Nice have fallen, and they have fallen hard after the departure of coach Frédéric Antonetti to Rennes. They currently languish in the relegation zone, just above winless Grenoble who are keeping them from the rock bottom of the table. Indeed, since Antonetti’s departure, Les Aiglons have had a complete reversal of fortunes: going from a perennial top-of-the-table squad in the last couple of years, to relegation material.

And I have to give club president Maurice Cohen some credit, well, I don’t know if it was avarice or foresight that prevented him from selling Loic Remy to OL this summer, because, he seems to be the main reason that Nice isn’t winless, and may play an integral part of any future surge that Nice may mount to battle their way out of the basement in the coming months. Loic makes-up 50% of the offense.

History: Nice have a winning record in all head-to-head competions vs. OL. They are 19-8-12 vs. Lyon. But, you’d have to go back to September of ‘95, when Nice took a 1-0 victory at home vs. OL, to find their last win.

Nice’s Form: As afromentioned, Nice are in dysmal form. Aside from a 3-2 victory against Valenciennes two weeks ago, Les Aiglons haven’t had a victory since week one( vs. St. Etienne 2-0). They currently sit in 19th place in the table with a 2-2-5 record. They have just one (1) win at home and are 19th in that department. They are 14th in attack with nine (9) goals scored. Their defense is an absolute shambles: a dysmal 20th in defense- last in the league- with (20) goals allowed.

When they lose, they usually lose big: Nice have gone down by an average margin of two (2) goals in their loses, and have given-up (3) goals on average in all their losses. They have taken real beatings at the hands of: Bordeaux: 4-0; Montpellier: 3-0; Monaco: 3-1; St. Etienne: 4-1; and Lorient: 4-1. Just an added woeful defensive stat: Nice has allowed and average of two (2)goals/pr match in all competitions.

Again, like last week vs. Sochaux- well they did have something to play for in their fallen teammate- OL only have themselves to blame for anything less than a victory in the match.

Injuries: Cleber, Boumsong, Bodmer, Seguin and Faure are still out. The hospital gets even more full this week, since Kim Kallstrom will miss the trip, out with “muscle pain,” and in news that really sank my spirits, Hugo Lloris will miss his homecoming and is out with- you guessed it- adductor problems!!!!!!! What the hell is going on? Is this the trainer’s fault or is there really a superior deity who is torturing OL for shits and giggles? In the last two years it was devastating knee injuries, and this year, the flavor of the season is the adductor strain.

This injury comes at the worst time in that we have an upcoming stretch of games that will require our utmost on the defensive side of the pitch; matches against St. Etienne at the end of this month then a murderous entire month of November, with matches against Liverpool, Marseille, Fiorentina, and Rennes respectively. The calender looks intimidating, but even more so when you imagine Remy Vercoutre starting during that stretch.

There is some good news though: Cris is operational after that knock to the head that he recieved at Anfield on Tuesday, so thakfully we won’t be seeing Maxime Gonalons at CB.

Le groupe lyonnais: Vercoutre, Hartock – Cris, Réveillère, Clerc, Cissokho, Kolodziejczak, Toulalan, Gonalons – Makoun, Pjanic, Bastos, Delgado, Ederson – Govou, Belfodil, Tafer, Gomis, Lisandro.

Prediction: I think OL still have an Anfield hangover, but that won’t be enough to stop them from putting a couple of goals through Nice’s swiss cheese, sieve of a defense. 2-1 due to Vercoutre’s tending the nets.

Formation:

Vercoutre
Clerc-Cris -Toulalan-Cissokho
Pjanic-Makoun-Ederson
Bastos-Gomis-Lisandro

Well, after the short but much needed international break, Lyon head back to office. The break gave us some much needed time for the laundry list of players out due to injury, to continue their convalescences. But unfortunatley, we haven’t healed where we really need it: on the defenesive side of the ball, but there is a ray of light in that our two offensive superpowers Lisandro and Bastos- who shockingly haven’t been missed very much since they’ve gone down- will be match ready. What a difference a year makes: imagine our two best offensive players going down last year, and what a disaster that would have been! But as always, our CBs continue to limp along, with the injury monster rearing it’s ugly head again this week, although we might have dodged a bullet on that one- more on that later.

More important than Saturday’s match though, is the sad news that’s struck both the Sochaux and the US footballing community: Sochaux and US international striker Charlie Davies was involved in a serious car accident midweek in Washington D.C. Apparently Davies’ passenger died in the crash and Charlie was listed in serious but stable condition after hours of surgery to repair fractures to this right tibia and femur by having steel rods inserted in them, fractures to his left elbow and face, as well as a lacerated bladder. The doctors say it will take anywhere from six to twelve months to recover from the injury through intense rehab and that he will be bedridden for one to two months. Hopefully Davies makes a swift recovery and return to L1- where he’s quickly become a favorite, and to international football.

As for the match, Sochaux have their work cut out for them. Lyon are in blistering form, and Sochaux walking out of Gerland with even a draw seems highly unlikely.

Sochaux’s Form: Les Lionceaux are below par in just about every category. A perennial mid-table squad, they are currently in 14th place in the league, hovering just over the drop, with a 3-0-5 record. They have just two (2) wins at home- ranked 14th, and more importantly for our purposes, just (1) one win away- ranked 16th. They are ranked 14th in attack with (8)eight goals scored, and 16th in defense with (13) allowed, just four less than last placed Grenoble.

Sochaux had been on a four match losing streak and have just two wins in their last seven before taking a victory at home vs. lowly Le Mans, right before the break. They have not managed to score more than one goal in each of their three victories, all of them ending with a 1-0 scoreline, and only one of those victories came on the road. This fact, coupled with the fact that with the loss of their major offensive signing of the summer Charlie Davies, Les Lionceaux will lose 1/4 of their offense, things look bleak. The only worries left are the Lion’s remaining “teeth:” striker Vaclav Sverkos and CMF Marvin Martin- the other half of the offense. The only hope they have are that OL have become rusty over the break and come-out completely flat, or that the tragedy of their fallen teammate, infuses their play. Other than that, I’m going with a 2-0 Lyon victory.

