a goal to Lorient while watching their golden boy Pastore miss 2 chances. PSG finally woke up and found a way to a 2-1 victory, but because of the shenanigans in Auxerre the game was delayed so PSG was able to watch as Montpellier fought back themselves to a 2-1 victory. With that, the club from the south of France are crowned Ligue 1 champions. PSG only have themselves to blame. All one needs to do is look at the 6 dropped points versus Nancy, shouldn't a club of PSG's stature and aspirations be able to at least split the games against a club that was in a relegation battle most of the season?

PSG has announced it will increases its budget by 50m Euros to 200m Euros for next season, putting in the same neighborhood as the likes of Intern Milan. Clearly they are going to look to make inroads in the Champions League. But they must also demonstrate a greater ability to manage a championship - and cannot drop points uselessly.

On the flip side, I fear that Montpellier will suffer from its success. They stand to lose some of their key players heading into a Champions League campaign...might be ugly.

Congrats to Montpellier for winning Ligue 1, enjoy it while you can!

PSG - spin spin spin

Sigh, PSG has been reverting back to its usual form - flashes of excellence but when it comes to getting the job done leave much to be desired. In a recent interview with sporting director and former player Leonardo, there is already some spin worthy of Mitt Romney coming from the Parc de Princes.

"If you had told me second place I would have jumped in with both feet" to paraphrase what the Brazilian said. Ugh. Okay. I guess after dropping about 3 points to Nancy and looking ahead to heading away to Marseilles you start seeing the writing on the wall. Unacceptable!

PSG is tied with Montpellier for first place...how can you already be allowing yourself to speak of second place? Maybe the last game of the season, but there remains a number of games. The attitude of winning at a club starts at the top. Look at Wenger last season when he made his statement of still being in the hunt for 4 titles, even though the season was looking grim for Arsenal. Or has SAF ever said he would have been satisfied with second place in the Prem? If PSG wants to start earning all the money they have been afforded, they need to start speaking about winning and not about second place.

Would Leonardo have said this when he wore the yellow strip of Brazil? Doubtful.

Ligue 1 in jeopardy

Baring a huge miracle tonight, it appears that France's UEFA coefficient will sentence teams from Ligue 1 to drop in the Champions League. Meaning the third team in will have another round of games to qualify for the competition. Portugal looks likely to gain in the coefficient race. A large part of this is the fact French teams have done miserably in the Europa League, while teams from Portugal and the likes have done well (Porto holds the title currently). The two teams from France this season could not even get out of the group stages! Losing to the likes of Red Bull Salzbourg.

What is shocking to me, is that clubs from Portugal and even Ukraine have a better run in Europe than those from Ligue 1. The argument that France does not hold on to its best players is also moot since Portuguese teams are always being poached for both their players and coaches! France, similar to Portugal, has become a gate way league - Brazilians via Portugal and African players via France. So why are the French sides in such trouble when it comes to Europe? Being able to consistently place teams into the 1/4 finals of both the Champions League and Europa League should be a priority for Ligue 1, instead it appears to be an unintended consequence when it occurs.

French teams will continue to lose their players if they cannot offer European football. They have been warned.

Does PSG have a plan, or are they just collecting toys?

The Manchester City of the Seine is at it again, with the winter transfer window a few weeks away, PSG is rumored to be involved in a host of big transfers;

• Beckham from LA Galaxy seems like a done deal.
• The Apache - Tevez - might be heading to Paris rather than Milan
• Kalou could take the Eurostar from London to Paris
• Kolo Toure might actually go from Manchester City in Manchester to Manchester City on the Seine.
• Now there are even "rumors" of Villa and Higuain being looked at...

 Looks interesting on paper, for fantasy soccer and for L'Equipe, but does any of this really make sense on the field? As the article from Sports24 mentions, how would these players fit into the general direction of the club? Where would they play and who would be the odd man out?

I can't run that way anymore...

Beckham: Where would you slot him? Out on the right? Push Menez to the bench? Golden Balls can no longer play in the middle of the park, I know he did that with the Galaxy, but all due respect to the MLS, that is not the same as playing the role in Europe. But that would push out other players from the mix, and again not sure Becks can last 90 minutes in that role.

Tevez: Gameiro does not seem to be the issue, he is on pace to lead Ligue 1 again in goals. Granted having Tevez would be an upgrade, but does PSG really have a dire need there? They have Hourau coming back as well. And they currently choose to play with a lone striker, with Tevez, Hourau and Gameiro there will not be much time to go around.

Kalou: Unlike Tevez, could play other front line roles - lone striker, deep lying striker, winger etc so would give PSG more options, might be a good signing.

Toure: Getting a bit long in the tooth, but clearly PSG have struggled with their central defensive pairing, could the former Gunner be the answer to partner with Sakho? Not sure, but after signing a number of central defenders this summer why dip into that pool again?

Villa and Higuain...uh not going to happen so no need to discuss.

I will have this many assists if I can play deeper

Once again I feel we are seeing what we saw with Chelsea and Manchester City when they found new wealth - sign a bunch of names without any regard to your on field direction! Granted it is easier to figure things out when you have a collection of talent and are not concerned about cutting bait and absorbing costs, but with some thought you can avoid that step in the process.

