Olympique Lyonnais Cafe II [R]

[AfrcnHrbMan]

To call OL's last few performances to be lackluster would be an understatement. There seems to be no drive or passion to anyone's play. The only people who ever seem up for it are Cris, Jean-Alain, and Lloris, which is the main reason we got a point at Monaco, and didn't lose to Bordeaux by 3 goals. Even Juninho himself has been quoted as saying 'Maybe it's time for a new champion'...even our tailsman thinks the run is over. You're right, the points are there for the taking, but the team will have to do a complete 180 to even finish in a champions league spot, they way the other teams are playing.

[SportBoy333]

If they finish 3rd I'm assuming they will most cetainly draw a "weaker" opponent in the Champions League qualifiers because theyve been in that competition so many years in a row. I'm just wondering if its like guaranteed they would avoid a team from the bigger leagues or how does it work exactly ?

[guignol]

good question. my guess is that if it depended on country instead of club ranking TFC and others would never have drawn big dogs: the majority of nations in those rounds are small fry. based on OL's position as a first hat team should ensure them a good draw. but there's no need to worry about that... until after tonight's match!

[SportBoy333]

Govou says it's impossible to win the Champions League

http://news.maxifoot.com/info-095653_90424/football.php

[lefutur]

Govou says it's impossible to win the Champions League

http://news.maxifoot.com/info-095653_90424/football.php

what a Debbie Downer. well porto and monaco were in the final a few years ago, so its not impossible for a black horse to at least make it to the final.

[AfrcnHrbMan]

At least Lyon played like champions today. Blatent penalty in the box not given. Lloris huge with getting a hand on Hoararu's shot. What was Cris thinking leaving his man like that??

[NicolasN.]

There is a problem of mentality at Lyon. Nobody considers that Lyon have the same quality as M.U, Barcelona or Chelsea especially regarding that their roster got weaker. However if the players at Lyon tend to consider that they do not have a single chance to win the game when they're playing against a big name in European Football, they better stay at home instead of being scared as they always are when they are playing those so called big clubs.

I don't mind Lyon to win or lose during the CL, yet as a spectator it's kinda annoying to watch them scared everytime they are playing those teams after getting through the group stage. It was obvious against Barcelona where they were tactically as good as an amateur team, against M.U where they were that scared of getting creamed that they played defensively expecting for a miracle, against Milan during the first half when they were watching them. Fortunately, Coupet saved their asses.

When you are scared, you will never win. If you play defensively expecting for a miracle, you will never win. That's it. That's a cultural problem, speech problem from the coach who can't motivate them, and of course a problem with the players.

What are they scared of ? Play with will, do your utmost, show what you worth, instead of considering that you've already losed even before the game has started. The only risk you take by really playing the game is to win, something that will never happen with players with the same mentality as Govou. And if you lose the game at least you would have done your best, unlike what we're seing with Lyon in the CL. Football is not only about quality, it's also about confidence, will and fighting spirit, something that Lyon should learn if they want to advance farther than the quarter final.

[lefutur]

im starting to think that Aulas is in denial. i watched him speaking on french TV and he kept insisting that the team is every bit as good this season as last year and that the only reason Lyon are in 3rd place is because of injuries and poor officiating. he does admit that the other teams are stronger this season too. i agree with him on the third point but Aulas also needs to recognize that OL are not playing nearly as well as they used to in previous seasons. Aulas also insists that Puel is the right man for the job and that he will stay at OL for a long time. To me its really Puel that has been the big difference between this season and the previous one. His tactics have been overly defensive and his recruitment was poor. The injuries are no longer a major issue at this stage of the season because most of the injured players are back except for Govou and yet OL are still struggling. And to blame the officiating is ridiculous. But the fact that Bordeaux and Marseille are doing better this season can be attributed to their coaches as well. Both Gerets and Blanc are clear improvements over their predecessors. Both those teams are playing ambitious football with an attractive style. Lyon need to take a hard look at themselves and Aulas needs to recognize his own mistakes. He was wrong to fire a few of OL's former coaches but keeping Puel on does not make up for that. Those previous coaches had a more winning formula than Puel and its the coaching that is making the difference in Ligue 1. Marseille and Bordeaux both have smaller budgets and arguably inferior players to Lyon but their coaches are getting more out of the team than Lyon is.