Injuries:

Les Lyonnais: The usuals: Cleber, Boumsong, Bodmer; Cris- what the F#CK is going on with adductors this year?- was a maybe until late Friday, and so was Kallstrom who picked-up some muscle injury on international duty. They are both included in the group but are I guess will have to wait to see if they are operational on Saturday. If not, we may see a Makoun-Toul pairing at CB with Seguin out with a muscle strain, and Faure and Fontaine not available for whatever reasons. Oh, and in terms of some good news: Bastos, Delgado and Lilo are back in form, so they’ll probably see some light second half action.

Le groupe lyonnais : Lloris, Vercoutre- Cris, Réveillère, Clerc, Cissokho, Kolodziejczak, Toulalan, Källström, Gonalons, Makoun, Pjanic, Bastos, Delgado, Ederson, Govou, Belfodil, Tafer, Gomis, Lisandro.

Sochaux: As if the loss of the Charlie Davies wasn’t a big enough blow to an already light squad, Sochaux are experiencing their own injury crisis. Les Lionceaux will be without Boudebouz, Stevanovic, Carlao and Dalmat. The only good news for them, and maybe bad for us, is that Sverkos will be back in action after injury.

Le groupe sochalien: Dreyer, Richert – Faty, Perquis, Bréchet, Jokic, Mikari, Josse, Dramé – Martin, Maurice-Belay, Gavanon, Nogueira, Tulasne – Sverkos, Butin, Privat, Gurler.

Starting Formation:

The only doubt for me is does Lilo start?

Lloris
Reveillere-Cris -Toulalan-Cissokho
Clerc-Makoun-Pjanic
Govou-Gomis-Lisandro

Well, we’ve taken care of business and OL are now back in the CL,albiet in qualifying rounds, but hey, it’s better than the alternatives. Last week against Caen, Lyon continued to play solidly: we put three in the net, almost shut-down Steve Savidan, two of our most beloved veterans scored what may have been their final goals for OL, Juni netting his 100th goal and Sidney Govou his 70th I believe, and we Gerland witnessed an emotional send-off for one of Lyon’s greatest son’s Juninho Pernambucano. Lyon have gotten back on-track and finished the season with an exclamation point. So, Saturday’s game vs. Toulouse, thankfully will mean nothing- except to Toulouse, who are playing for a spot in the Europa League; and I guess we can salivate over Gignac and check-out two players Lyon were linked to in rumors: Sissoko and Capoue.

I won’t inculde “team histories” or “recent form” or any of that other filler, because this game is meaningless to OL, and Puel might empty the bench(I wrote this Monday, but seeing today’s line-up, I guess Puel wants to go out with a win). I think alot of us were hoping to see some of the CFA players get time, but Puel seems to be taking this game more serious than it really is.

Le groupe lyonnais : Lloris, Vercoutre, Clerc, Mensah, Boumsong, Réveillère, Bodmer, Toulalan, Källström, Makoun, Govou, Ederson, Pjanic, Mounier, Keita, Benzema, Piquionne, Tafer.

Out: Cris, Grosso, Juninho, and Delgado.

Lineup:

Mine:

Vercoutre
Clerc-Boumsong-Mensah-Reveillere
Pjanic-Bodmer-Kallstrom
Govou—————-Mounier
Piquionne

L’Equipe’s- which is more probable:

Lloris
Reveillere-Boumsong-Mensah-Kallstrom
Pjanic-Toulalan-Makoun
Govou-Benzema-Ederson

Although I’d modify that into a 4-5-1 with Ederson at RCMF, Pjanic at RMF and Govou as LMF; or

Lloris
Reveillere-Boumsong-Mensah-Kallstrom
Ederson-Toulalan-Makoun
Pjanic—————-Govou
Benzema

Well, last week’s draw vs. PSG pretty much ended our hopes for an eight straight L1 title, and with Marseille and Bordeaux showing no signs of letting-up- Bordeaux put-on a veritable magic show coming-back from 0-1 to beat Rennes 3-2 with ten men- in their struggle for the top, the coffin seems to have been nailed-shut. But if there are any “glass half-full” people out there that still believe Lyon have a shot, then picking-up three Saturday is imperative. More importantly, what the draw last week did do, is leave us in the nightmare-ish scenario; a more ominuous threat than that of the porcine flu: possibly not qualifying for the CL. I’m still in disbelief, and the thought of not securing a CL berth, and all that that would entail for the club, is really nauseating: no money to sign big players, losing some of our best players, having to sell Karim; what the hell is going on?

Although we currently are teater-tottering on the edge of that precipice, a few positive things did happen last week. First, although we couldn’t score, the team did seem to awaken from it’s slumber and sense the seriousness of it’s current predicament; we played very well but missed several opportunities. Second, Cris and Juni began to take charge on the field again. They had both been pretty dormant- leadership-wise- on the pitch lately, but hopefully they’ve been infusing emotion into the rest of the squad during the week, and are sowing the seeds of nice run to finish out the season and keep our hold on third place. Third, and perhaps the best bit of news, is that all those squads nipping at our heals either drew- PSG and Toulouse- or lost- Lille went down to Marseille, unfortunately.

PSG is still only one point behind us(Hopefully Rennes aren’t demoralized from their loss to Bordeaux and do us a favor by taking-out PSG at the Parc this weekend), but Toulouse are now four behind, while Lille are five down. So we maintained or increased our lead in the race for third; obviously a win would have been even better, but I’ll take it. Hopefully it’s a semi-positive omen that we didn’t lose, and we can grab some momentum heading into the final stretch with away matches vs. Marseille and Toulouse. Oh, and I’m glad we found a new home for Bodmer, he was outstanding at the 10, our best player on the pitch, untill Puel pulled him early.

