An embarrassing French Cup defeat has increased the pressure on Marseille as the French league resumes and coach Didier Deschamps is not being helped by his expensive but misfiring strikers.
Marseille holds a record 10 French Cup titles but lost to second-division leader Evian last weekend and needs a win at home against Bordeaux on Sunday to bounce back.
Deschamps' team has failed to win its last five league games and dropped to fifth in the standings, three points behind leader Lille, having played one game more.
After Marseille won its first French title in 18 years last season, Deschamps was forced to sell talismanic striker Mamadou Niang. But he was given money to splash out on France forwards Andre-Pierre Gignac and Loic Remy, who were expected to forge a prolific partnership together.
However, they have so far failed to gel, and Gignac in particular looks far from a ?16.5-million striker. Gignac, who scored 24 league goals for Toulouse three seasons ago, has managed just one league goal so far.
Deschamps was publicly critical of both his strikers prior to the team's winter training camp in Morocco, saying he expected much more from them.
Gignac said he accepted his coach's criticism.
"I have no more excuses left," Gignac said. "There is a lot of expectations from the club and the fans because of my transfer. I have not been good enough."
Gignac has put on weight and looked sluggish during the first half of the season. He admitted he has not been looking after himself properly.
"After training I didn't wait for a massage and quickly went back home for a nap," Gignac said. "I have been less professional than usual."
Remy joined Marseille from Nice during the summer for a reported ?15 million fee and scored six league goals after struggling to adapt to his new team.
"I had muscular problems but I managed to come back to show what I'm capable of doing," Remy said. "But sometimes I'm struggling to express myself on the pitch. I know that I can do far better."
Gignac and Remy are not the only strikers who are being self-critical. Bordeaux's Anthony Modeste, who has scored six goals in 18 league games, actually urged his club to sign a new forward.
"I'm in a big club, I'm not playing well, we need to recruit. There is no other solution," Modeste told RMC radio station. "A new recruit wouldn't bother me. I've never been handed anything in life, I've always had to go and get things."
Lille has 32 points and only has a one-point lead over Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes and Lyon, but its position is strengthened by the fact it has played a game less than any side in the top six.
Coach Rudi Garcia's Lille team also leads the league in scoring, with 33 goals in 18 games, and boasts the league's most coveted player, Belgium midfielder Eden Hazard.
Lille travels to play Nice on Saturday, and second-place PSG hosts Sochaux.
Elsewhere, third-place Rennes hosts last-place Arles; fourth-place Lyon hosts Lorient, and No. 6 Saint-Etienne goes to struggling Lens.
Marseille and Saint-Etienne both have 29 points in one of the closest title races in recent years.
In Saturday's other games, it is: Brest vs. Caen; Toulouse vs. Nancy; Montpellier vs. Valenciennes, and Auxerre vs. Monaco.
Monaco's new coach Laurent Banide, who is returning to the southern club for his second spell in charge after replacing Guy Lacombe last week, is facing a tough task as Monaco sits one point above the relegation zone in 17th place.
"The team is lacking confidence, and we need to get back on track quickly, start scoring goals and enjoying our football again," Banide said. "Guy Lacombe did an awful lot in his time here, but now it's up to me to do things differently. We are looking for everyone to perform to their full potential."
