Olympique Lyonnais Cafe

[sl7vk]

4-1 without that little bitch..... Let him go hang out with Drogba in London.

[SportBoy333]

The team still has over a month to make some more good signings. Remember they signed Elber and Wiltord the past 2 years right at the transfer deadline. I'm still hoping on Baros or Dacourt.

[SportBoy333]

Aulas says Lyon must get a player back in exchage for Essien.

http://news6.maxifoot.fr/info-040542_50728/football.php

Lyon: Aulas adds some for Essien (28/07)
The president of Lyon Jean-Michel Aulas raised his requirements to 45 million euros plus a player for the transfer towards Chelsea of Michael Essien who did not take share with the Trophy of the champions. "Michael is in an infernal cycle, it did not want to play, ensured president Aulas. It will not be released, except if Chelsea is aligned on the proposal which it made for Steven Gerrard (45 M of euros, note). If there is money for Gerrard, there is for Essien, which is younger. One should not take the French clubs for the funny ones." The Lyons president even specified: "like Chelsea lost time, it will now be necessary for him to add at this price an additional player, because for us that will be difficult to recruit (...) Mourinho now knows precisely which player one chose. With him to give the answer. It (Mourinho) would make better call me instead of calling me Essien and make him sorrow." And Jean-Michel Aulas to conclude in a surprising way: "we will discuss with its agents (of Essien) as of this evening (Wednesday) to propose a gilded contract to him, which will do of him one of the players best paid France, and in fifteen days one will not speak about it any more, that will help it to overcome its blow of blues". Not sure however that this idea likes principal interested... (By Marc Lepannetier)

HAHA This is what you call a great owner not like that fraud they have at Chelsea.

[sl7vk]

So who is the player Aulas is referring too? Maka?

[matabala]

Aulas says Lyon must get a player back in exchage for Essien.

http://news6.maxifoot.fr/info-040542_50728/football.php

Lyon: Aulas adds some for Essien (28/07)
The president of Lyon Jean-Michel Aulas raised his requirements to 45 million euros plus a player for the transfer towards Chelsea of Michael Essien who did not take share with the Trophy of the champions. "Michael is in an infernal cycle, it did not want to play, ensured president Aulas. It will not be released, except if Chelsea is aligned on the proposal which it made for Steven Gerrard (45 M of euros, note). If there is money for Gerrard, there is for Essien, which is younger. One should not take the French clubs for the funny ones." The Lyons president even specified: "like Chelsea lost time, it will now be necessary for him to add at this price an additional player, because for us that will be difficult to recruit (...) Mourinho now knows precisely which player one chose. With him to give the answer. It (Mourinho) would make better call me instead of calling me Essien and make him sorrow." And Jean-Michel Aulas to conclude in a surprising way: "we will discuss with its agents (of Essien) as of this evening (Wednesday) to propose a gilded contract to him, which will do of him one of the players best paid France, and in fifteen days one will not speak about it any more, that will help it to overcome its blow of blues". Not sure however that this idea likes principal interested... (By Marc Lepannetier)

HAHA This is what you call a great owner not like that fraud they have at Chelsea.

OL is calling Chelsea's bluff. Asking for another player is arrogant but hey, all's fair in football negotiations and Rainbow Warrior bombings. Equating Essien with Gerrard is, in my opinion, over the top. Gerrard has proven his worth far more than Essien, both in the EPL and internationally, no comparison.

Typical defensive posture by the OL president. "One should not take the French clubs for the funny ones", HAH! It's business buddy, economics 101, don't take it personally.

Not to mention the condescending, patriarchal attitude towards Essien. We know what is best for one of our charges, don't bother the poor boy anymore. No wonder he wants to leave.

[sl7vk]

OL is calling Chelsea's bluff. Asking for another player is arrogant but hey, all's fair in football negotiations and Rainbow Warrior bombings. Equating Essien with Gerrard is, in my opinion, over the top. Gerrard has proven his worth far more than Essien, both in the EPL and internationally, no comparison.

Typical defensive posture by the OL president. "One should not take the French clubs for the funny ones", HAH! It's business buddy, economics 101, don't take it personally.

Not to mention the condescending, patriarchal attitude towards Essien. We know what is best for one of our charges, don't bother the poor boy anymore. No wonder he wants to leave.

Economics 101 means that Chelsea will have to pay market value... Buddy. The translation of Aulas lost a lot from the original French.
If Chelsea wants him, then break out the pocketbook and pay up.

And one more thing... The guy is under contract with OL, and he refused to play! He is the one at fault in all this, I'm surprised Aulas has taken such a lax attitude towards that.