And I almost forgot: Saturday, Lyon head-up to Valenciennes to play the “first” game in the rest of OL’s season.

Valenciennes’ Current Form: Valenciennes are currently 15th in the table, with an 8-13-12 record. They are 8th in the table in home record and pretty strong at home, with an 8-4-4 record. They have not lost twice in a row since early December. In their last five matches they are 1-2-2 with only a draw at Rennes worthy of noting. They are 16th in attack with (29) scored, and 10th in defense with (34) allowed. Their top scorers are Gregory Pujol (6) and Jean-Claude Darcheville with (4).

History:

Lyon are 8-10-8 vs. Valenciennes. Valenciennes haven’t beaten OL since June of ‘81 at Nungesser. Their last meeting in week sixteen at Gerlande ended in a 0-0 draw.

Le groupe: Lloris, Vercoutre – Clerc, Cris, Réveillère, Källström, Boumsong, Mensah, Fabio Santos, Toulalan, Pjanic, Piquionne, Benzema, Ederson, Bodmer, Mounier, Keita, Grosso, Delgado.

Injuries and Absences: Govou, Juninho is out with an adductor strain, and Makoun is suspended; must be by OL because he never saw the field last week vs. PSG.

Line-up: It appears Puel is still monkeying-around and has had Ederson playing striker during practice. Let’s hope that doesn’t translate to this game, although it couldn’t really hurt at this point, being that our other options aren’t too appetizing. I don’t know that Puel goes with two DMs vs. Valenciennes, but I liked Bodmer playing in the ten last week, and thought our offense looked a lot more fluid that it has for some time.

Lloris
Clerc-Cris-Boumsong-Grosso
Toulalan-Kallstrom
Ederson-Bodmer-Mounier
Benzema

2007/2008 24/11/2007 Stade Rennais FC 0 – 2 Olympique Lyonnais
2006/2007 04/11/2006 Stade Rennais FC 1 – 0 Olympique Lyonnais
2005/2006 02/10/2005 Stade Rennais FC 1 – 3 Olympique Lyonnais
2004/2005 11/09/2004 Stade Rennais FC 1 – 2 Olympique Lyonnais
2003/2004 29/11/2003 Stade Rennais FC 3 – 1 Olympique Lyonnais
2002/2003 05/10/2002 Stade Rennais FC 0 – 1 Olympique Lyonnais
2001/2002 06/02/2002 Stade Rennais FC 2 – 2 Olympique Lyonnais
2000/2001 19/05/2001 Stade Rennais FC 3 – 4 Olympique Lyonnais
1999/2000 11/12/1999 Stade Rennais FC 1 – 2 Olympique Lyonnais
1998/1999 14/11/1998 Stade Rennais FC 0 – 0 Olympique Lyonnais

Historicaly, Rennes have an edge in the meetings between the two teams: Rennes 18 wins, Lyon 16 wins and 6 draws.

Injuries: Sidney Govou is out for 4-8 weeks with a high ankle sprain. Cesar Delgado is still out with a knee problem. Fabio Santos is in, but Puel said that he would’nt be back untill the Lille game next week. And Fabio Grosso and Francois Clerc are still out.
Kader Keita is back and should see some second half action with Gouvou out.

Expected Line-up: It’s tricky. There are too many variables. 4-5-1/ 4-4-3? Who knows? Juninho’s tired, but that hasn’t stopped Puel before. Is there any option besides Mensah on the left? It’s interesting that Kolo is back in the group, though I doubt he’ll see the pitch. With Govou and Delgado out and Keita looking for his first minutes this season(I doubt he’ll start), I think we’ll see Ederson on the right. I have an eery feeling that Fred and Benzema will start, and if I see Benzema on the wing again I might have an aneurism. So, I’ll put something else down for the sake of my own health. I think it will be either the following or a 4-5-1 variant of the same players, with Ederson and Mounier as side midfielders:

Lloris
Reveillere-Cris-Bodmer-Mensah
Juninho- Toulalan- Makoun
Ederson- Benzema-Mounier

Le groupe : Lloris, Vercoutre – Mensah, Boumsong, Cris, Bodmer, Kolo, Réveillère, Juninho, Källström, Makoun, Toulalan, Fabio Santos, Mounier, Benzema, Fred, Piquionne, Ederson, Pjanic, Keita.

Prediction: Rennes have not scored more than one goal in a match, in each of the last four meetings vs. Lyon. And they are currently in a drought, having scored (1) goal in their last four matches(inluding one European match). I think they still have a Uefa cup hangover and don’t see them scoring in this match, unless they decide to exploit the gapping hole at Lyon’s left back position. I’ll call a Lyon win 1-0. I say either Benzema or Ederson get the goal, but I have a feeling Fred might score just to spite me.

Please post any working links here.

History is most definetly not on Les Verts’ side. St. Etienne have not defeated Lyon in 14 years and 17 matches!!! St. Etienne’s last victory against Lyon, came in the form of a 3-0 victory at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in 1994. The closest Le Stephanois have come to a victory since then, was last year when Karim Benzema plunged a dagger into the heart of Les Verts’ fans by netting a “Juniesque” goal on a set-piece, free kick in the 92nd minute, to pull the game from the clutches of ASSE and end the match in a 1-1 draw.

Derby History: in (17) Matches, (9)Lyon victories, (7) at Stade Gerland and (2) at St. Etienne. (8) Draws, (6) having come at St. Etienne.
-Current Players who have scored in the Derby: Benzema (1), Govou (1), Kallstrom (1), Juninho (1), Gomis (1).
-Current players who have worn both jerseys in the derby: Frederic Piquionne(Lyon) and Sylvain Monsoreau(St. Etienne).

