A breath of fresh air

I have often said that I enjoy watching Le Championnat as it's one of the few leagues that still produces unpredictable results. True, I did indicate in my prediction piece that I felt PSG's new money would secure them the title but that may not be the case.

Montpellier have been the success story of the season building on their runners up finish in the League Cup the previous season. It's pretty uncommon for a side that finished in the bottom half of the league the previous season to be challenging for the title but it has been refreshing to watch.

Giroud: Scoring the goals

The club's success has been driven by the form of star striker Oliver Giroud, his league leading goals have driven the club's title run along with key contributions from Younès Belhanda, Souleymane Camara and John Utaka.

Giroud's form has seen him called up to the French national team and it remains to be seen if he will still be at the club next season. The same can be said of Belhanda; a certain Monseiur Wenger is rumored to be a fan. They also will be available for less than Eden Hazard who is currently getting all the hype.

Without star names, René Girard's men have been able to keep a tight defence (second best in the league) as well as a lead in goals scored. Their title run mirrors that of PSG and as long as they can match the results of the Parisians they can leave me with egg on my face as they are crowned champions. Now won't that be a something; a first league title and a true underdog story for us all.

A definition of success and a king's faltering army

Before we proceed, let's establish a baseline. The 2001 season was a successful season - LFC won a treble of cups and still qualified for the UCL by finishing third. In contrast the 2006 season was a decent season - an FA cup win to go along with the third place finish guaranteeing UCL action the next year.

So where does this season rank? Definitely lower than the 2006 season. A finish outside the top-6 is looming and there is even danger of dropping out of the top half. Yes, the Carling cup is in the bag but a season that promised much improvement in our league position has failed to deliver. LFC may yet finish the season with two cups, with an FA cup Merseyside treat soon to be served up in the semi finals; but you have to be judged by your bread and butter not your desert! At the beginning of the season I'll have taken a Carling cup win and a fifth place finish; as that would have translated to silverware and a league position improvement.

It's easy as a fan to reel out stats; six defeats in seven, KD with a worse win percentage than Hodgson etc. Do I blame the coach? Yes, he has to take responsibility for his buys, team selection and formation choices. This blame has to be shared (a lion's share) with his players. It is not acceptable to buy players (most of them internationals) who have failed to improve the team. The king's army have let him down, Suarez has been wasteful, Carroll has not delivered, Downing,Adam and Henderson have not been the creative forces that they were expected to be. It's often said players need time to settle but not when most I mentioned are domestic players who had success in the previous season that led to the big-money moves.

Will Joe Cole, Aquilani and Meireles have proven a better midfield trio? We'll never know but one thing for sure KD has been misguided in sticking with some of his purchases instead of picking some of his shining lights from the tail end of last season. Maxi has been passed over far too many times. Here's someone who shone under KD last season, two hat-tricks in the league last season; something neither Suarez or Carroll have been able to manage. This season he has delivered when called upon and together with Kuyt are two players I feel have suffered from KD's nepotism.

So just like I pleaded for some of the youngsters to get games, I'm asking KD yet again; give Kuyt and Maxi games!!. Your new boys might learn a thing or two from them.