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taking her hair down like, "oh, my god" (Lyon - Wolfsburg Postgame Thoughts)

It wasn't a good game and maybe that's the whole point. Good teams have to find a way to win even when they're playing arguably their worse game of the season. It was slow and boring especially for a Lyon - WOB game.

I thought Renard was unusually sloppy. Gilles was solid because Gilles is solid, and I am now terrified that she will become The One That Got Away if Kang doesn't buy her out of the Angel City contract. Carpenter was somewhat different to the outcome in the first half but definitely woke up in the second. Bacha - and I will talk about her extension soon - was good, but what I really like how there wasn't a noticeable drop in quality when Svava was subbed on. I can't believe Real Madrid chose to prioritize Olga and let Svava walk away for free. Maybe she is Real Madrid's One That Got Away.

I thought the midfield was bad. Part of the season it was bad was because we had arguably three of Lyon's slowest midfielders on at the same time. Marozsan was back to the Marozsan I know so well, by that I mean slow and indifferent to both the outcome and defending. Being technically gifted isn't a pass for indifference. Damaris was sloppy too. I'm not sure if it was tiredness or something else, but she's usually a bit more clean than she was today. Horan made some good decisions and some really bad ones. Van de Donk seemed to remember that winning is fun and in order to win you actually have to score. But it also goes back to what I'v just said, in order for Lyon's midfield to work you need at least one of the midfielders to have pace.

Hegerberg was kind of sloppy but wasn't getting great balls either, so I'm tempted on giving her a pass on that. Diani had a bad first half and much like Carpenter, woke up in the second. Chawinga is running out of time to justify her price tag. Now again I think you can't always be selective about tiredness - if a majority of the squad's senior players get a pass for a bad performance due to exhaustion, then that excuse has to be eligible across the board for the starters. But as I also said, exhaustion isn't a free pass for indifference.

I also want to raise an interesting discussion point: Lyon is singlehandedly carrying France's UEFA coefficient right now. By winning all the group stage games, Lyon overcame the points lost by Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC failing to qualify for said group stage. Now in order to maintain the overall coefficient Lyon will have to win the UWCL, but at least the first challenge is over with.

I'd love to get Real Madrid in the quarters because I am a sucker for a good Case of The Ex (@Bruun come home, the kids haven't been the same since you left). However I don't think the Sports Gods are that merciful and we will end up getting one of Barcelona or Love Island FC, two teams with equally morally reprehensible fan bases.

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writing letters addressed to the fire (Galatarasay - Lyon Postgame Thoughts)

What did we learn about this game? Quite a lot, actually, even though it was at times a little boring.

Hegerberg got a decent amount of minutes, scored, and didn't get injured. Is it safe to say she's back? Not yet, but she is definitely getting there. There were a couple of bad misses which I am willing to excuse as rust, but the grace period isn't indefinite. The moment which really made me smile was when she tapped her imaginary watch as the Galatarasay players were rolling around during yet another break in play. Hegerberg has no patience for blatant time wasting, especially so early in the first half.

Both Dumornay and Diani were really bad this game. They both held onto the ball too much, made bad choices, and let the frustration of having a bad game get to them. If Diani gets in her head and goes quiet when things go wrong, Dumornay gets more erratic and the frustration becomes more visible. It's frustrating because I think she can be a really good player but she has got to start learning to manage her emotions better.

Carpenter was uncharacteristically sloppy in the opening 10-15 minutes of the game, but got better as the game progressed, and her cross for Hegerberg's goal was really good. She has improved a lot this season, be it because now there is genuine competition for her spot with Huerta, there is actual rotation, or maybe just the coach is good. Who knows? I will take it either way. But I think we're really seeing her grow as a player this season.

Renard was solid except for one nervy moment, which was also uncharacteristic. Sombath did good but isn't on the same level as Gilles. That being said, I'm curious what the lineup will be against Nantes. Lyon plays Nantes in Lyon on Saturday, and I think we will see more rotation ahead of the big Wolfsburg game next Tuesday.

Two comments about the substitutes: I'm surprised that Huerta came on for Bacha instead of Svava but will let it pass considering Lyon has two more games to play in the next 6 days; if Horan had missed the bicycle kick the way Becho did Twitter would have had an absolute meltdown and demanded Horan be sold effective immediately. Since they would never have double standards, I take this as they will join my incentive to get Becho to transfer to another team in the January window.

The biggest football crime is people pretending that Becho is good that Le Sommer plays on the same team at the same time as Hegerberg. I still feel to this day that Le Sommer doesn't get the recognition she so rightfully deserves. She is everything you could ever want in a footballer (barring maybe height?), and I just wish people would appreciate her more. As a romantic I would have loved her 50th UWCL goal to have been against Wolfsburg but I guess not all love stories happen when you want them to.

I keep thinking back to the start of the season when Mbock wasn't replaced, the Svava signing was announced, Bacha's surgery was announced, and Huerta was signed (not in that specific order). But I remember the absolute (and in my opinion, justified) outrage at what Lyon's defense would look like. There was a ton of doom predicting. There was absolute head loss. But look at where we are now: Lyon is top of the group, guaranteed to finish first, has only conceded one goal so far in the UWCL (TBD if that changes against Wolfsburg), two goals in the actual league.

