Plan de jeu

[Allez Lyonnais]

Apparently our new boss is planning to run his team in several different systems. Compared to his predecessors, Perrin seems to be more flexible on tactical issues and I think it's rather advantageous for a side which has been lining up in the same formation week in and week out for the past few years. It's about time we freshen things up a little.

4-3-3: Lyon's principle of play. It has worked wonders for us, but also showed its limits at times.

4-4-2: Houllier conducted a few experiments on this one with very little success. Fred and Baros don't seem to have any mutual understanding of their partnership, so one of 'em will have to be taken out of the equation. This system suits Benzema the most.

4-2-3-1: Our newcomers from Lille are accustomed to this system. Bodmer really shines when he plays just behind the striker and I presume he held talks about this with Perrin.

4-3-1-2: We have such a rich manpower of midfield so this might work out as well. Bodmer will support the two up front, Juninho and Kallstrom will be licensed to go forward, and Toulalan will finally hold it together in the middle of the park.

[lefutur]

I voted for the 4-4-1-1 simply because of the arrival of Bodmer and Keita.

Lille beat Milan 2-0 using this system.

[Catel]

A 4-5-1 would allow Ben Arfa, Bodmer and Kallstrom playing at their real post: n°10.

[Inara]

Whatever system we use (I voted 4-3-1-2), I hope there is a lot of squad rotation. My fear is that Kallstrom will be benched a lot, whom I really like.

[guignol]

i hope to see the 4-3-3 remain the norm, but another string to your bow is never a bad thing, especially when it would get us some good work from benzema and provide a framework for using källstrom. he can't really replace malouda post for post but in a 4-man midfield he's the logical choice for the left spot.

[Catel]

Anyway Perrin is a 4-4-2 fan... :rolleyes:

[Allez Lyonnais]

Here's a formation that'll keep every one of our midfielders happy..

----------------Fred------------Benzema---------------
-----------------------Bodmer--------------------------
-------Kallstrom-------------------------Juninho---------
-----------------------Toulalan-------------------------
-Abidal (?)--------------------------------------Reveillere
---------------Cris----------------Squillaci--------------
------------------------Coupet--------------------------

[guignol]

so that means we spent 18 godzillion moolahs on the man who should have been UNFP player of the year (instead of that cruche malouda) and put him on the bench?

and juni on the wing? c'mon , this diamond thing is for the birds, raymond proved that leading up to WC. c'est un truc à fonctionnaires à la retraite!

[Allez Lyonnais]

The word on the street is that Perrin will have his team adopt to a 4-4-2 in which Benzema and Ben Arfa will be starting. As if to back this up, JMA was quoted as saying: "Dans le 4-4-2 de Perrin, Ben Arfa et Källström feront l’affaire..."

-----------------Fred---------Benzema---------------
--Ben Arfa------------------------------------Keita---
--------------Juninho----------Toulalan---------------
-Abidal--------------------------------------Reveillere-
----------------Cris------------Squillaci---------------
----------------------Coupet-------------------------

It is also said that Perrin will introduce a system without wingers (probably a 4-3-1-2).

[lefutur]

The word on the street is that Perrin will have his team adopt to a 4-4-2 in which Benzema and Ben Arfa will be starting. As if to back this up, JMA was quoted as saying: "Dans le 4-4-2 de Perrin, Ben Arfa et Källström feront l’affaire..."

-----------------Fred---------Benzema---------------
--Ben Arfa------------------------------------Keita---
--------------Juninho----------Toulalan---------------
-Abidal--------------------------------------Reveillere-
----------------Cris------------Squillaci---------------
----------------------Coupet-------------------------

It is also said that Perrin will introduce a system without wingers (probably a 4-3-1-2).

I suppose Bodmer will be subbed in for Juninho at some point but I'd like to see him and Keita play together.

[Douai]

I voted 4-4-2.I don't like the 4-3-3 formation, because I think you should at least have 4 midfielders.