The Lille LOSC connection: And interesting tidbit of information is that it will be packed with former Lille players and personel. Here is a list of former players and personel on both sides, taking part in this derby: Claude Puel, St. Etienne manager Laurent Roussey(Puel’s former assistant at Lille), Patrick Collot(Puel’s current assistant), Mathieu Bodmer, Kader Keita, Jean II Makoun, Emmanuel Ohrant(Lyon doctor), Efstathios Tavalaridis, Geoffrey Dernis, Cristophe Landrin, and David Guion(St. Etienne coaching staff).

Out: Fabio Santos is back from Brazil, but should be ready to play in about 3 weeks. Mensah, Hartock and Keita are out; and obviously Clerc.
Puel was asked about the suspension of Fabio Grosso and what he planned to do about the side-back problem. Here’s his response: “As for the side back post, we have 4/5 solutions: Reveillere, Boumsong, Kallstrom, Gassama, and Thimothe. We’ll try to find the best solution. I already know what I’m going to do. Start one of the novices? I won’t rule that idea out entirely.”
What a tease!!!
Also asked about playing Benzema on the left-wing again, Puel had this to say: Benzema on the left-wing, we’ll see. It’s a possibility, nothing is written in stone. He was good in this position against Grenoble. At this position, he’s an attacker and not a midfielder.

Le Group Lyonnais: Lloris,Vercourtre- Reveillere, Gassama, Cris, Bodmer, Bodmer, Kolodzieckziak, Makoun, Juninho, Toulalan, Kallstrom, Govou, Piquionne, Benzema, Ederson, Pjanic, Fred, Delgado, Mounier.

Expected Line Up:

—————-Lloris——————–
Reveillere—Cris——Bodmer—-Kallstrom
——–Toulalan——Makoun———–
Govou———Juninho———–Ederson
—————Benzema—————–

This what I expect to see, but who knows what Puel will do with the side-back situation. I’d like to see this lineup with two changes: Boumsong in for Bodmer, and Bodmer next to Toulalan and Makoun as the a third central midfielder; annd Ederson out with Juni on the right and Govou on the left.

I hope St. Etienne don’t get up for this game. Although they’ve looked anemic the first two games, they seem to have found their rythm in the third game, having scored two goals. I hope they don’t continue their awakening and go back to sleep offensively. But being that this is a derby against their most hated rival and at home, I expect ASSE to be pumped. Lyon’s main concern will be the side-back situation due to Fabio Grosso’s suspension. Hopefully, Boumsong will be in back central defense in-place of Bodmer. I prefer Kallstrom at left back with Makoun tracking-back to help. And hopefully Puel doesn’t get any ideas about a 4-2-2 and Benzema will be the lone striker and Piquionne relegated to the bench at the start of the game. Barring any colossal defensive mistakes I’m predicting a 2-1 Lyon win.
Both Inara and I will be away from our computers on match day, so please post any working streams here for our fellow readers.

OL Players are part-time racers.

After Paul Le Guen departed in 2005, Gerard Houllier was brought in to pilot Aulas’s Formula 1 car, which was already on the right track with a quality team in place. Unlike the other nineteen clubs in L1, which desperately need stability, Lyon was impeccably run, had developed their own distinctive style of play, and had a great deal of momentum. So for Houllier, the key was to jump into the car and drive it fast.

Adopting the car analogies, Houllier often claimed that driving a Formula 1 car was more difficult than driving a Formula 3000, and when he stepped down, he said, “I have driven a Formula 1 car that had [already] won four grand prix to…its fifth, a record, and then to a historic sixth.”

Unfortunately, Houllier never reached top gear, though he did hit reverse several times during his two year tenure as Lyon boss.

Houllier: a crap driver.

So when Aulas chose Alain Perrin as Houllier’s replacement, it was not a driver for his Formula 1 car he had hired, but an engineer. Someone who could steer Lyon back on course (since Houllier drove in the wrong direction) and mold the team into being smoother and more efficient.

And that is what this next season will be about: rebuilding.

TRANSFERS:

The first thing that Perrin had to deal with as Lyon boss was the exodus of players as well as potential arrivals. So that’s where we’ll start.

On the Roma blog, in the comments section, Gianni asked this question:

Inara, why did Lyon sell so many players this offseason to replace them with lower talents? Isn’t the team really rich? They did it last year too, selling Mahamadou Diarra and getting Alou.

Lyon’s finances are the healthiest they’ve ever been, with a budget close to Arsenal’s (no mean feat considering the disparity in the leagues). However, France’s high taxes keep Lyon from competing with the bigger clubs in terms of wages. So when a club like Chelsea sweeps in with offers of quadrupling a player’s salary, there is very little any French club can do, even Lyon. Coupled with L1’s limited attractiveness, it’s a miracle that France has any footballers at all.

When players are seduced by higher paychecks and the prospect of playing in a more competitive league, there is no point in keeping them at a club against their will. The trick is knowing when to sell players. It’s a given that anyone with a modicum of quality in France will eventually play abroad, so it’s a matter of milking a player for all that he’s worth and then selling him at the right time. Aulas is a master at this. If he can’t convince his players to stay, he gets the best possible deals. With Malouda, Tiago, Abidal, and Diarra absolutely determined to leave, Aulas snagged nearly €60m.

Departures (*list includes add on fees):

Malouda to Chelsea, €20m
Abidal to Barcelona, €16m
Tiago to Juventus, €15m
Diarra to Bordeaux, €7.75m
Berthod to Monaco, €2.5m
Cacapa to Newcastle (impending), FREE

Of the six departures, only one of them is truly upsetting – that of Florent Malouda. He’s a player that Lyon probably won’t be able to replace because there are few players out there of his qualities. While Malouda isn’t the best winger in terms of sheer talent (even Keita has more of it), he’s consistent, hard working, and reliable – qualities that are hard to find. As one of Lyon’s senior players, he offered his experience and cool-headedness and has often been the man responsible for turning a game in Lyon’s favor.

