What is the reason for Lyon’s crap streak?
By: Sam | February 8th, 2007
The last time Olympique Lyonnais got three points out of a Ligue 1 match was over six weeks ago, on December 17, 2006. Which in itself is not a totally eye-popping fact. But if you consider that for the entire season leading up to that 4-0 win over Lens, Lyon had only failed to win thrice. They drew against Toulouse in Matchday 2, they drew Real Madrid in the Champions League at Santiago Bernabeu, and were slain for the first time against Rennes in early November. Now they’ve failed to win five in a row in the league that they usually have the least of troubles conquering.
Don’t get the wrong impression, at least not from me, they’d have to do nothing short of dying to lose their title this year. Even now, they’re still eleven points clear of the competition. That said, they were seventeen better than second place before the deluge began.
Here’s what happened: On the last day of the first round, Lyon settled for a scoreless draw at home against Monaco. Back from the break three weeks later, they visited Toulouse, where they dropped the match 2-0 to TFC. Next time, they hosted Bordeaux, who stunned the home crowd by beating them 2-1. Playing their second consecutive home game, they ended up drawing against second-last Nice. In between, they travelled to Marseille for a Coupe de France match that would go down as one of the most exciting in the past years. Yep, Lyon lost that one, 2-1. Determined to stop the funk right then and there, they got the idea to play a crap game against lowly Troyes, and lost 1-0.
What is the root of this problem?
-A simple series of coincidences. Lyon is just unlucky.
-Players got too accustomed to doing the cakewalk in Ligue 1.
-Gérard Houllier is not coaching properly.
-Other teams are waking up and showing Lyon that they’re not alone.
Any other hypotheses? What do you think?
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Tags: Coupe de France, France Ligue 1, Gérard Houllier, Juninho Percambucano, Lyon (OL), Milan Baros, Poll, Streak, Team News, UEFA Champions LeagueSubscribe
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Comments
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Paul Doyle over at the Guardian says it’s part of Houllier’s inherent conservative streak that eventually his teams crap out. Also, maybe constantly winning matches and having no competition could’ve made the squad bored and complacent.
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There are probably various reasons, but I think there is locker room stress. Winter recruitment undoubtedly unsettled the club, and as much as I love Lyon, their transfer policy annoys me sometimes, which all starts with Aulas’s obsession to bring bigger players to Lyon for more credibility. Aulas goes around saying they want the perfect attacker (poor Fred!), a DM who won’t sit on the bench (Toulalan and Diarra!), offers for central defenders (a bad sign for Muller and Cacapa), buying Belhadj to prepare for Abidal’s departure…
No Lyon player is ever sure what their fate is, and that’s scary. Aldo Duscher signed a pre-contract with Lyon, so that will make four defensive mids fighting for one spot - unless Houllier tries 4-2-2 (let’s hope not). Didier Deschamps has been batting eyes at Tiago, Clerc, Benzema, and Ben Arfa, and now that he’s willing to let Trez and Camoranesi leave…
The only two people who have guaranteed spots in Lyon are Juninho and Coupet. Maybe Vercoutre too. Everyone else could be gone this summer .
I was reading on a Lyon message board (yes, I am obsessed) was that for the first time, there was “disharmony” in the locker rooms. Fred became really insecure about his spot, and Claudio Cacapa is almost always ignored by Houllier. Apparently the Brazilians, Tiago, and the old school Lyonese have been very unhappy (since Lyon is Brazil abroad, it isn’t surprising that they wield so much power), especially with Baros coming in.
I hope Aulas and Houllier get this sorted out. Drama is the WORST thing that can happen to a club.
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My vote is for boredom. I think a good Champions League challenge will help them snap out of it.
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Inara just articulated everything that had been running around in the back of my mind ever since I started following all the transfer drama back in November. You don’t reward your performing players by trying to bring in more players to unseat them.
(Psst! Aulas! That’s how you reward your NON-performing players.);-)
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