Monaco humiliated by Lille

Committed - Monaco's Chu-Young Park in action on the left

Having been in third position early November, the Red and Whites have dropped to 12th due to what their trainer Guy Lacombe describes as a serious “loss of confidence”.

The northerners arrived at the Louis II Stadium having played a punishing five-match schedule in just 15 days, yet Lacombe’s men failed to capitalise. Although both clubs were equal on points at 22 each, Lille always looked the stronger of the two and made the most of a chaotic lack of organisation in defence to get four goals past the hapless Stéphane Ruffier.

Only the South Korean Chu-Young Park looked to be engaged in the match, despite receiving a yellow card for “malingering”. Guy Lacombe knows the problem – the team start well and usually have a good first half but if they fail to score then the rot sets in. “We must score in the first half,” he told the post-match press conference.

Disgusted Monaco supporters reacted in the second half by cheering every time a Lillois kicked the ball, and applauding widely when they scored a goal.

With the once mighty, yet still formidable, Lyon coming to Monaco next weekend and a French Cup match on the Wednesday, it is hard to envisage how Lacombe's men can hope to raise their game in time. And if they don't then the number of spectators, already down to just over 6,000 for the Lille match, will continue to dwindle down to what must surely become an unacceptable level.

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