Are Montpellier About to Take Another Backwards Step?

Five months into the season, Ligue 1 now has its fourth managerial casualty of the season after Jean Fernandez resigned as Montpellier boss.

The former Nancy supremo opted to leave his post at the Stade de la Mosson after a run of eight games without a win, with their latest setback coming in a 2-0 home loss to Lorient.

Montpellier sit No. 17 in the French top flight as a result of that sequence, a remarkable fall from grace for a a team that just over 18 months ago was celebrating the first Ligue 1 title in their history.

Fernandez's appointment always appeared to be a risky one. The 59-year-old guided Auxerre to the Champions League in 2009-10, but failed to enjoy the same success at Nancy, which he left in January 2013 following a poor start to the last campaign that eventually saw the Lorraine club relegated.

And it was a gamble that did not pay off, with La Paillade winning just two games under Fernandez's stewardship.

Yet, Fernandez cannot take all the blame for Montpellier's dismal start after inheriting a squad that has had some excellent talent ripped from its core in the last two seasons.

Indeed, the likes of Olivier Giroud, Younes Belhanda and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa have all left the club in recent times, and attempts at filling the void left by those players have proved futile.

Strikers such as Gaetan Charbonnier - now at Reims - and Emanuel Herrera have flopped, while attackers Djamel Bakar and Victor Hugo Montano have thus far struggled to score on a regular basis.

Remy Cabella has been the man expected to fill the creative void, but with Montpellier now facing a fight to stay in the division, it is difficult to see the 23-year-old staying with the club.

Enigmatic owner Louis Nicollin now has a decision to make. After his relationship with Rene Girard—who now has Lille in the thick of the title race—cooled, Nicollin made the wrong chance in bringing in Fernandez.

Now, however, Nicollin has to make the correct call if Montpellier are to avoid dropping into the second tier.

But, who is the right man for the job? Former PSG boss Antoine Kombouare had been linked with the job prior to Fernandez's appointment, but is now in charge at promotion chasing Lens.

Bleacher Report contributor Andy Brassell tweeted that Rolland Courbis told French newspaper L'Equipe that he is the favourite for the job.

"

The always discreet Rolland Courbis tells L'Equipe that he's favourite to become Montpellier boss again but "will know more in next 24 hrs"

— Andy Brassell (@andybrassell) December 5, 2013"

Courbis managed La Paillade between 2007 and 2009, guiding them to promotion to Ligue 1 before Girard took over.

Still, Courbis has enjoyed limited managerial experience since that date, with spells in charge of Niger and Algerian side USM Alger his only permanent roles following his exit from Montpellier.

But the signs are that Nicollin is about to give Courbis another shot. The 60-year-old has pedigree in the French game, however, there should be serious doubts over his ability to reinvigorate a side in terrible form.

Courbis has a huge challenge ahead of him if he is to turn Montpellier's fortunes around; should he fail to do so, then Montpellier will be seen to have taken another backwards step.