At OL Park,
“Perhaps we had too many ambitions in the game.” The Lyon supporters, some of whom had to switch to Capital at half-time, in view of the debacle against PSG (0-4 at the break, 1-4 in the end) on Sunday evening, risk choking on discovering this statement from Laurent Blanc on Monday. If the ambitions boil down to a short (and risky) raise between Lopes and Tolisso from the 3rd minute of play against starvation pressing from Ugarte, or a folkloric offside alignment, then the hypothesis mentioned by the OL coach stands. For the rest, despite an almost encouraging line of stats (19 shots including 8 on target), the current slump in Lyon even turns to nothing, both in terms of results and hope, apart from the first individual flashes of Ghanaian rookie Ernest Nuamah.
For his return to the field, Anthony Lopes did not hide from the microphone of Prime Video: “We had a fairly chaotic first half. It’s unacceptable, we didn’t show any character, we were walked on for 45 minutes. We are going to cut and I think it will be good for the heads because it is starting to be very complicated”. Because after their downgrading synonymous with anonymity in the soft underbelly (8th in 2022, 7th in 2020 and 2023), OL find themselves symbolically 18th in Ligue 1, after four days. After assuming his initial “error” which led to Kylian Mbappé’s penalty (0-1, 4th), Corentin Tolisso confided on Sunday evening: “We live very badly to be last. We had a catastrophic month of August (1 draw and 3 defeats, including 8 goals conceded in two games at Décines). We are at rock bottom and we must not let go. You have to take refuge in work. It will start with… two days of rest granted/announced by Laurent Blanc at a press conference.
“I don’t believe there is a sporting crisis”
After having had his name whistled by part of the stadium during the presentation of the teams on Sunday, Lolo White also discovered after half-time a more than explicit banner: “Laurent Blanc, if you don’t have the balls to fight, resign”. In the air from the pre-season cata (four defeats in a row without scoring a single goal), the dismissal of the former Parisian coach seems to be an option quickly triggered by John Textor. “When a coach has no results, he is in danger, recalled Blanc on Sunday. It’s not after tonight’s result that I’m in a better situation. Nor after some of his statements, in case John Textor stumbles upon them. Type “it is the players who provide the solutions. The coach is there to give the direction”.
Its president would like this season to be directed towards qualification for the Champions League. This objective will already have to go through a first success in Ligue 1? Can we openly talk about a crisis at OL, from September 4? “No, I don’t think there is a sporting crisis, replies Santiago Cucci, executive president of the Lyon club. It’s just that the project is taking a while to get started for a lot of reasons that I won’t go into. “In real life, a minute later, Santiago Cucci rails against the sanctions of the DNCG and against the lack of “decency” of Jean-Michel Aulas, whom he blames for a new interview broadcast on Sunday on Téléfoot, a day of shock against PSG SO. “It was still a circus this week, continues Santiago Cucci, while JMA was in the presidential gallery on Sunday, unlike Textor. We talked about a lot of things but not necessarily sports. The soap opera of the Aulas-Textor arms passes could have consequences on the sporting level.
“You have no right to dirty this jersey”
Just like this astonishing episode of the capo of the north corner trying to shake up the whole group of Lyon players who came to face him for two minutes: “If there are executives in this locker room, they no longer have the right to be silent” , read a banner. “You don’t have the right to dirty this shirt”, sums up the capo, while insulting in passing Malo Gusto, Castello Lukeba and especially Bradley Barcola, all three having been in a hurry in recent months to leave their training club.
“The fans are absolutely right, I understand their frustration, loose Santiago Cucci. As they said, at least you have to fight for the coat of arms. It’s gonna take us some time but we don’t have time [coucou Titi Henry]. With the truce it’s good, we will be able to say things to each other and speed up our project. “Starting with a change of coach, thanks to this two-week break. ? “That’s really not the point, we’re on the project and what we’re going to do in the future. You need a coach who coaches. “A thinly veiled spade aimed at Laurent Blanc, who must be wondering if he will lead Wednesday’s session well.