Comments on: Lyon – a team flattering to deceive http://soccerlens.com/lyon-a-team-flattering-to-deceive/33610/ Football News Fri, 25 May 2012 18:33:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bobotonto http://soccerlens.com/lyon-a-team-flattering-to-deceive/33610/#comment-119132 Bobotonto Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:10:04 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=33610#comment-119132 Well, luck, yes! But, as you point out yourself, there's never been much rhyme or reason or manager input on which buys to make. Aulas goes it alone, which is weird. It makes total sense to use Bodmer and Makoun together as they've done well together for so long, but, then, where are Kalstrom, Pjanic and Ederson strategically? Aulas buys players first and foremost with a view to selling them later, but it's different this time, because the old dream midfield was the result of a sort of lucky crapshoot. Now it all gets a lot more expensive and when players like Makoun, Boumsong and Gomis make the shocking number of fundamental errors they do, it obviously affects the fortunes of the brilliant Toulalan and Bastos. I expect Laurent Blanc to pull off another championship simply because his players like to play for him. I hope he doesn't get tempted by Aulas' cash. Do you live in France? Well, luck, yes! But, as you point out yourself, there’s never been much rhyme or reason or manager input on which buys to make. Aulas goes it alone, which is weird. It makes total sense to use Bodmer and Makoun together as they’ve done well together for so long, but, then, where are Kalstrom, Pjanic and Ederson strategically? Aulas buys players first and foremost with a view to selling them later, but it’s different this time, because the old dream midfield was the result of a sort of lucky crapshoot. Now it all gets a lot more expensive and when players like Makoun, Boumsong and Gomis make the shocking number of fundamental errors they do, it obviously affects the fortunes of the brilliant Toulalan and Bastos. I expect Laurent Blanc to pull off another championship simply because his players like to play for him. I hope he doesn’t get tempted by Aulas’ cash. Do you live in France?

]]> By: Yomi Akinyemi http://soccerlens.com/lyon-a-team-flattering-to-deceive/33610/#comment-119130 Yomi Akinyemi Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:37:00 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=33610#comment-119130 good point Bobotonto. Well you cant really fault Alaus for selling Essien, Diarra and other starlets due to the fact that the French domestic league is quite poor as a whole and thus those players would love to test themselves in a more competitive league. The main problem with Alaus & Lyon is the desire for European glory. For a club like Lyon to win the champions league, it needs to spend loads on good (not great players)and be blessed with a massive does of luck. This results in Alaus throwing lots of money to keep its pedigree in the domestic league but vastly improve in Europe. It's a hard task to pull off to be completely honest. good point Bobotonto. Well you cant really fault Alaus for selling Essien, Diarra and other starlets due to the fact that the French domestic league is quite poor as a whole and thus those players would love to test themselves in a more competitive league. The main problem with Alaus & Lyon is the desire for European glory. For a club like Lyon to win the champions league, it needs to spend loads on good (not great players)and be blessed with a massive does of luck.

This results in Alaus throwing lots of money to keep its pedigree in the domestic league but vastly improve in Europe. It’s a hard task to pull off to be completely honest.

]]> By: Bobotonto http://soccerlens.com/lyon-a-team-flattering-to-deceive/33610/#comment-119126 Bobotonto Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:22:22 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=33610#comment-119126 Aulas has always run his club like a millionaire grocer in denial of the rise of the supermarket. O.L. had the best midfield ever in Essien, Diarra and Pernumbucano and were a couple of purchases away from winning it all. Instead, Aulas was content with the love of the pundits and the rising repuation of his scouts and academy. It seemed like he played some very shrewd games--eg. expertly using Manchester United as a stalking horse to up the huge fees he received for Essien and Diarra from Real Madrid and Chelsea--to keep the club winning. But, as Yomi illustrates so clearly in this fine little piece, Aulas has never really appreciated exactly what he had, which is very clearly shown by the kind of random weirdness of the piecemeal purchases he has made. Simply put, the man knows a bit about business but zero about football. Puel, so brilliant with a budget, seems gobsmacked by Aulas' foibles. It's only a matter of time before he gets fired, but he will, surely, end up happier at a smaller club with a lower budget. Doubtless, all of Aulas' horse-trading will ultimately lead to a vast profit, but, surely, most of the fans weep to think of what might have been. Aulas has always run his club like a millionaire grocer in denial of the rise of the supermarket. O.L. had the best midfield ever in Essien, Diarra and Pernumbucano and were a couple of purchases away from winning it all. Instead, Aulas was content with the love of the pundits and the rising repuation of his scouts and academy. It seemed like he played some very shrewd games–eg. expertly using Manchester United as a stalking horse to up the huge fees he received for Essien and Diarra from Real Madrid and Chelsea–to keep the club winning. But, as Yomi illustrates so clearly in this fine little piece, Aulas has never really appreciated exactly what he had, which is very clearly shown by the kind of random weirdness of the piecemeal purchases he has made. Simply put, the man knows a bit about business but zero about football. Puel, so brilliant with a budget, seems gobsmacked by Aulas’ foibles. It’s only a matter of time before he gets fired, but he will, surely, end up happier at a smaller club with a lower budget. Doubtless, all of Aulas’ horse-trading will ultimately lead to a vast profit, but, surely, most of the fans weep to think of what might have been.

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