[lefutur]

he's definately playing hardball. it almost seems like he's trying to buy some time and hoping that this new "golden contract" will convince Essien to stay. I dont think he thinks he can really get Gerard but maybe hopes to inflate the stakes in case another club comes in a joins the bidding.

[matabala]

Economics 101 means that Chelsea will have to pay market value... Buddy. The translation of Aulas lost a lot from the original French.
If Chelsea wants him, then break out the pocketbook and pay up.

And one more thing... The guy is under contract with OL, and he refused to play! He is the one at fault in all this, I'm surprised Aulas has taken such a lax attitude towards that.

Fine, break out the checkbook but we don't have to listen to Lyon's violin story about poor Essien and his sorrows. I agree the translation loses something from the original but as a French speaker I can hear it only too well. And what is market value for Essien by the way? What OL says only? I repeat, he's not worth as much as Gerrard and OL knows it.

[peruytu]

Wow, i'm jealous :( I wish my club had smart, dedicated people running the club like Lyon has.

[SportBoy333]

I think its a well known fact that Aulas wants Drogba. That is the player he wants if their's an exchange. Chelsea probably wont budge on that because they have a striker shortage. If Essien stays and is still unhappy then just sit him on the bench and dont play him. He is a valuble commodity to have on any teams bench. He is a kid so he wont be sulking forever and I'm sure he'll get over it. Its great that Aulas has the balls to stand up to Chelea where as so many others probably wouldnt.

[blackjack]

That's right Sportboy. It would be foolish for us to exchange Drogba for Essien. We've already got the best midfield in the world, it's in attack that we're short. Shipping off one of our top two strikers to buy someone who's just gonna spend the season on the bench would require the kind of idiocy only Peter Kenyon is capable of. I really hope Essien stays at Lyon. I don't think he'd get along with Mourinho anyway, this whole affair has shown him to be nothing but a whiny, childish prat. He's at a club that's one four titles in a row and has been in the CL quarters two years in a row. Why he'd leave that to sit on the bench, I don't know.

[fishbiproduct]

The latest news in the never-ending "Essien saga"
are...

_As reported by L'Equipe, OL announced
that Aulas has accepted to meet with Abramovitch
early next week somewhere in Southern-France:
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/20050728_232803_01.html

_OL's official press-release on the subject:
http://olweb.fr/fr/cmc/saison/2005/30/3727.html

_In the meantime, there's a "Olivier Dacourt transfer
from Roma to Lyon" rumour developing:
http://footballmsn.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=295034&cpid=21&CLID=143&lid=&title=Dacourt+Lyon+talks+confirmed&channel=france

[Bruiser]

I dont know much about Valencia or Roma but the recent success of Carew could have somthing to do with the quality of the wingers who can cross the ball to Carew and he can easily out jump many defenders to reach the ball.
Two of his approved goals were all him, so the wingers can't take credit for those. Carew himself has said he became a better player by playing in Turkey, and gives the credit for his form for his stay there.

In two matches for Lyon Carew has actually scored 5(!) goals, if I'm not mistaken? Two in that Peace Cup vic. in Asia and the three against Auxerre.

I told the sceptics that Carew is an alot better player than they gave him credit for.

[Looper121]

Good luck PSG...;)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4718695.stm

[Forza_Italia]

Good luck PSG...;)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4718695.stm
PSG can keep dreaming becuase if carew keeps up the level of play hes at now every other team in league 1 better just roll over not to mention diarra extended his contract juninho is still in lyon and pedretti should do fine to replace essien and arfa is a really good young striker who will be a star for years to come so its looking good for number 5 in 5

[SportBoy333]

Bad news for those who want Baros. Looks like he will sign with Shalke.

[sl7vk]

Bad news for those who want Baros. Looks like he will sign with Shalke.
I agree.... Terrible news for Shalke fans..... Total rubish Baros, good riddence.

[SportBoy333]

What does everyone think todays starting lineup will be ? Will Essien play ?

[fishbiproduct]

Will Essien play ?

No he won't: he is supposedly sick ( gastroenteritis).
Of course, we could assume that it is just too
"timely" and "convenient", but Ol's doctor says
it's real.
http://olweb.fr/fr/cmc/saison/2005/30/3735.html

In any case, it doesn't matter at this point:
I'd much rather see him leave the club now.
His presence would be more disruptive than anything
else. But that's just my opinion.

Probable line-up (according to l'Equipe):
Coupet
Réveillère, Cris, Caçapa, Berthod
Diarra, Wiltord, Pedretti
Govou, Carew, Malouda

[ilv2]

An article on Goal.com reported on a 35 million + Tiago switch for Essien discussion going on between Aulas and Abramovich.