Jeremy Berthod, Claudio Cacapa, Tiago and Alou Diarra are replaceable talents. End of story.

As for Eric Abidal…he is one of the best LBs in the world, but his performances for Lyon this past year have made him nearly worthless to the club. His tendency to zone out was rather annoying, and there were many matches this year where he got so lost in his Barcelona daydreams that he forgot to show up for Lyon. And let’s not forget the many bitter OL fans who blame the loss to AC Milan on Abidal’s inattention.

To answer the other part of Gianni’s question, let’s examine the arrivals.

Arrivals (including from the winter):

Kader Keita from Lille, €16,
Mathieu Bodmer from Lille, €6.5m
Fabio Grosso from Inter Milan, €7.5m
Nadir Belhadj from Sedan, €3.5m
Fabio Santos from Cruzeiro, €4.5m
Milan Baros from Aston Villa, SWAP

Lyon have spent nearly €40m on incoming players this year alone. That is not indicative of an unambitious club. In fact, anytime a player departs the club, Aulas strives to bring in a replacement who is just as good or can be just as good. His motto has always been, “If you don’t move forward, you go backwards.” As France’s shrewdest mover in the transfer stakes, he has made sure that nearly all of Lyon’s signings improve the club in the long run. That is, there have been very few flop players at Lyon (sadly, the flops tend to be the strikers – Elber, Nilmar, Luyindula, Frau, Carew, possibly Baros…).

Tiago’s replacement is Mathieu Bodmer, who is a better player in terms of style, technique, and versatility. Tiago’s only advantage is his extensive experience both in Europe and internationally.

To replace Abidal, Lyon brought in two left backs. Fabio Grosso and Nadir Belhadj offer different qualities. Whereas Abidal is a pure defender, both Grosso and Belhadj like attacking so much to the point that they forget they’re defenders. Also, they will play with passion and desire, something sorely lacking in Abidal the past year or so (though Abidal is still better than the two).

As for Kader Keita, he can’t be considered a second hand buy because he is the club’s most expensive purchase, at €16m. In fact, Keita’s transfer from Lille to Lyon shattered domestic transfer records. The club hopes that Keita will offer the explosiveness the team is missing.

Also, Lyon have extended the contracts of Juninho, Coupet, and Reveillere, and hopefully, they will add Kallstrom to the list.

SQUAD OVERVIEW:

Goalkeepers: Gregory Coupet, Remy Vercoutre, Joan Hartock, Alexandre Bouchard

Coupet is the best ‘keeper in L1, hands down. He’s also the only remaining France NT starter in France. Unfortunately, he will be out for at least six months, which means that Vercoutre will have to take over. I’ve already talked about this in a previous post, but Lyon will have to decide if they trust Vercoutre and Hartock or if they need to recruit an additional goalkeeper.

Defenders: Anthony Reveillere, Francois Clerc, Sebastien Squillaci, Cris, Sandy Paillot, Patrick Muller, Fabio Grosso, Nadir Belhadj

Besides the left back spot, which underwent a complete turnover, everyone else has been around for at least a year. Cris and Squillaci are the best CB pairing in the league and one of the best ones in Europe. Muller is a good backup but I’m less sure about Paillot. Clerc and Reveillere are able RBs, not flashy but solid. Grosso and Belhadj will add an offensive quality Lyon was sorely lacking.

Midfielders: Juninho, Jeremy Toulalan, Kim Kallstrom, Mathieu Bodmer, Fabio Santos, Romain Beynie

Lyon’s midfield is quite satisfactory – in fact, there is no one I would replace except for Fabio Santos. Given Lyon’s limits, I think they have the best midfield possible under the circumstances. Lyon may add someone else to cover for Alou Diarra’s departure – a utility player that can fill in as a CM or a DM. Juninho is still one of the best playmakers out there, and though he is getting older, Kim Kallstrom has shown himself to be more than capable of filling in.

Attackers: Fred, Karim Benzema, Milan Baros, Kader Keita, Sidney Govou, Hatem Ben Arfa, Anthony Mounier, Sylvain Wiltord

When Perrin arrived, he raised quite a few eyebrows by saying that he wanted a center forward who “scores goals.” He has a point since Lyon have not had an efficient striker since the departure of Sonny Anderson in 2003. Giovanni Elber, Nilmar, Pierre-Alain Frau, Peguy Luyindula, Nilmar, and John Carew have so far failed, and Fred and Milan Baros don’t look much more promising.

Despite the threats, Fred will probably end up staying at Lyon. I won’t give up hope on Baros, though I think of Lyon’s three main strikers, he’s the least talented. He just needs his confidence back. Benzema will hopefully blossom this year. The only concern is his health and if he can stay clear of injuries.

Ben Arfa is the eternal hope of Lyon. There is no doubt in my mind that he’s the most talented player in all of Ligue 1, but so far he’s failed to live up to expectations. While part of me wants to blame Gerard Houllier for this (he had Ben Arfa benched for most of the past two years), much of it is due to Ben Arfa’s unwillingness to be responsible. If he wants to be the player we all know he can be, if he wants people to add his name to that of Nasri and Benzema, he needs to stop making excuses and grow up. This is his year to prove it. If he fails, he’ll be destined for obscurity. If he succeeds, he may become one of the most talented players of his generation.

I am also hoping that Keita’s arrival will spur Sidney Govou into action. *crosses fingers*

THE MANAGER:

“How can you give the keys of a Ferrari to someone who’s used to driving a Citroen 2CV?” – Bernard Lacombe

Lacombe said this in 2002 when Aulas was considering Perrin as a replacement for Jacques Santini (though he eventually went with Paul Le Guen). Lacombe had a point, but then again, back in 2002, Lyon weren’t much – they had just won their first league title and had yet to make the knockout rounds in the CL.