We have to give credit where credit is due: Montemurro may not be a perfect coach, but he has done a really good job so far with Lyon. He has managed this team well and got them playing well. I am not certain that anyone can say with absolute confidence that they predicted Lyon's stats would look like they are now in Summer 2024.

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and there you are with sitting as usual with your golden notebook writing about someone who used to be me (Le Havre - Lyon Postgame Thoughts)

Yes it's a long song lyric but whatever, the whole line is needed for it to make sense.

Anyway. We can chat about The Alcott later, let's talk about me avoiding doing laundry the Le Havre game.

There was a fair amount of Twitter outrage at Montemurro's comment that academy players would get playing time only for him to only take Belhadj, who did not play at all, Sombath, who played 45 minutes and a lot of that was because of the knock Svava received, and Becho, whose contributions I refuse to acknowledge. "This was the perfect game to play academy players!" Twitter armchair experts exclaimed.

Yes and no.

Rotation is important and there were definitely players who should not have played 90 minutes: van de Donk's performance was somewhat mediocre but she is going to be playing with the Netherlands this break; Marozsan was slightly more engaged in the game's outcome but isn't exactly the definition of youth; Gilles played 90 despite being selected for Canada. Renard I'm not thrilled about playing 90 but it's also not a hill I am interested in dying on.

So it was a pretty strong lineup considering the opposition was Le Havre. But people are misreading it. The opposition wasn't really Le Havre, it's PSG. Lyon only has a 1-point lead over PSG. They can't afford to risk dropping points unless and until PSG starts dropping points too. Yes, there are playoffs at the end of the season, but even then you want to be in the best position and that means hosting it. To do that, you need to finish first in the regular season.

Right now Lyon is poised to do that, but there are a lot of games left and not very much breathing room. So I get why Montemurro went back on his word about academy players getting minutes. If you look at it from the point of Lyon conserving their advantage, it makes sense. Lyon just doesn't have enough breathing room to fuck around and find out what academy kids may or may not be capable of, not with only one point between them and PSG.

This game will be forgotten about and rightfully so. Lyon won, cool. Was it their best game of the season? No. Was it realistic to believe it could/should have been? Also no. Lyon always gets a UWCL hangover and this game was no exception. The intensity and pass accuracy wasn't there, it took way too long for Lyon to actually get shots off and even longer to get one on target.

Part of that is because of how well Le Havre was playing. They're currently in a relegation battle but I think it's a Nantes/ASSE situation where if you give this team a little bit of time to gel - and maybe a bit more funding - then you could see something really interesting. Le Havre's intent was there, you could see what they were trying to do, but realistically they just didn't have the physicality and technique to beat Lyon. That doesn't mean they made things easy for Lyon. But Le Havre showed promise and intent and I think we have to give credit where credit is due.

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let's fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later (Lyon - AS Roma Postgame Thoughts)

That tweet was posted after the first leg of the UWCL semi-final against PSG and we saw a similar thing today: a Lyon team who was just bad for the better part of 70 minutes, conceded a goal, and then woke up.

I said to someone that I wasn't sure if AS Roma was playing well or Lyon was playing badly; honestly I think it was a bit of both. AS Roma played a pretty good game. I think you have to give credit where credit is due because the scoreline may be unflattering to them but also doesn't tell the whole story.

And the story goes something like this: Lyon was really, really bad throughout most of the game. The passes were sloppy, the pace was slow, the intensity was almost nonexistent. Lyon was playing like a team who didn't really want to be there and didn't have an investment in the outcome of the game.

They were bad, but they were also bad across the board. Van de Donk was nonexistent. Dumornay was the epitome of sloppy passes. Damaris was careless. Horan was slow, but why people are suddenly picking on her lack of pace now when we knew it as far back as January 2022 is beyond me. Also, as I said before, a lot of criticism towards Horan feels more as bitterness/annoyance that she is playing instead of their favorite [academy?] player and less a criticism in good faith. Her form has been "bad", sure, but it's nowhere near as dire as the Twitter armchair specialists say it is.

Chawinga really needs to start justifying her price tag, and Diani finally did today. A little late but better late than never I guess. The sentimental part of me wants Le Sommer to get her 50th UWCL goal against Wolfsburg because a historical and important rivalry such as the Lyon-WOB one needs to be celebrated accordingly.

I thought the defense was pretty solid. Svava is obviously the standout and boy is she making everyone who had a massive head loss after her signing eat their words. And yes, I am including myself in that. But she is just such a solid defender. She knows what she is capable of and stays within that perimeter. There's no showboating, no risk taking, just a quiet player who stays within her job description. How wrong we all were about her, and how glad I am that we were so, so wrong.

The rest of the backline was pretty solid too. I think Carpenter works better with Diani on the right than when Dumornay drifts right, but that is mainly because they have played together on that side for longer. On the whole I think Carpenter had a decent match - it wasn't her best one, but it was good, it was solid. The same can be said of Gilles - she's played better games, sure, but she did her job, and that's what matters. Renard made a couple of errors but it wasn't anything that really spiked my blood pressure.

