#amandine miquel

[redwineconversation]

you (might) know ball, I know Aristotle (aka the Amandine Miquel dilemma)

Contrary to what feels like the majority of fans on Twitter, but maybe on brand for me, I'm not keen at all on the idea of Miquel being Lyon's next coach when the door slams shut behind Bompastor. So let's talk about why hitting the brakes on the Miquel to Lyon campaign is actually a good idea.

Should I put this under a read more considering how much I monologue? Probably. Did I? No.

There are two main things which deeply concern me about Miquel: her complete and utter lack of UWCL experience, and her management style. Let's pour ourselves a glass of wine and have a good and proper chat as though we are tortured poets.

I'm far too lazy to actually find this post, but in April 2022 ish I wrote something along the lines of "I truly do not care who [this team] fucks (over). I just want to win." That still stands. I want to win and I fucking hate losing. I cannot stand it.

And it's one of the reasons why I like Lyon, because there's always going to be - well, I say always, it should be as long as the core players are there - there's always going to be a part of them that genuinely hates losing, too. I need a team whose hatred of losing is greater than their desire to win. I need the thought of losing to keep them up at night. I need losing to change them.

And that mentality, right, it's not learned, it's innate in the purest sense of the term. Lyon are who they are because the thought of being anything else horrifies them. Just look at how much it bothers them when they get written off. This team likes to consider the UWCL trophy as being theirs. They will do almost anything to keep it.

That's not something you can coach. I don't think you can coach a killer instinct, I think it's either there or it's not. Monsters recognize monsters, or something, I guess. But the point is either a player already has a killer instinct or they don't. They don't become bloodthirsty halfway through their playing career.

The UWCL is different from league games. Coralie Ducher on OLPlay - who is a former Lyon player - said that the physicality is different, the tempo is different, the intensity is different. Lyon plays so well in the UWCL because they are used to it. They have been there many, many times before, UWCL games are muscle memory at this point for them. They know how to get the job done because they have done it.

Miquel however does not. She has not played in the UWCL. She has not managed a team in the UWCL. For me that is such a fundamental red flag, and I am so perplexed that people hand wave it away to the point of actually saying "the players can just bail her out" (I wish I had that tweet saved but also don't believe in outing people's social media, but that's another story). If your argument is the players can just bail her out while she learns on the job then Kang might as well just save some money and let the players coach themselves.

Has Miquel ever had to coach a game with as high stakes as a UWCL knockout game? No. We don't know what she is capable of doing, and again, it's unfair to put the burden on Lyon to find out. We shouldn't have to find out if Miquel can get Lyon past the semis against PSG, for example. Or, hell, even out of the group stages. I don't want to finish last in the group stage, or depending on the playoff games go, in qualifiers, and be knocked out of the UWCL and people come up with the excuse "it's okay, she's learning on the job." It's not up to Lyon to be the learning curve.

Bompastor's arrival as head coach has a pretty considerable anecdote to it, and that's that Vasseur, may the history books forget his name, literally drove the team head first into the fucking wall. The players didn't like him, the results weren't there, and he got kicked to the curb accordingly. Lyon was in such a state that Aulas brought Bompastor in because he wanted to save his favorite children. Bompastor already knew what the Lyon DNA was so she would be able to restore it. If Vasseur's damage wasn't what it was, then I am not sure Aulas would have appointed her as head coach.

So Bompastor already knew what made this team click, because she had been a part of it, so there wouldn't be that much of a learning curve. Her assignment was really just getting Lyon back on track, which she did in the 2021-2022 season but there are debates as to whether she did in the following seasons.

Bompastor knew how to handle big personalities because she is/was one herself, but she also lost the locker room this season for sure, and that's actually pretty significant. If Bompastor, who has the Lyon DNA, can't keep control of the Lyon locker room, then what guarantee is there that Miquel will keep it? What guarantee is there that Miquel will even be able to control it from the start? Her management career consists of bringing up academy players from a D2 team into a D1 team.

