Auxerre vs. Lyon : Two Teams. One Dodging, One Striving For.. The Next Level.

By: Megame | May 11th, 2011

(The following article was entirely written and illustrated by Nikhil Apte, our new blogger)

Hey, there's always this match!

Stunning comeback against Marseille on Sunday! Yes, there shouldn’t have been a need for one in the first place, but who’s complaining! Captain fantastic Cris came up with a goal that would make many a striker (or hitman for that matter) proud. The Olympico was a success that lived up to its billing. Much work remains to be done however, as is always the case now.

Lille and its Groupies.
At this late stage of the season, it would only be fair to concede the league title to Lille this year. Of course, a mathematical winning chance remains for all teams that are within a 12 point radius of it, but when has mathematics won a French team anything! Lille have 69 points from 35 matches, opening up a 7 point lead over Marseille (62, 35th game pending), and 10 points over Lyon (59, also with 35th game pending).
Many thanks are due to PSG for falling flat on its face on Tuesday evening against Nancy. Sometimes in Ligue 1, even a relegation team’s assistant-coach’s grandma can beat a title holding team, and it never stops being fun as long as it happens not to your team. Lyon lead PSG by 1 point, even with Auxerre game pending, making 3rd place safe, yet again. Rennes has fallen out of sight by now and, unless Lyon does something very ordinary, will not be much trouble.

How I Wish His Team Were As Consistent…

Puel Watermark

Holy Cow! These Numbers Are Crunchy!
FOUR – Matches to go, 12 points to get. PSG, stop sharpening swords – on Lyonnais’ necks.
THREE – Points adrift of Marseille and on goal difference too. Lyon beat ‘em black. Will Auxerre have the same hue?
TWO – Hundredth OL game for Cris in defense! Wonder if his age be an overestimated pretence?
ONE – Point ‘earned’ from the last three OL outings. Puel please work harder, and do stop the touting.
ZERO – Room Lyon have to inadvertently lose to error. Come on, a rhyme for this too? Okay. How about “terror”?

Who’s in the Line ups and who’s out solving his nephew’s teenage problems?
Lisandro Lopez limped off in the Marseille game, and while his injury looked scary, he had the heart to stay with the rest of the substitutes till the end of the game. It looks like he can make an appearance when Lyon play Monaco – the last game of the season for Lyon. Toulalan and Gourcuff are probably ruled out for this match. Ederson may make it to the squad for a few minutes. Bastos too will play this match, as he and Cissokho come back after a suspension. Lyon have had 7 red cards this season. Cissokho himself has had two. You know, the problem is not just the sending-off. The problem seems to be the freekicks and penalties that follow. 18 goals of the 35 conceded this season have been from set-pieces.
Auxerre have a lot of injuries to count as well. Segbefia, Pedretti, Mignot, Chafni, Berthod, Licata and Riou are all out!

Possible Teams:

Auxerre: Sorin – Hengbart, Boly, Coulibaly, Sidibé – Ndinga, Dudka – Oliech, Traoré, Contout – Jelen.
Lyon: Lloris – Réveillère, Cris, Lovren, Kolodziejczak – Pjanic, Gonalons, Grenier – Briand, Gomis, Bastos.

Need a win to continue the momentum!
Allez Les Gones!

Some Related Lyon Posts:

Category: Ligue 1

« OL-OM : just possibly the most decisive game of the season | Home | From Marseille to Auxerre and now Brest : the Lyon roller-coaster goes on… »

john

Could JMA be mulling this one over in his head?
http://www.foot01.com/ligue1/l...
Luke99

