Lyon vs Toulouse : Done with excuses

By: Megame | December 4th, 2011

4 months. 4 months since we couldn’t count on a full squad. And boy, was it felt. But could our initial fortunes be coming back to us? All of a sudden, no more injured (except Tafer and substitute keepers Vercoutre and Lopes), no more suspended (Dabo has served his three matches after being sent off against Saint-Etienne).

lyon-toulouse

So yes, it took 4 months to see OL equipped with all their weapons. It will be against Toulouse. Already at Auxerre, in addition to a second consecutive clean sheet (after the Ajax 0-0), the return of Lisandro’s and Bastos’ offensive forces changed everything (3-0). Undeniably, Lyon with these two South Americans is not the same as without. Actually, as Lloris points out, “it’s not their return is important, but the return to their level.” And the good news is that their efficiency, poor so far (see Lisandro against Ajax) now seems to back. And this is great news for the club and his coach who badly hopes to get back on the track left several weeks ago. This will allow to regain the fire power the club had lost; it will also allow to offer more solutions to Rémi Garde, especially in the midfield where blatant holes have been noticed. And finally, it will create an emulation within the group which is needed to move forward and progress. And yes, whilst on -rare, I admit- occasions, fatigue or injury have been used to explain the club’s poor results, this doesn’t hold anymore as the workforce is now almost complete.

Lyon want to get back on the podium
Three weeks after showing their limits in the game in terms of control and and ability to react against Rennes (1-2), OL are now better equipped to tackle podium contender Toulouse and its padlock-protected goal. Just behind Lyon due to the goal difference, Toulouse, currently 6th, shows the most hermetic defense of L1 (12 goals conceded), but one of the worst attacks (15 goals scored). So we can expect a closed game from the Toulousains, but an organised yet offensive display from Lyon. It was reassuring versus Auxerre to see the team with rigor and discipline in their tactics that had been a little forgotten. And to see Licha and Bastos on the path to form and efficiency was no less reassuring, which bodes well for tonight and the next games.

Toulouse, then Lorient, Evian and Valenciennes, that’s the menu of the Lyonnais before concluding 2011. They have set a clear goal before the winter break: get back on the podium, or at least stay close to it, as all the top teams will want to achieve a faultless run until the break and be in good conditions to celebrate Christmas.

The teams:

Lyon : Lloris – Reveillère, Cris, Koné, Cissokho – Gonalons, Källström – Briand, Ederson, Bastos – Lisandro

Toulouse : Ahamada – Ninkov, Congré, Abdennour, M’Bengué – Devaux – Machado, Mou.Sissoko, Didot, Tabanou – Rivière

Allez l’OL!

Some Related Lyon Posts:

Category: Team News and Rumors

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Megame

Ouch... This is not looking too good for tonight, with, on the OL side, some bad news (Bastos can't play) and, on the Real Madrid side, some bad news (Cristiano Ronaldo won't play).
Well, I guess it's 99.99% Europa League now.
carvivlie

I think it is interesting that Garde is playing Ederson in the exact role that Gourcuff wants to play in--an attacking midfielder right behind the striker. Usually when Gourcuff plays, Licha and Gomis are both playing, so he is relegated to a more midfield distributor role or only Gomis is playing but the formation is more of a 4-3-3 and Gourcuff still doesn't get to be just an attacker. Who thinks he is gone in January? I find it disheartening that he wasn't substituted on--unless Garde plans to start him for the Dinamo game.
lefutur

i think he will be traded in the winter. wenger wants him at arsenal and i bet gourcuff would love to play in the epl.
carvivlie

Yeah I just read that Wenger would like him on loan. Chamakh would be happy. My only worry is that the pressure in the EPL is much worse than in France and that Yoann might have a hard time. But then again, away from the French media may do him good.
pierrot

at home, out-played and frankly lucky to beat toulouse. what is wrong with this team??? similar to 09-10 season - started off brilliantly, then fizzled out in october, with the exception of that great run in the CL.
muffin

I don't see what's the problem. We won fair and square, put 3 past the best defense in Ligue 1, and conceded only on a strike from Bulut from outer space and a penalty that shouldn't have been a penalty in the first place. Throughout the game they were outmuscling us and had better passing and most of possession, true, but we were the side that created a lot better chances.
What I didn't like is us relying too much on individual quality of some players (like against Auxerre) instead of that nice team play in the beginning of the season. Injuries might be the problem as it presented a whole new set of players in need of gelling, but that shouldn't be an excuse for any longer I think. I think now it's the time we should see that same old strong squad from August and September.
Megame

A series of injuries to their best players, maybe?
sdzsdz

oof, that was nervy. gomis showing exactly why licha was missed so badly. pulled off an important win though
sdzsdz

grenier... for kallstrom? .. this is a really young midfield to close out such a close game..why?
Carvivlie

I thought the same thing. should have been gourcuff
sdzsdz

fuck. nightmare.
Megame

Yes Ederson! 2-0!
pierrot

ugh - agreed, lucky to be up.
very sloppy, careless play from OL. ederson's been invisible - gonalons been a more effective AM! they're looking like an L1 mid-table team - very disappointing considering how crisp an sharp they were in september.

sigh
Russ

overall, its nice to be 1-0 up at halftime, but were slightly fortunate. Very even game. So far the undisputed star of our team has been Bastos. He had a super first half
sdzsdz

very boring game. there's usually around 10 players in the midfield everytime. no real rhythm to the game. but a clean goal by kone :-) lets put this away in the second
Megame

But if getting a yellow gives a boost and allows you to score, just like Koné now, well, what can I say... 1-0.
Megame

Gonalons and Kone got a yellow, careful : today's referee may be the worst in L1 and is known to sometimes lose control of a game...
sdzsdz

yes! kone gol!!!! allez!
pierrot

a link

http://fr.justin.tv/jattendlej...
sdzsdz

so far the passing has been dissapointing. licha playing his heart out as usual.
Megame

Garde showing again tonight that whatever the reputation, players in form will play, players who are not will start on the bench. He did that already with Gomis and Gourcuff last time, and today also.
Megame

If Lyon win tonight, they'll overtake Rennes and reach the 4th spot.
Megame

Looks like Lovren had a problem, as he was to be the one starting half an hour before the game, and now it's Koné.