Great, and that's admirable, I like what's she done with Reims. But Reims is not Lyon, they're two completely different teams with completely different expectations and completely different players. Lyon does have some extremely strong personalities, even if their heart is in the right place. Bompastor knew how to handle it - until she didn't - because she knew how Lyon clicked. I don't think Renard, Hegerberg, Le Sommer, etc - they expect things to be done a certain way, and there is fierce resistance when it's not. Renard and Hegerberg pushed Pedros out because he wasn't challenging them enough in practice, and Pedros won a triple and a double with them. Trophies do not give you immunity in this team.

But let's get back to Miquel's management style, and true to form, this is another of my favorite soapboxes: Lyon is not a development club. I will die on that hill. It's my Sisyphus. If you want to be a competitive club, you have to get experienced players. You have to have players who already know how to get the job done. You don't win the UWCL with freshly promoted to the first team academy players. You win it by having players who have been there before.

Now, you can argue those players had to start somewhere, and I couldn't agree more. My issue is that it's unfair to put the burden on Lyon to be the "somewhere". I don't want to see what happens in a few years - I want to win now, because I am competitive now, because I am ambitious now. I don't want to lose. Send academy players out on loan, let another club be responsible for fucking around and finding out, let Lyon keep their winning heritage. That heritage will be lost if experienced players are pushed out in favor of developing academy kids.

Another argument I saw on Twitter, and one I strongly disagree with, is that if Miquel had Lyon's resources at her disposal, then the sky's the limit. it goes back to an earlier point - why should Lyon be responsible for Miquel's learning curve? If there was an intermediate club with bigger resources than Reims - like, say, AS Roma, or Ajax - then I think that would be a far better stepping stone. Otherwise it's literally handing Miquel the keys to a Maserati and hoping she passes her driving test in it.

'Miquel deserves a shot at coaching Lyon". No, respectfully, she doesn't. She did well against a - and I am being generous - good team. That cannot be grounds for coaching what was is arguably one of, if not the, best teams in women's football. You don't deserve a shot. You earn it from experience.

Or at least that should be the philosophy if you want Lyon to keep winning. Now, and in the future.

[ghanashowbizonline]

Sports News - Leicester appoint Amandine Miquel as new women's manager

Ex-Reims boss Amandine Miquel has been named as the new manager of Leicester City Women. 🚨 See Full Story Here – https://bit.ly/4bFylMF

[basilepessoart]

Eli, Miquel, Carlos, Amandine et autres, On a trouvé, l'ordure c'est "Jasmine Silice" sur Suis-Je Normal, site sur lequel j'ai rencontré Anne en 2 011. On naviguait au milieu du harcèlement de ce cinglé scatophile et amoureux des obèses. On a trouvé pire : fréquentation assidue de sites SM, implication dans le calvaire d'Anne. Je sais pas encore quoi, demandez à Anne. Payé par le gang.

--- Addendum 21h : Le vrai prénom de l'ordure est Sylvain, région de Lyon. A installé les crochets de boucher qui servaient à empaler les victimes du gang Guéno qui a kidnappé Anne. Dans une remise derrière la cuisine. Nombreuses victimes dont les 6 enfants massacrés par Macron en novembre 22. A également participé en coulisses à tous les pires harcèlements contre nous depuis une dizaine d'années, dont celui extrêmement longue durée d'"un certain pédophile".

[hello-paralyzed-world]

Amandine Miquel extends with Stade de Reims! 🤝

At the head of the women's section since 2017, the coach has signed a new contract for an additional three seasons to continue the development of the women's team. 🔝👉 https://bit.ly/3qyDajE

[magdasabs]

I'm so happy to see Sandrine Soubeyrand (Paris FC) and Amandine Miquel (Reims) doing well this season in D1 Arkema, it's great to see women coaches getting chances and really proving themselves. Paris especially look like they're on track to get that 3rd spot given the utter implosion Bordeaux are having under that idiot Lair, and Montepellier look like they're not reviving themselves this season either. Miquel hasn't got the squad to win thing but she's developing and improving them.