[Edited to add: Bordeaux just beat Rennes with 10 men. wow]

[StarrMatthieu]

im starting to think that Aulas is in denial. i watched him speaking on french TV and he kept insisting that the team is every bit as good this season as last year and that the only reason Lyon are in 3rd place is because of injuries and poor officiating. he does admit that the other teams are stronger this season too. i agree with him on the third point but Aulas also needs to recognize that OL are not playing nearly as well as they used to in previous seasons. Aulas also insists that Puel is the right man for the job and that he will stay at OL for a long time. To me its really Puel that has been the big difference between this season and the previous one. His tactics have been overly defensive and his recruitment was poor. The injuries are no longer a major issue at this stage of the season because most of the injured players are back except for Govou and yet OL are still struggling. And to blame the officiating is ridiculous. But the fact that Bordeaux and Marseille are doing better this season can be attributed to their coaches as well. Both Gerets and Blanc are clear improvements over their predecessors. Both those teams are playing ambitious football with an attractive style. Lyon need to take a hard look at themselves and Aulas needs to recognize his own mistakes. He was wrong to fire a few of OL's former coaches but keeping Puel on does not make up for that. Those previous coaches had a more winning formula than Puel and its the coaching that is making the difference in Ligue 1. Marseille and Bordeaux both have smaller budgets and arguably inferior players to Lyon but their coaches are getting more out of the team than Lyon is.

[Edited to add: Bordeaux just beat Rennes with 10 men. wow]


mr blanc is the best coach in ligue 1 right now l'om needs to play very well to keep up with bordeaux am keeping my eye on bordeaux to the very END! anything can happen ..... so can lyon come back am not sure but this has been a very nice session in ligue 1 and i can't wait intill TOURS FC goes to ligue next years session!! :p

[lefutur]

my one fantasy now is that Gourcuff suddenly says he wants to play for Lyon instead of Bordeaux or Milan.

[AfrcnHrbMan]

The Velodrome belongs to us now
http://www.bg87.com/repupload/badgones/photos/2009-05-17_marseille-lyon2_n_cp.jpg

[guignol]

what you mean now???

before they beat us last year (by the same score as they lost by sunday)we hadn't lost at the vélo since even before sonny! i think mitterand was president!

[AfrcnHrbMan]

I know, but just to see us perhaps destroy their title hopes on their own ground like that...is just plain special.

[AfrcnHrbMan]

Félicitations Juninho, 100 BUTS POUR OL

That was great to see him get it at le Gerland. Did you see that fan that wouldn't let him go back to play? Great. You could see that coming, Caen had been putting some reckless challenges in. Lyon has looked very sharp in the first half, with a ton of chances, and not give SMC much of anything. Savidan has looked dangerous but that's about it. Benzema seems to have really regained his form, and what a sight it is to see Govou again. I think it's safe to say, we would still be challenging for the title if he hadn't gone down for such a lenghty time. Kallstrom has played well too this first half.


Allez OL, finish the season strong.

[guignol]

again. I think it's safe to say, we would still be challenging for the title if [Govou ] hadn't gone down for such a lenghty time.that's juninho's opinion as well. and what to say about the admiration sidney has poured on juni these couple of weeks? conflict, what conflict?

[AfrcnHrbMan]

Press confrence at 1830 CET, 230 EST with Aulas and Juninho. I'm gonna go ahead and presume that he is in fact leaving the club. Retiring? likely not, maybe one more pay day in Qatar or something. Then back to his adoring fans in the bosom of the Rhone to live out the remainder of his days with his family in Paradise.

[SportBoy333]

Since he has 1 year left on his contract, I wish he could stay 1 more year as a "super sub" player. If OL were richer I think that would happen but with his high salary he has to be a starter or else.

[guignol]

i think vasco is as likely as qatar...

juni doesn't really need that persian gulf payday the way sonny did, and really he's leaving because he knows his shadow hangs over the club in a big way; even as a sub, his salary, but also his simple presence would inhibit a lot of needed growth.

[Inara]

Okay, so it's new kit time...

I understand how every euro counts these days, and Lyon's spending this summer is hardly modest, but I am not a fan of these drastic changes season after season. I like the policy of the past, which was a kit would change every two years, with home and away alternating. Now they all change!

Home (http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1305/lyonhome3.jpg)
Away (http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1825/lyonaway.jpg)
GK (http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7654/lyongk.jpg)

I like the GK kit the best. And the away one is nice, though I feel like it'd be more appropriate for Nice. I'm not feeling the home kit, but it might be because I was very partial to the vertical stripes of the last couple of seasons (which I feel looked more professional). The horizontal stripes make it look like pajamas. The weirdest part are the vertical stripes in the back though - it looks odd if the players where their shirts untucked. But I guess it'll grow on me.

And here are the kits in action:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1738/55664950.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4920/50037003.jpg

The sponsors aren't on yet, but I guess we'll see it during the kit presentation in August.

[AfrcnHrbMan]

I like the home kits. Maybe it's because of the lack of sponsor but the horizontal has a pretty old school look to it. Nice change, I'll probably pick one up.