This transfer market should be interesting for PSG. For me they need to add to the defensive back line, I would like to see them go after some better outside backs - someone like Tremoulinas from Bordeaux would be nice! The real issue that has to be worked out is what formation makes the most sense...to me Pastore is too high on the pitch, maybe look to a 4-4-2 offensive formation where Pastore and Matuidi would be the central midfielders, Matuidi responsible for the dirty work and Pastore would be able to pick up the ball deeper and carry the play. That would allow Nene and Menez to play wide and have two strikers, you could even stay with one striker and play a formation closer to a 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1.

I am sure that PSG and their owners will feel the need to add some new toys to their stable, but not sure that is what is needed. Oh well, having money to buy players is not necessarily a bad problem to have...

Aie Aie Aie - Ligue 1 sides not up to snuff in Champions League

It is a tad sad that a 0-0 draw away to Arsenal from Marseilles is seen as the high light for Ligue 1 representatives in the Champions League. The other two French sides in the competition - Lille and Lyon were brushed aside by Inter and Real Madrid. I sat through the Real Madrid - Lyon match, and it was painfully clear the chasm of talent between both sides. All one had to do was watch the dual between Briand and Coentrao the Real Madrid left back - both players are internationals, although in the case of the Frenchman I will lump a gigantic grain of salt on that statement. But the contest was so one sided, Briand could not beat the Portuguese international, neither with skill nor pace, usually the latter is prerequisite for a good winger. When Briand did, somehow, get behind the defense the ball would invariably be put out of play or thumped over the 18 yard box to...empty space.

On the flip side, Real Madrid's attacking force of Di Maria, Benzema, Ronaldo and Ozil carved up the Lyon defense. They broke with such precision and ruthlessness that had it not been for some strong goalkeeping from Lloris, Lyon could have and should have been down 3-0 at half time. Alonso, Khedira and Diarra so overwhelmed their Lyon counter parts in the midfield it appeared that Real Madrid were constantly launching 4 on 2 attacks and doing it in all kinds of manners - long diagonal passes, cheeky little chips over the defense, one touch triangle passing, pacey runs on the wings and even an old English favorite kick and run from deep. Lyon looked a step or two slow, did not have the automatism that Real Madrid demonstrated and the main point just did not have the level of talent Real Madrid could roll out onto the pitch.

Couple this with what I saw from the Lille - Inter (in highlights) and the outlook for French clubs in the Champions League looks bleak. Lille is in last place of their group while Lyon sit third, 3 points behind Ajax (their next opponent). There is an outside chance that both could somehow string some good results together and get into the knock out stage, but I doubt it. This will be difficult for Ligue 1 and it is coefficient moving forward. Thankful there is PSG on the horizon!

Ligue 1 starting up again! Guess who I think will win the title???

It never ceases to amaze me how little time professional footballers seem to get off between seasons. No wonder players are even more strained summers when there is a global tournament - which was the case this season with the Copa America. This should not impact too much the teams in Ligue 1, now the African Cup of Nations...that will be a different story.

The biggest news during this off season was the rise of Manchester City by the Seine - aka PSG. The team from the capital started splashing out tidy sums of money to acquire talent after being taken over by well funded Qatar owners. It will be interesting to see if, as the French say, "si la mayonnaise prend." Marseilles also made some noise, namely in not losing DD - Deschamps, their manager. Lille are the defending Cup and Championship winners and the exodus from the northern French team was less severe than feared. So who will finish in the top 5 this year? Read on ...

• FC Sochaux: The surprise team from last campaign will build upon their 5th place finish and...maintain that fifth place finish! Much of their continued success will be due to continuity. Primarily in the fact they have held on their core, especially the new French darling Marvin Martin, even though the transfer winds were strong. The dynamo play maker made some noises that he would like to join PSG or others, but nothing came of it...yet. The other major factor why I see Sochaux defending their Europa League spot is that none of the other contenders really improved themselves enough to get into the top 5. I would, however, keep an eye on TFC, they did add some fire power and talent but I do not think enough to challenge Sochaux for Europa League play. Now if Martin does leave before the close of the transfer window, Sochaux will drop back to the middle of the pack. Look for the likes of TFC or Rennes to slot up.
• Olympique Lyonnais: It was not that long ago that the club from France's gastronomic capital was seen as Ligue 1's best chance at European glory, and why not? With the likes of Essein, Malouda, Abidal, Benzema and the likes having worn the OL kit. Unfortunately it is never easy at the top of the pyramid. Especially when you miss on some key signings - Gomis, Gourcuff to name two. I do see Lyon coming back very soon based on the youth that has come up through their system and who is poised to make a greater impact on the senior side: Kolodziejczak, Gonalons, Lacazette, Tafer and Pjanic. They might be one more season from truly gelling as a unit. The transition in the Rhone region continues but they are not far from contending again. Unfortunately, veterans such as Gourcuff, who

  