But let's talk about the game itself. I think the real problem was the midfield. It was just so stagnant for a majority of the game, little movement, sloppy passes, lack of intensity. Since Lyon lives and dies by their midfield, when the midfield is as off as it was today, it affects every other part of their game as well.

AS Roma took advantage of that sloppiness and indifference and opened the score, and I think that's what was needed for Lyon to finally become invested in the game. Which is fine in some ways because it showed us Lyon can still be Lyon when they want to be: vexed, vengeful benefactors who hate the thought of losing so much it embeds itself in their DNA.

And although there were similarities with the PSG game for me there were also a couple differences. PSG took their foot off the gas and Lyon eventually decided to take the game seriously. I don't think AS Roma took their foot off the gas in this game, I think Lyon simply woke up and decided to punish them, possibly for waking them up. Basically I don't think AS Roma's level actually dropped, I think Lyon just stepped it up a couple of gears and decided to get to work.

Lyon plays away at Le Havre on Saturday. I expect a fair amount of turnover as Le Havre is currently bottom of the league - kind of consistent with last season despite some people's selective memory - and it's right before the international break, so Montemurro will want to manage minutes in exchange for the national teams managing minutes in return. Life is about compromise.

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history's a letter made of scarlet, victories look better when you've called it (Lyon - ASSE Postgame Thoughts)

It really bothers me when this is marketed as a rivalry because while it is on the men's side, the disparity is just so big on the women's side that it just doesn't really come close to being a proper rivalry. Lyon/PSG is a proper rivalry because of the amount of bad blood between them, the gulf is just so big between Lyon and ASSE that it honestly feels a little disingenuous to market it as something even close to a rivalry. But it's not just Lyon/ASSE, I feel that way about Barcelona/RM, Arsenal/Spurs, etc. When the gap is that big, it's hard to say it's a rivalry.

But I digress. Let's talk about the game.

Lyon played well especially considering there was such a large turnover. Horan is not the awful player Twitter Analysts claim she is. Now, I will concede that she scored four goals against ASSE, a team so bad they made even Becho look good, but still. Horan played well and scored goals. It is what it is.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Carpenter's form this season is directly related to Lyon signing Huerta. I don't necessarily think she was complacent per se before but having that threat of competition has definitely been good for her. It's given her that extra push. I think her crossing is good - she's starting to deliver in terms of assists. Her pass percentage is up though I would like to see it consistently in the 95 percent plus range. The point is, we're definitely seeing an improved player this season. That's good.

There was concern - not unwarranted - about Montemurro coming in this season but I think we have to give credit where credit is due. Lyon has been playing really good football under him (for the most part). They're consistently a fun team to watch and gone is the stale style of play from the latter part of Bompastor's reign. Now, will this form last? Who knows. But right now Lyon hasn't conceded a goal since the opening game against Fleury, has a massive GD advantage, has kept a significant number of clean sheets... At a certain point we have to admit he is doing a good job.

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your past and mine are parallel lines, stars all aligned and they intertwined

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you know how to ball, I know Cicero (AS Roma - Olympique Lyonnais Postgame Thoughts)

I don't care if the title is a bad pun, it still needed to be made. And for the record I can quote Cicero.

Philosophy and Lyon happen to be two things I love talking about, and what better time to get philosophical than when trying to delay inputting time entries after a UWCL game against AS Roma?

It wasn't a perfect game but it was, for all intent and purposes, a good game. I thought the teams were pretty evenly matched. Lyon was bigger, stronger and more technical but that doesn't mean that AS Roma rolled over at the sight of Lyon. Quite the contrary, they didn't hold back and had a bit of a go at Lyon, who enjoyed that a bit.

Carpenter isn't always at the heart of scuffles but managed to be at the scene of the crime in every single one this game. Carpenter losing it at the end of the first half and beefing with AS Roma's captain honestly gets funnier every time I watch the replay, in part because Carpenter pulls up before actually doing anything. Gilles found herself being the closest adult and stepped in, Damaris thought about intervening but decided against it. Honestly it was an amazing sequence.

Then Renard, Gilles and Carpenter got into it with AS Roma's coaching staff when walking to the tunnel at the half time.

Not satisfied, Carpenter then decided to start beefing with half the AS Roma lineup and I legitimately laughed out loud when she started beefing with Saki Kumagai of all people.

And you know what, I don't know why Carpenter was so pissed off at AS Roma's fouls because I guarantee you she has played against dirtier teams but it triggered something in her and this was easily her best game of the season. So hats off to her. I always said to give her a little bit of time to become the defender Lyon wanted her to be and I think we are getting there. And the cool thing is we still have her for a couple of years!

I know that hating on Horan is in style at the moment but so much of it feels like bitching for the sake of bitching. I think there are legitimate criticisms to be made: Horan is slow, her lack of pace does affect Lyon's speed on a counter attack, and sometimes her decision-making is the wrong one. Those are all legitimate. But you are being so deliberately dishonest if you're saying she is the worse player on the team and should be sold. I can think of at least three, four other players who need to be off the roster and payroll before you even get to Horan.