I read the Miquel article a few weeks ago, really interesting! Love that they're doing well, doesn't sound good for Bordeaux and Montpellier but it's kind of nice to see some change in the table

[olplus]

Amandine Miquel : « L’OL m’a presque fait pleurer pour qu’on leur prête Naomie Feller » (Pieds Carrés : https://olplus.fr/P7cJR)

[thecgbros]

CGI 3D Animated Short: "Or Bleu" - by ESMA | TheCGBros

TheCGBros Presents "Or Bleu" by ESMA - Two coral harvester brothers are about to finish their working day, when the elder one discovers a mysterious underwater cave...For more information, please see the details and links below:

Réalisateurs /Directors: Nicolas Chiarot, Amandine Comes, Eva Fekete, Haunui Maeta, Baptiste Miquel, Thomas Rousvoal Music: Rudy Schwab Sound: José Vicente, Yoann Poncet, Sébastien Fournier – Studio des Aviateurs

Film d'animation réalisé dans le cadre de la formation cinéma d'animation 3D de l'école ESMA (promo 2017).

© ESMA - École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques

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[netalkolemedia]

Melchie Dumornay porte le Stade de Reims vers la victoire 

À l’occasion de la 20e journée de la D1 Arkema, Melchie Daelle Dumornay a été l’unique buteuse du Stade de Reims, permettant à son équipe de vaincre (1-0) l’AS Saint-Étienne, ce samedi 7 Mai. Un but tardif et déterminant pour la jeune Grenadière. Pour affronter Saint-Étienne ce samedi, Melchie Dumornay était laissée sur le banc des remplaçantes par son entraîneure, Amandine Miquel. Il a fallu…

[lakaypress]

Foot Féminin : La visite de la coach du Stade de Reims en Haïti, reportée ! Par AZ Le voyage en Haïti de entraîneuse de la section féminine du Stade de Reims, Amandine Miquel est reporté à une date ultérieure en raison de la forte tension politique visant à renverser le président de la République, Jovenel Moise.

[redwineconversation]

I looked to the sky and said "please, I've been on my knees, change the prophecy" (Lyon - Reims Pregame Thoughts)

PSG beat Paris FC, which means the first place semifinal will be against PSG and the third place playoff will be against Paris FC.

I don't like either option.

And I'm nervous about tomorrow, I really am. I know on paper Lyon should be fine, they have the players and they have the experience. They know how to win games. Not denying any of that, it definitely gives Lyon an advantage.

But a game is played over 90 minutes, anything can happen, and these playoffs were designed precisely to screw Lyon over.

People have argued that Reims will come to play football, which is possible, I guess. They've played football in every game so far. But they have also never been in a playoff situation before, and Bompastor said she was expecting a low block with 5 defenders at the back. We'll see which one shows up I guess.

In last year's edition of the Coupe de France Reims actually took Lyon to penalties, and it went deep enough that Carpenter was actually one of the penalty takers. Now granted, Reims was gifted a couple of goals by amateur-ish at best defensive mistakes. I don't think - or at least, I hope not - that Lyon will make those mistakes again.

I'm hoping Dumornay plays up front and not in the midfield, because we saw in the semis that she is not a 10, and it's better to let those who naturally play in that position to play there (eg van de Donk and/or the slowest player that ever was in Marozsan).

Realistically I don't think Hegerberg will play much, if at all, and Cascarino will most likely be on managed minutes as well.

And I'm nervous because I don't think people truly understand that there is a universe where Lyon loses both games and is not in the UWCL next season. A team that finished first in the league and is in the UWCL final might not even there next season. It could happen, it could really happen despite the players Lyon have and the experience they have.

I'm hoping it will be settled in regular time, I'm hoping it doesn't go to penalties and I'm hoping Reims doesn't GOAT (especially because it will make the Amandine Miquel fan girls even more insufferable than they already are).

I'm hoping Lyon wins. But there's still a possibility they won't. We need to accept that.

