Gk ronan le crom joins lens http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblfralecrom&prov=afp&type=lgns
New Jersey Pic courtesy of http://france.theoffside.com/team-news/nice-ogcn/new-jerseys-and-they-arent-ugly-as-hell.html
but everybody knows that folks in New Jersey have no taste... hell, that's just horrible. especially the socks... it's even WORSE than ronald's kit!
Jean Francois Christophe joins Portsmouth http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12875_2636058,00.html
ITANDJE gone for sure....... It is sad to say but I knew it would happen. Charles Itandje our bonefied star keeper is gone probably to Aston Villa, Espanyol or less likely Lyon. Too Bad. I think we are in for a long, sad season. As I said at last season's end, not making the Champions League was going to destroy this club and now I just hope we don't end up being relegated TO league 2.
I think your'e totally wrong. The recruitment thus far has been good and I except a top 5 finish and maybe a top 3. Itandje is over rated and he's still just a goalie after all. Goalies are the easiest to replace.
Re: ITANDJE gone for sure....... Bona fide star goalkeeper? Itandje let in far too many soft goals, never stepped up as a leader for either the back line or the team in general and has been want away since the winter mercato. It was clear from our recruitment that he would be going so it's no surprise. And as sportboy says, our recruitment has been just fine. This combined with the fact that Roux was brought in with an eye to using the talent at the Gaillette which has been sorrily under utilized by the past two managers. I don't see the club fighting relegation and to suggest that our failure to grab a CL spot last year along with the loss of one player is going to destroy a club that has fought through many turmoils to thrive the past 100 years is misguided.
Lens: a champion of Asia in the sight (06/08/2007) The RC Lens would be on the track of the Al attacker Gharrafa Doha, Younis Mahmoud (25 years), according to the daily newspaper the Parisian one. This international Iraqi has just gained the Cut of Asia of the Nations and was designated as the best player of the tournament. The leaders lensois currently negotiate the price of its transfer. (By Nicolas Lagavardan) http://news.maxifoot.com/info-067071_70806/football.php
Re: ITANDJE gone for sure....... good players? They have done nothing but lose good players since last year. Losing Thomert and Jussie was especially bad and it was proven at season's end. Now we lose Seydou Keita our capitan and one of the best keepers in France in Itandje, who looks to be heading to Manchester United, a pretty good little team I would say. Not to mention Jemma is gone for the year. They looked bad last week. Akale and Aubey were decent signings but we have definately lost more than we have gained. I still think we are in big trouble guys. I hope I am wrong. Furthermore, why doesn't old man Roux start Boukari? This guy is a future star and needs to play. Why is Sable starting? Hopefully, we can at least sign Mahmoud Younes.
Bonaventure Kalou will have a comeback season. Monterrubio also prolonged. I think you are under rating Sable and over rating Itandje. Thomert hasnt done anything since he left.
Re: ITANDJE gone for sure....... Such negativity from a Lensois is disappointing. Thomert and Jussie were both want aways and the club is better off without them. Talented? Mercurially so, which is a problem, IMO. Itandje is in the same boat. Man U has been bandied about by his agent, there's been little else (certainly nothing I've read in the English press) to indicate he is going there. If you'll recall, Thomert's agent did the same thing and look where he ended up. Keita was almost gone last year, it was inevitable he went on to bigger things. Had we been in the CL this year he probably would have stayed. That, aside from income, is the single biggest loss from not qualifying last season. You make it sound as if the club is falling down around itself and, at the same time, inflating the importance as players such as Itandje who is a decent goalkeeper but certainly not the keystone of the club that will ruin the entire club when he departs.
Re: ITANDJE gone for sure....... LENSOIS, We usually agree on most things but not on this. As you see Itandje was signed by Liverpool, one of the best clubs in the world. Furthermore, the losses of Jussie and Thomert were HUGE.....last year. In fact, when they left the club started playing poorly. I think both of those players were very underappreciated by the Lens fans. Jussie always seemed to come up with timely goals and Thomert created absolute havoc with his runs. The team was much more dangerous with them and Aruna really benefited from their presence. Moreover, what about the loss of Jemma? This was incredible to me. Granted, he is on loan but why? Maybe because we failed to make the CL? Needed the money? Also, look at the players who came in when Thomert/Jussie departed. Monterrubio and Tixier. This was very bad for Lens. Monterrubio is on his way down. I think we should start playing some of these younger guys from the developmental system. Where is Zayatte and Jabi? We got rid of a great young talent like Taarabt and we don't seem to be keeping the young players we are developing in the African academies. Gervais Martel has been making some very questionable moves, at least for me.
Re: ITANDJE gone for sure....... Liverpool happen to be my team in England. Name me the last four goalkeepers they have signed as backup to their first choice. Then tell me where they are now. Itandje is good, not great. He has how many caps? So it would be your policy to keep want away players? Thomert had been looking to leave for three years, that's not a big secret. What you may not know is how is big headed attitude affected the dressing room. This without mentioning his stunning inconsistency. On his day, absolutely a great player--he was my favorite for a long time--however he never had the consistency to get him where he really want to f off to, the Premiership. They've rated a lot of young(er) French players but somehow never him. Wonder why that is. Jussie I'll agree was more consistent, but again it comes down to attitude. What we see on the outside might be very different from the inside. Even his countryman Hilton agreed that Jussie's attitude was such that he had to be moved. No player is more important than the club...Jussie disagreed. I'm guessing GR doesn't rate him. Is that wrong? Perhaps. Is that a major loss that will bring down the club? Hyperbole. The club is not in a financial pinch as you imply might be the case. We've spent less than we've brought in from player sales, not to mention that the club has a sound financial base. When clubs know players want out and/or the club wants them out it's a buyer's market. In that same time period we've brought in Kovacevic and Bisevac. As I've said, this is one of the biggest reasons Roux was brought in , IMO. As the season progresses we will see more and more of the youngters, something that has been underutilized to this point. Of course, not dipping into the pool of academy players is something that has been going on for a few years and has nothing to do with this season. Jabi? He's not played for us for two years. He played for Ajaccio last season is at Grenoble this season. He is off the radar...and 25, hardly developmental player at this point. Zayatte just played against us this past week for Young Boys in the Intertoto. Neither has proven to be lighting the world on fire after the club let them go. Got rid of? No, Taarabt wanted to leave and get the wage packet that comes for many young players when they leave France, especially for England. Assou-Ekotto was the same. They, unfortunately, are not like a number of young French players. BTW, we don't have RC Lens Academies in Africa. We do provide some support (financial and coaching) to some academies in Africa but the only officially run academy is the Gaillette in Avion.
GUY ROUX quits, season in chaos. As I stated before, we would be in trouble this season and possibly battling relegation, now we have lost the coach. Lens is definately in big trouble. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/25/sports/EU-SPT-SOC-Lens-Roux-Quits.php
Re: GUY ROUX quits, season in chaos. Wow. So early to give up on a club. Lets see who they appoint and wait before Christmas to start deciding who's up and who's down in L1.
Re: GUY ROUX quits, season in chaos. On a side note..... Maybe the league was right in deciding that he was too old to be a coach! Just kidding.