Also, and this is another thing - the leaders in the locker room have before and will do so again make it very clear when they push a player out because they feel she doesn't have the level anymore. They're not doing that with Horan.

Dislike a player all you want, but at least be upfront about why you don't like a player, because at this point it feels like you're just bitching because it's fashionable and/or she is playing in the place of your favorite player.

I think it was a pretty good game. Chawinga is still struggling and we are getting to the point where she needs to start explaining why her price tag is so high, but I also think there is a steeper learning curve with Lyon than maybe all parties concerned were expecting. So I am tempted on giving her a grace period but it's not an indefinite one. There weren't any outrageous misses from her but just a couple of bad decisions here and there. It should be cleaned up eventually.

Ender was good, back line was good, God I hope Carpenter beefs with the entire AS Roma team next week, midfield was pretty good, forwards were fine. Honestly not a lot to nitpick.

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Selma Bacha Twitter Space Recap

I'm not translating it in full because it was done by amateur journalists and I don't feel comfortable using their work since they're already not getting paid, but there were interesting points of discussion so I'll do a summary.

As of today she has not entered into any contract negotiations with Lyon, claiming that her priority was her rehab and that she had agents in place to take care of contract negotiations. Reading between the lines it feels like a departure but she also said it depends on how her return to competition goes. At this point in time I would be more surprised if she stays than if she leaves.

She is ahead of schedule for making a return. She is already training with the first team. She implied that she would be back "very soon" which I took to mean maybe ASSE based on the upcoming schedule. I don't think she will play either of the AS Roma games due to the physicality of those two games.

I thought the Space gassed her up a bit and they said some things I really disagreed with, but they also held her accountable. There was a long back and forth about her injury (she basically severed two out of three ligaments in her ankle and was going around on one ligament). As a recap, she injured her ankle in a friendly against Australia in the World Cup, played in the World Cup, played an entire season with Lyon, played the Olympics, then decided to get surgery after the Olympics. The Space pointed out that it felt like she was using her last year at Lyon to rehab and then trot off to a new club. That raised her heckles a bit and she said that she basically sacrificed her body for a year for her club and country but knew she would be able to recover. She also said she understood why people felt the way they did, but she knows what her intentions were. In what is obviously a dig at Mbock, she said she would never disrespect the club (going to Barcelona would be a bit disrespectful but that's nitpicking I guess).

She was asked about Karchaoui's comments about how important it is for the French league for the best French players to stay in France. She said she agreed with the sentiment but pointed out there are basically two attractive clubs, Lyon and PSG, and it shifts the burden to those two clubs to be competitive rather than the league needing to step up. She also said that she feels there is progress being made in the league and it is going in the right direction.

She was asked about Lyon - PSG transactions. She said that while she understands that players have to do what is in their best interest, she doesn't understand why you would leave a club that wins for a club that doesn't. Bacha is a PSG hater first and a Lyon academy product second.

She was also asked whether Lyon has become less attractive as a club with the emergence of Chelsea and Barcelona. Her response was "Lyon never dies". She said that Lyon remains very consistent in terms of being in competitions and winning, but touched back on what she said earlier about how the burden has shifted to Lyon on staying competitive rather than the league stepping up.

In what will no doubt offend the academy propagandists, she said there is a massive gulf being between in the academy and being in the pro team, and that just because you shine in the academy it doesn't mean you will succeed with the pro team. The biggest difference is the level of intensity and the reality is most of the academy players aren't able to handle the intensity of the top level.

She was asked if she has talked to French players who play overseas about how they feel about different leagues. She said she has but wasn't going to name them, but if you read between the lines it was obvious she was talking about Cascarino.

Bacha also said that focusing on making the league being "family friendly" would curb rivalry games, which are the main clashes in a league. They discussed Lyon - PSG games and she said that when you're in a hostile environment, the stakes become higher and you play better football. Booing etc brings out the competitiveness, and she doesn't think muzzling supporters is the way forward.

She was originally meant to be a 10 before the academy turned her into being a defender.

She was also asked how she feels about fans criticism. They brought up how French fans feel very disillusioned about the state of the French team and wonder why they should bother supporting the French National Team when there is never anything to show for it. Bacha responded "are you trying to make me cry?" They pressed her more on it but she said that while she does think that you need to support a team when they're down, it's also up to them to win fans back.

She was asked about scheduling but specifically when you go from club to country. She said that typically, you get called up when you're playing well with your club. If you're playing well with the club, it means you're focused and doing your job. You're physically ready. She said that's why it's an issue when players from non-competitive clubs get called up because their clubs have lower standards, therefore it will affect their performance at the National Team. This was particularly relevant under Diacre's reign of terror.

They discussed the difference between a mental coach and a therapist. Lyon employs the latter. She said she has a mental coach to prepare her for the games and Lyon uses the therapists (there are three) to discuss what happens during/after the games. She said the decision to have a mental coach is personal, some players need them, others wouldn't work well with a mental coach.