[redwineconversation]

Joe Montemurro Le Progres Interview (July 10, 2024)

Me: yeah yeah I will totally catch up on all outstanding interviews before the Olympics start

Also me: *is drowning in work since unlike some I am both actually employed and intend on keeping my job*

Anyway, quick thoughts about Montemurro before getting into this translation (there will be a bigger post on him later). Montemurro was not my top choice, he wasn't even in my top 5 choices. But I would have picked a janitor over another academy focused coach. Montemurro also has coached "bigger" teams than Amandine Miquel has, and has experienced strong personalities in the locker room. Big players are handled differently than young promising players. It is what it is.

Now, do I think there is a possibility, borderline probability, that Montemurro will drive the (now dodgy) Maserati straight into the wall? Yes, I do. But even I have to concede that right now he is saying the right things. The question is whether he can deliver on the pitch. He talks a lot about Lyon playing pretty football again, and even the most hardcore fan will have to admit that Lyon wasn't playing good football towards the end of Bompastor's tenure. But talking about something and executing it are two different things. You can say whatever you want, it's what the score reflects after 90 minutes that matters.

Blah blah standard disclaimers apply; @OL Comms Dept please please pay for a bottle of wine or my AC bill, whichever you feel like chipping in for; banning stans from stadiums would solve a lot of problems real quick; it's summer for the love of god would some of you please go outside and get some fresh air; y'all know the speech by now.

Note: this was done before the Cascarino to San Diego Wave bomb shell and Lyon being interested in Katie McCabe, the latter of which impressively managed to put both fanbases on suicide watch for the same reason.

JOE MONTEMURRO LE PROGRES INTERVIEW

Olympique Lyonnais Féminin: for the new head coach Joe Montemurro, "the challenge will be to win everything while playing beautiful football"

Having just set foot in Lyon where he has met with a handful of players and his staff, Australian head coach Joe Montemurro, under contract with Olympique lyonnais until 2026, opens up about his ambitions with his new club. A "fantastic" team he can't wait to work with and leave his mark. with an attractive and seductive style of play.

How did the first contacts with Lyon go?

There were some intermediate contacts with my agents for several months. From the start it was very clear this would take some time. Then everything happened very quickly, within a week. We got in contact, we talked about the possibility of becoming head coach of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin and here I am.

Rumors go, you did really well in the interviews...

Maybe you can judge for yourself since you're asking me questions (laughter). On a more serious note, we talked about the huge quality of players and the ambitions for the team. It was nice because I immediately felt a good connection.

There were a lot of candidates, do you know what made the difference?

A lot of coaches would like to coach Lyon: it's a great team with an incredible institution so it's normal for the club to take its time and study the candidates to make the right choice. What might have made a difference is our mutual desire to reach new heights in terms of the internationalism and development for Olympique Lyonnais Feminin. It worked.

Did those close to you encourage or discourage you to take part in this project?

I'm never been afraid of a challenge. This is a big one, and it's especially exciting because it means working with fantastic athletes in a club which is already established as one of the best. There was no apprehension on my part nor from my family, who have always supported me throughout my career.

Is this your biggest challenge you've faced since you started coaching?

I've already experienced big challenges. But I come from Australia, where the football culture is different. Coaching in Europe is a dream. Being the head coach at Lyon, it's incredible. I'm lucky to work each day in football. It might come across as cliche to say it but it's a real privilege and honor to be in charge of this incredible team.

You said you were impressed when you came here, in how was it different from your experiences?

It's different in terms of expectation. We ask ourselves "they have accomplished so many things, what else can we do?" [apparently have very questionable taste in players] That's the challenge for me: bring Lyon to another level.

You said you wanted to put in a place an attractive style of play, what does that mean?

The football I like, it's like what I did at Melbourne City, Arsenal or Juventus, it's dominate the possession, be proactive with the ball and control the tempo. I don't know any other way to play and I want to bring that to this great team.

To bring fans to the stadium, is it necessary to play attractive football?

Absolutely. We often focus on the development of women's football and not on its ability to produce fantastic football. If that's the case, the public will come to the games. It's as simple as that. It's my job to bring people to games and that when they're at the stadium, they say "woah, what a football game!" and they come back. Now be careful, I'm not saying that Lyon's style of play wasn't attractive until now. But we need to make it so that each game is a real show, and that it's up to expectations. That's the reality of football today.