is he gonna sell him to benfica?
john

Makoun is sh#t defensively. If you're arguing that he could make the least bit of difference in defense, then you obviously missed the times he was paired with Kallstrom, and basically looked just like the Gonalons-Kallstrom pairing. I think he played the DM role alone once or twice and that was a disaster. Just look at his time at Lille: Puel would play that 4-5-1 with 3 CMFs and two wingers. The only time you would see one DM playing alone, it would be Mavuba. Puel knew Makoun's limitations back then, and he was right.
Now, if you're arguing that he would be an extra body to throw in there, when our only two real DMs, Gonalons and Toul are out, then ok.
I never said he wasn't great offensively. He was fantastic before he left. I just said that maybe the only reason he was great, was bec he wanted to show clubs what he could do, so someone would pick him up in the transfer window. He looked like a player who was playing for a new contract. How was he playing before that? 90% of the fans wanted to hang him.
And my point about none of those great players having an effect on OL if we had them, was a shot at Puel and the lack of esprit de corps, that in my view, any half deascent coach should be albe to inject into his squad and not have them trapesing around like lifeless zombies, uncapable of putting two wins in a row together. We already have winners, or atleast players with the heart of winners on our club e.g., Lisandro , Toulalan, Lloris, hell even Vercoutre. But my point is that there is something more at play, and even if we went out and got some of the top players in the world, there would still be something very wrong with the squad, and to me, it has to be Puel, combined with a couple of unfocused mercenaries who should be benched in favor of younger, hungrier players.
muffin

For me, Makoun and Gonalons too aren't "real DM's". We desperately need a new real DM, to be a backup for Toulalan. Gonalons looks to me like he could fit to CM better. Up until the game in Nice, which was the first game from which Gonalons started to play DM instead of Toulalan this season, we conceded 1,0 goals per game and we were 3rd defensively in the league. Since that game we started conceding 1,9 per game and are now 10th defensively. Pfff.
BTW, who would you count in that "unfocused mercenary" list? I can easily see Cissokho and Bastos fitting there...
john

You're right Muffin: Gonalons will probably be a bitter fit at CMF. And those two mercenaries you mentioned, are exactly who I had in mind. They need to go. I'd like Tabanou or Mathieu from Valencia is also available. Tremolinas? And I pray we have enought cash to get M'villa; M. Sissoko is a distant second.
Nikhil Apte

If I were 15, I'd answer every point in that response.
But time has taught me better than to have a discussion with made-up minds.
Not in the least with one that puts words into my mouth.
john

Nikhil: I Don't know why you are so touchy or who exactly put "words into your mouth," this is what you said: " He [Makoun] had the potential to help in both defence and offence." And this is what I responded to.
My assertion is that you are half right in that claim and I gave the reason why I believe that to be true. That, I believe, is the only point of contention here.
And my mind isn't made up about anything. Muffin made the point that Gonalons may not be a true DMF and I now subscribe to that. You can refute my claims and if they have merit I will say I was wrong. I learn everyday from commentors on this blog who have far more knowledge and insight than I do.
Nikhil Apte

"He wouldn't make a difference defensively in the midfield." This was the first mention and "claim" in the discussion which you made about Makoun having anything to do with the defensive part of the team. I hadn't mentioned defensive till that time. When you did, I said -in response- that he had the "potential" to help in both defence and offence, (something that you consider to be a "claim" despite the open-ended-ness of the sentence).

You said, "If you're arguing that he could make the least bit of difference in defense, then you obviously missed the times he was paired with Kallstrom, and basically looked just like the Gonalons-Kallstrom pairing. I think he played the DM role alone once or twice and that was a disaster. " Then some talk about how bad he was at Lille in that role.

When I said "What was the rush!", what do you think that implies? That implies if he was playing well till January, he could have been kept till May. How the hell does this have anything to do with how bad his form was at Lille, or how bad he was defensively when he played DM "once or twice"? If he was playing well, he was playing well, end of the matter. And because May is the end of the season, he would still be playing well if it were voluntarily done at any time.

If you look throughout the posts, only you have been saying the term DM. (An assumption on your part possibly based on the feeling that Lyon's problems are only defensively.). And then trying to say how I must have "obviously missed" the times when he was terrible at it. Basically, I've not started on his defensive capabilities and you have happily shot me down for something I never said.

I consider Makoun to be a box to box player based on whatever I've 'not missed'. I'd have put him in place of Pjanic, and not Gonalons. It's a pity you refused to let go of the analysis of his defensive skills in your posts and didn't clarify first. I even spoke in offensive comparison with Gomis.