They touched briefly on Montemurro. The Space was a little outraged at his comment about how Lyon needs to go as far as possible in the UWCL and that he didn't say the goal was to win. Bacha said that Lyon's goal was to get the UWCL back, and the Space commented on the linguistics of that - "get it back" implies that it belongs to Lyon, winning implies there isn't a possession. Bacha also defended Montemurro and said that he was a very humble coach, and that's why he didn't say in the same terms that she did.

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It’s REALLY interesting how some people are picking and choosing what they want to criticize Newsom over.

“Omg he harasses the homeless!” He also continues to push for affordable housing for the low-income and/or homeless population. So which is it?

He helped removed a homeless encampment - and??? So what. Anyone who wants to pretend homeless encampments are not a problem are welcome to take a stroll down downtown LA, preferably at night, then report back their feelings about homeless encampments.

And if you want to bitch about the cost of housing why don’t we talk about how Newsom is the one pushing the bills forward and it’s the voters who keep voting against it.

Newsom was also granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples way before it was legal. Thought y’all were all about LGBT rights? Do we pretend he didn’t do it because it’s, well, Newsom?

“He has such disdain for Republicans, he will never get cross over voters!” You know what, great. I am so sick of people pretending that ANYONE voting for Trump, or Republican, has a shred of moral decency. You want to vote for someone who does despicable things, you get to deal with the consequences. You get to be called despicable to your face.

I am SO FUCKING SICK of the moral grandstanding individuals who are responsible for electing Trump. “Kamala Harris didn’t do exactly what I wanted from a politician therefore I won’t vote for her!” Those people are why we got an absolute maniac in the White House. Newsom will fight like hell for his people. Let’s take the muzzle off and fucking bite back.

Newsom isn’t perfect by any means but let’s have someone who will fight - literally - for your rights to be respected.

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Danielle van de Donk Olympique & Lyonnais Interview (November 2, 2024)

I really hate translating van de Donk stuff because of the fucking bunny boiler stans she has. Parasocial relationships are so fucking weird and creepy.

No funny disclaimers because I am equal part PISSED OFF and depressed at the results of the 2024 Presidential Elections. As I said before, I hope everyone who voted for Trump gets exactly what they deserve. If there was ever a definition of a morally reprehensible piece of shit ...

Interview done before the PSG game.

Van de Donk: "Show that Lyon is still better" than PSG

At the club for four seasons now, Danielle van de Donk has become one of the leaders in Lyon's locker room. Before playing PSG this Sunday (2pm), the Dutch woman had a long conversation with Olympique & Lyonnais about the start of the season, Joe Montemurro's arrival but also her role as a role model for the younger players.

Olympique & Lyonnais: Danielle, after the Lyon draw against Paris FC, was it good mentally to go be with the National Team?

Danielle van de Donk: Yeah, it was really nice being with the National Team. We had a really good international break. I think it came at the right time for everybody. My personal performances with the National Team were really good, so, yes, I was happy to be back with them.

Did that make it easier to move on to other things after Paris FC?

Yes, I think so. It's really disappointing for us because we created a lot of chances in this game and we didn't score. We want to win every game we play, so it wasn't very fun. It's good to have a break at that point. I think we had a pretty packed schedule with Wolfsburg and another game [I too want to forget about the Dijon game].

The coach said on Friday that the staff worked around the players' fitness to prepare for the PSG game. Where are you at?

For me, the international break is always a bit quieter. It's also because I am one of the older players on the national team as well. When I get there, they change the program so I can recover and perform well. And it's the same way here at Lyon, they look at how many minutes you've played with the national team and adapt the training session accordingly [might be news to Carpenter but whatever]. So everything is a bit easier.

To go back to the Paris FC game, you said it was a frustrating game. How do you explain that?

I think it's mainly because we weren't able to put away our chances. We had a lot of opportunities to score and there are games when the ball just won't go in. Playing for Lyon means you want to win every game. So it's frustrating to have drawn having taken so many shots. Those games are always a bit difficult because if you don't score, you're at risk of your opponent scoring. Thankfully that wasn't the case, at least we got a draw. But it's frustrating because we should have gotten three points, we were so much better, we had so many chances to score, but we didn't do it.

"PSG is still our rival, we want to beat them"

It also cost Lyon the top place in the table. Is it anecdotal because of the new format in the league or does that bother you?

It remains anecdotal, but we are competitors and we want to be at the top the whole season. It's not the case currently, but we are determined to fix that as soon as Sunday...

PSG is top of the table and is coming on Sunday (2pm). Is there more of an obligation to win than usual? Is there a bit more excitement?

Yes, obviously. But as I said, I think we need to be ... how to say this ... We should win every game. We are better than the other teams, so we need to win. We were held to a draw against Paris FC, sometimes it doesn't go the way we want, but I think it's been the case since the start of the season. Our standards are always there as well, so we just need to win. Lyon - PSG is always the biggest clash in the league.

Last year, Lyon played PSG six times between the league, the UWCL and the Trophée des Championnes. Is there still a little bit of excitement to play against them?