  Better days for the play maker

  was brought in as key pieces to build around have failed to impress. Is the French play maker overrated? I know I have had many debates with the Gooner about this very topic, and after the past season I am starting to believe that the Gooner might be right. Gourcuff had a break out season at Bordeaux, but since then it appears that the burden of being anointed the next great French #10 is too much for his slender shoulders. With a new manager - Remi Garde (who by the way is rumored to be in line to replace Wenger at Arsenal whenever the Professor decides to move on) - who has been with Lyon since 2003, Gourcuff will need to establish himself and his game under a new system. Lyon's season will depend greatly upon his ability to regain some of the form that teased us while at Bordeaux.
• LOSC: The defending French Cup and Championship side will not defend either title, too much attrition. Cabaye, Gervinho, Rami, Frau, Emerson....and the list goes on, but it did stop at the prize possession - Hazard. LOSC did bring in some replacements: Rozenhal, Pedretti and Payet to name a few. Not that the comparison is fair, but Rozenhal to replace Rami, Pedretti to replace Cabaye and Payet to replace Gervinho. Not like replacements, but what LOSC did that was intelligent was bring in players from Ligue 1 or who have played in Ligue 1. This should ensure a smooth transition for the club.  However with Champions League football and defense of two titles in addition to the year long rumors that will invariable swirl around Belgian winger Hazard, I think this will prove too much for the "little engine that could" of French football. LOSC have too much talent left over and were able to hold on to their best player, Hazard; however it will be too much to ask for them to mount another title winning campaign.
• Paris St Germain: Surprise! I bet some of you thought I would pick them to win the title this season...why not I have done so consistently in the past when they had a far less exciting transfer season as this year! With the additions of Douchez, Gameiro, Matuidi, Menez, Sirigu, Bisevac Sissoko and the cherry on top - Pastore, add to this more rumors of players coming to Paris such as Cole and Berbatov - and you have a very exciting off season for the Parisians. I have argued with Gooner that, unlike Manchester City, these moves all making footballing sense and are not just the exploits of a front office drunk with petro-dollars. Granted if they also sign Berbatov and Cole we might start creeping into MCFC territory, but I digress. PSG had a good run last season, but just did not have enough to stay in contention. The main reason? Goalkeeping - check with Douchez and Sirigu that should not be a problem. Midfield depth - check with Pastore, Matuidi, Menez and Sissoko replacing the older Makelele and Giulys of the team.
  
  
  
  Scoring - check with the addition of Gameiro and Menez, if Hourau can ever find his goal scoring touch again then look out. If you add a Berbatov to that mix then goals should not be an issue. The other positive for PSG - not losing Sakho to the likes of Arsenal or Barcelona. Having him pair with Bisevac, in front of a solid keeper will go a long way to stabilize the back line for PSG. So why not in first place? I am not convinced that Kombouare is the right man for the role. Tactically he has not shown me anything and when it comes to personnel I am not convinced either - he was opposed to signing Nene last season, without him PSG would have been stuck mid table. I also think PSG need a season under their belt before we can see PSG live up to their potential.



Someone looks happy

• Olympique de Marseille: Bleehhh...that was painful to type....might need to wash my hands. Hard for me to accept, but OM will win the league title this season. They stuck around all season, but could never make a serious charge to threaten Lille; however, look for this to change this season. With the main question of whether or not DD would stay, having been resolved, Marseilles spent a relatively calm off season, instead allowing their hated rivals PSG make all the noise. They were able to add Bordeaux captain Diarra, a player long sought after by Deschamps to add muscle to his midfield. The situation
  with Gonzalez remains a moving target, with the latest rumors being a move to Serie A. If that move were to materialize, look for DD to target another striker, possibly Gilardino from Fiorentina as a replacement. Regardless of the Gonzalez/Gilardino dance, Marseilles have the players in place to win the title. With the likes of Remy, Gignac, Valbuena, Mandanda, Cheyrou, Diarra, Amalfitano, Fanni to name a few, OM have the necessary fire power and depth to capture the crown. Ugh that was painful for me to write.

Teams that will have to fight on their hands to avoid relegation:

ASSE: The once storied French side have yo-yo'd between Ligue 1 and 2 for the past few seasons. This year will be no different with the losses of Payet and Riviere look for Les Verts to struggle to stay in Ligue 1.
Auxerre: Another storied Ligue 1 side will find the sledding tough after a net loss in the transfer market, especially their captain Pedretti who was the engine for the small French side. The one time hot bed for youth talent, thanks to Guy Roux, has become a small club that tends to punch above its weight, but they are destined to get knocked down one of these days.
FC Lorient: Talk about a team that punches above their weight class, but with the losses of Gameiro, Morel and Amalfitano it will be too much for the club.

If the likes of ASSE and Auxerre get relegated, Ligue 2 will look like Ligue 1 in the 1980s - Nantes, Lens, Monaco, Metz, Le Havre...

This should be an exciting Ligue 1 season, if nothing else to see a ratcheting up of the OM - PSG rivalry.