You said, "Now, if you're arguing that he would be an extra body to throw in there, when our only two real DMs, Gonalons and Toul are out, then ok."

I wonder what else you could have made out of "The point is, he had experience to atleast stand in the midfield when everyone else was suspended or injured as in current situation and produce a performance, for whatever reason that he may have been playing well." Though you did pick "DM" again without any such suggestion on my part.

You said, "Makoun was playing his ass off bec he wanted to leave." Now there's a "claim" and an assumption if I ever saw one. Followed by your attempt to make it softer " I just said that maybe the only reason he was great, was bec he wanted to show clubs what he could do, so someone would pick him up in the transfer window." Did you really say or imply "maybe" the first time? I'm sorry I couldn't see it.

In your post this was followed by an empirical (but passable) percentage of people who wanted to hang him, followed by hypothesis on a few great players which is completely imaginary in nature, and highly opinion based. Let's call that one a draw.

I entirely agree with any criticism of Puel that the world can conjure up, so I'm going to pass that as well.

But do you see why I was "touchy" and who put words into my mouth?
nico

(from a juve fan) what do you guys think of the bastos transfer? he any good? or are you happy we're taking him off your hands?
Nikhil Apte

He's good for sure.
Sometimes gets injured but it may very well be Claude Puel's training technique problem because that seems to happen to a lot of other players.
But I'm happy to see him leave only because I'd rather have people who want to stick to Lyon for long.

Though I'm not sure if he's a solution to Juve's problems.
Also, please educate people around you that he's not really a left back. :P Nobody who hasn't been following French football seems to notice that!
Nikhil Apte

Bastos wants to go Juventus to "win trophies".
john

Hahahahaahahahaahaha.
Nikhil Apte

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10...
sdzsdz

http://www.goal.com/en/news/90...

fuck, looks like psg will have a nice amount of transfer money this summer.
Nikhil Apte

The article says 50 million euros required for takeover. Is PSG worth only 2 Lisandros?
Nikhil Apte

Bloody hell! Aaaaaaaargh!!
Nikhil Apte

Aulas after the match (Google translation) :
"It's a question of strategy. We do not change a coach with two or three matches from the end when you're 3rd in the championship. We can do it if we have nothing to win or if you already preparing the next season Aulas told after the match. Here we have everything to gain and potentially much to lose. Today, I do not see what it would do to have to think about a coaching change three games remaining. In practice, a psychological blow with three games remaining as we are 3rd in the race for Champions League, it does not exist. Claude Puel will be on the bench and will be in Brest until the end of season anyway because we have no choice. This is not a good decision. "
Herve Boisde

kind of reminds me of the language the FFF was giving before the world cup when everyone was predicting disaster because of Domenech.
Matthieu

ALLEZ LENS FC!!!!!!
carvivlie

We seem completely unable to put two good performances together. I really need to stop watching games and just look at bottom lines. I think I'm getting white hair--to add to my stress wrinkles. ;)
Megame

An attempt at guessing the ups and downs (and limiting your wrinkles :):
- home game: up, away game: down
- top 5 team: up, rest: down

In other terms, a home game against a top 5 team : double up, we should produce a rather good performance; but in away game against a bottom team: double down, like in Arles Avignon and many others games including tonight.
carvivlie

Thanks for trying to limit the wrinkles but even knowing we were going to lose to Auxerre--I mean how could we possibly win after beating Marseille--being the eternal optimist that I am, I still squish my face up after every bad pass, bad positioning, missed opportunity and of course, every goal acquiesced. Botox and the end of the season are my only cures.
Herve Boisde

What can we expect in the next game without Lovren? Cris/Diakhate in defense....thats terrifying!
Nikhil Apte

Reveillere; Cris, Gomis, Vercoutre, Bastos, Gonalons, Pjanic; Cissokho would be the perfect backline.
Theo

If Puel is still the coach after this then I hope there's no CL for Lyon next season. Why so stubborn Aulas?

Am I crazy?
john

No matter how bad we want Puel out, we have to remember that PSG is going to be flush with cash, and certain teams are/are getting stronger. If we miss out on the CL cash, coupled with out current state, we fall off a cliff and be damaged for years to come.
Nikhil Apte

I wouldn't mind Lyon taking a hit just to get him a boot. Replacing him doesn't ensure better conditions, but there HAS to be a change!

I hope people entirely boycott the home match against Caen, that is the only home game left.
Nikhil Apte

Makoun would have been so useful today. What was the rush!
Luke99

you are so right i was thinking this since febuary he was the best attacking mid we had remember how he was linking up with gomis that dude was on some seriouse form and it was a bad descion to sell him i just got home from work and im so happy i didnt watch this game
Nikhil Apte

Good you didn't watch it! Terrible terrible stuff. So much so that Lloris wasn't even complaining! He was disgusted. Whenever he had the ball, he waved his arms to signal players to go forwards for him to give the long ball, but the style of waving told the story of the match.

Could have been 6-0. Jung Jo-Gook almost got a backheel goal in the 6 yard box against Lloris and Cris almost had an own goal from a cross.

Makoun was in hot form, the management probably wanted to cash in on the run of form. I wonder how it feels now.
john

Makoun was playing his ass off bec he wanted to leave. Amazing that he needed the view of the exit before he started showing us why we payed 15mill for him. He wouldn't make a difference defensively in the midfield. And even if we had Messi, Xavi Alonso, and Vidic I think we'd still be playing like shit.
Nikhil Apte

Disagree. The point is, he had experience to atleast stand in the midfield when everyone else was suspended or injured as in current situation and produce a performance, for whatever reason that he may have been playing well. He had the potential to help in both defence and offence. If you have noticed, he's always in the right spots in the box. May not be a great finisher, but always around the ball, expecting it well. Certainly better than Gomis, who is good when on the ball but not special off it.

And for Messi, Alonso or Vidic, they are winners at the highest stages of football. How many of that kind does Lyon have?

Just like a poor person cannot realistically/effectively advise people on how to get rich, we need a champion or more (player / manager) to get performances of those standards.
Russ

Return Pape and sell Bastos and Cissohko and use the money raised to buy a Quality CB. I will give Gourcuff next year to prove himself and if he doesnt he must go as well. Tired of watching selfish, uninspiring performances from our so called superstars(I know that Cissohko and Gourcuff didn't play today) Cissohko has been uninspiring all year, Bastos wants to leave tomorrow, and I'm still positive that Gourcuff doesn't have a pulse(did anyone see his lack of reaction after scoring the winner against Montpellier in stoppage time, awful!) and its definitely time to start breeding in the young players we need players who are hungry and willing to work hard for the team. Give Kolo and Lacazette a chance next year.
AlexT

lack of reaction? pffttt
Russ

He has no passion for the team! Kick a flag pump your fist take your shirt off run to the crowd scream for the colors on your shirt!!! I have to be critical of his attitude!!! No passion!!! Especially after all the criticism hes been facing this year, let it out!!! he just jogs over to a teammate while the others celebrate we need him and we need him to care and I just don't see it
Megame

After all, all this Europe thing, isn't it already passé ? We, members of the elite won't go as low as all the others just to become "Europeans". Pff.
mrCham

I hear the coffee machines are bette in Ligue 2
Megame

Who to keep in defense, apart from Réveillère? Cris should retire, Diakhaté is error prone, Cissokho this season was more average (and dreadful in Toulouse), Kolo is promising but still inexperienced, and Lovren collected 8 bookings and one exclusion. Nice panel, uh?
Nikhil Apte

Super.
And 200th game for Cris, right? He's going to take this memory to the grave. :P
sdzsdz

if jean mimi passed out after the toulouse loss, im really worried for him today...
Megame

Here's how it looks in the top 5:
1 Lille 69 pts, +30 goals difference
2 Marseille 63 pts, +20 goals difference (currently playing)
3 Lyon 59 pts, +19 goals difference
4 Paris-SG 58 pts, +16 goals difference
5 Rennes 53 pts, +5 goals difference
carvivlie

