Injuries, suspensions or choices: how youngsters find themselves on the front lines at MHSC

Khalil Fayad et Lucas Mincarelli, symboles d’un MHSC qui s’en remet à ses jeunes. Midi Libre – ALEXANDRE DIMOU

Diminué par des blessures ou suspensions en pagaille mais également impacté par les choix de son entraîneur, le MHSC se retrouve très rajeuni en ce début de saison. Un visage qu’il devrait à nouveau afficher à Reims, dimanche 6 octobre.

They blow almost continuously. At the start of the season, Montpellier HSC is struggling against headwinds. Which are testing the resistance of Pailladin. An unexpected bulwark, the Hérault youth find themselves on the front line. Five against Auxerre, four in Monaco*: during its last two matches, MHSC has displayed starting elevens composed of almost half of players aged 20 or under, to which must be added Dimitry Bertaud, young at this level despite his 26 years (30 L1 matches).

After a summer with two recruits, Montpellier, with its finances drained, is therefore taking out its “blue” card. He is adapting to a squad that has been decimated since August, which led him to launch Stefan Dzodic (19 years old) in Rennes and could suffer again from nine forfeits, Sunday in Reims, as was the case in Brittany or Monaco.

The Ligue 1 ranking

Faced with the emergency, Michel Der Zakarian has accelerated certain returns, such as Lucas Mincarelli, 20 years old and half a season of L1 behind him (15 matches), or hastened the integration. On loan from Strasbourg, Rabby Nzingoula, 18 years old and six appearances in the elite with Racing, probably did not imagine taking on a starting role so quickly. His performances against Auxerre and especially on the Rock, where he opened the score, have finished convincing people of his potential.

Bertaud: “Not a question of age”

With him, Khalil Fayad (51 L1 matches) certainly achieved his most solid and mature performance of his young career against the Monegasques. The 20-year-old midfielder thus participated in spreading an idea: these kids may well have shoulders strong enough to take on the challenge.

1987, 1993 or 2009, same fight

In the past, the MHSC has already called upon many youngsters. In 1987, the Passi brothers, Baills, Ferhaoui and Laurent Blanc had emerged. As in 2009, the year in which Cabella, Stambouli, El Kaoutari and Belhanda had appeared. The current situation is more reminiscent of 1993 when, in a tight financial context, the generation of Rouvière, Bonicel, Carotti and Delaye had burst onto the scene. To keep the club in D1 and to offer themselves a Coupe de France final in 1994.

The choices of the Pailladin coach have given them a stage to express themselves. Described as resistant to the kids, he redistributes his executives, with the sidelining of Jordan Ferri and the downgrading of Benjamin Lecomte, and does not hesitate to trust.

Unlike in the past, the MHSC cannot, this time, rely on a generation entirely from its center. But he hopes that his young shoots, wherever they come from, will instill a desire. “It's just a question of state of mind, not age. The message has to get through to people. And then there have to be actions. Young or old, it's the same”, Bertaud estimated last Saturday. At the goalkeeper, as at Montpellier, we no longer talk about age.

*Mincarelli, Nzingoula, Fayad and Issoufou against Auxerre ; Mincarelli, Nzingoula and Fayad in Monaco.

I subscribe to read the rest