

My Coupe runneth over: Highlight videos from the last 16
By: Sam | February 1st, 2007Marseille 2-1 Lyon
Nantes 1-0 (a.e.t.) Lille
Monaco 0-2 Sochaux
Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Valenciennes
Clermont-Ferrand 1-4 Lens
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Wow, the trajectory of that Nantes goal was interesting.
And I don’t want to talk about Lyon. Even though I actually like Marseille. I don’t think they should have been playing each other this early.
Posted from
United States

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Does anyone have a sense of what’s going on at Lyon, with its recent successive failures? There’s a column in today’s Guardian by Paul Doyle saying that these recent setbacks prove that once again, Houllier’s conservatism will condemn Lyon to failure in the CL.
Posted from
United States

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Sandra, I’d like to chalk it up to injuries (particularly since I adore Benzema and would love to think that all their problems will be fixed once he’s well. I also really like Wiltord.) I haven’t read the Guardian article, but I get a kind of troubling sense that Houllier reacts rather than acts.
Like his offense/striker issues. Everybody went out at once in November/December, but they were scheduled to be better by late December or early January. (That’s not how it worked out, but still.) If all your guys were scheduled to be back by early January, would you still be using your time and energy working to spend big bucks on a striker in the Jan. transfer window? It makes no sense. And I got the feeling that they settled for Baros after they couldn’t get their first choices. Almost a panic buy. I may be wrong — I don’t know that much about Baros, but I do know that a LOT of names were tossed around before he came on the scene.
Like I said, reaction, not action. Which is sad, because there is SO much talent on this team!!
Sam, what do you think?
Posted from
United States

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Sam thinks that yes, injuries are a part of the problem, but by far not the biggest. Their defense is pretty much intact, and they played a, how you say, intensely horrible game agaisnt OM.
And as to Baros, he’s not a second choice or anything. Houllier has been wanting him ever since they’ve been together at Liverpool. And Carew needed to go, so if anything it’s a very good deal, assuming the money was adequate.
Also, I think Houllier is not that much to blame. But then again, Lyon plays a very different game in Ligue 1 than in the UCL. They merely play keep away in L1, hence why Houllier’s conservatism is working fine. However in the Champions League they’ve benefited from their strikers to show their more offensive side. But as Laurie loves to stress, this is the area that needs looking after, due to the numerous injuries.
This is not a setback that will see them lose their title anytime soon, nor will it bar them from achieving anything in the CL, but it is at the least a wake-up call. It happens, just like it’s happening to Bayern Munich. They must step up now, especially players like Tiago, Toulalan, Baros and Malouda.
Posted from
Canada

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You’re probably right about the Baros thing. Since he’s not French he probably just wasn’t on my radar screen. But that whole striker acquisition process just felt somehow OFF to me, starting with their interest in Trezeguet in November. (Followed by Piquionne and I can’t even remember who else.) Do you think it was just a way to push Carew out the door?
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United States

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Oh, and while we’re discussing acquisitions, what do you think about Santos? And what does that mean for Alou Diarra in the longterm?
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United States

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To answer both questions, I think Lyon got just what they needed with Baros. Nobody cared for Carew anymore, so that’s that.
To tell you the truth, I know virtually nothing about Santos, but Lyon has always been a great place for Brazilians. He seems like a decent player from the little I’ve read about him, but yes this could mean a transfer in the summer for Diarra, who never really looked too good in Lyon anyhow. I liked him much better when he was with Lens.
Posted from
Canada

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