Rebuilding Lyon’s Formula 1 Car: 2007-2008 Season Preview

By: Inara | August 3rd, 2007

One of Jean-Michel Aulas’s favorite analogies is comparing Lyon to a Formula 1 car, one that is capable of shifting gears to cope with all types of roads.

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

Subscribe   The Offside RSS Feeds

Print

Share