Montpellier

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18156868

Saw this rather nice story about Montpellier winning the French Ligue 1 with a low budget and stability, fighting off big spending PSG in the process. Montpellier have finished well in Ligue 1 since they got promoted. They have brought through some excellent young players and supplemented that with some very shrewd signings. Thought I'd share it with you.

 

Its not always about the money, as this goes to show. Great job.

 

They spent just over 2mil if i remember rightly.

 

Great story.

I'm sure some of the youngsters they mentioned will become household names.

I wonder what song the fans sing for Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

 

That's a very average squad they have. Their manager must be amazing. Younes Belhanda is the only real quality player I can see in that team.

 

And their CB Mbiwa(spelling?)

 

Giroud is a world class striker.

 

Olivier Giroud was quality this year, too. As were many of them, obviously, otherwise they'd not have won the league!

 

Yeah but you've got the likes of Pastore, Sakho and Matuidi at Paris. Lopez, Gomis, Gourcuff, etc at Lyon. Ayew, Valbuena, Cheyrou at Marseille. Montpellier have no players of that quality in my opinion.

 

I'd put Giroud on the same level as a lot of those players, I'd rather him than Gomis for example. The only one of those players miles ahead is Pastore.

 

I just think Giroud is one of those players who has excelled in the right environment. If he joins Arsenal, I can see him being another Chamakh or Gervinho - two other players who were excellent at their respective clubs in the French league, but probably not actually as good as they looked.

 

Possibly, but then could you say the same thing about Lambert for us?

 

Yeah maybe. I could see Rickie getting into double figures for us next season, but if he was to join, say, Liverpool or Arsenal, I could see him being a massive flop and never scoring. It's hard to say whether he has the technical ability of a typical Premier League striker, though he does have the first touch of a god.

 

Mbiwa has been a beast for them, linked to a hell of alot of clubs. Wasn't he in the French 30 man squad aswell?.

 

All the key players at Montpellier will have the chance to go to bigger clubs. Giroud will probably leave, as will Belhanda and that CB I can't be bothered to type.

 

Yeah it's a great story but sadly they won't be able to repeat it as they won't be able to keep their squad together.

 

Tells you everything you need to know about them when John Utaka plays for them

 

Well done to Montpellier. I selected them on Fifa 2009 when they were in the second division and got them promoted (also signed Messi, lol) so it's good to see them doing well in real life, and also nice to show success doesn't always have to be bought as well.

And it's nice that Utaka scored the winning brace as well! Well done him!

 

I thought he was Cameroonian?

 

Think they did the whole you're african but you can play for France. Alot of their squad is like that.