What objectives did Michele Kang fix you?

Win everything. Even if it goes without saying because winning is part of the Lyon DNA. The objective is therefore to win everything while playing beautiful football.

Were you following Lyon's end of season and the UWCL final loss to Barcelona?

Yes. Barcelona controlled the tempo better than yon. But just by getting to the final shows that Lynn is a team who is always at the top.

Have you already identified which sectors of play need to be worked on?

[I think he misunderstood the questions]

My philosophy, it's to focus on my team rather than worry about others. Obviously we will study our opponents, but we need to focus on our own style of play. We know the strengths and weaknesses of Barcelona or PSG. But if we're solid and confident in the game play and we show courage, we will able to handle the change in tempo of the game. That's the most important thing.

What is this team's greatest strength?

To always want more, to never be satisfied with the number of wins, to always to learn how to be even better.

What sort of head coach are you, is there a Montemurro method?

For me, football is not just about winning, it's winning with style. The first ting we will judge is the performance. I am a coach who gives control and solutions to my players without stopping them from being innovative or creative. I like bringing out the best in myself taff and players, so that everyone comes to work each day saying "woohoo, another great day at practice [ahead]".

Have you ever been in charge of a team with so many stars in the locker room?

I've known similar situations. At Juventus, the team was composed of the best players in Italy, they all played on the National Team. At Arsenal and Melbourne City, there were also a lot of top level players. The most important thing as a coach is to understand the team to establish good relations because you can have all the talent you want, if there's no cohesion and communication with the team, it's not going to work.

There are some strong personalities in this locker room... [@Hegerberg and Renard, Le Progres is referring to you]

I'm discovering some of the personalities in the team as the days go by, it's exciting and I'm eager to get to know the rest of the group. Dialogue is something that's important to me. I told the players and staff that my door is always open. We want to all work together and learn from each other on how to be better. For that, there needs to be collaboration and communication. It's essential to know the players beyond football: to know what their family life is like, what they enjoy in life, what they want to accomplish ... Because certain players can have problems outside the club. And I want it to be so that when they come to Lyon, it's a safe space for them where they are free to talk.

At Lyon, the players are very demanding and -

(interrupting) I am as well. Having high standards, it's positive because it means we want to be better. I love that desire to always want to improve and being curious. Because if you ask me, the biggest performances come from people who are curious, who want to understand.

What memories do you have of Lyon who you played against several times in the UWCL when you were head coach at Juventus, and whom you always caused problems for?

Thank you for saying that! There were some very good games against Lyon who we managed to beat once (2-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals in the 2021-2022 season). But at Juventus, it was a different project: the goal was to grow on the European scene and become part of the Top 8 in Europe. When I arrived, the club was ranked 33rd according to UEFA, and it was 8th or 9th when I left.

What do you think about the French league?

It's a league we need to respect. Like we say in English, it's the "bread and butter", it's our livelihood, the core of our work. We have to respect all the teams and be competitive each game. We know that a big majority of teams we will play against will sit back and play with a low block against us. This is where we need to be intelligent and work on that spect. But if you ask me, it's as much a mental challenge as it is a football one.

A lot of people say the English league, which you've experienced, is better. What do you think?

In terms of appearance it might seem better because it attracts more people. The English [teams] play in big stadiums and maybe the marketing and commercial aspect are more advanced, and give more exposure compared to France. But I am sure that the French Federation is moving in the right direction to make up for lost time. Regarding the level of the teams, it's really hard to answer the question and make a comparison, especially regarding the level of the smallest teams of the two leagues.

How will you approach this weird start of the season with the Olympics and the absence of numerous international players?

It's not the first time I have been in this situation. When there are lot of players away with their national teams, that implies you have to manage their return. It's not the physical aspect which is the most complicated, it's the mental aspect. Maybe they experienced a euphoric high, or the contrary, a huge disappointment. And that can take more or less time to digest. It's really important to communicate with the players. We need to be very vigilant with regards to their well-being. It's very important because in women's football, there isn't a lot of down time to reset. We need to make sure the international players have a good break to be ready and fresh when the season begins.

