“Trust the process. » Are OL capable of rising to the level of the Philadelphia Sixers and Estac Troyes 2015-2016? Absolute dunce in the history of the NBA at the time, Phily (without the injured Joel Embiid) had suffered 18 defeats in a row at the start of the season, before winning his first match against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers. For their part, the Trojans broke records by signing their first success of the season during the 22nd day of Ligue 1 (yes yes, in the return phase!), on January 23, 2016 in Lille (1-3). Desperately seeking a victory since May 17, Lyon supporters are crossing their fingers that the black streak (four draws and six defeats, seven points behind the first non-relegation team) ends on the 12th day, this Sunday (5:05 p.m.) in Rennes.
Here and there, those most optimistic about the fate of the current bottom of the championship rely mainly on one theory: “The hardest part is to achieve a first victory which will act as a trigger. From there, this team has enough quality to survive with flying colors.” No, these are not the words of John Textor after one of the most famous disasters at the start of the Lyon season against Clermont (1-2) but this little music is one of the only ways to believe in a non- relegation of OL, May 18, 2024 at 11 p.m. So, is there any truth to this: to what extent can a first success change everything in a group dynamic?
“There is an element of fantasy in this first victory of the season,” believes David Linarès. Former French champion with OL in 2002, he was the coach of Dijon in 2020-2021, who waited until the 12th day of Ligue 1 to finally win a match (1-3 in Nice). “What you really need to create a new dynamic is a positive series,” continues the ex-midfielder. Maintaining is an endurance race. Moreover, the content of the matches is as important as the raw result. We must not tell ourselves that a first victory will trigger everything. »
Grenoble attacks a Ligue 1 season… with eleven defeats in a row
David Linarès knows something about this: moved up to the position of play-off manager in December 2020, his DFCO subsequently went on an incredible series of 12 consecutive defeats, burying any hope of remaining as soon as spring arrived (last with 21 points in the end) . With the current Lyon striker Mama Baldé in his ranks (well).
Privileged witness to another significant episode of the series of lose in Ligue 1, former defender Sandy Paillot, trained at OL, has not forgotten the 11 defeats of Grenoble Foot 38… during the first 11 days. A starter in this Isère team having completed a cursed season with 23 points on the clock, he looks at the mental dimension of the immense struggle before finally winning an official match (December 6, 2009, on the 15th day of the League 1, in the case of Grenoble).
Waiting this long for a first victory is very, very hard. As long as you’re stuck in a bad series, with defeats where it doesn’t matter, it’s super frustrating. I was having a bad time personally: everyone was constantly talking to us about the need to win a match, there was a lot of pressure on the shoulders of all the players. But we have to stay stimulated and keep hope because we feel that things can come together well once this first success arrives. Even if it’s ugly, you have to surf it. This is where we see how extremely important confidence is because we still had a great team, with Ljuboja, Matsui, Batlles, and once we won this first match (1-0 against Toulouse) , we felt really good. We could blow up everyone. »
“If you only think about finally winning your first match, it’ll eat you up…”
In fact, Sandy Paillot’s team certainly “exploded” Auxerre (5-0) and PSG (4-0) at the Stade des Alpes, but it only won five matches in its entire Ligue 1 season Proof that the precious success against Toulouse did not have a miraculous effect on a group which finished 17 points behind the first non-relegation team. To find traces of an (extremely rare) case of the start of the catamaran season leading to quiet maintenance, we have to go back to the beginning of the century. Then reigning French champion, and therefore clearly not scheduled (just like this OL 2023-2024) to spend the entire first leg in the red zone, FC Nantes (10th in the end) had waited until the 12th day to launch its season in championship (like Dijon in 2020, and the Lyonnais in Rennes this Sunday?).
“The big difference that I see with the current OL is that if we didn’t succeed in Ligue 1, we would clear our heads by winning Champions League matches during the week,” notes Olivier Quint, midfielder. offensive of the Canaries from 2001 to 2006. The European Cup helped us a lot in this sense because we never doubted. If you only think about finally winning a first match, it eats you up… And then before being champion in 2001, we must not forget that FC Nantes had held on to the last day the previous season. Several of our players were already at the club then and that helped us: there was no panic about the risk of going downhill. » Even if the men of Raynald Denoueix (sacked during the winter break) had outclassed PSV Eindhoven (4-1) and Lazio Rome (3-1) in September 2001 at Beaujoire, the first success in Ligue 1 was eagerly awaited .
“It’s going to start again, we’re going to struggle again”
“Yes, winning at Sochaux (0-1 on October 27, 2001) was a mental liberation because we were dragging this series like a ball and chain,” recognizes Olivier Quint. But a first victory doesn’t guarantee anything: it’s a little trigger that brings a smile back. But the hardest part is making a series from there. » This famous series that it is hard to imagine the Fabio Grosso gang capable of performing between the next posters against Rennes, Lille, Lens, Marseille, Toulouse, Monaco and Nantes between now and Christmas. But after all, who would have imagined that Pascal Dupraz’s TFC would save its place in the elite in 2015-2016? And this despite two series of thirteen then nine matches without the slightest victory.
When you win after a long black streak, it’s a relief, says former Toulouse attacking midfielder Adrien Regattin. You go home relieved but you have to be careful not to burst into flames. In my opinion, the next match is the most important. If you continue, you really start on a positive spiral. If you lose on the other hand, it’s very, very hard, you can dive again. You say to yourself: “It’s going to start again, we’re going to struggle again”. There is a very important mental side to football. When you are not well, a pole is often out for example. »
Now an attacking midfielder for Eyüpspor, leader of Turkish D2, Adrien Regattin remembers the “electric shock” caused by the arrival of Pascal Dupraz on the TFC bench, ten days before the end of this 2015-2016 season. Even if Wissam Ben Yedder’s partners had mainly escaped thanks to an unthinkable final sprint (five wins and three draws in the last ten days), the 32-year-old warns OL: “Lyon must not tells himself that he has time left. It’s almost the break and the championship now only has 18 teams. When you’re in this situation, the weeks go by incredibly quickly.” And even the Sixers’ record of ten victories from 2015-2016 (in 82 games!) will be just enough to keep Lyon alive until next May.