I haven't had a chance to look but should we be worrying about goal differential with PSG now?
Nikhil Apte

+19 for Lyon, +16 for PSG. +20 for Marseille.
YES.
sideny govou

And always and always we can hear that players and Puel said that they learn form mistakes, but we continue to make them
Megame

Why, oh why Auxerre, who only won 8 games this season (3d worst tally of L1 behind Arles-Avignon and Lens) decided today was the day for the 9th?
Why, oh why Lyon can't learn a tiny little bit from previous games?
Nikhil Apte

They did! Lyon made sure they had a red card, you see. Very good memory that.
Megame

Humiliation's over. 4-0.
Herve Boisde

never seen Lyon look so ridiculous, ever.
Nikhil Apte

A bet on an Auxerre win here might have given better returns than most securities that man can conjure up.
Megame

.... undoubtedly better than a bet on a Lyon loss when away.
Herve Boisde

Enzo Reale is coming on?
Theo

Please Auxerre score two more goals so we get Puel out of Lyon
Megame

Well, the last time a Lyon coach was sacked during a season was after a drubbing against... Auxerre. But that was a 7-0 !
Megame

Or that could be enough for Aulas to say bye bye Puel... But he won't.
Herve Boisde

if Tigana resigned...so should Puel. Pathetic.
Nikhil Apte

The commentator JUST said this!!
sideny govou

I want 5
Herve Boisde

OMG
Herve Boisde

has Lyon ever played well avay from home?
Nikhil Apte

8 wins and 2 draws in 10 games at Auxerre until this one. :)
Megame

4.0 That's how worse it can get. Or is it?
Nikhil Apte

Sigh.
Megame

4-0.
Megame

Just how worse than this can it get?
Nikhil Apte

I understand the team must be tired playing within 3 days, but even the second squad should have been able to take Auxerre in it's current form.
sideny govou

Hahahahahahaaha 3-0; sorry guys but this is too funny
sdzsdz

should forfeited while we're ahead, at least we could rest our players.
Nikhil Apte

Lyon last gave away 3 goals in the league when against Caen at 3-2.
muffin

Another TERRIFIC performance from our team, especially Gonalons the magnificient who, I seriously assume, has a marijuana addiction! I mean it's cool and all, but stay home playing Playstation, dude!

The rest of the team probably eat shit load of McDonald's food just before the games.

Fuck this, maybe we're still 3rd in the league but I haven't seen a single football team this year from any league performing this bad. Nope, I'm not joking.
Russ

Down 2-0 with a man sent off. Awesome. Way to take the initiative boys.
sideny govou

First thing; Puel out; 2nd thing; change defence; 3rd thing; I WANT TOULALANNNN; Well 1st thing mybe is not true; because Puel surely didnt say let's go to lose
sideny govou

2-0 bye OL
Nikhil Apte

Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why.
Megame

sdzsdz is right, it's Toulouse in Auxerre : now 2-0
carvivlie

Lovren off! Oh things have gone from bad to indescribably bad.
sdzsdz

ok, we have another socheaux game. beautiful match lyon.
sdzsdz

sorry i meant Toulouse
Megame

Bye Lovren! 2 yellows equal one red
sdzsdz

this is some hideous shit
sdzsdz

and im not just talking about our jerseys
Nikhil Apte

I guess they better get the 11-12 away jerseys out soon, looking at Lyon's match against Marseille in the 11-12 home jersey.
Megame

I've been watching Lyon for half an hour, and now I'm confused : a good passing means giving away to the whites, right? Then we have bloody good passers.
carvivlie

We seem to be losing the defensive midfield battle.
Nikhil Apte

Brilliant goal.
Lyon needs 7' 11" tall defenders.
Megame

I can't believe Auxerre scored
Megame

Crap. A Gomis goal disallowed for an about 20cm offside
Megame

Well done, Nikhil! One question, though : why did you put 20 times the same picture of Claude Puel?
Nikhil Apte

Picasa wouldn't process the 27 I asked it to!
Let's just say this is one place where Google won't have to sweat to find "Similar Images". ;)