Have you planned any friendlies?

Yes, we will have some. We are in the process of putting the plans in place. We have a lot of time. We have a week to get to know and work with the staff. It's perfect to put everything in place in terms of organization.

Have you met with the players who came back for preseason on July 8?

Yes, we've done some [training] sessions with the players who aren't going to the Olympics [and Euro qualifiers] and there was a lot of smiles and excitement at the idea of starting a new exercise with a new organization. We also called up some academy players to the current group, which is a good opportunity for them. There is a really good feeling. It's really a great group.

"A big team needs a big roster" The transfer window has just opened but Joe Montemurro is perfectly aware of the quality of his team: "it's very strong and solid. We might look in a few areas, but we will evaluate that as the need arises as time goes by." And when we asked him about the "stacked" front line, especially after the arrival fo Tabitha Chawinga, the new Lyon coach thinks that that arrival is not one too many. Even if Delphine Cascarino, who has not yet extended with her club, decides to stay: "the forward line is powerful but if we want to score goals and be prolific, there has to be an important number of forwards. There will be only three on the field but there will be close to 50 games to play ... Without counting the games with the national teams. So there will need to be solid rotation because to play at their top level, the professional players can't play that many games. Football has changed and the competition is getting tougher. Intensity is the most important thing so the players don't recover as well as they did before. You have to manage the team. And a big team needs a big roster."

[redwineconversation]

I felt you in my life before I ever thought to feel the need to (Olympique Lyonnais - State de Reims Postgame Thoughts)

Hey look, not Taylor Swift lyrics for once! Some would call that growth.

I've had better experiences watching a Lyon game and I cannot blame Majri, Marozsan and Becho for this one since it's directly related to the smoke alarm in my apartment continuously going off for no reason, leaving me to flee to both Starbucks and then the pool clubhouse to watch a fucking playoff game. The things we do for our team.

But let's discuss the game. Lyon played better than I expected them to, or maybe Reims was just more tentative than I thought. Reims started with the low block and 5 defenders at the back, which I hated almost as much as the alarm promptly going off at that time. But the thing is, Reims wasn't used to playing with a low block and couldn't hope with Lyon's physical (and I guess technical) superiority.

Reims also wasn't used to playing every three days, which I think is kind of an issue for teams other than Lyon and PSG in the playoffs. Big teams know how to physically handle that schedule because they're just used to it. We saw it a little with Paris FC in the UWCL where they struggled physically because they simply weren't used to those sort of physical demands on their body. Reims experienced it a little bit too, and theirs was two-fold: Lyon could afford to rotate last weekend because they had such a big lead whereas Reims was still in contention and had to field pretty much the first team in both games.

But Lyon is used to this sort of scheduling and used to big games and used to winning. I think the playoffs are so fucking dumb - Bompastor's rant in the postgame suggests she feels the same way. Lyon shouldn't have had to find out if they were going to play in the UWCL next season on May 12, 2024.

But did we learn about the team from this game? Kind of what we already knew: Lyon switches into God Mode in finals. It's a question of experience - they have played in so many big games so many times for so many years that, as I've said before, it's almost muscle memory at this point for them. This is also a team which when at full strength thrives on big games. They live for that shit.

So they did beat up on Reims, and it was a combination of Lyon having the experience and physicality that Reims lacked, and Lyon just being a better team. Somewhat related, I still think Amandine Miquel lacks the necessary experience to coach Lyon.

But what about the players themselves?

Endler didn't really do anything of note because she didn't really have anything of note to do.

The defense as well didn't do anything which stood out for me. There wasn't spectacular defending but there weren't any careless mistakes either. Much like Endler, they were there and did their job without having all that much to do.

van de Donk had one of her better / best games of the season, which is kind of what happens when a natural 10 plays as a 10. Damaris was a little off, she has definitely played better but it also wasn't a game where a bad performance from her would be as costly, something which definitely would be the case against PSG. Horan was good without being outstanding, she did as expected.