It's always a good game even if we've played them so many times. It's always really exciting. It's always a good way to respond to critics and to send a message to PSG or to others who think we are finished. But Sunday, we want to show we're still the strongest and still the best.

"Montemurro has this ability to adapt"

Joe Montemurro came to Lyon and Fabrice Abrien to PSG. Is that going to change the game compared to other years?

A game remains a game and we need to win it. But with the arrival of new coach, it's also different because he isn't French which for me makes a huge difference. Because the French are a bit more rigid and only see one way to do things. And with Joe, I think there are possibilities, more systems, for example. So yeah, it could be very different with him, but it's still the same object, the same feeling.

Since the start of the season, you've played in a 4-3-3 or 3-4-4. Lindsey Horan talked about Tiki-Taka, is it something you like?

The 4-3-3, as you said, I'm Dutch, so for me it's like being at home. I can think about that formation and imagine all the tactics which go with it. But in my career, I've had so many different coaches, I've played in England, in Sweden, so there I've been exposed to a lot of tactics and a lot of systems. I like it when a team can adapt to the opponent, so if one way of doing things isn't working, then you can easily switch to a 4-4-2 for example. Yes, I love the 4-3-3, I think it suits me as a player, but I like other formations as well and I think I learn more as a player when I have played in different formations.

Could that be one of the key elements against PSG on Sunday?

Yes, I think so. It's also something I really like with Joe. If we're playing in a formation and he sees it isn't working, he immediately changes it. And we work on a lot of formations in practice, so we know what we need to do when things change in a game. It's one of the biggest advantages he has as a coach.

"I am certainly not the coach's favorite!"

You're reunited with head Coach Montemurro after being at Arsenal. How is the reunion going?

Very well. He is always ... well, not always, but most of the time very, very happy. He is really involved when he coaches, which has a positive influence on the team. I think it's really funny how he is learning to speak French. He really tries to speak French sometimes, but it's only one or two words, and then he switches to English. It's very funny because he tells us "simply speak in English, we all understand it". But he tries, and that's good. [@Kang!!!]

Do you see a difference in his management style compared to the first time you had him?

I get the impression that during practice sessions, for example, he is much more involved. He is really right there behind us. You feel like you have to be at your best during training or there will be consequences. He wasn't like that before, so I like that.

Is there any truth to the rumor that you are his favorite?

His favorite? Absolutely not! (laughter) If something isn't working, it's my fault, I get the impression that since he knows me, he thinks he can do that with me. On the other hand I know he likes me, but I am definitely not his favorite! (smiles)

You are part of the older generation of players. How do you see yourself evolve as a player at Lyon?

I think I can still learn. To be honest, before coming to Lyon, and I am only speaking for myself, but I thought I was a really good player. I arrive at Lyon and I say to myself "oh, wow, these players are incredible." And they were so nice. I said to myself "okay, I can learn a lot from these players." I think I learn a lot from watching my teammates do things. For example, Maro (Dzsenifer Marozsan), she is incredible, but you get the feeling everything is happening in slow motion. And I ask myself why? Because when I play, I'm quick, everything goes fast. She is so calm, but you can never get the ball from her. So I watch and I tell myself "I need to learn from you." I watch everyone and I study everyone. I have experience, but I continue to discover new things.

Do you think that's what makes this team so strong? Being able to learn from each other despite what they've accomplished in their careers?

It's what I think. Also, one of the strengths of this team is that we play for Lyon, so everyone wants playing time, but that's not possible. So if someone doesn't play, there is no hatred within the team. We continue to help each other and learn from one another. I've never experienced at another club in my life, it's very special.

"Having individual programs in the team is a really good thing"

Lyon has a lot of leaders, are you one of them?

I don't know. I think that off the pitch, I like to joke around and just create a good atmosphere ... Make it so that everyone feels welcome. I don't want someone to feel uncomfortable so I am always there for everybody. But on the pitch I am a leader, but not vocally ... just in my playing style.

Is it different with the Netherlands?

Not necessarily ... A little bit in training, but not as much. I just show my energy on the pitch and show that I am there to win. For example, Wendie (Renard) is one of the greatest captains and she can speak before a game and it really touches me. But I can't do that myself. I'll go to see people individually during the week and say to them "Hey, you're really good at this or you need to do this or that". So to be honest, I don't know if I am really a leader.

Did the arrival of Joe Montemurro bring something extra to the team?

Yes. The staff that came with Joe, I really like them. They are all really nice. For example, I'm 33 years old, so I don't have a lot of one-on-ones meetings. But I had a meeting with the assistant coach, Pala (Joseph Palisades) and he showed me my game day videos. He didn't know me really well and I didn't know him, but he, having watched the clips, he understood me as a football player. So he said to me "I think I can help you on this point and on this point". And I said super, I want that. But for me, it's really special because usually it takes a bit of time for people to come to you and make you better. But they broke things down individually and I think that really brings to the team as well.

"I want children to look up to us and tell themselves it's possible"

This Sunday, there will be more than 15,000 people at Parc OL including young girls. Do you get the feeling to be a source of inspiration for these youngsters?

