Former Players Thread

[Inara]

Given the fact that Lyon seem to be a platform for players to go to bigger clubs, I thought it would be interesting to keep track of our favorite former OL players, especially since some of us follow other leagues, and to see whether the move was a good one or not.


So I'll start with TIAGO.

He hasn't settled into Juventus very well, and his performance in their pre-season friendlies has been rather lukewarm. In today's Serie A start, Tiago is starting on the bench against Livorno.


MALOUDA on the other hand, seems to be doing well at Chelsea and has the full confidence of Mourinho. He scored in the Community Shield and also won them that controversial penalty against Liverpool last weekend.

[SportBoy333]

I think Abidal leaving was a good move for him because he started his career at Lyon-la-Duchère(now a 5th division club)and worked his way up to the ladder in France to a point where at 28 years old, and playing for the biggest club(OL), now was the right time for him to get that huge pay day and play in one of the best leagues in the world. He paid his dues. The only thing that puzzles me is that since Lyon is his hometown then why wouldnt you want to play for your hometown team for life. It seems that he didnt have any sort of emotional connection to OL growing up and maybe its because they didnt give him a chance way back then and he hasnt forgotten that.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Yeah, I can't figure out why Abidal didn't feel more connected to Lyon, especially as that's where his career took off as well. (Alright, he essentially started garnering attention when he was Lille, though he didn't earn any NT caps there.)

Perhaps it's due to him not being a guy who's been through the OL youth system? After all, Kanouté always talks about his fondness for the club.

[Catfish]

Yeah, I can't figure out why Abidal didn't feel more connected to Lyon, especially as that's where his career took off as well. (Alright, he essentially started garnering attention when he was Lille, though he didn't earn any NT caps there.) Perhaps it's due to him not being a guy who's been through the OL youth system? After all, Kanouté always talks about his fondness for the club.
you both make great points, but maybe Abidal just wanted a change of scenery
AND maybe thought he took OL as far as they could go? who knows?

Zidane grew up in/near Marseille and loves them, but he NEVER played for them.

[Catfish]

MALOUDA on the other hand, seems to be doing well at Chelsea and has the full confidence of Mourinho. He scored in the Community Shield and also won them that controversial penalty against Liverpool last weekend.
I think Malouda is going do big things with Chelsea.

[Inara]

Perhaps it's due to him not being a guy who's been through the OL youth system? After all, Kanouté always talks about his fondness for the club.

Giuly came up through the youth systems, and he doesn't seem that loyal to me. As for Kanoute, he wanted to leave, and is fond about OL, but I don't think he would come back unless he had no choice.

Then there are players like Juni, Cris, and Coupet, who came from other clubs but made their homes in Lyon. Clerc also seems pretty loyal - he said in an interview in World Soccer a while back that it means a lot to him to be able to play for his youth club and then play with the senior players. I'm not sure if Benzema will stay at Lyon until he's 23 though.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Giuly didn't get along with Lacombe, who was the manager then, I thought. Anyway, Essien and Malouda are both doing well at Chelsea, Mahamadou Diarra starts at Real, Eric Abidal was solid in Barca's opener.

[Inara]

Diarra had a so-so first year at Real, comporable to Essien's first year at Chelsea. For a while Diarra was linked with Inter, and he did think about leaving this summer. Glad to see him stay there, as I don't want Lyon players to fail anywhere.

It looks bad on the club and all that. :p

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

In that case, you should know Kanouté scored and was a menace against Getafe. Ludovic Giuly was also quite good against Palermo according to supporters of Roma.

[SportBoy333]

There was a blurg a few days ago about Real Betis being interested in Bryan Bergougnoux of Toulouse but I think he said he doesnt want to go there. I dont think this guy has been that great since leaving Lyon. He's done nothing to make OL regret selling him. Maybe he wasnt a highly rated prospect there I dont know. He's a decent player but not someone whos on the cusp of the national team anytime soon.
I also wanted to mention Pierre Alain Frau who plays a lot for PSG but he's another guy who hasnt really blossomed since leaving OL to make them regret selling him. Since his 17 goal season at Sochaux he's really been average at best and not even one of the top strikers in Ligue 1. He's not a #`1 guy and at PSG he has to do too much. On a good team like Lyon he was their 4th striker during the end.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

I agree with your assessment on those 2 guys completely. PAF has been like a bunch of other Sochaux stars, he has struggled as an ex-Lionceaux. Bergougnoux isn't bad, though he's not, I don't think NT caliber.

If there is an ex-OL guy at PSG who could get a cap with the NT, it's Jérémy Clément.

[Inara]

Juve May Sell Tiago In January (http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=420495)

..Tiago was expected to provide the Juventus midfield some much-needed power after the loss of Patrick Vieira and Emerson in 2006.

However the ex-Chelsea man has been a complete disaster in Turin and Ranieri has made it perfectly clear that he does not fancy the player by picking the likes of Cristiano Zanetti and Antonio Nocerino ahead of him.

Reports in today’s Corriere dello Sport claim that Juventus will cut their losses and let Tiago go in January for a cut-price deal. As a replacement Ranieri will be handed €20m to find his man...

[SportBoy333]

Aulas would never hand any manager "€20m to find his man."

[guignol]

Aulas would never hand any manager "€20m to find his man."and good on him too.

there's no reason tiago couldn't come back to OL... he left on good terms and was always much appreciated here... the only problem would be that he's not likely to get his starting job back just like that!

but if we could pick him up "cut-price" for say 2.5M€ and turn a profit of 7M€ in 5 months to get back our own player, it would make me laugh and laugh... a raucous, riotous, duracell bunny laugh!

[SportBoy333]

and good on him too.



Thats fine but you cant get a world class manager like Mourinho or Dechamps if you dont give them the reigns. When they tried to do it somewhat when Houllier was there it turned out badly in the end because of clashes. Now they have the anti Houllier, the puppet manager, and its not turning out well(in Europe) either.

[AfrcnHrbMan]

It's only been one game. Yea i envisioned some problems, but doesnt mean he can't work them out. He seems like a smart enough guy, as long as he doesn't try to stubbornly stick to ineffective tactics.

[DaeHaMinGuk]

I don't think anyone would complain to see Tiago come back, he's not cup-tied (hopefully that will be an issue come January).

[SportBoy333]

I dont think Tiago would want to come back. I predict he will be loaned to another Italian team.

[Inara]

I like Tiago a lot, but I like Bodmer and Kallstrom better. If Lyon want another midfielder, they should get rid of Fabio Santos and replace him with someone better.

Lyon should also get Renato Augusto.

[guignol]

as former players go, the one i'd like to get back would be mike...

i don't have a problem with perrin but imagine if OL could get mourinho. it's not as farfetched as all that, i think TSO has a lot of respect for the club; he said that in 2004 OL would have won the CL if they'd had drogba... when you read how much DD misses mourinho already, you can dream about that coming true!