[Inara]

It is also said that Perrin will introduce a system without wingers (probably a 4-3-1-2).


I would love to see a 4-3-1-2 only because it would exploit Ben Arfa's best talents. But Lyon without wingers? That's almost blasphemous! :p

I like the 4-3-3 because when utilized well (Lyon in 2006, Barcelona last year, Ajax a few years ago), it's always been very attack oriented. But I suppose with Malouda's departure, Lyon can no longer afford to have the quality of wingers needed to utilize the 4-3-3 successfully (I know there's Keita, but his presence won't make up for the lost of Abidalouda).

[guignol]

Lyon without wingers? That's almost blasphemous! :p if this is true perrin will have people calling for his sacking before OL plays a match... guignol likes his champagne!

[DaeHaMinGuk]

I would love to see a 4-3-1-2 only because it would exploit Ben Arfa's best talents. But Lyon without wingers? That's almost blasphemous! :p

I like the 4-3-3 because when utilized well (Lyon in 2006, Barcelona last year, Ajax a few years ago), it's always been very attack oriented. But I suppose with Malouda's departure, Lyon can no longer afford to have the quality of wingers needed to utilize the 4-3-3 successfully (I know there's Keita, but his presence won't make up for the lost of Abidalouda).

Don't forget Chelsea used it when they were dominating the EPL. With Robben, Cole and Duff alternating at the wings.

[Allez Lyonnais]

According to the boss, there are three possibilities: a 4-3-3, a 4-4-2, and a 4-2-3-1. He also suggested that these systems would be interchangeable.

Tout dépendra des joueurs clé à intégrer, mais je pense qu'on partira sur la base de ce que les joueurs savent faire, à savoir le 4-3-3 et on verra si on peut le faire évoluer vers un 4-4-2. Mais à mon avis, aucun système ne sera arrêté définitivement. On pourra aussi évoluer en 4-2-3-1.

--------------------Fred---------------------
--Ben Arfa-----------------------------Keita--
-------------------Bodmer--------------------
----------Juninho----------Toulalan-----------
-Grosso------------------------------Reveillere
-------------Cris-----------Squillaci-----------
-------------------Coupet---------------------

[Allez Lyonnais]

I really like the new formation, but it's got a definite downside; we've got four quality midfielders in the squad and only two of 'em can start the game. That means unhappy players.

[Allez Lyonnais]

Given Toulalan's unique specialty of holding, it would be nearly impossible for Juni, Kallstrom, and Bodmer to be out on the pitch at the same time. Tactical variety might allow them to coexist but it comes at the expense of width.

4-3-1-2

----------------Bodmer----------------
--Kallstrom-------------------Juninho--
----------------Toulalan---------------

4-3-2-1

---------Juninho-------Bodmer--------
-Kallstrom---------------------Santos-
---------------Toulalan----------------

4-2-2-2

------Juninho-------------Bomder------
---------Kallstrom-----Toulalan---------

A Milanesque 4-4-1-1

----------------Bomder-----------------
--Kallstrom--------------------Juninho--
----------Santos------Toulalan----------

[guignol]

the only thing clear is that the possibilities, each more enticing than the other, are almost endless. and even though having djila, essien and malouda back would possibly give us the greatest ESPN/skysports midfield ever, i think we're actually better off now.

[guignol]

thinking last night about how to line up for sainté i had this wild hair fly in one ear and out the other: it's both 4-4-2 and 4-3-3, giving juni a role that would suit him and still allowing baros and benzema to play together:

Vercoutre
Réveillère - Squillaci - Bodmer - Belhadj
Govou - Toulalan - Kallstrom
Juninho
Benzema - Baros

honestly i'm not much of a technician, and i'm higher on govou than most people, but i'm intrigued by his ability to play either wing, and even both at the same time, by his willingness to fall back and defend and his physique to do it.

this also gives grosso and keita a kick in the pants, and puts a real derby 11 on the pitch, un qui mouille le maillot.

