Lyon

When are they going to start really challenging for CL honours? They are always considered dark horses but invariably fail to make it past the quarters.

Looking at their squad/team, they seem to have enough talent. From my limited knowledge I would only say that they lack top class CB's, which obviously is very important, but otherwise I think there is little to differentiate them from most of the other top sides in Europe.

Bodmer, Keita, Benzema, Ederson, Juninho, Fred, Makoun, Toulalan, Pranjic, Lloris, all are/or have the potential to be top, top players.

Then you have the likes of Govou, Delgado, Grosso, Cris, Clerc etc who look to be decent/good players too.

Am I overrating them, or do people think they still have more to show in the CL? Maybe their squad turnover is simply too high each season (i.e. losing one of their best players each season) for them to truly gel?

Calidad wrote:When are they going to start really challenging for CL honours? They are always considered dark horses but invariably fail to make it past the quarters.

Looking at their squad/team, they seem to have enough talent. From my limited knowledge I would only say that they lack top class CB's, which obviously is very important, but otherwise I think there is little to differentiate them from most of the other top sides in Europe.

Bodmer, Keita, Benzema, Ederson, Juninho, Fred, Makoun, Toulalan, Pranjic, Lloris, all are/or have the potential to be top, top players.

Then you have the likes of Govou, Delgado, Grosso, Cris, Clerc etc who look to be decent/good players too.

Am I overrating them, or do people think they still have more to show in the CL? Maybe their squad turnover is simply too high each season (i.e. losing one of their best players each season) for them to truly gel?

Those in bold are the $h!t.

They need to phase out Juninho (provides suprisingly few assists outside of set pieces for an AM) and replace him with Bodmer.

When it comes to defence splitting passes - Bodmer is with Totti and Gerrard as best in Europe.

Their chance to win CL was 05/06 but Houllier's arse went at the crucial moment with Milan on the ropes.

They should get QF's but you'd be amazed if they won it.

Mind you, Man U couldn't beat Puel's Lille fairly and squarely and he has better players at Lyon - they finally seem to have a manager good enough for the players.

Havent seen too much french football in the last two years like i used too. what i do know is that Keita is one of the best dribblers i have seen. heard about him before but really noticed his skills at the african nations cup. allthough i read he hasnt been able to reproduce his Lille form for Lyon.

Regarding Lyon i think they were always overrated. they never beat a big side(except Real but they were very weak). so it didnt surprise me when they would go out ever year. allthough i cant really say what their problem is.before they lacked a really good striker me thinks but they have that now.

Nope, the turnover of players is too high to make this happen.

@robert

I am inclined to think that too

@pierre

Yes, I like the look of Bodmer. It was unfortunate for him last season that he was playing as a CB at times

@super

Don't forget Fred. Hopefully he turns things around this season, judging by his Wiki stats he is a very prolific striker

Since when is Pranjic a Lyon player?

Sorry, it was a typo. Pjanic not Pranjic is who they have. I believe he is a very talented midfielder

Yeah, he is one of the reasons Ben Arfa was allowed to leave.

His form at Metz was said to be brilliant for someone so young, it was rumoured that Barcelona were in for him at one stage. In an attacking sense Lyon are brilliant is defensively where I have my reservations. Replacing Coupet will not be an easy task.

Hopefully Lyon are pushed again for the French title, Bordeaux almost nicked it away from them last year. Marseille should improve under Gerets as well.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Calidad wrote:When are they going to start really challenging for CL honours? They are always considered dark horses but invariably fail to make it past the quarters.

Looking at their squad/team, they seem to have enough talent. From my limited knowledge I would only say that they lack top class CB's, which obviously is very important, but otherwise I think there is little to differentiate them from most of the other top sides in Europe.

Bodmer, Keita, Benzema, Ederson, Juninho, Fred, Makoun, Toulalan, Pranjic, Lloris, all are/or have the potential to be top, top players.

Then you have the likes of Govou, Delgado, Grosso, Cris, Clerc etc who look to be decent/good players too.

Am I overrating them, or do people think they still have more to show in the CL? Maybe their squad turnover is simply too high each season (i.e. losing one of their best players each season) for them to truly gel?

Those in bold are the $h!t.

They need to phase out Juninho (provides suprisingly few assists outside of set pieces for an AM) and replace him with Bodmer.

When it comes to defence splitting passes - Bodmer is with Totti and Gerrard as best in Europe.

Their chance to win CL was 05/06 but Houllier's arse went at the crucial moment with Milan on the ropes.

They should get QF's but you'd be amazed if they won it.

Mind you, Man U couldn't beat Puel's Lille fairly and squarely and he has better players at Lyon - they finally seem to have a manager good enough for the players.

Keita is a $h!t, not Bodmer and Makoun. Makou is an excellent defensive midfield. We clearly missed a good one when Essien left.

I don't think this time will go far in the champions league (maybe quarter final), because there have been too many changes, including the manager, which I respect a lot. Perrin was a mistake, everyone knew this straight away. Puel did quite well for Monaco and for Lille (had champions league spots two times in a row with Lille). Can Puel succeed with a bigger team? Certainly in France, but maybe not in the C.L.

We clearly need a left defender and a striker, because there's only Fred and Benzema.

As for the defense Cris was injured most of the season last year, so there's not too much to worry about. They are two many offensive midfielders Junihno, Bodmer, Keita, Delgado, Govou, Ederson, Pjanic, Kallstrom... I think Kallstrom will leave for sure.

The positive things this year are that:

- Fred, for once will have done the full summer training cessions,
- so Bodmer will play at his favorite position and not as a defender.

The guys to watch out Ederson, Pjanic, and Delgado.

Delgado came in the middle of the season, he was rather disappointing but some players need more time than others to settle down.

Lloris is going to replace Coupet without any problems. He was supposed to sign for Milan but finally decided to stay in France.