The Perrin Chronicles: Part I

By: Inara | September 21st, 2007

Alain Perrin has got to be wondering what just hit him on the head.

Here he is, in what is supposedly the easiest coaching job not just in France but quite possibly in Europe. After all, managing Lyon doesn’t require that much effort. He’s guaranteed to have the best team in Ligue 1, and he has a president and a sporting director that do all the hard work for him.

Easy peesy, right?

I know I’m reporting this rather late, as news of Juninho’s most recent tantrum is all over French news (sometimes I do have to do work unrelated to my blog), but Massaer from the Marseille Offside was kind enough to email me some troubling links about the latest drama at the Stade de Gerland.

Apparently, Juninho was quite pissed at Perrin’s tactics for the Barca match (tactics which even confounded Eric Abidal, who never saw Lyon play like that).

Says Juni:

I don’t speak about the tactics, ask the coach…I’m disappointed because we didn’t take enough risks. We are accustomed to playing in a more open way anywhere and against anyone. And in a more courageous way.”

Subtlety criticizing his coach on TV wasn’t enough. Today, he walked out of a video review session of that oh-so-awful game because he was angry at the criticisms of his performance. Perrin, besieged as he is on all fronts, hurried to play down the incident by saying that it’s the newspapers who are blowing it all out of proportion.

According to Perrin,

Juninho’s remarks in Barcelona were disappointing. He didn’t understand [the tactics] because he was in the middle of the match…This is not an incident for us. Juninho doesn’t like to review video performances after matches, but his attitude isn’t annoying, or I would not have spoken to you about this. Some players remained for the meeting but perhaps didn’t pay attention or perhaps even slept.

When questioned on whether he would be punishing Juninho (after all, it is terribly rude to leave when your coach is talking to you, especially when you are the captain), Perrin was surprisingly firm about not applying any sanctions.

Absolutely not. He will be present on Sunday and with the captain’s armband…if he wishes to keep it. His action didn’t affect the operation of the team. He didn’t openly criticize the meeting nor did he prevent others from attending. It was an isolated gesture which relates only to him. There is no effect on the atmosphere of the group.

I’m disappointed in Juni because this is really not the time to be publicly showing dissent. In times like this, the team needs to show a united front. After all, what do Lyon possess if not their unity and team spirit? Displays like Juninho’s are not setting a good example to a squad that needs stability and reassurance more than anything else.

Even with a very impressive CV, Gerard Houllier found Lyon too difficult to deal with.

Still, despite repeated reassurances from Perrin, I get the feeling that eventually, the cauldron that has been boiling in the locker rooms at the Gerland will not just boil over but explode. There is a lot of anger and blame being cast around among the management and the players. I’m not sure about what or regarding who, but it’s clear that Aulas needs to hire a really good counselor for the club.

I’m not blaming Perrin for this, and I think it’s too early to say whether he’ll be a good coach for Lyon or not. As others have said, experience is not necessarily a prerequisite. But what I do doubt are Perrin’s man-management capabilities. Can he manage a squad with such willful players, and more importantly, can he deal with Aulas and Bernard Lacombe constantly looking over his shoulders? There is a line between bowing to authority and establishing one’s own, and I have to wonder if Perrin has learned yet where he should toe that particular line.

It’s no secret that locker room jokers have nicknamed Perrin “passe pas l’hiver” or “won’t get through the winter.” Perrin has already clashed with Lacombe and Aulas over transfer policy, and his dedication to the 4-4-2 has annoyed players who are more comfortable in the 4-3-3 (read: Juninho).

Was Perrin a lamb to the slaughter or a willing victim of the Aulas system?

Naturally, a coach has a right to complain if his club is ignoring his transfer demands, and he is well within his authority for wanting to try out a different formation. But it seems Perrin is doomed to have a harder time than others. He will never be able to mold his team, only the team that appears in Aulas’s long term visions. He has to accept having the club’s sporting director above him in club hierarchy. He will be expected to do better than his predecessors despite having his hands tied behind his back.

And even if he lasts the entire season and wins Lyon another title, it still might not be enough.

Now we know why they call him “Reggie.”

On a side note, please welcome the newest L1 blog to the Offside: RC Lens!