The goalkeeper
Arrived this summer on the Rock from Bayern Munich, Alexander Nübel, who replaced Benjamin Lecomte as AS Monaco's main goalkeeper, was disappointed.
The German goalkeeper did not have the expected performance (22 goals conceded), whether on his line, where he was crumbly, as in his kicking game, considered his favorite field.
He himself admitted not having been at the level in this first part of the season.
"
I was putting too much pressure on myself
," he confessed to
L'Équipe.
in mid-November.
It is therefore logical that it appears in our typical team of Ligue 1 flops at mid-year.
He has nearly six months left to prove to Monegasque leaders that they were right to place their trust in him.
Alexandre Oukidja, little to his advantage with FC Metz (36 goals conceded), was also quoted by the editorial staff.
To discover
Ligue 1 fixtures and results
League 1 standings
To read also Nübel and Monaco: for the moment, it is not the foot
The defenders
The central defense is made up of a Bordelais and a Parisian. The experienced Mexer (33 years old) was selected. Of course, he is not the only one responsible for the defensive collective bankruptcy of the Girondins de Bordeaux - worst defense in the championship with 40 goals conceded - but the Mozambican's performances have not been up to his qualities, which he had displayed when he was still playing at Stade Rennais. At his side, we find… Sergio Ramos. The Spaniard, disembarked from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, has known the Paris Saint-Germain infirmary more than the French lawns. Due to his various muscle problems, he only played one small Ligue 1 match.A real disappointment for a player on whom so many expectations were placed and who had to raise the level to the Red and Blue, especially in terms of state of mind. But after all, the Parisian formation did not need his services to dominate the championship. Dylan Bronn (FC Metz), Jemerson (FC Metz), Laurent Koscielny (Girondins de Bordeaux) and Lucas Perrin (RC Strasbourg Alsace) also received votes.
Read alsoPSG: Sergio Ramos, that changes everything?
Léo Dubois occupies the right of defense. The French international, who missed several meetings for muscle injuries, did not convince our editorial staff during these first months of competition. The side of Olympique Lyonnais, who plays under the orders of a coach adept at duplication, was too neutral offensively and too uncomfortable defensively. On the left, Timothée Kolodziejczak has stood out. The Stéphanois, able to evolve in the axis as well as on the side, has often been in difficulty with AS Saint-Etienne. Despite his experience, he failed to stabilize and calm a team in crisis; his exclusion from Paris Saint-Germain illustrates his mistakes. The former Sevilla FC player will have to raise his level to help the Greens stay among the elite. He has the capacity.Jordan Amavi (Olympique de Marseille), Houboulang Mendes (FC Lorient), Ricardo Mangas (Girondins de Bordeaux) and Trauco (AS Saint-Etienne) also received one vote each.
Our typical Ligue 1 flops mid-season team.
Le Figaro
Midfielders
On paper, the midfielder is attractive. On the ground, in this first part of the championship, it's something else. This summer, Jean Lucas left Olympique Lyonnais to join AS Monaco in order to obtain playing time. While he has certainly found his place in Niko Kovac's rotation, the Brazilian has not shown himself under its best day since August. Just like Georginio Wijnaldum who takes place at his side in the midfield. Arrived free at Paris Saint-Germain with the status of a great player, the Dutchman was completely disappointed. Despite his footballing and mental qualities, the former Liverpool torchbearer has never managed to distinguish himself in Ligue 1. As proof, he has failed to establish himself as an indisputable holder of the workforce. Mauricio Pochettino.Several other players were mentioned by the members of the editorial staff: Maxence Caqueret (Olympique Lyonnais), Gerson (Olympique de Marseille), Boubacar Kamara (Olympique de Marseille), Otavio (Girondins de Bordeaux), Vincent Pajot (FC Metz) and Morgan Schneiderlin (OGC Nice).
Read also The transfer window: arrived at Paris SG this summer, Wijnaldum already announced on departure
As an attacking midfielder, Lionel Messi was unanimous. The Argentinian has proven that he is always capable of making the difference on a sudden, whether it is by the goal or the pass, just like his match against AS Monaco. However, the neo-Parisian did not have the expected return. Most observers expected him to fly over the French league, just like he does in La Liga. But the seven-time Ballon d'Or was confronted with the physical density and the limited spaces set up by the Ligue 1 teams. Its statistics (only 1 goal and 4 assists) are very far from its usual standards. Perhaps he needs time to adapt, he who had never left his Barcelona cocoon until then.
SEE ALSO -
Lionel Messi's first assist for Kylian Mbappé
Attackers
On the right wing of the attack, we find Xherdan Shaqiri. The Swiss is undoubtedly one of the disappointments of this first part of the season. Highly anticipated, he failed to establish himself as one of the major elements of Olympique Lyonnais. His transfer to Olympique Lyonnais for the time being looks like a casting error. Peter Bosz himself admitted that the left-hander's profile, more comfortable in the axis than to go along the line, was not exactly what he was looking for. On the other hand, our editorial team chose to align Jonathan Ikoné. Rather good in 2020-2021 during the coronation of LOSC in Ligue 1, the French international winger has not been on his plate since the start of the season. After 18 matches played, he has only one small goal to his credit. Insufficient for a player of his talent.The ex-Montpellier probably has his head elsewhere, he who should engage with Fiorentina next January. His teammate at the Mastiffs, Yusuf Yazici, and the Niçois Calvin Stengs also won votes.
Read also Defensive fragility, mental flaws, OL and Bosz in full doubt
In peak, it is Myron Boadu who was appointed by the editorial staff.
Considered a great hope, the Dutchman, sparkling last season with AZ Alkmaar, is struggling to find his place on the Rock.
His statistics attest to it: he only found the net once.
Too little for a player of this ilk and who has already shown very good finisher qualities in the past.
The Lyonnais Moussa Dembélé, Tino Kadewere and Islam Slimani as well as the Parisian Mauro Icardi, the Strasbourg resident Kevin Gameiro and the Marseillais Arkadiusz Milik were cited and did not go far from appearing among our typical team of the flops from Ligue 1 to the mid-season.