Now it is a valid argument (along with the ever present wage and glamor issue). As much as I love Lyon, I think the coach selection policy is from the dark ages. Given the way power is distributed throughout the club, the manager gets the least of it. Aulas and Lacombe wield most of the authority when it comes to transfers, and all Perrin can do is accept or veto potential new signings. Can anyone imagine a coach like Mourinho or Wenger not having that authority? Of course not. The best managers want a lot of leeway, and at Lyon, there isn’t any. It’s one of the reasons Houllier left the club – he was tired of having Lacombe look over his shoulders.

I don’t see how this policy will be good for Lyon in the long run. While it has brought the club so far, at one point Aulas is going to have to step back and trust his manager. It’s for this reason that Didier Deschamps or Claude Puel would never be happy at Lyon.

Perrin: the engineer

Perrin’s CV isn’t the most impressive (Marseille Al-Ain, Portsmouth, and Sochaux), so he has to prove that he won’t take Lyon further backwards. He made a smooth start by beating Bolton in the Peace Cup final and defeating his former club Sochaux in the Trophee des Champions though he has yet to be convincing.

But perhaps Perrin is what the club needs in its developing stage. Lyon had Gerard Houllier, a “big” manager who failed to deliver the results Aulas wanted. The club is hoping to start from scratch with Perrin, who, unlike Houllier, won’t simply be continuing the work of his predecessor. So far, Perrin is a lot more communicative with his players, but he’s also a disciplinarian and won’t play favorites the way Houllier did (he’s already punished Bodmer for being inattentive at practice).

TEAM HARMONY

There are currently two player fights. The first is between Juninho and Govou, who claimed that there was one rule for Juni and one for the rest, which led to the Brazilian handing in the captain’s armband in a fit of anger. Perrin has already initiated some form of group therapy for them, but to me, it seems to be a case of jealousy on Govou’s part and an inability to handle criticism on Juninho’s. They’ve been playing together for over six years, and it’s a problem that’s probably been building for a while. I’m not as optimistic as Aulas, who says that everyone is a happy family again. Trust has been lost among teammates, and I wouldn’t be surprised if players took sides.

The other issue is between Sylvain Wiltord and Fred. Rumor has it that something happened between Wiltord and Fred’s wife (again, no credible sources, just backroom gossip), causing her to leave for Brazil in the middle of the season, which in turn caused Fred’s loss of concentration. Upon returning to Lyon, Fred said he had to work out personal concerns with the club before he’s ready to play again. Aulas has also made it rather clear that he would rather lose Wiltord than Fred.

Either Fred or Nino will have to go.

It’s a shame that Wiltord’s relationship with the club has become so rocky. He’s an absolute professional on the pitch and one of the few game-altering players Lyon have. But his behavior off the pitch has caused some friction with his fellow players, and Aulas will not tolerate that.

And now that Alou “Look at Me! I’m a WC Finalist!” Diarra has left, perhaps the locker room can return to its peaceful ways.

TACTICS

Perrin’s immediate contribution was to change the formation from the 4-3-3 (the Lyon System) to a more traditional 4-4-2.

Paul Le Guen adopted the 4-3-3 to bring out the best in Juninho, who lacks the strength and pace in a two-man midfield. The drawback to the 4-3-3 is having a lone attacker up front. Most of the time, it didn’t matter much because Lyon’s midfield and wings were very efficient, but with the departure of Malouda and the decline of Juninho, the 4-3-3 would make Lyon inefficient.

This 4-4-2, used in the Peace Cup and in the TdC, showed immediate promise. Kallstrom and Toulalan formed a great midfield partnership, and Keita and Govou had the freedom to move as they pleased – in fact, I’ve never seen Govou so comfortable as he was in a 4-4-2. Even the strikers have been creating more chances for themselves.

The only problem so far is defensive weakness, since neither the fullbacks nor the wingers are good at tracking back, which leaves Cris and Squillaci (and Reveillere) as Coupet’s main protection. Hopefully Perrin will be able to address these vulnerabilities, which would then make Lyon a force to be reckoned with.

WHAT TO EXPECT

I don’t get why so many people are convinced Lyon are at the end of a dynasty, that they’re falling apart, that they’ve been bled dry, etc. People say that every year (remember how people though Lyon’s title quest was over when Essien left, then when Diarra left?).

Looking over Lyon’s current roster, the only notable loss is Malouda, but Lyon have partially compensated by bringing in Keita, and there is Ben Arfa of course. It’s true that the left flank may not be as deadly, but who knows? The Belhadj, Ben Arfa, Benzema, and Baros (or the 4 B’s as Jo calls them) attack looks very promising. What the new squad lacks in experience, they make up in talent and enthusiasm.

Two trophies won so far. Another four to go.

As it stands, Lyon still have the strongest squad in France, and I don’t think their domestic campaign will be any different than what it was last year. Now, if the other teams in France get stronger (particularly Lens and Marseille, which look promising), then yes, there will be a title race. But domestically, Lyon are not any weaker.

However, the club’s European’s ambitions have not improved, and if they get to the semi-finals, I will be very surprised. Lyon still don’t have that one player to make a difference in Europe, though Keita will try. But if Arsenal can reach the CL finals with a very young and inexperienced squad, it’s not unreasonable to hope that Lyon will at least reach the quarter-finals again.

Inara’s PREDICTIONS

Top Scorer: Karim Benzema
Most Assists: Juninho

Expected domestic standing: 1st. Be prepared for a “Seventh Heaven” post nine months from now.
Expected European standing: Quarterfinals
Additional silverware: It would be nice to bag either the French Cup or the League Cup, but I’m not holding my breath.

Player to watch out for: Karim Benzema.
Player expected to improve the most: Hatem Ben Arfa
Player who will impress the most: Nadir Belhadj

When It Was Good:

The campaign started out like a dream.

Lyon won nearly every game they played from the July (the French Supercup) until the end of December. Out of 28 games, there was only one loss (against Rennes) and four draws (Toulouse, Monaco, Real Madrid, Steaua). Even when Lyon weren’t playing well, they managed a win (Valenciennes, PSG). And then there were the matches that left no doubt that Lyon deserved to be in first place (Real Madrid, Marseille, Lens, Lille). They ended the half-season with a 19 point lead.