Diani was good, but I wish she'd show up like this more often. One day Dumornay's endless showboating will cost us, that being said, I really admire her refusal to celebrate scoring against Reims. It shows the respect she has for her former club. Majri has improved but I maintain that while she is currently in form, it's a hell of a gamble to believe that form will last for the next 3 seasons and Lyon needs to cut their losses while they can still get something from it. Thank you for your services, your loyalty to Lyon will always be appreciated, but still. The end of the season does not outweigh the beginning of it. I don't care if I get accused of being a hater / fake fan, I'm still right. ("Babe she literally singlehandedly dragged Lyon across the finish line in the UWCL semis!" Yeah and I still think she should be sold this summer. Call me what you want but what I am not is a fair weather fan who compromises due to sentimentality).

It sets up yet another confrontation with PSG, proving that for the "surprises" the fucking playoffs promised, it still comes down to the same prophecy: two teams who absolutely hate each other entering into a good and proper bloodbath over who gets first place.

Good performance, I expect my team to win so it's always nice when they do, let's have another anxiety-ridden week and go through all this again on Friday.

[magdasabs]

I'm really interested to see how Paris FC do this season. They look strong to take that 3rd place from Bordeaux given their mess of a start in the league and all their behind the scenes problems. Their coach, Amandine Miquel, is also fantastic. She has an interesting story too there was a few articles written about her recently if anyone wants to give her a little google

What's the deal with Bordeaux? I haven't been following D1 at all this year so the only thing I've seen is the CL against Wolfsburg and they played well there

[lakaypress]

Foot- Féminin: L’entraîneure du Stade de Reims bientôt en Haïti Par Manesson Chery La coach de l’équipe féminine du Stade de Reims, Amandine Miquel sera bientôt dans nos murs du 21 au 25 février, en vue de recruter des filles au sein de l’Académie Camp Nous.

[redwineconversation]

Re-upping because I have yet to see a convincing argument as to why she should get the keys to a Maserati.

Any logic you apply to Amandine Miquel you could apply to Fabrice Abriel, but for some reason no one is clambering for him to be coach.

Explain to me why you think someone who has coached zero (0) UWCL games will also win the UWCL. Or do you not care about winning that competition?

you (might) know ball, I know Aristotle (aka the Amandine Miquel dilemma)

Contrary to what feels like the majority of fans on Twitter, but maybe on brand for me, I'm not keen at all on the idea of Miquel being Lyon's next coach when the door slams shut behind Bompastor. So let's talk about why hitting the brakes on the Miquel to Lyon campaign is actually a good idea.

Should I put this under a read more considering how much I monologue? Probably. Did I? No.

There are two main things which deeply concern me about Miquel: her complete and utter lack of UWCL experience, and her management style. Let's pour ourselves a glass of wine and have a good and proper chat as though we are tortured poets.

I'm far too lazy to actually find this post, but in April 2022 ish I wrote something along the lines of "I truly do not care who [this team] fucks (over). I just want to win." That still stands. I want to win and I fucking hate losing. I cannot stand it.

And it's one of the reasons why I like Lyon, because there's always going to be - well, I say always, it should be as long as the core players are there - there's always going to be a part of them that genuinely hates losing, too. I need a team whose hatred of losing is greater than their desire to win. I need the thought of losing to keep them up at night. I need losing to change them.

And that mentality, right, it's not learned, it's innate in the purest sense of the term. Lyon are who they are because the thought of being anything else horrifies them. Just look at how much it bothers them when they get written off. This team likes to consider the UWCL trophy as being theirs. They will do almost anything to keep it.

That's not something you can coach. I don't think you can coach a killer instinct, I think it's either there or it's not. Monsters recognize monsters, or something, I guess. But the point is either a player already has a killer instinct or they don't. They don't become bloodthirsty halfway through their playing career.

The UWCL is different from league games. Coralie Ducher on OLPlay - who is a former Lyon player - said that the physicality is different, the tempo is different, the intensity is different. Lyon plays so well in the UWCL because they are used to it. They have been there many, many times before, UWCL games are muscle memory at this point for them. They know how to get the job done because they have done it.

