League Focus: Ligue 1's Best Attacking Players

Now to continue picking Ligue 1’s team of the year, after selecting the back four and goalkeeper last week (click here) it is time to push forward into the midfield and attack. The following are six players from four different clubs producing some outstanding performances in what was an amazing season.

Protecting the back four there is no other player you would want than Lille’s defensive rock and captain Rio Mavuba. The diminutive midfielder makes up with sheer heart and determination what he lacks in size. It is said that in Mavuba’s position if you don’t notice him he is having a good game, which must be the only reason he has never received a Man of the Match award this season.

Only Florent Balmont in the Lille side touches the ball more than Mavuba and when finishing the season with a pass completion of over 88% and nearly 2000 passes completed, he is the lynchpin from which most of Lille’s attacking moves emanate, usually down to his excellent defensive skills. Averaging 2.1 tackles, 2.3 interceptions, and 2.1 clearances per game, Mavuba is one of Lille’s most consistent performers, backing up the calls for him to have been included in Laurent Blanc’s national side.

Next to Mavuba we find one of Europe’s hottest prospects in Yann M’Vila. The 21-year old Rennes midfielder will leave Brittany this summer and he does so after a mixed season. He is the only player in France to complete over 2000 passes, 2272 to be exact, finishing with an 83.2% accuracy. It’s surprising that he has only managed two assists all season as he manages to complete just over one key pass a game.

Defensively, like Mavuba, M’Vila is no slouch. Over the season he has only committed 32 fouls, averaged 3.1 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game. For a player so young he reads the game incredibly well and uses his quickness of thought and anticipation to break up play and he isn’t afraid to try the defence splitting pass, which is what makes him such a special player.

In front of a wonderful defensive duo we have three of the most exciting players in France. Younes Belhanda was magnificent as Montpellier excelled on their way to their first Ligue 1 title. This has been the Moroccan’s breakthrough season. Last year he only managed three goals and two assists, so it’s no surprise that he has come on leaps and bounds this campaign. Owner Louis Nicollin once said that Belhanda “had an Eden Hazard in each leg.” High praise at the start of the season since Hazard had just been voted France’s player of the year. This season he has not disappointed. Missing ten games through a mixture of suspension and the African Cup of Nations, Belhanda scored 12 goals and managed five assists. With only 55 shots on goal that’s an impressive strike rate of 22% - the potential in the Montpellier #10 is limitless.

Playing in the centre of midfield you need to show a great sense of positioning, a strong physical presence and have the ability to change direction in an instant. 22-year old Belhanda is lucky to possess all these qualities in abundance. This season he has averaged 2.3 key passes, 1.3 successful dribbles and 2 shots per game. He can improve his discipline and how often he gives the ball away but ending the season voted Ligue 1’s Young player of the Year, Belhanda certainly has the world at his feet.

Luis de Carvalho, otherwise known as Nenê, has been one of Ligue 1’s outstanding players this season. Outside of the capital his performances seem to have been lost between Montpellier’s title triumph and Eden Hazard’s wonderful season along with the fact that he was not one of the multi-million pound signings made by QSI this summer.

Finishing the season with 21 goals, 11 assists, and also scoring his first Ligue 1 hat-trick against Rennes left the Brazilian midfielder with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.92 and an amazing 15 Man of the Match awards. His stats speak for themselves. Just fewer than 3 shots and 3.7 key passes per game, he is not just a threat in front of goal but also averaged 2.3 successful crosses and 2.6 accurate long balls per game. Jeremy Menez and Javier Pastore may be the big money signings but Nene is the heartbeat of PSG and without him they wouldn’t have had any chance of winning the title.

Although he now is the wrong side of 30, Nenê still has the speed, agility and overall ability to lead this PSG side into their new future. It would be a mistake if Carlo Ancelotti or Leonardo decided to build a team without this Brazilian superstar.

Forget about the transfer saga, the will he/won’t he ongoing speculation; Eden Hazard is one of the best players of his generation and possibly one of the best players in Europe right now. After winning a league and cup double and being voted France’s Player of the Year it was questioned where Hazard would go this season. In his last game in front of a full house Stade Lille Metropole, Hazard said goodbye in the best way possible, scoring his first ever hat-trick and finishing the season with 20 goals and 16 assists – only Lionel Messi matched his season of 15+ goals and assists – Although Lille would finish third, Hazard would again be voted Ligue 1’s Player of the Year.

Just behind Nene with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.87 and 14 Man of the Match awards he excelled in just about every category measured. He averaged 2.8 shots per game, 81.9 % pass completion, 2.4 key passes per game, 2.3 successful dribbles a game and completed 1973 passes.

It will be a strange feeling seeing a Rudi Garcia Lille side without Eden Hazard wandering the pitch and using his explosive speed and just the all-round aura that he possesses. Wherever he does end up he will be a great success and if he continues to develop he could one day be mentioned in the same breath as Ronaldo and Messi.

Now who to lead the line? You need to have someone to hold the ball up, bring others into play and become an absolute predator in the penalty box. Now if only Ligue 1 possessed such a player. Wait… it does. The Montpellier fans introduce him as GI-ROUD, GI-ROUD, GI-ROUD!!! We know him simply as Olivier Giroud. Montpellier’s #17 finished the season with 21 goals and 9 assists, the 9th assist being the vital moment that set-up Karim Ait-Fana for Montpellier’s 94th minute winner in what was a dramatic ending against former Champions Lille.

The goal itself showed all of Giroud’s qualities in one flash. The awareness to play himself onside, the superb touch off his chest that saw him run towards goal, then the awareness to beat two Lille defenders and Mickael Landreau before setting up Ait-Fana for the winner.

An absolute colossus in the air, winning 132 out of 188 aerial battles and attempting 4.5 shots a game, some of them very important goals in Montpellier’s run to the title. Combining his deadly left foot with his 1.3 key passes per game indicates that his game is not just about scoring, but his flick ons and incredible head and chest control continually bring his teammates into play. He is the all-round forward that any team would love to have.