Despite being hit with an injury crisis of epic proportions (by mid-December, six key players were out), the Lyon juggernaut was so convincing that they were the listed as the third most likely to win the Champions League, behind Chelsea and Barcelona.

Juninho reinforces Lyon’s dominance

The players were happy. The coach was happy. The president was happy.

Lyon was this close to having it all.

Trouble Looms Ahead:

But something happened over Christmas break. Maybe it was the holiday turkey, or perhaps Santa Claus didn’t visit any OL players, but when they came back in January, the chemistry that had united the team had somehow dissipated. Worse, Gregory Coupet picked up a thigh injury, forcing Remy Vercoutre to deputize.

The first sign of impending disaster was the French Cup match against Bayonne, a team that plays in the French fourth division. Lyon struggled from the outset, had to come from behind, and won courtesy of an own goal. It was probably Lyon’s most embarrassing win of the year. The following weekend, Lyon suffered a defeat at the hands of Toulouse. While a 2-0 loss isn’t ordinarily bad, it was the lack of composure that caught the eye, the inability of Lyon to handle the pressure of losing.

Fourth division Bayonne almost hold Lyon at bay

The following two games against Le Mans and Laon (French Cup) were narrow wins, with Lyon failing to show their 2006 style.

The next four weeks saw Lyon not win even once. In a rather violent match against Bordeaux (there should have been three red cards in that game, for Juninho, Tiago, and Frank Jurietti), Lyon lost 1-2. They handed Nice a draw by conceding a goal in the last minute, and they awarded Troyes a win the same way.

The “a la Lyonnais” tactic of scoring in the last few minutes of the game was coming back to haunt the team.

The First Crash:

In late January, Lyon crashed out of the Round of 16 in the French Cup to Marseille. Lyon scored first, and it looked like they had bagged the win as they held off Marseille for the rest of the match.

But just as they were about to advance, Lyon lost their concentration and allowed Marseille to score two last-gasp goals – just like they did against AC Milan the year before.

It was a particularly bad moment for the club, who were in the midst of an unprecedented five game streak of not winning – their worst run of results since the early eighties, when they were in L2.

The injury crisis was at its worst – Alou Diarra was out injured, as was Sylvain Wiltord and Karim Benzema.

Fred had just returned from injury and was not fully match fit. Jeremy Toulalan was suspended, while Milan Baros had only arrived the week before. The club’s other new recruit, Fabio Santos, wasn’t even over his jet lag.

The lack of available defensive midfielders forced Gerard Houllier to shift from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2, the first time that formation had been adopted at Lyon since 2004.

The less athletically daunting Juninho and Tiago were forced to take on more defensive responsibilities, which reduced Juninho’s ability to orchestrate the attack as well as Tiago’s intelligent late bursts into the box, making Lyon a far less ferocious proposition going forward.

Lyon’s two wide men, Florent Malouda and Sidney Govou, normally allowed to roam forward safe in the knowledge that a three-man midfield triangle would do the bulk of their defensive duties, were forced to track back.

The attack, which consisted of Milan Baros and Fred, was a disaster. Since that was the first time the two had ever been paired together, they had no chemistry or communication between them. It was like watching two headless chickens.

The French Cup was the only missing domestic honor in the Aulas era (they last won it in 1973), and once again, Lyon failed to win it. You would think that this defeat would wake Lyon up from hibernation, but instead, the problems just got worse.

European Disappointment..Again:

After scraping wins from the next two league games, Lyon faced Roma in the first leg of the knockout rounds. But instead of being the thrilling, attacking encounter everyone expected it to be, it was a match riddled with cards, Lyon picking up three and Roma picking up eight (mostly for dives, but let’s not go there). It was a match unworthy of both sides and certainly not worthy of the Champions League. Going into the second round, Lyon had the slightest of advantages, boasting one of the best home records in the tournament (undefeated in 28 European matches), as well as a history of qualification at this stage.

However, instead of qualifying, Lyon lost – a huge shock, since they were the overwhelming favorites of the tie. Under most circumstances, the loss that night would have been digestible because Roma had an amazing game, and their players were extremely motivated.

Shock loss to Roma

But while Roma were having the game of their life, Lyon weren’t. The players looked totally disinterested and disheveled, like they had just rolled out of bed and stepped onto the pitch without having their morning coffee. They didn’t just lose. They handed the victory to Roma on a silver-lined plate. That’s not bad luck like the previous two years. That’s just bad playing, and the fact that in the one game it really mattered, the only motivation shown by most players was to do a handful of backpasses was obviously disappointing.

It was the first sign that the squad’s arrogance and overconfidence were bringing the club down. It was also a turning point for many of the senior players, most notably Juninho, Tiago, Malouda, Coupet, and Abidal, who realized that their dreams of European glory might never be fulfilled with Lyon.

But instead of rebounding, the disappointments continued.

Hitting Rock Bottom:

Lyon’s last chance for additional silverware was the League Cup, a trophy they won back in 2001 and which had led to their title winning streak. Lyon had already qualified for the final, but their opponents, Bordeaux, had them inflicted a loss only a month earlier.

Houllier took his players on a mini-vacation as they trained in the peaceful countryside to get away from the city. All the players swore to make it up to their fans. No one wanted to disappoint.

Vercoutre’s blunder

But after ninety minutes of the most boring, physical, and mind-numbing football ever played (that’s Bordeaux for you), Lyon conceded a goal thirty seconds away from extra time, thanks to a colossal error by Remy Vercoutre, who was given the honor of manning the nets for the final.

It proved to be one of the the lowest moments so far in Lyon’s 57 year history.

An Inglorious Ending:

The remainder of the season was treated like a visit to the DMV. The games were played with resignation, not joy.