Miquel however does not. She has not played in the UWCL. She has not managed a team in the UWCL. For me that is such a fundamental red flag, and I am so perplexed that people hand wave it away to the point of actually saying "the players can just bail her out" (I wish I had that tweet saved but also don't believe in outing people's social media, but that's another story). If your argument is the players can just bail her out while she learns on the job then Kang might as well just save some money and let the players coach themselves.

Has Miquel ever had to coach a game with as high stakes as a UWCL knockout game? No. We don't know what she is capable of doing, and again, it's unfair to put the burden on Lyon to find out. We shouldn't have to find out if Miquel can get Lyon past the semis against PSG, for example. Or, hell, even out of the group stages. I don't want to finish last in the group stage, or depending on the playoff games go, in qualifiers, and be knocked out of the UWCL and people come up with the excuse "it's okay, she's learning on the job." It's not up to Lyon to be the learning curve.

Bompastor's arrival as head coach has a pretty considerable anecdote to it, and that's that Vasseur, may the history books forget his name, literally drove the team head first into the fucking wall. The players didn't like him, the results weren't there, and he got kicked to the curb accordingly. Lyon was in such a state that Aulas brought Bompastor in because he wanted to save his favorite children. Bompastor already knew what the Lyon DNA was so she would be able to restore it. If Vasseur's damage wasn't what it was, then I am not sure Aulas would have appointed her as head coach.

So Bompastor already knew what made this team click, because she had been a part of it, so there wouldn't be that much of a learning curve. Her assignment was really just getting Lyon back on track, which she did in the 2021-2022 season but there are debates as to whether she did in the following seasons.

Bompastor knew how to handle big personalities because she is/was one herself, but she also lost the locker room this season for sure, and that's actually pretty significant. If Bompastor, who has the Lyon DNA, can't keep control of the Lyon locker room, then what guarantee is there that Miquel will keep it? What guarantee is there that Miquel will even be able to control it from the start? Her management career consists of bringing up academy players from a D2 team into a D1 team.

Great, and that's admirable, I like what's she done with Reims. But Reims is not Lyon, they're two completely different teams with completely different expectations and completely different players. Lyon does have some extremely strong personalities, even if their heart is in the right place. Bompastor knew how to handle it - until she didn't - because she knew how Lyon clicked. I don't think Renard, Hegerberg, Le Sommer, etc - they expect things to be done a certain way, and there is fierce resistance when it's not. Renard and Hegerberg pushed Pedros out because he wasn't challenging them enough in practice, and Pedros won a triple and a double with them. Trophies do not give you immunity in this team.

But let's get back to Miquel's management style, and true to form, this is another of my favorite soapboxes: Lyon is not a development club. I will die on that hill. It's my Sisyphus. If you want to be a competitive club, you have to get experienced players. You have to have players who already know how to get the job done. You don't win the UWCL with freshly promoted to the first team academy players. You win it by having players who have been there before.

Now, you can argue those players had to start somewhere, and I couldn't agree more. My issue is that it's unfair to put the burden on Lyon to be the "somewhere". I don't want to see what happens in a few years - I want to win now, because I am competitive now, because I am ambitious now. I don't want to lose. Send academy players out on loan, let another club be responsible for fucking around and finding out, let Lyon keep their winning heritage. That heritage will be lost if experienced players are pushed out in favor of developing academy kids.

Another argument I saw on Twitter, and one I strongly disagree with, is that if Miquel had Lyon's resources at her disposal, then the sky's the limit. it goes back to an earlier point - why should Lyon be responsible for Miquel's learning curve? If there was an intermediate club with bigger resources than Reims - like, say, AS Roma, or Ajax - then I think that would be a far better stepping stone. Otherwise it's literally handing Miquel the keys to a Maserati and hoping she passes her driving test in it.

'Miquel deserves a shot at coaching Lyon". No, respectfully, she doesn't. She did well against a - and I am being generous - good team. That cannot be grounds for coaching what was is arguably one of, if not the, best teams in women's football. You don't deserve a shot. You earn it from experience.

Or at least that should be the philosophy if you want Lyon to keep winning. Now, and in the future.