Already struggling in Ligue 1, Olympique Lyonnais failed to win Wednesday against Brest with extremely defensive tactics (0-0).
This new poor performance of a team now 10th in the championship is part of a very negative dynamic, at the end of a hardly reassuring transfer window and a settling of accounts by Jean-Michel Aulas, who targeted his former sports director Juninho .
If he did not deny a difficult climate around his team, Laurent Blanc especially insisted on the lack of efficiency.
At OL Park,
“Wah, this room is the Champions League.
When entering the Parc OL Auditorium on Wednesday evening, Brest coach Eric Roy was admiring.
Problem: the place now seems disproportionate, like the entire Décines stadium, since it has not hosted a single Champions League press conference since February 2020 and an OL-Juventus (1- 0).
This Lyon then able to climb into the last European square, during the Final 8 in Lisbon, has just taken only one point out of nine at home in Ligue 1 in 2023, despite an ultra-affordable schedule against Clermont (9th), Strasbourg (18th) and Brest (15th).
Condemned to the anonymity of the soft stomach after such a series (and therefore this 0-0 Wednesday), Olympique Lyonnais (10th) points to 11 points from Rennes (5th) and even 17 from OM,
In this context of disaster in Lyon, despite the takeover of the club by John Textor, no one can escape criticism from the supporters of the seven-time champion of France, from Laurent Blanc to Jean-Michel Aulas
himself.
And yes, even JMA, a presidential figure who became untouchable in the 2000s, has seen his balance sheet tarnished for several months.
His insistent swipes in the press last week against his former sporting director Juninho found an echo at Parc OL on Wednesday evening.
"Cheyrou resignation, Cheyrou resignation"
In the 8th minute of play of this match against Brest, the north bend indeed took up the cause of its Brazilian idol, bringing out its famous song "Juninho lalalalala, Pernambucano lalalalala".
In the presidential gallery, the Aulas-Ponsot-Cheyrou trio at the same time experienced a (new) galley evening, noting that even by shooting 28 times on goal, as against Strasbourg (1-2), the Lyon team was able to continue his disturbing place without scoring.
After this previous quack of January 14, Jean-Michel Aulas had delivered a sharp message to the bends: “When they attack leaders who are exemplary, it is me they are attacking.
They have to stop, it's particularly unfair.
Leave Vincent Ponsot and Bruno Cheyrou alone.
We have two high quality leaders who work day and night for the club.
“The south bend did it again on Wednesday by resuming after the meeting “Cheyrou resignation, Cheyrou resignation”.
On the front line due to his intriguing winter transfer window, the Lyon recruiting manager threw Laurent Blanc off balance, just like Peter Bosz before him, by not providing him with a defensive midfielder during this transfer window month.
And this, after having flirted with tasty panic buys in this position on Tuesday, like Fernando (Sevilla) and Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano).
How disappointed is the Lyon coach at not being able to count on a real sentinel, a position he wanted to strengthen as a priority?
"Ah but I don't have it, so we're not going to talk about that but about the match", slipped Lolo White on the subject on Wednesday.
"A somewhat heavy transfer window period"
When asked about the delicate climate at Parc OL, he replied with a forced laugh: “Ah, that's the least we can say.
The context is difficult for various reasons, we can understand and accept it.
I tell the players not to be afraid to go back to their field.
In the moments we are going through, we have to show character, personality.
“In bulk, Moussa Dembélé and Houssem Aouar (free in June) were again treated to their banner asking them to “clear” from the north bend, then to copious whistles, almost equal to those against Karl Toko Ekambi, for the entry into play of the former Celtic Glasgow striker.
How did the players finally experience this OL-Brest, and this winter transfer window until the end hectic?
“There is a lot of frustration, recognizes Maxence Caqueret.
We would like to finally win in front of our home crowd but we don't shoot enough, we don't take enough risks.
“And inevitably, the Lyon transfer window had an impact on the difficult month of January for OL, according to its midfielder: “This transfer window period is a bit heavy because we hear a lot of things.
We players try to stay focused and work hard in training.
And if possible by taking care of his efficiency in front of goal, right Lolo White?
“In the attitude of the Lyon players, there is a lack of spontaneity and aggressiveness to score, notes the former PSG coach.
I see situations from the bench where I myself feel that they are not going to do the right thing.
You have to be killers.
»
pic.twitter.com/m7OMLcKmLD
— BFL!
(@Nuggets1987) January 31, 2023
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Lacazette not a fan of the “Lyonnais DNA” concept
If Alexandre Lacazette (5 goals in his last 5 games) has not been "killer" in the Breton area on Wednesday, he has just cracked a funny
punchline
against the main Lyon leaders in
So Foot
.
"In my time, we had a lot of old people to support us and less pressure on our shoulders," says the former Gunners striker.
So this "Lyonnais DNA" thing that comes out every time, we have to stop.
“And bim, the current captain and symbol of this project of the current sports management buries the project of the current sports management.
Via a joint press release published on Tuesday, the Bad Gones and the Lyon 1950 go much further by scratching JMA, while announcing a demonstration before OL-Lens on February 12 to demand "the general restructuring of the sports center".
“The catastrophic situation known by the club is due to driving under automatic pilot, without a commander on board the ship, like chickens without heads.
Our Olympique Lyonnais, once feared on the pitch, envied and admired for its management, is today mocked, humiliated, mocked to the chagrin of its supporters.
»
With this 10th place, the current Lyon project comes up against competitors (Lens, Rennes, etc.) much better organized and tracing at a pace of champions.
"If we are eighth at the end of the season, I would have resigned before," announced Jean-Michel Aulas last September.
More and more Lyon supporters would like this declaration not to be limited to an announcement effect.
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Sport
Soccer
Olympique Lyonnais (OL)
League 1
Brest Stadium 29
Jean Michel Aulas
Lyons
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes