I realize that I can't expect to know everything about my beloved Lyon players (though it's not
for a lack of trying). But you would think that Cris having a twin would be
interesting enough news to catch the radar of an avid fan. I mean, I once spent two hours trying to
find baby pictures of Juninho (not that I'm a stalker or anything), so I feel a
little miffed about my complete ignorance of the fact that there are two Crises in the world.
There have been several rather fatalistic comments made by OL players in the past few days
("Lyon are the poorest team in the Champions League," "This is the worst night of my professional
career," "Third place is a realistic target," "One of Lyon's most awful nights as French
champions," etc), and though Lyon supremo Jean-Michel Aulas denied that there was
a "crisis with a capital C," even he had to struggle for the optimism he usually brandies like an
AK-47.
OL president Jean-Michel Aulas refers to Lyon as a "Formula 1″ race car. So
did Gerard Houllier, who said the key to managing Lyon was to get in and drive
really fast. But after Lyon's slump last season, Aulas decided that Lyon's Formula 1 car didn't
need a new driver - it needed an engineer, hence the arrival of Alain Perrin.
~~~~~~~~
I take back what I said about the away kits. The gold kit is fast becoming a
favorite, whether paired with red or dark blue shorts (though I prefer the red). As the Setanta
broadcaster said this weekend...gold is a color only to be worn by champions!
~~~~~~~~
After a heart pounding week of Champions League action for both Lyon and Marseille, they will
now face each other in a clash of the giants. Though both teams are sitting at opposite ends of the
domestic table, don't expect this weekend's match to be a predictable affair.
Also check out the Marseille Offside. Massaer will have pertinent OM
information.
Alain Perrin's first two CL games in charge of Lyon have hopefully taught him what NOT to do for
the next match. But just in case, here is a list of things that Perrin should do before traveling
to Stuttgart in two weeks.
- Get a copy of Eric Gerets's halftime pep talk and then listen to it for 72 hours straight.
- Stop trying to outthink everyone and just use logic when it comes to tactics.
It's November. We're halfway through the Champions League group stages and over a third of the
way through Le Championnat. Alain Perrin has had since June to tinker with the lineup. So
he should have an idea of what he wants, right?
RIGHT?!?!
Unfortunately, Perrin's still playing musical chairs with his players. While he's not taking
squad rotation to the level of Rafa Benitez, Perrin comes close, and though it's months into the
season, he's rarely established the same team consecutively.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm so glad that Patrick Muller is close
to fitness. Muller! And to think he's normally Lyon's fourth choice central defender.
Our defense is leaker than a sieve with extra wide holes. In the 20 games Lyon have played this
season, they have conceded 24 goals. Last season, they had only conceded 12 in in
20 games, never conceding more than one goal per match.
Does Alain Perrin fill you with confidence? Do you think he knows what he's
doing? Or do you think he just prays that Karim Benzema will get a good result for
him?
I don't mean to be cynical in what is otherwise a good week for Lyon, but you have to wonder how
much of Lyon's success so far this season is due to Perrin, as opposed to the super resurgence of
his players, who have been playing together for ages and who actually know more about winning than
their manager.
