Coupet Out Injured for Four Months
By: Inara | August 2nd, 2007
Lyon and France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet ruptured a ligament during training today. According to the official website, he will be undergoing surgery next Monday. The club estimates that it will take him two months to recover from the surgery and an additional two months of training before he is fit to play.
It’s good news for the other 19 teams in L1, good news for Lyon’s first three Champion League opponents, and good news for Italy. It’s even good news for Mikael Landreau, France’s #2.
It is however very bad news for Lyon.
Coupet is a world class goalkeeper, and there have been many matches where he’s kept Lyon in the game singlehandedly. Last season, Coupet was out twice with injuries - the first time because of a hand injury, the second because of a muscle tear. Even though he missed a good number of games last year, they were when Lyon were in a comfortable position - the team was playing ever well and there was a comfortable cushion of points.
However, with the season starting in three days, and with Lyon already besieged by player injuries (two of whom are defenders), Alain Perrin will be fielding a team with several new players in a brand new formation, and now he’ll have to do so with Lyon’s #2 goalkeeper.
Vercoutre (left) will be in charge while Coupet recovers.
While Vercoutre has come through for the club before and has proved to be an adequate replacement in times of crisis, being Lyon’s goalkeeper for nearly half their season may prove to be beyond his abilities. Besides his loyalty to the club, he’s on par with the bottom half of the L1 goalies (the top half consisting of the likes of Pele, Richert, Janot, Landreau, Costil, Itandje, Lloris, and Coupet). Even Marseille’s Cedric Carrasso is better, and I don’t rate Carrasso at all.
Vercoutre’s backup will be Joan Hartock, who’s had no L1 time whatsoever.
I am really missing Remy Riou right now. I don’t care if he’s impatient and a brat, he’s still better than Vercoutre. Riou, one of Lyon’s talented young goalkeepers, was recently sold to Auxerre. There was endless debate about his situation in this post.
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Tags: France National Team, Gregory Coupet, Joan Hartock, Lyon, Player News and Rumors, Remy Riou, Remy Vercoutre, Team News and RumorsSubscribe
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Comments
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This sucks. And after seeing Landreau in the last game, I’m not 100% comfortable with his style of play for France.
Posted from
United States
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This is the time for Sebastien Frey to become the numero uno he’s supposed to be.
And Remy Vercoutre in my opinion is a very adequate keeper and could be starting in half the teams of the Ligue 1.Posted from
United States -
wow. now we get to see how good the back 4 REALLY is.
Posted from
United States -
This really is depressing. If there is one single player we don’t want to be injured. As you say Inara there have been so many matches when Coupet has carried the team on his shoulders.
Just as the team were going into the season with the back wind of two cups already won in the pre season, this will have a devastating effect on team morale.
I guess we can hope that this is one of those ‘long term’ injuries that heals much quicker than originally planned. Didn’t that happen to Coupet a two or three seasons ago when he was predicted to be out for a similar time and in fact came back after two months?
Although Vercoutre is no way near Coupet’s standard and did mess up a few times last season, I feel safer with him as a replacement than Remy Riou. He also seems very well integrated into the team. Given all the dressing room antics last year and the new players thats something that we might not expect from a sub goalie.
But boy this is something we could really, really do without.
Posted from
France -
I’m with Massaer. Frey has been absolutely insane for Fiorentina. One of the most underrated keepers in Europe.
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United States -
Frey is very good, i think he is better then Landreau, but Landreau is really good too he just doesnt have command of the area thats all. Anyways, ill say it now, Charles Itandje is looking much better right about now. Espanyol are rumored to be looking at him besides Aston Villa. If espanyol does indeed sign him then we could possbily buy Kameni from Espanyol. Either is suitable. Hartock make alot of blunder, but he is 19, not the right age for a starting GK. Remy Rious was talented, but he would be no better then having Hartock in net, both are so young, and even though Riou has Ligue 1 experience, he has nothing on the CL. I dont expect us to sign a keeper to be honest, but who knows, Auluas always says he has some irons on the fire.
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United States -
Sorry to hear about Coupet. But at least it’ll give Frey a chance on an international level. He’s one of the best goalies in Serie A right now, below Buffon, but on par with Doni, Julio Cesar, and Dida (even though he’s sucking). Actually he usually makes less mistakes than those 3.