Lyon’s title winning match

Though Lyon won the title, had a 17 point lead on second place, and broke several domestic and European records, they were seen as failures because they didn’t win any additional silverware. They cemented the title of “Big Match Bottlers” and worsened Ligue 1’s reputation abroad.

Their immense self-belief, borne of overwhelming domination, was shattered.

The team solidarity was broken thanks to squabbles amongst the players.

The relationship between Gerard Houllier and the club’s management suffered one last major breakdown, which eventually forced Houllier to leave the club.

Even the fans, normally so supportive, booed their own players on their home pitch after a particularly lackluster match against Rennes – the game where Lyon officially won the title but celebrated with a 0-0 draw.

The Problem:

So where did it go wrong? Why did the Lyon of 2006 seem like a different team than the one that played in 2007?

I don’t think anyone expected Lyon to win all four trophies. In fact, people would have been happy with even two. They may even have been happy with the title if Lyon had gone down fighting. Instead, people saw the recurrence of the Lyon problem: when it counts, they can’t seem to take that next step. And it’s not just the CL. For the past five years, Lyon missed out on the League Cup and the French Cup. In their history, Lyon have never clinched a domestic double. Never.

Bittersweet rewards

There could be several reasons for this: the manager, the lack of a star player, bad luck, an overly demanding physical workout regimen, crappy tactics, etc, but after four years, you’d think that Lyon would get it right just once. And that is what bothered many of the fans. The fact that there was an anomalous problem with no apparent solution. How does one fix that?

Aulas blamed the LFP for not giving Lyon a better domestic schedule. Lacombe blamed the tensions of so many internationals vying for eleven slots. Houllier blamed circumstance. Juninho blamed it on the club’s lack of ambition. Malouda blamed arrogance. Tiago blamed no one except himself for coming to Lyon in the first place. And so it went on, and when the club was done playing the blame game, everyone had absolved themselves of any responsibility.

The Solution:

I’ve thought about this for a long time. And I still don’t have an answer. I think that’s what frightens me the most – that with a new season only days away, Lyon still haven’t solved their problem because they don’t know what it is yet.

Facts and Figures of 2006-2007:

Most Goals: Fred (14 goals)
Most Assists: Juninho (12)
Most Minutes: Cris (32 games)
Most Games: Kim Kallstrom (33 games)
Most Yellows: Cris (9)
Most Reds: Juninho (1)

Inara’s Rankings:

Best Player: Sebastien Squillaci. He was probably Lyon’s most reliable and consistent player all year. Unlike the other players, he didn’t experience any dips in form, nor did he suffer any injuries. He was also one of Lyon’s cleanest players, picking up only one yellow card in all four competitions. He won the most tackles won in L1 and was the second best at ball interception (Eurosport). Lyon’s best summer purchase by far.

Most Important: Florent Malouda. This might sound strange to you guys, but for me, there is a difference between a player who is the best (i.e. consistent and will never let you down or make stupid mistakes or break your heart) and important (can change a game in a second). Malouda is the latter. He’s not a flashy winger like Arjen Robben or Ricardo Quaresma, but he’s hard working and has a tremendous work ethic. A game changing player, he could be counted on goals and clever assists. He is Lyon’s third highest scorer and the only player on the squad, besides Juninho, for whom there is no ready-made replacement. His departure has left a void on Lyon’s left flank that will be keenly felt during Lyon’s next season.

Most Surprising: Jeremy Toulalan. I didn’t expect him to arrive from Nantes and take over so seamlessly for Mahamadou Diarra. In fact, I thought Toulalan would be Alou Diarra’s backup. Instead, Toulalan asserted his dominance in Lyon’s midfield so convincingly that he won a spot on the France NT, pushing himself ahead of Diarra, Rio Antonio Mavuba, Lassana Diarra, and Abou Diaby in the pecking order. Claude Makelele named Toulalan as his successor, and besides one poor game against Lithuania in March, Toulalan has so far proven to be an astute choice by Domenech. I would be surprised if he doesn’t start for Euro 2008 (assuming Makelele retires by them).

Most Overrated: Tiago. He’s a solid, classy player but not irreplaceable. A well-rounded player who does everything but only a few things to a really high standard. Abidal is another candidate – he may be considered one of the best left backs in the world, but he was very average this year at Lyon.

Most Underrated: Anthony Reveillere (don’t laugh, Chris). Despite that awful Mancini moment during that awful CL game, he’s a solid defender who, while quieter and less offensive than Francois Clerc, is quite crafty and gets a lot done. He’s a player that often won’t stick out during a game, but if he’s doing his job, the player he’s shutting down won’t stick out either.

Most Disappointing: Fred. There are several I could have chosen, but I went with Fred. He was absolutely dynamite in the first half of the season but picked up an injury mid-October. By the time he was match fit in January, his personal problems (rumors are that Wiltord hit on Fred’s wife) affected him on the pitch. He lost his temper during several matches, broke Cristian Chivu’s nose during a CL match and got himself a three match suspension, threw a hissy fit when Baros arrived at the club, and failed to score in all of the big matches, in which he demanded that he start over Benzema and Baros. He got injured again, illegally left the club for Brazil in order to get ready for Copa America, broke his foot, didn’t return to Lyon despite being summoned, and finally showed up for training a month late. Yeah, that’s pretty disappointing.

Baros and Fred: Frienemies

The Hope: Karim Benzema. He began showing signs of his true potential this year when he shouldered the responsibility of being Lyon’s main attacker after Fred was injured. Despite being sidelined for over half the year, he scored seven goals, as well as one for France in his debut match. Alain Perrin has promised to play Benzema even more this year, so expect to see him succeed Thierry Henry one day.

Most Adorable: Tiago. He is just so cute when he’s happy on the pitch! I will miss his expressions of joy now that he is no longer at Lyon.

Tomorrow I’ll have my 2007-2008 preview up.