The year for Lille, enjoy it while you can LOSC

Lille seems well on its way for the French double, after defeating PSG for the Coupe de France title. They are also 3 points clear from OM, after Marseilles drew this weekend, with a game in hand as well, with 2 days left in the Ligue 1 race. Lille will face Sochaux this week, a make up game from their Coupe de France match this weekend, then face PSG and complete the season with Rennes. While Marseilles have to face Valeciennes and then end with Caen. Clearly Lille have the more difficult clubs to face with PSG and Rennes having legitimate European aspirations. LOSC does have a healthy goal differential, so figure they have an extra point lead versus the defending champion.

LOSC should be lifting the league title in a few weeks. It will be the crowning moment for a club that has been slowly rising the ranks in France. A club that a few seasons ago had to play their Champions League matches at Stade de France as well as in Lens because their stadium was not up to standards! With a new stadium in the works, this should not be an issue. However not sure that heading to Europe on a regular basis will be a problem either.

Off to the sunshine of Spain

I fear that Lille will suffer next season due to their success. They will head to the Champions League with a French double in their trophy case...but how many of the players that helped them win this silverware still be wearing the red of LOSC? Rami, the French central defender and stalwart for Lille, will be in La Liga playing for Valencia. Rami has logged over 120 matches for Lille and is one of Ligue 1's best central defenders. Not an easy player to replace. What about Sow and Gervinho? Both players account for close to 50 goals for LOSC over the past few seasons. Gervinho was rumored to be heading East last transfer season. The Ivorian was a potential transfer target for big name clubs in both Turkey and Greece, now he is rumored to be heading to England. What about Sow who came over last season from Rennes? As the leading goal scorer in Ligue 1, I am sure he will be attracting attention from other clubs - PSG could use another striker, what about Marseilles and Lyon? Alternatively I could see him heading abroad - Juventus and Villareal could be looking for a striker. What about Mavuba, Cabaye and Landreau? None of these French internationals have been linked with any deep transfer talk, but I am sure someone will come sniffing around to see what it might take to get them to move. Finally the jewel for Lille - Hazard.



The Belgian version of Messi is on all the big clubs' wish list: AC Milan, Arsenal, Manchester United, Real Madrid to name a few. LOSC did sign Hazard to an extension, but that is only to increase his value, I doubt that LOSC really believes they will be able to hold on to this prospect. Question becomes, how high will the bidding go and who will land him? When Lille lose some if not all of these players, who will be left next season to compete in Europe? Lille have been able to recruit and build around some core players - Mavuba, Rami to name a few - and add some good Ligue 1 talent - Sow and Landreau being examples. Finally they unearthed some solid youth - Hazard. Yet with success come the sharks that are the big European clubs.

I fear that like sharks in a feeding frenzy, many of Lille's assets will be stripped from their grasp. Granted Lille should find their coffers swelling with cash. Question becomes can they identify and replenish their roster with players capable of competing in the Champions League as well as Ligue 1?

It will be a tough task no doubt. So LOSC fans, enjoy this while you can...

Zizou's next career

Great story on Zizou and his active role with Real Madrid, click here to read. Since his infamous head butt in Berlin...I still get a bit depressed whenever I think about that game...Zizou has been very active in the world of football. He was a key figure in Qatar's successful bid to host a world cup. Efforts for which Zidane came under considerable criticism about doing this simply for a financial windfall. Zidane stated he was interested in seeing an Arab nation host the global tournament and even if it were simply for money...what is wrong with that? It is not as if he was supporting Qatar's bid going up against a bid for his homeland France.

He has also played an active role with Real Madrid. And based on what the article outlines has done considerable work behind the scenes. The former player of the year has the Special One's respect, and that goes a long way in the game. Zidane clearly has the respect of the Real Madrid brass as well as players. His son also plays for the youth set up and is already in a tug of war between the Spanish and French national teams (I personally think it would be a tragedy if the former France captain's child plays for anyone other than Les Bleus).

Zizou makes it all right for Real Madrid

Zidane mentions wanting to run a club some day, I would hope that teams in Ligue 1 are paying attention. The French league would be well served trying to attract back into the fold some of France's big name exports. I would love to suggest PSG look to bring Zizou in to run the club, but he is from Marseilles and not sure he would want to take over the Parisian club when his heart is in the Velodrome. So why not Marseilles? OM could do worse than having Zizou play an active role in the club. Marseilles, and this pains me to say, is the only French club with true global potential. Lyon, PSG, Bordeaux, Lille to name a few are all clubs with real aspirations and relative strengths, but Marseilles is the only French club that has the cache. The fact they are the only ones with a Champions League title doesn't hurt either. Adding the likes of Zizou to their front office could propel OM into another orbit. It would also be great for Ligue 1 to have a favorite son back. Add Wenger to PSG and Ligue 1 might start to truly begin to live up to their potential.

I realize these might be pipe dreams, but one can always hope. With the other French favorite son - Platini - running UEFA and potentially FIFA one day, French soccer exports are doing well. But let us try to get some of that talent back into Ligue 1.