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United States -
Apparently Coupet himself said that he would like Lyon to look into buying another goalkeeper. I’m guessing he’s not that impressed with Hartock. Though Vercoutre denied that the club needed another goalie. Hmm.
Massaer, Chris, Gianni: Frey is pretty good and should get more time on the NT, but unless Landreau sucks in training and in pre-season, I don’t see Domenech giving Frey the start over Landreau. He doesn’t really care about who is better since he operates on a favorite system and will continue to call up (or not call up) players based on his feelings and the alignment of the stars.
Let’s hope Frey isn’t a Scorpio because Ray hates those.
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United States -
All the more reason Domenech is an idiot and i hate him as coach. But calling up youngsters tugs at my heart a little
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United States -
I can’t stop crying since this morning, learning that.
And i cry. And i cry…Posted from
France -
I forgot to say.
Vercoutre is obvioulsy not as good as coupet, and that will be pretty difficult to do such a good starting like last year, in championship and in CL.
But I remember what I saw in Virage Nord at gerland, on october 29th, against Nancy last season, when Coupet was injured at his hand :
“Plus qu’une doublure, un deuxième grand gardien : Rémy”
That means “more than a second goal keeper, a second great keeper : Remy”.
That was because Remy did VERY goods impressions. Hope he will be the man.
VercoutrePosted from
France -
This is about the worst injury I could have imagined for Lyon this season. As its been said, Vercoutre is solid, but makes mistakes. He would be great as a starter on lower half L1 side, but he’s a liability on a top L1 side. A mistake for keeper is a goal, and by my quick count we had 20 ties or 1 goal wins last season. Just 5 mistakes could be 10 points in the standings!
I dont even want to imagine the Champions League.
If Lyon wants to win L1 and do anything at all in the Champions League we need a keeper from outside.
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United States -
I wonder if Les Marseillais are jumping around with joy right now.
Posted from
United States -
Jo: True, Vercoutre had some great matches. But he was also in the nets for some of the most disappointing: the losses to TFC and Bordeaux, as well as the horrendous League Cup final. He also gave away two penalties last year.
Mike: I’m not a fan of Vercoutre, as many of my past posts will show you. However, I don’t see Lyon getting another class goalkeeper because Coupet will be back, and then we will have the recruit and Vercoutre.
Julien: Luckily their goalkeeper is nearly as bad.
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United States -
This is gonna hinder our progress this season, trust me. It is not as bad as having Barthez in goal, but Vercoutre, like Hartock makes mistakes. I wouldnt mind giving Hartock a shot in the Ligue Coupe de France actually, just to see if he can handle things. I sugget getting Charles Itandje though, he is an incredible reflex keeper, and he is only 25 with 7 years of tope flight experience with Lens and several internationals and UEFA cup action. He had tremendous potential, he and Vercoutre could battle it out. Atleast lyon would be trying to make sure the problem is solved, because lets say that Vercoutre does terrible, we have Vercoutre and Aymes as backup now… losing Riou was a bad idea now, i bet he probably wishes he had not left to cause he would be playing in the CL.
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United States -
Would Itandje be willing to be a backup?
And what will the hierarchy look like when Coupet comes back?
Posted from
United States -
1/ Vercoutre
2/ Itandje
3/ HartockPosted from
France -
No, no, no…
France
1- Coupet
2- Frey
3- Landreau
4- Itandje/Jannot/LlorisOL
1- Coupet
2- Vercoutre
3- Bodmer (jk, because Aulas keeps on saying in interviews that Bodmer can “play everywhere”)Bad news…
Posted from
Spain -
What is the deal with Hartock anyway? Two years ago he was touted as a future talent. What happened?
Posted from
United States -
He did a Yahiaoui “light”, that’s what…
Posted from
Spain -
He did a “light” version of Yahiaoui’s achievements…
Posted from
Spain -
[...] number one keeper, he succumbed to a mild form of the “Ligue 1 goalkeeper curse”. Coupet tore a ligament just before the start of the season, Carasso ruptured his Achilles’ tendon, Ramé recieved a [...]
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United States -
Wow Shazback, that’s bad taste.
Or maybe you’re not aware of what happenned to Yahiaoui. In that case, don’t try to compare the situations.
Yahiaoui is really a guy I feel bad for.Posted from
United States -
[...] He’s the third defensive player to tear his knee ligaments within the span of four months. First it was Gregory Coupet. Then it was Cris. And now Muller. Just terrific really. I mean it’s [...]
Posted from
United States
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