Yes. I think it's really important that as big players, we inspire people. It's all I want to do, really. I want young kids to look up to us and tell themselves they want to be like us on the pitch later. Because when I was younger, I went to watch PSV men games and all that I could think of was "wow, I want to play in a full stadium." But it wasn't possible at the time, or if it was, you had to go to the US. It's now possible in the Netherlands. It's also possible in France.

15,000 people, it's quite far from the record from last season...

I don't think people completely realize how important it is for the players that the stadium is full, that it is packed. Because they inspire us as much as we inspire them.

You've played in England, how would you compare the development on women's football in France with that in England?

They had the Euros at home and they won it, that's why everything fell into place. It was the same thing in the Netherlands. So I think that a tournament at home, it really helps to inspire people. And you just have to do it so that people watch you. That's where we are at at Lyon and in France. People just need to come watch us and I think they will be hooked.

[redwineconversation]

Fuck anyone who ever supported Republicans and/or voted for Donald Trump. You deserve every bad thing that ever happened and will happen to you.

[redwineconversation]

Upcoming Stuff

Renard OLPlay interview

van de Donk Le Progres interview, which I am dreading doing because of the fucking bunny boilers

Endler Le Progres interview

Gilles interview from the beginning of the season which I keep threatening to translate and never got around to doing

[redwineconversation]

and the interstate was so loud, there was a lot to drown out (Lyon - PSG Postgame Thoughts)

There was good and there was less good, but there wasn't really "bad". So let's pour ourselves a cup of coffee and have a good and proper chat about things.

I wouldn't really describe this game as memorable, and I think that's what's upsetting a lot of people. It wasn't chaotic, there was no blood drawn, there were no exceptional comebacks. In many ways, it was a really, really boring game. Not much happened. Or did it?

Lyon's finishing is obviously still an issue but it's not as bad as I think certain people on Twitter are making it out to be. Lyon shot at goal almost 30 times, 11 of which were on goal. People will complain that Lyon "only" won 1-0, and I agree it should have been more. BUT this isn't like the game against Paris FC where it genuinely felt like Lyon was shooting for the sole purpose of saying they did. Here there was intent. It could have/should have been more, but Lyon hit the post I think it was three (3) times, Katoto - a striker - saved twice off the line, Earps actually came up with good saves. Like this wasn't a team who was shooting with no intent, they were shooting and coming up with a good defense. So yeah, it was "just" 1-0, but it could have been more if not for PSG defending like their life was on the line.

It's not to say Lyon always made the right choices in front of goal. I still remain on the fence about Dumornay - girl, just keep your head down and do your job; Hegerberg's shot was awful but at least she felt enough shame to apologize for it. Chawinga scored, cool, but there's still some issues there which need sorting. And again I am not buying the excuse of "well she isn't used to being around technical players" because PSG can be a technical team. She just needs to make better decisions. I think she'll get there eventually.

Damaris was my player of the match, you're allowed your wrong opinion. Lyon is just so lucky to have her and we're lucky that she describes Lyon as the club of her dreams. It's easy to romanticize a team when the players do it for you. Damaris suits Lyon the same way Lyon suits Damaris. And the cool thing is, Damaris is only going to get better with experience. We don't have the polished version yet, and that's super exciting. If Henry molded Lyon into her own image, I think we're starting to see Damaris do the same. I hope she stays injury free this season and we really get to see what she does with the keys to a Maserati.

People were bitching on Twitter about van de Donk/Horan in the midfield and honestly I think they were bitching for the sake of bitching because it is fashionable to hate on those two players. Neither of them did anything which raised my blood pressure. Horan missed a couple of chances, sure, but if you're going to hate on Horan for that, then I expect the same criticism towards Durmonay and Diani, who also missed clear chances. If anything I thought van de Donk played a little handbreak-ish, so if you're going to bitch about her performance, bitch about that.

Defense was stellar. Look, I'm not going to deny it, I probably had the biggest head loss out of everyone when Svava signed with Lyon and she has proven me wrong every single week. I was very, very vocal about how there was night and day between Svava and Bacha, that recruiting a backup LB was beneath Lyon, etc. But look at us now. You could make a genuine case that she has been the best defender on the team so far this season. And it's not to say the others have been bad, because they haven't been. She is just very consistent, which is something I really appreciate in a player. She doesn't showboat, she doesn't do more than she is capable of. Someone said she is aware of her limitations and so stays within her perimeter. So we definitely need to give her credit.

I've also seen a lot of head loss about Montemurro and I have to say, I don't really agree with it, and he was not in my Top 5 choices for head coach. I think there is a bit of confirmation bias - a lot of the time the ones screaming #JoeOut are the same ones who think Lyon should focus on being an academy development team and stuff like that. No. I don't give a fuck if academy players get playing time or not. I just want to win.

And I honestly think Lyon, barring the Paris FC game, has been playing well this season. Compare to how stale the performances were under Bompastor at the end to how they're playing now, there's an obvious difference. Lyon is playing with purpose again, it seems like they're enjoying themselves on the field, etc. If your criticism is that he is not benching Horan/van de Donk and isn't giving academy players playing time ... Maybe your problem isn't with Montemurro, maybe it's what you want from Lyon.