Ligue 1 transfers...much to do about nothing

No surprise - Sessegnon leaves PSG for £6m and heads to the EPL to play for the Black Cats of Sunderland. After the Benin midfielder falling out with the PSG leadership, and the fact the emergence of Nene has really pushed Sessegnon to a substitutes role, there is no shock that he was shown the exit. He had fallen out with PSG manager Kombouare, to the point that neither man could really coexist anymore at the Parc Des Princes. While I am not entirely saddened by the departure of Sessegnon, I feel as if he did not live up to what was an enormous potential. When he was purchased from Le Mans I thought he could become one of the best midfielders in Ligue 1. His ability to play the #10 role or drop deeper and play a more defensive role or even play out wide was something that PSG could have exploited. Unfortunately he also came with some attitude baggage, which reared its ugly head this season. Oh well. Thankfully the arrival of Nene made the Benin midfielder expendable.



What about other transfer moves...well there were very few of note.

The young St Etienne striker Payet was rumored to be heading to PSG or Chelsea, both offers turned down by Les Verts. Not surprising, I think that St Etienne have a legitimate chance at European football - sitting only 2 points off 3rd place. For that reason why sell one of their best offensive players, a player that has blossomed over the past half season.

Then there was the off again on again moves at Bordeaux involving Kevin Gameiro, who was also rumored to be heading to Spain and the potential for Cisse to come back from Greece to play for Bordeaux...of course neither happened. Former Lyon midfielder Mahamadou Diarra returns to Ligue 1, this time with relegation battling Monaco.

One interesting note was the sale of Adil Rami from Lille to Valencia, where the player will remain at Lille until the summer. To me this is the first piece of what is sure to be a summer exodus from Ligue 1 leaders Lille - Hazard rumored to be heading to Arsenal, Gervinho will head out the door and I am sure Cabaye and Sow, maybe even Landreau will attract the attention of bigger European clubs. That will be a shame for a club that has been built wisely over the past few seasons, have a legitimate chance of winning Ligue 1 and could head into Champions League football a shell of themselves. 

Overall a very quiet winter transfer window for Ligue 1, not entirely surprising since much of the talent has been stripped out of France over the past few seasons!

Wenger to manage PSG? Yes please!!!!

A recent interview with Wenger reveals that the professor might look to return home to continue his managerial career once his time is done in the Emirates. After some questions end of last season, Wenger did resign with the Gunners extending his contract until 2014 to stay in North London. If he sees out his contract that will have been 18 years with Arsenal and cemented himself as Arsenal's longest tenured manager (he achieved that in 2009) and one of the most successful. What is interesting about the interview is that he stated he would like to continue to "work with emerging talent." Interesting that he did not emphasis winning silverware! He does state that competing with clubs that possess bottomless oil wells of money is a bit of a challenge. Of course the 2 French clubs mentioned are Strasbourg and...PSG. Wenger has a very good working relationship with the powers that be at PSG and he is from Strasbourg.

However I could not imagine a better manager for PSG. He would have a healthy level of resources to run the team, be able to pull from one of France's largest talent pools (Paris) and run a club with no geographic challenger. Clearly competing in Ligue 1 he could continue to embrace his strategy - find and develop young talent - however he would have legitimate chances every season to win the league title. He would most likely have Champions League football every season, he would win silverware and he would be able to do so without needing to splash out huge sums of money to attract tier 1 veteran talent. He could mimic the success Guy Roux had at Auxerre but actually have resources to sign some more veteran players.

Come on Arsene! Go to PSG!!!

Ligue 1...surprise surprise. Caen gets two big scalps.

What is wrong with this picture?

Oh yes that is Caen sitting second for Ligue 1 with the past two champions in the relegation zone, and the former champion Lyon right out side of the drop zone. Okay I realize we are just 2 weeks into the season and much will change by the end of the year. I am still sticking to my predictions for Ligue 1. What is surprising is the top of the standings and SM Caen. The Normandy club has been up and down between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 the past few seasons but have surprised everyone with 2 huge scalps to start the season - taking out Marseilles and Lyon, winning their opener against the defending Ligue 1 champion at their ground!

Will Caen go on to win the title...no. But I will make this statement after 2 games - they will not be relegated. Bold? Maybe. Over the past 5 seasons teams would need an average of 40.8 points to stay in Ligue 1. The fact that Caen already have 6 of those points - 15% of what a team will need to stay in Ligue 1. Add to this that those 6 points came at the expense of teams that Caen would expect, at best, to get 1 - 2 points from their opening fixtures. More realistic would have been 0 points from the first 2 games. Caen have 36 games to secure 34 points, that does not seem to daunting after the scalps already claimed. Even if Caen get drubbed in the return fixtures against these two sides, if you had told Dumas and Garande that from 4 games against OM and OL they would have 6 points, I am sure they would be thrilled. All the Normandy club has to do it be competitive against the second tier clubs and try to steal a point from the upper echelon clubs....clearly they have done the latter.

Of course not sure I am as confident that PSG will stay in Ligue 1 after a good start...but that is my eternal realism when it comes to my club....

Ligue 1 is here! Frog's predictions and thoughts on upcoming season

Wow, cannot believe that this Saturday we will have the start of the French domestic season...wasn't the World Cup just yesterday? I guess that is a good thing since South Africa was a tournament all France fans want to forget...and soon. Of course the transfer season is not over so some of the French squads might look very different come Sept 1st but here are some predictions based on current rosters and what I think might transpire the next few weeks.

