Zapping Goal! soccer club Olympique Lyonnais: The question of the week
“Facing Lens on Saturday (1-2 defeat), ASSE again experienced a nightmarish scenario. What inspires me? That Puel – Dupraz, it’s the same fight. The coach has changed, new players have arrived but the result is the same. Success eludes this team, even when they play well and master their subject for almost 80 minutes. It’s always worrying. This defeat – the second in two Ligue 1 games for Pascal Dupraz – hurts a lot.
Against Racing, the rookies brought what they could. Ryad Boudebouz once again showed that he was an experienced player with technique and foresight above the fray. Unfortunately, as usual, Saint-Etienne were unlucky before fishing defensively… To the point of not being able to save even one point that would have meant so much. The symbol of all this is Yvann Maçon who certainly brought offensively but loose the marking on the goals. It is the symbol of this first half of the Saint-Etienne season.
“There is no longer any notion of a derby worthwhile”
Today, there are two ways of looking at things: either we tell ourselves that it’s over, or we still try to cling to the positive by telling ourselves that there are still a lot of direct confrontations in this mini bottom championship. By winning against Lens, the Greens would have rejoined the peloton of the six teams playing maintenance. By not winning, and even with the game late in Angers, there will always be a gap with the 19th. We’re really going to have to pull out all the stops in the cleaver matches. The wave that hits the green boat is particularly long but you have to tear yourself away to overcome it.
Friday is the derby in Lyon. Today, there is no longer any valid notion of a derby, it is not necessary to support the departure of the bus with smoke bombs… You must not move because it is Lyon. You have to move every game as if it were a Cup final. We have to go beyond this confrontation between OL and ASSE. It’s a fight for three points. Even if you have to play dirty, do anything, clear in touch 15 times in the match, the most important thing is to bring something back from Groupama Stadium. We are no longer in the blare, flags and colors of before, to fight for regional supremacy. We’re on a rescue plan. Saving the club means winning matches, derby or not. Obviously Lyon is not a thunderbolt at the moment but we know this team. On paper, OL are very superior and will be keen to continue against the enemy. You have to get into warrior mode.
“Mangala, it’s 100% validated”
For this match, ASSE could well count on a new face with Eliaquim Mangala. Last week, I joked about the fact that Saint-Etienne had become Merano for players at the end of their contract or running out of pace. Even though he hasn’t played for seven months, I don’t think Mangala is in this category of players. This track, I validate it 100%. We are talking this time about a name that carries, with experience in big clubs (Porto, Manchester City, Valencia), with experience in the France team. He is a player who imposes and who looks sharp after having chained the jogging on the beaches of Miami. He comes to strengthen an underserved area of the game: defense.
As much in front, with Wahbi Khazri, Ryad Boudebouz, Denis Bouanga or even Romain Hamouma who will return, ASSE solid weapons. It would lack a Robert Beric, who obviously wants to come back but that we don’t want to take back for some reason that I don’t know. About him, I really do not know what is going on in the heads of the leaders. We will probably never know because, from now on, they don’t even come to see the matches…
This parenthesis closed, I am delighted with the recruitment of a defender. Afterwards, I tell myself that it will still have been necessary to wait until January 17 for Saint-Etienne to realize that there is an emergency in this position. I don’t mind that we charge Claude Puel who did not want to recruit – even if it is not the echoes that I have – but this wait-and-see attitude is not his doing. I hope Mangala will be available as soon as possible. Behind, ASSE needs a taulier. Can we see it from the derby against Lyon on Friday? If he’s ready and the documents are signed on time, why not…”
The ASSE column by Denis Balbir
For Denis Balbir, ASSE tirelessly repeats the same scenario in Ligue 1. The defeat against RC Lens worries him but our consultant hopes that the Greens will be remobilized to approach the derby with a knife between their teeth.
