Lyon vs. Valenciennes [R]

[Inara]

Perrin is trying the 4-4-2. Great. So much for resting Benzema.

Vercoutre
Clerc - Squillaci - Anderson - Grosso
Keita - Bodmer - Juninho - Kallstrom
Fred - Benzema

[Inara]

Actually, the lineup looks like this, and it looks even more dumb. If you're going to play Benzema and not rest him, why put him on the left? And Bodmer as a DM? Haven't we learned this lesson already?

Vercoutre
Clerc - Squillaci - Anderson - Grosso
Juninho - Bodmer - Kallstrom
Keita - Fred - Benzema

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

I watched this match as it was the one featured during the majority of the L1 simulcast, and interestingly enough, I'd have said Bodmer and Benzema were men of the match. I can't say it would have been the lineup that I'd have fielded, but hey, it worked.

[guignol]

this one i was at, and if only for the bad gones' 20th birthday it was worth admission. it added something to an atmosphere which is already very good these days. even if valenciennes was a tough nut to crack, and the comfort goal came right at the end, from the field to the bench to the tippytop of the stands, gerland exudes confidence; what a difference from two months ago!

baros and paillot were hors combat, as i was too busy on wednesday to know, so it came down to who perrin felt needed the rest most. in light of benzema's recent statements about how good his legs felt, he was a likely candidate for 60'.

the overriding impression this match left me was one of a serious, professional performance from a serious, professional crew that has more than schoolboy giddiness to motivate them. a je ne sais quoi of purpose, of greatness, hovers over this team like perhaps never before.

some random notes:

grosso had a lot of trouble with mater, but anderson and toto, and then bodmer, kept very clean house. hats off especially to bodmer, he's a real find and filled TWO positions that aren't his usual post with style and savvy.
keita may be getting his head above water finally; his goal against caen was a gift, and beyond that was iffy on wednesday, but any goal can help your confidence, and on saturday he looked good. he may be reading thoreau: "simplify, simplify!"

4 strikes in 12 matches for sidney! at this rate he'll bust his record from when he was a young out-and-out-striker to smithereens.

finally, when juni scores with his head, then you know things are going our way!

[lefutur]

4 strikes in 12 matches for sidney! at this rate he'll bust his record from when he was a young out-and-out-striker to smithereens.

finally, when juni scores with his head, then you know things are going our way!

theres no denying that these two are playing well, especially govou. and i've criticised him a lot in the past so its only right that i give him some respect now. like inara said, if keita's arrival is the reason behind sidney's performance this season, then its money well spent.

[Inara]

The club was so amazed at Govou's good run they dedicated a page (http://www.olweb.fr/index.php?lng=fr&a=36310&pid=101002) of stats on him.

He scored 10 league goals in 2001-2002, his most ever.

[guignol]

The club was so amazed at Govou's good run they dedicated a page (http://www.olweb.fr/index.php?lng=fr&a=36310&pid=101002) of stats on him. He scored 10 league goals in 2001-2002, his most ever.the goals he scores are not the way to measure the importance of what sidney has always brought to the team (even if a number of them have been VERY important goals). he is mr. 110%, and if you plot his radius of action on the field, you'll find few strikers that do as much defending as he does. and the importance of that defending goes far. it has defined the spirit of the team, where defense is everybody's responsability. it even has affected juninho's game over the years.

he may not seem charismatic, but govou is a big role model on the team. not only for his effort on the field, also for his work off it. he may have a reputation as a party animal, but look at him with his shirt off; you don't get a body like that dancing down at the fish. and then there's his... technique.

technique you say :confused:... what technique??? he's one of the least technical players on the team! precisely. but with coordination and balance like that, you don't think he could have spent hours perfecting roulettes, flipflops and god knows what folderol? the foulard? that's for cripples who can't use both feet. stepovers? who has time for that pansy nonsense? it's not getting to the heart of the matter! and that example has helped turn benzema into benzema instead of becoming a sterile ballerina like quaresma.

[lefutur]

the reason he's been getting praise now is not for his defending but because he's been doing what a forward is supposed to do, contribute to the offense. i'd be willing to bet that he's simply shifted his priorities. here come keita who is a gifted, technical, and yes, flashy player whose sole objective is to do one thing with the ball: go FORWARD. if govou keeps scoring and providing assists that is more valuable then being one of the better defenders on the team because lyon has had trouble scoring in important games in the past, especially in the CL. all the defending in the world isnt going to help if you cant score against your opponent.

[Inara]

the reason he's been getting praise now is not for his defending but because he's been doing what a forward is supposed to do, contribute to the offense. i'd be willing to bet that he's simply shifted his priorities. here come keita who is a gifted, technical, and yes, flashy player whose sole objective is to do one thing with the ball: go FORWARD. if govou keeps scoring and providing assists that is more valuable then being one of the better defenders on the team because lyon has had trouble scoring in important games in the past, especially in the CL. all the defending in the world isnt going to help if you cant score against your opponent.

+100000000000

It's great that Govou tracks back, but as a forward, it's what he does in front of the goal that matters. Malouda also did his share of defending but somehow managed to score consistently as well. As Lefutur pointed out, the club's recruitment of Keita was specifically to address the lack of offensive action in the front line.

I admit I'm not Govou's greatest fan, but I'm pleased to see him scoring, and more importantly, offering crucial assists.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

I think Inara's (and other OL supporters') hesitancy to embrace Govou is because we've seen this before. Govou on his day can be amazingly brilliant, but inconsistency has always been a Nightmare Man for him in the past (alright, I'll stop with the Heroes references since it's not having such a good season this year), as one does not have to look further than his outing with the national team. Was anybody better in the big qualifier post-WC against Italy? Though after that, was there anyone more inconspicuous in the qualifiers that followed? I am not one who dislikes Govou (except that "penalty" he drew against Berthod a few weeks ago which was a bad call), so I hope that he can keep it up, but I do understand why many are a bit skeptical. I do think that Keita's presence is having an impact on him, though I also think Keita hasn't been close to his best yet.

[guignol]

when you say malouda scored more than govou, you're only talking about last season, when sidney only got ONE goal and flo got 10 (and ended up as our second L1 player of the year to leave for chelski ;)) in the three previous years they played together govou had the edge.

something else; the closer you get to gerland, the more popular sidney is. maybe it's because il a été de tous les combats, but if you count the jerseys on the fans on the way into the stadium, he's probably second behind juninho, (or maybe cris, maybe still sonny)...although benzema is pushing them all hard these days.

and i don't consider keita flashy at all. flashy is art for art's sake, keita with all his dribbles is always headed in the right direction. don't think i don't rate him: i thought HE should have been POTY last season and am confident he'll find that form again.