Here are the teams I see finishing in the top 5:

5th Place - Stade Rennaise FC: The club from Brittany finished in the top 10 last year. They did lose the likes of Sow and Briand during the off season so why do I see them getting into the top5? I actually think losing Briand will not be as bad for the squad, not that the player is not talented. However he was injured most of last season, tallying only 5 goals for the side. I think Rennes has always been waiting for him to live up to his enormous potential and has held back the team during this waiting time...with the additions of Apam and Mandjeck they have added some muscle to the squad. The midfield will hinge around youngster M'Vila and former PSG player Leroy. Add the talented but frustrating Dalmat to the mix and the midfield could be very strong. The real catalyst for Rennes, will be the season I expect from Ghana World Cup star Gyan. Many will remember Gyan for missing that penalty kick in the 120th minute against Uruguay but he was a monster the entire tournament and was the offensive force for Ghana. Of course if Rennes ends up selling their star striker then they will fall out of my top 5.

4th Place -Girondins de Bordeaux: The team that took everyone by surprise two season ago by winning Ligue 1 and had a great Champions League run last season also has a number of holes. Namely losing their manager Laurent Blanc. He has been replaced by another French legend, Jean Tigana - who I think is one of France's greatest holding midfielders. Tigana had stints with Fulham, Besiktas, Lyon and Monaco as their manager. He also was one of the

pillars for Bordeaux back in the 1980s, playing over 250 games for the club. Bordeaux has not made major additions other than Tigana, but more importantly they have held on to the majority of their talent - Gourcuff and Diarra to name some of the players that were rumored to moving on. They did lose Chamakh to Arsenal, but the fact he left on a free transfer meant Bordeaux expected to have their striker leave. Assuming they hold on to their key players before September 1st I think they are in a good position to threaten for a Champions League spot. Why? First with the rumors around Laurent Blanc and his move to managing France all of last season, the team clearly suffered and lost focus. This will not be an issue this season. Second, I think Gourcuff and Diarra will be motivated to put the World Cup debacle behind them and show that their form from 2 seasons ago is what we can expect. Third, Tigana will be able to build from a formidable defense - Carasso in goal, Ciani, Chalme, Tremoulinas on defense with captain Diarra acting as the cover from the midfield that is a formidable defense. Finally the midfield will remain strong with Gourcuff, Wendel, Plasil and Gouffran. The real question Bordeaux must answer is: who will make up for the loss of Chamakh in the goal scoring category.

3rd Place - Lille Olympique Sporting Club Lille Métropole: The club from northern France finished 4th last season with a league leading 72 goals for. Add to this offensive powerhouse, former France U19 striker, Moussa Sow from Rennes and you might get close to an 80 goal season. Granted, LOSC will need to ensure they hold on to some of their

highly sought after players names Hazard and Gervinho. The Ivory Coast player is rumored to be moving east to either Spartak or to the EPL, if he does move on how LOSC leverages those funds will determine if they can achieve a 3rd place. I do think that Sow will provide some cover but LOSC will have to find another player to replace some of that offensive punch if Gervinho departs, €20 million would make that somewhat easier! I think that the Belgium wonder kid - Hazard - should be with Lille for at least this season, but he clearly has many of the big named clubs very interesting in getting the new Enzo Scifo. I think that Hazard's value, baring injury, will only go up. However with Gervinho, his value will never be as high as it is post World Cup.  In addition Blanc pre-called up 5 players from Lille, and not including Landreau and you have a very strong core of players to build on for the season. Look for Mavuba to have another strong campaign, I think the international door being reopened to the fiery midfielder will only add to his motivation. The core remains and if they can weather the rest of the transfer season and ensure they have the right pieces in place, they have a legitimate change at making a run at a top 2 spot this season.

2nd Place - Olympique Marseilles: The defending champion will not repeat. Granted maybe this has as much to do with my loyalties to PSG as to the fact I think OM will not repeat the season they enjoyed last year. However it will be a close race. Much will depend on if OM can find the same offensive punch they had last season with Niang, Gonzalez, Valbeuna and Brandao. OM finished second to LOSC in goals scored - 69 to 72. It appears the OM captain, Niang might be out the door. This would be a big mountain for OM to climb to fill this gap. Might be why there has been so much noise around Marseilles making an audacious move for former striker Drogba. If Niang does leave, Marseilles will need to find a way to replace those 18 goals. Add to this the fact Ben Arfa seems on his way to Newcastle and you start seeing some offensive gaps for Marseilles. Marseilles is rumored to be also looking at Adebayor (who played for Deschamps when at Monaco) as well as Gignac. Of course both strikers would come with some baggage - Adebayor's attitude and would he accept to leave the glamor of Manchester City? Gignac was a shell of himself last campaign with Toulouse, can he rediscover the form from 2 seasons ago when he had 24 tallies. OM will still lean on the likes of Cheryrou, Heinze, Taiwo (unless he leaves), Mandanda and Cisse to provide a strong defense. Add to this the Spanish U21 captain - Azpilicueta (who also made the 30 man provisional Spanish World Cup roster) and you have the making of a solid defense. Deschamps will clearly get the most out of his squad, however if he cannot get some offensive talent back in return, especially if Niang and Ben Arfa leave, it will be a challenge to maintain the offensive showing that led OM to the title.

