“crowding the midfield with players of the same abilities (Bodmer, Makoun, Ederson, Anderson, Fabio Santos)”–> i beg to differ..Claude Puel uses Mathieu Bodmer more as a central defender than the DM/CM position Bodmer became famous for at Lille.
Ederson and Makoun are two very different personas..Makoun is more of a Toulalan, a combative midfielder, and the hardman in midfield whereas Ederson is the spark and flair to start the attack with..

“Unlike Bayern, Lyon doesn’t possess the funds to pay over the odds for star players.” —> Lyon blew 58 million euros on players this season, more than the next three spenders on Ligue 1 COMBINED..so, relatively, they can spend big..

But i agree that Piquionne and Boumsong are SHITE!

Forget Tevez and get Benzema with Rooney and /or Berbatov playing-off him (in the “hole” as it were).