Fallen giants (think Crouch taking a tumble) Paris St Germain and Monaco are both in danger of falling through the trap door should they fail to win their last two games, unthinkable less than three years ago.

You may remember PSG from such achievements as Coupe de France winners in 2006, Le Championnat runners up in 2004 and, um, Intertoto winners in 2001. In fact, despite their relegation woe (they currently sit in the third spot to go down) they’ve even reached the League Cup final in similar version of Middlesbrough’s campaign in 1997.

It’s even worse for Monaco. They have a five-point cushion protecting them from the horrors of the bottom three, but it wasn’t so long ago that they were rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite in the Champions League.

St Etienne could hold the key for both teams, as both PSG and Monaco have to play Les Verts, PSG tomorrow.

But how did it come to this? For PSG the answer is simple, Paul Le Guen. Granted, he won the League with Lyon, but then so could you or I. This is a coach who failed to get Rangers into Scotland’s top two for the first time since 1259.

For Monaco? Some would say mis-management, others motivation. For the players, turning out in front of few fans every week can’t be fun, despite their gargantuan salaries. Mind you, Oxford manage it every week…

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