1st Place - Olympique Lyonnaise: OL has not won Ligue 1 in....2 years!! Crisis time. The seven straight winner of the domestic title must be getting very itchy to get back what they see as their title. There was a time last season that they were in trouble and might have not even had European football this season. However they came back strongly and finished second to OM, only 6 point difference. Couple this with a very strong Champions League run defeating Real Madrid and Bordeaux to reach the semi finals, where they fell to Bayern Munich. Take the second half run for Lyon and another year of maturation for some of their squad and I think you have the recipe for another title. The main question for Lyon will be on defense. Boumsong is already gone, I realize he is not as good as his "French international" moniker will have you believe, however he was a solid central defender for Ligue 1 and made a good tandem with Cris. Lyon will have to find a partner for Cris...Toulalan? In addition, the rumor that left back Cissokho might be heading to Italy or Turkey, would be a hole defensively for Lyon. However, the left back remains at the club and the fact Lyon is flush with cash makes his sale seem a long shot. Lyon can build on a solid season from Bosnian youngster Pjanic, French international Toulalan, Brazilian back Bastos, coupled with a solid first season from Lopez and the addition of Briand (who I think will do well with Lyon where he will not be the focus of the team unlike when at Rennes) and the future looks bright for Lyon. In addition Lyon has a solid base of youngsters to build on - 6 players from the U19 European Champions are from Lyon, including Tafer and finals winner scorer Lacazette. I also think that Gonalons will take another major step this season to establish himself as one of Ligue 1's best midfielders. Oh and Lyon still have the best keeper in Ligue 1 and maybe one of the best keepers in Europe - Lloris. Put all this together and Puel and Lyon will find themselves at top of Ligue 1 after a 2 year hiatus.

Some other thoughts: team most likely to disappoint - PSG. Hard for me to keep rooting for my home town team. They did add Nene and Bodmer which will be helpful. However I fear the fundamental issue with the club continue...they have little clue of what is going on. For many seasons now they have not had a good recruiting strategy nor developed via youth - Sakho aside. The main issue for PSG is holding on to some of their key players - Hourau, Sessegnon, Clement, Sakho, Chantome and Erdinc - these players will be needed for PSG for to make any semblance of a run. With the noise around many of these players looking for the exit signs, I fear that PSG will once again look at a net loss in terms of players. PSG have no real base to build from and this will show once again this season. Team most likely to surprise ... again ...Montpellier HSC. The surprise team from last season will do so again. Building on their youth especially Ait-Fana as well as some veteran talent in the form of Estrada from Chile, the team from the south of France have a chance to make a run at Europe. I do not think they will make a real threat for a top 3 slot but could sneak into the top 5. The one issue for Montpellier is that they will not longer be able to sneak up on any of the Ligue 1 sides.

Teams that will be relegated: Sochaux, AC Arles-Avignon and St Etienne.

Player of the year: Pjanic - the Lyon midfielder will only get better and will clearly be the main cog in the Lyon midfield. Will also make the Bosnian national team a dark horse to get to Euro 2012.

Manager of the year: Puel. The Lyon manager is much maligned since he is the first in a long time not to win the title for Lyon. That will change this season. The team has been transformed into his team and he will guide them to another Ligue 1 title.

Glad to see Ligue 1 starting up this Saturday, not happy still that Setanta went out of business in North America...they were a great resource for watching Ligue 1 games. Another good write up on Ligue 1 from ESPN as well. Thankfully I still have TV5 but that means only 1 game a week!

Ligue 1 reaches the winter break: Meet the new boss same as the old Boss

Ligue 1 goes into its winter break with the same leader it had to end last season - Bordeaux. Not really a big surprise considering Laurent Blanc's side was able to retain its core prior to starting the new season: in particular ensuring that Chamakh remained with the squad, who was heavily recruited by the North Londoners.

Here are the standings as we head to the winter break:

		Clubs	Pts	J	G	N	P	Bp	Bc	Diff
1			Girondins de Bordeaux	43	19	14	1	4	32	12	+20
2			LOSC Lille Métropole	34	19	10	4	5	37	19	+18
3			Montpellier Hérault SC	33	18	10	3	5	26	21	+5
4			Olympique de Marseille	32	18	9	5	4	30	20	+10
5			AJ Auxerre	32	19	9	5	5	19	15	+4
6			Olympique Lyonnais	30	19	8	6	5	31	26	+5
7			Paris Saint-Germain	29	19	8	5	6	31	18	+13
8			FC Lorient	29	19	8	5	6	29	22	+7
9			Stade Rennais FC	29	19	8	5	6	24	18	+6
10			Valenciennes FC	28	19	8	4	7	30	26	+4
11			AS Monaco FC	27	18	8	3	7	20	22	-2
12			AS Nancy Lorraine	26	19	8	2	9	26	29	-3
13			RC Lens	26	19	7	5	7	19	24	-5
14			Toulouse FC	25	19	7	4	8	19	16	+3
15			FC Sochaux-Montbéliard	25	17	8	1	8	17	21	-4
16			OGC Nice	22	19	6	4	9	20	32	-12
17			Le Mans UC 72	16	19	4	4	11	17	28	-11
18			AS Saint-Etienne	16	19	4	4	11	11	26	-15
19			Boulogne Côte d'Opale	13	18	3	4	11	15	35	-20
20			Grenoble Foot 38	7	19	1	4	14	10	33	-23

Sous réserve d'homologation par la Commisssion d'Organisation des Compétitions de la LFP

1st Half Thoughts:

What is surprising are the two clubs in the other Champions League spots - LOSC and Montpellier. Okay maybe not a huge surprise that LOSC Lille is contending, especially considering their recent run - scoring 23 goals and conceding only 3 in the last 6 matches (all victories). Which included a 4-3 defeat of Olympique Lyonnaise. Armed with the strongest attack in Ligue 1 - 37 goals for, as well as two of the top 3 goal scorers in Ligue 1 - their Ivorian Gervinho leads with 11 goals to his account. Their defense is not too shabby either, backstopped by the former PSG keeper Landreau and the defender Rami, add to this the defensive midfield play of Mavuba and you have a very balanced and dangerous squad. Can Lille make a run at the title, I think so. They have some nice veterans in Frau, Landreau and Rami as well as some up and coming talent in Gervinho and Hazard. They might still be 1 or 2 veteran players away from challenging Bordeaux, but they will not go away quietly in the second half of the season. Montpellier, on the other hand, is a surprise. It would be hard to fathom the freshly promoted side to do much more than fight for their spot in Ligue 1, but instead they have surprised many sides, including a famous victory against Lyon 2-1. I guess I should not be surprised since they were able to come back and draw against PSG in the opening game of the season after going down to 10 men...they have shown this fighting spirit through out the campaign. They are composed of many players you would need to google to know who they are...but they do have some hidden gems like the French U21 player - Karim Ait Fana. I do not think they have enough star power to stay in the lofty position they are currently holding. However if they get to the Europa League the season will be widely successful.

The other surprise, more negative, is the madding inconsistency from the former Champions - Lyon. Granted it is difficult to imagine a club with the level of turn over they have endured over the past seasons - Essein, MDiarra, Abidal, Malouda, Benzema, Ben Afra, Juninho, Fred, Alou Diarra, Coupet and Squillaci to name a few, it is a challenge to maintain a high degree of success. Granted, Lyon are still only 4 points from second place, so nothing to panic about. However, conceding 5 goals to Marseilles, 4 goals to Lille and 4 to Nice is not the sign of a team ready to take back the title from Bordeaux. I think Lyon remains a work in progress. They do have a future star in Pjanic as well as a solid youth in Cissokho and Gonalons and the French #1 keeper in Lloris, so there are some good pieces to build around. However I think they will need 1 to 2 more seasons before they can aspire the the lofty goals of past. Surprisingly I think they have played very well in the Champions League, leading what was a very difficult group only to lose out on the #1 spot on the last day.

Best Match: Speaking of Lyon, my vote goes to the crazy 5-5 match with Marseilles. Of the 10 goals, maybe the last Marseilles goal was "cheap" otherwise all quality strikes, fantastic runs, great individual efforts...just a crazy and fun game...some highlights:



Best Player: There are some good candidates - Gourcuff is having a solid first half guiding Bordeaux to a strong 1st place and second on his team in goals. Gervinho I already mentioned is leading the entire league with 11 goals and helping put LOSC in second place. But for me the best player, the one that is playing well and is the most important for his side is the already mentioned Pjanic. He only has 3 goals for OL, but his overall creative play clearly is what is driving Lyon, I think without him Lyon would find themselves further down the table. He will become and already is one of the most sought after young players from Ligue 1, while I hope he stays with Lyon for many seasons, I cannot imagine how he will not be heavily pursued by the likes of Chelsea, Milan or Manchester United. Too bad France could not convince him to represent Les Bleus...which they attempted to do after he had played for the Luxembourg youth sides and is now a full cap Bosnia international.

Best Manager: I will have to go with Laurent Blanc. Yes an easy pick, but the way he has managed both domestic ties as well as the Champions League...and add into that the constant speculation of whether or not he will be asked to manage Les Bleus or if he will replace SAF at Manchester United...demonstrates that he is a strong manager with a bright future.

So what about the second half? I think much depends on transfer window...and more for what might be leaving than coming in. If Chamakh heads to the Premiership I think that Bordeaux will have a much more difficult time holding on to their spot. If Blanc can hold on to their roster they will be very difficult to catch. If PSG can get healthy - aka Hourau - they will surprise some in the second half. It will be interesting to see if Lille can keep up their form, I think they will. OM have much to prove, they might need to add some veteran talent in the transfer window to bring some consistency.

Second half should be very interesting, but in the end I think the Winter champion will be the league champ.