As Paris Saint-Germain closed their season in typical style with a 4-0 win over Montpellier, it seemed like an eternity since the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season, when La Paillade had held Laurent Blanc’s side to a draw at the Stade de la Mosson.
It was also an extraordinary feeling to consider that Montpellier were the last team to deprive PSG of the Ligue 1 title, in 2012. There will be no repeat in the near future, with the prospect of even getting into the table’s upper reaches severely compromised by the imminent exit of Rémy Cabella, the left midfielder in WhoScored’s Best Xi of the season.
Cabella scored 14 and gave 5 assists (for an average rating of 7.35), thus being directly implicated in 42.2% of Montpellier’s goals. Their chances without him would have been grim. After Rolland Courbis returned to the Mosson to guide them clear of the relegation zone, a poor end to the season – 4 defeats in the last 6 – left them just two points clear of the final relegated side, Sochaux.
In its entirety, the season closer at the Parc des Princes distilled Ligue 1’s landscape well. PSG are genuine titans, and it’s hard to see an end to their dominance. Their win saw them set a new record points total of 89 – Lyon’s 84 points in 2005-06 had been the high watermark since a win was worth three points, from 1994-95 onwards.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – inevitably, in the WhoScored Best XI – is PSG’s personality, superiority and efficiency in microcosm. Finishing as Ligue 1 top scorer with 26, he also contributed 11 assists, and had a big part in supplying the sharp end to the attractive passing game instilled by Blanc. PSG had the greatest average possession (64.6%), but also the most shots (15.6 per game). Ibrahimovic led the individual shots-per-game chart with an average of 4.9. He also began to forge a good partnership with Edinson Cavani, who accompanies him in the Best XI (7.2).
A look at Monaco’s season is indicative of exactly how high PSG have set the bar. The 80-point total of the runners-up was a new club record. It also would have seen them win the title in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. They have three players in the WhoScored Best XI – Layvin Kurzawa, Jérémy Toulalan and James Rodríguez.
Claudio Ranieri’s work is especially laudable when taking into account the January loss of Falcao with a knee injury. The Colombian started just 16 matches in his debut season at the club (9 goals), and sometimes struggled to fit in once Ranieri commuted to a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond. The new contract recently given to Dimitar Berbatov (6 goals and 4 assists in 9 starts since his winter arrival) is at least in part down to his potential as a foil for Falcao.
This is not, however, expected to be enough to save Ranieri’s job. He will be replaced in time for next season (probably by Sporting Clube de Portugal’s Leonardo Jardim), and Monaco will be a number of clubs beginning the campaign with a new coach. Incredibly, up to 10 of the 17 clubs staying up could be under new management when 2014-15 kicks off.
Saint Etienne could, surprisingly, be one with Christophe Galtier pondering his future. Les Verts narrowly missed out on a Champions League place to Lille, with René Girard’s side seen home over the campaign with the league’s second-best defence (26 goals conceded), behind PSG. Lille contributed Franck Beria and Marko Basa to the WhoScored Best XI, in which Sainté captain Loïc Perrin, who is on stand-by for France’s World Cup squad, joins them.
If Galtier does bow out, it will be as a Geoffroy Guichard legend. Only the legendary Sphinx Roux (‘Ginger Sphinx’) Robert Herbin has a better win ratio (53.8% between 1972 and 1983). After the win over Ajaccio, Galtier’s is 40.5% - 70 wins in 173 matches – which is even more impressive considering he took over a team in dire straits with a limited budget back in December 2009.
The struggles of some of Ligue 1’s traditional powers explain many of the other changes. Marseille and Bordeaux both endured deflating campaigns, and the respective exits of José Anigo and Francis Gillot are already confirmed. Marcelo Bielsa and Gillot’s successor (which could be Zinedine Zidane) have rebuilds on their hands. Bielsa may have to do so without André-Pierre Gignac, whose 16 Ligue 1 goals counted for 30% of Marseille’s total.
Lyon’s reduction in circumstance meant 5th place and a European spot was considered success after a gruelling 61-match season that incorporated a place in the Coupe de la Ligue final and the Europa League’s last eight. The departing Rémi Garde’s legacy is a vibrant young squad; 3 of Lyon’s top 4 rated players are 23 or under, including Alexandre Lacazette, the player second only to Ibrahimovic for Ligue 1 goals in open play this campaign (15).
At the bottom, two other bosses are assessing their positions. It was Sochaux who eventually took the fall with Valenciennes and hapless Ajaccio, relegated after a final day shoot-out with Evian Thonon-Gaillard to escape the third-bottom spot. Sochaux may not seem like one of the giants but are a cornerstone of Ligue 1. No other club has participated in as many top-flight seasons as their 66 campaigns. Boss Hervé Renard fell just short of authoring an amazing escape – Sochaux had just 11 points at the winter break, and their form in the second half was good enough for 7th, in that period. He will not be short of offers.
A few players will consider their next move too. As well as Cabella, Toulouse’s outstanding Serge Aurier (Europe’s most creative defender with 6 goals and 6 assists, though he did spend much of his time as an attacking wing-back) is expected to go. He will be a considerable asset to his next club. Only Thiago Motta and Idrissa Gueye had more touches in the season than Aurier (2754). He ticks all the boxes of an outstanding Ligue 1 player; ability, athleticism and willingness to constantly get involved.
We can, however, expect to see Kurzawa and James (the latter finishing as the division’s top assist provider, with 12) back at the Stade Louis II next season, and even Lyon’s Lacazette is more likely than not to begin 2014-15 in the Hexagon. Much of the coming campaign is a blank canvas, though the new-look teams will have plenty to do to catch up on the champions.
What was your favourite moment of the Ligue 1 2013/14 season? Let us know in the comments below
