They may still sit on top of the table, but Paris Saint-Germain's shock home defeat at the hands of unfancied Nancy on Sunday provided further evidence that all is not well in the French capital.
PSG had been unbeaten since the opening day of the campaign, but performances have been a cause for concern for several weeks now.
A squad assembled expensively with the petro-dollars invested by new owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) has not yet been moulded into a cohesive team unit by coach Antoine Kombouare.
Moments of individual brilliance have got them through previous games, but against a limited Nancy side who had not won away from home all season, the spark was missing, and PSG came up short.
The loss of form of record signing Javier Pastore has become a major cause for concern, and with a trip to bitter rivals Marseille -- French football's most explosive fixture -- to come next Sunday, the next week is set to be the biggest test yet of Kombouare's credentials.
And despite ongoing speculation, sporting director Leonardo insists that Kombouare will still be in charge for that game at the Stade Velodrome.
"Of course he will...he is the coach," the Brazilian said bullishly in the wake of the Nancy setback, which left PSG clear of second-placed Montpellier only on goal difference.
"Nothing has changed. We talk a lot together, he knows what is going on.
"The situation is clear. He is the coach and will remain so. And I think we will see a positive reaction against Marseille."
"Kombouare has the full confidence of the club. We only started this project four months ago, and a lot of good things have already happened."
However, Leonardo is believed to have been working behind Kombouare's back to find a replacement for the current coach, possibly under pressure from QSI.
He is known to have met with Carlo Ancelotti, an old friend from his days at AC Milan and a free agent since being sacked by Chelsea in the summer.
Having won the Champions League and the Premier League as a coach, Ancelotti would appear to be exactly the type of big name that QSI clearly thrive.
Guus Hiddink, who left his position as coach of Turkey following their failure to qualify for Euro 2012, and former Liverpool and Inter Milan boss Rafael Benitez have also been linked to a move to the Parc des Princes.
There is no shortage of uncertainty, although what does seem clear is that Kombouare's profile outside of France does not fit with the image that QSI are keen to portray of their club.
That image is one in keeping with the glitz and glamour of France's capital city, and QSI president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's links to Al-Jazeera - who won the international broadcast rights for Ligue 1 from next season - also helps explain why they might want to attract a more recognisable name.
Improving the PSG brand also helps explain why the club's owners are keen to sign David Beckham now that the veteran Englishman's contract with Los Angeles Galaxy is coming to an end.
However, for the moment, Beckham is remaining coy on the subject.
"I need to sit back and relax and enjoy this moment and then figure out what I'm going to do," he said after helping the Galaxy to victory in the MLS Cup final against Houston Dynamo.
"I might talk in past tense on occasion, but it doesn't mean I'm not coming back (to the Galaxy).
"Of course, people are always going to speculate," he added. "The first year that I was with Real Madrid, I was going to Chelsea every weekend."
For now, the PSG players will have to put up with continued speculation surrounding both Beckham and Kombouare, and it remains to be seen whether Leonardo will continue to publicly back the latter if Paris come up short against their great rivals.
Source: AFP