[Inara]

There has been some interesting debate on Lyon's possible formations on the OL blog, and one of the posters said something interesting about Lyon and why the 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 don't seem to be working. I don't agree with all his points but it's something to think about.

Shazback says here (http://lyon.theoffside.com/team-news/update-o-rama.html):


Thierry, I disagree strongly when you say that a 4-4-2 formation “needs” two great DMs.

In a 4-4-2 formation, both central midfielders should relay on attacking and defensive duties, or separate them completely. If they are shared, then you get a midfield that is like Juventus’ in 2003 : Tacchinardi and Davids shared defensive and offensive workloads. If they are shared, then you get a midfield that is like Arsenal’s in 2006 : Fabregas took offensive matters and Gilberto defensive questions.

Juninho isn’t “inadapted” to playing in a 4-4-2, but simply isn’t suited to playing in a DM role. If you look at Man U’s 1999 side, you’ll see that Scholes and Keane shared responsibilities in midfield, and yet Scholes was present in defensive phases of play, and Keane in offensive phases.

You say that Lyon’s 4-3-3 put them in numerical superiority. I think that’s partly false. Lyon were often in numerical superiority thanks to Malouda and Govou’s very good defensive responsabilities. But only Malouda was a very good counter player. Govou is quick, but doesn’t quite make the mark in the Champion’s League.

When Malouda and Abidal left, it caused Lyon’s defence to be exposed from not just the right, but also the left. Perrin’s 4-4-2 system should work, and Juninho could adapt to it, but it calls for a much stronger defensive axis. Squillaci and Cris, for me, aren’t the international-class players that Perrin needs in that position. Since both wing-back are poor at defending (Grosso, Belhadj, Reveillère, Müller), the central defenders need to be able to cope with crosses, through-balls and one-twos. Squillaci and Cris (we’ll see for Anderson, but Müller can’t either) just aren’t able to cope with that defensive responsability.

Look at Vahirua’s goal against Lyon. Sure, Grosso makes a mistake when he pings the ball back in the middle. But Lyon’s right-hand side is completely beat by Lorient, and Squillaci, Bodmer (and a player I think is Toulalan) are all covering the same player! Sure, Vahirua was far from where the cross whent, but how did he end up all alone ? Lyon had 7 players in defence, and Lorient only had 4. And yet, Lorient got the best, thanks to 3 mistakes (Clerc’s mistake on the wing, Grosso’s bad header, and then Vahirua’s marker’s error).

the problem with the 4-4-2 is that it needs players who are ready to constantly re-focus, particularly in defence. Lyon used to win by just playing with 8 defensive players, but if that works against teams in Ligue 1 or some european sides, it will ultimately fail as soon as the opponent is prepared to play a defensively solid game. Milan, Roma, PSV Eindhoven, Porto, Ajax… They were all prepared to defend, and only attack “if they could” against Lyon. Because that’s one thing Lyon couldn’t do : attack.

Lyon rely on goals from “behind” : Juninho’s free-kicks, Malouda, Govou and Wiltord (haha no longer), Källström, Toulalan, Cris… They all scored goals that gave Lyon useful points last season. But Lyon’s attack force was quite poor. Fred grabbed 11 goals, but Benzema and Baros didn’t get anything like enough goals, and even 11 is quite ridiculous for a striker.

Perrin’s 4-4-2 will help Lyon by “freeing” Lyon of Juninho’s 4-3-3 formation that will leave once Juni is out of form, and help solve the attack problem. Benzema and Baros are both seeming more dangerous this season, and Lyon need an attack force that can work alone, without relying on midfielders or defenders to score when the score is tied.

But the main problem now is that having removed one of the two defensive midfielders, everyone can see that Lyon’s back 4 aren’t what they are made to be, and that that sector needs reinforcements.