Always the same old story. And that does not only concern ASSE, a very media club, which, in turn, provokes comments from more or less informed consultants. Whether the results are good, or very bad, and here are former footballers who explain to us the why and how, attached to delivering words that they consider to be certainties. The Greens, beaten in Lyon and defeated for the 6th time in a row in Ligue 1, remain more of a subject than ever. A real. Leaves, like Jérôme Alonzo, our former guardian, to bring out old files that we thought had been forgotten.
“For me, Jessy Moulin outperformed in his first matches. His real level is not what we saw on the Lyon goal, nor that of the first matches. For me, his level is that a good Ligue 1 mid-table keeper or a very good understudy. And you do without Stéphane Ruffier, who for a month or three games where he missed out, paid a heavy price compared to ten years he did before. When you separate from a player, loved or not, like Stéphane Ruffier, but who brought you so many points and who had such weight on the field when he played, the legacy is not easy for the one who replaces him. Well, Jessy Moulin, isn’t all that catching up with him? He is a victim of what he did not ask for. did not have a great derby, but I especially hope that this goalkeeper problem will not hamper the season for AS Saint-Etienne. “
Windmill or not, and sorry to repeat, it’s not a topic. On the contrary to certain decisions that could be taken in the next few days and which, from our point of view, seem essential for ASSE to raise the bar. Time is running out, points are lacking and it would be good for some people at the club to measure the urgency.
End the witch hunt
It is now established. And we never stop making it clear to us in every game. Claude Puel only works with a single conviction, a single main idea: the youth card. In all lines, at all stations. And no matter what the contrary opinions, or even the remarks of his former players. So, and we can not say that his voice does not carry, Loïc Perrin has recently returned to the charge to put a little age in the workforce. And experience.
“The solution is to have experienced players. I have said many times that experienced players are important in a team at such times. Even though there are some very successful youngsters in Saint -Etienne, we saw it with the departures of Saliba or Fofana recently, with the good results and the Gambardella. These young people must be well supervised. ” Certainly, and we are already hearing the remonstrances, the Greens have been able, with the youth of their workforce, to win three times this season. In Marseille, in particular. We will retort that this could have been the case, also, in Nantes, if the team had been able, by leading 2-0, to put the foot on the ball and to calm the game while the Nantes waves arrived on the goal of Moulin. Saving money is one thing, being deprived of Yann M’Vila can be understood, he who is playing in the Champions League this season. But relegating Wahbi Khazri to the bench, and Ryad Boudebouz to oblivion, is a major mistake. Yes, the two men do not stay on a remarkable previous year. Yes, both players have a substantial salary. Yes, well, Khazri is sometimes maddening by collecting too many yellow cards.
But who, in the current workforce, can claim to be technically above both? No one. Can we reasonably pretend that Boudebouz didn’t have a great left foot, that he knew how to keep a ball and deliver assists? Should we be convinced that only Yvan Neyou is capable of doing it? No. Plenty is no plague. Quite the contrary. And we dare to hope that Puel will finally resolve to recall Boudebouz in the group (he was present during the friendly match against Grenoble) and to trust Khazri in the long term. The witch hunt, and the big pay, has gone on long enough. Loïc Perrin, always. “I hope that Claude Puel will call on Ryad Boudebouz.
We know how it works these episodes of transfer window, “I leave, I do not leave”. What I see is that Ryad has stayed, he is part of the group. We have a real Ligue 1 player. He had ups and downs last year, even he knows it. But we have a real Ligue 1 player and he is available. Why not use it? It is heavy for any player and it is not easy for the teammates who are there and accompany him on a daily basis. This is not the first time that this has happened, I know this kind of situation, it is not obvious. “
Stop permanent turnover
We know that the first team, and it’s a sad habit, has been facing injuries for months. We could even speak of years. Claude Puel, who arrived only twelve months ago, is in turn confronted with it. And therefore must turn the brain, from time to time, in order to compose a team worthy of the name. Still, the Castres also has the annoying tendency not to install its players in certain positions over time. Thus, we can trust what has been happening for weeks in the corridors of the defense. Mathieu Debuchy injured, one evening of victory in Marseille, Puel tries the (right) solution Aïmen Moueffek. Which, little by little, and despite successive defeats, shows very good things (as was the case against Montpellier). Problem, while the Greens move to Lyon, for THE big meeting of the season, we find in defense, and on the right, Mahdi Camara!
Admittedly, the performance of the latter, in line with what he has shown for months, was satisfactory, but how to give confidence, and consistency, to young people if we use them from time to time and if we do not always put them in the same positions. Ditto for the left side post. Miguel Trauco, that ASSE tried by all means to get rid of during the last transfer window, was the holder against the Lyonnais.
While Gabriel Silva, finally back from his long injury, was in Puel’s way before. We could develop the list of curious choices in all lines, while ASSE, especially in times of crisis and especially with young people, needs stability. Because we have the feeling that with the exception of Kolo behind, Neyou in the middle of the field and Abi in front (when he is not injured) that no one is guaranteed to ASSE to start a meeting.