And again I do have issues with Montemurro, he's made decisions that I don't agree with. But I don't think he is a bad coach and I think none of the realistic criteria for him to be fired are being met. Lyon is playing well. They are winning games. And he hasn't lost the locker room and believe me, we will know when that happens (because yes, all coaches lose the locker room eventually). Whining that he should be fired because he isn't benching Horan or isn't playing your favorite academy player isn't a good look. The fact of the matter is, Lyon is playing and is winning. Renard and Hegerberg aren't calling for his head. You really want him fired, take it up with them because they're the only ones who really have a say about his job security.

So what did we learn from this game? Not much, except that under the right circumstances, Lyon-PSG games can be boring after all. A PSG fan pondered that maybe the intensity dropped once Lyon realized that PSG wasn't actually going to do anything threatening. Lyon definitely took their foot off the gas in the last 15-20 minutes (which coincides with Horan and van de Donk coming off, but that risks upsetting the Twitter fanatics).

Lyon's press is really, really difficult to handle and I do think PSG struggled enormously with it. Now it must be said PSG was decimated by injuries and this wasn't their strongest 11, and some of their players just don't have the necessary level/experience to handle a press like Lyon's. Though to be fair, neither does Becho. But the press was very, very intense. I saw some criticism towards Leuchter basically ghosting the entire game but in her defense, Lyon wasn't letting her anywhere near a CPR kit either. On the rare occasions she got on the ball there were immediately 4-5 Lyon players swarming her. Realistically she wasn't going to be able to do anything except maybe jump to Lyon at the first opportunity @kang

Was it a good game? Ehh. Was it a bad game? No, and that's kind of the point. Lyon got three points and didn't really step out of second gear, and didn't play badly. We owe ourselves to acknowledge that much.

[redwineconversation]

First Breath After Com(m)a

Correct comma usage is so unbelievably important to me. Done right, it will sell me on whatever you're writing; done wrong, you lose me completely.

Grammar is sexy. You're allowed your wrong opinion but it is what it is.

[redwineconversation]

We got along real nice but when I left town, did you hate me? One day, the curtain started coming down. I changed the second we were moving out.

[redwineconversation]

[redwineconversation]

the laughter penetrates my silence as drunken men find flaws in science (WOB - Lyon Postgame Thoughts)

Lyon didn't play a perfect game. But they could have, so let's talk about that instead.

It was one of the better games of the season. As a team, Lyon played pretty well. I wish people would pay more attention to them because when they're on, they play really, really pretty football. We saw a lot of that tonight: quick passes, a relentless press, a stable defense who took its job seriously for the most part. I like Lyon like this: quiet, methodical, and good. They're a pretty cool team to watch if you're interested in the actual game and not social media content.

It wasn't perfect, and I'll get to that, but like I said - it could have been, and that's kind of the point. There was a lot of screaming when Joe Montemurro took over and not without cause. But we owe it to ourselves as much as we owe it to him to say that Lyon is playing better under him that they have in quite a while. They're playing pretty football again. Someone commented that we saw more pretty football from Lyon in the first 30 mins of the WOB game than we did of last season under Bompastor.

It was pitched as Montemurro's first big test and that was true in so many ways. But I disagree that it was the first hard test because I do think Fleury is a tough team to play against. It was the first big test in that this was the first time Montemurro was on the big stage with Lyon and people could legitimately be like "okay, cool, convince me then."

I hope they were.

Lyon played well. It wasn't a perfect game and I will get to that but there were a lot of positives. I don't think honestly you can look at the team and be like "you're colossal disappointment" and I say that as someone who has been advocating for Maorzsan to be sold since 2020. (I am still right though). They played well but more importantly the team played well. This felt like Lyon was, well, Lyon again. And I think we have to give Montemurro just a little bit of credit for that, just like we have to give him credit for making the decision of minimizing the amount of travel and having the team stay in Wolfsburg through Saturday instead of flying back to Lyon and then traveling to Paris.

But I digress. Lyon played well. Let's call it as it is.

There's still stuff we need to talk about. The inability to finish is starting to become an issue as AS Roma is already ahead on goal differential [+6 for AS Roma; +5 for Lyon]. Granted AS Roma and Lyon still have to play each other, but if it comes down to goal differential, Lyon will have shot themselves in the foot.

There was quite a few examples of bad decision making: Horan's only good decision was really the penalty; Dumornay chose a complicated shot at goal while Carpenter was basically alone in front of it; van de Donk missed a face-to-face so easy the spirit of Becho must have possessed her. Chawinga's decision-making continues to be poor as well. I'm semi-tempted to give Dumornay a pass because Carpenter is not a striker by any means, but sometimes you just have to let someone who is in a better position take the shot. Showboating is costly.

Chawinga I go back and forth on a lot. I don't agree that PSG is less technical than Lyon; she has been around technical players before so let's stop pretending Lyon's passing/press is some form of culture shock for her. But I do agree she has been underperforming so far and needs to start justifying her price tag sooner rather than later.