In Lyon, change is now.
On October 9, Laurent Blanc officially took over the reins of the Lyon team.
Since his arrival in the Rhône, the 98 world champion has imposed his style and his ideas, starting with a new system of play with five defenders and two scorers.
Discover the players who are reborn under the orders of the “President”.
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Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
Aouar in a hybrid role
Injured after 30 minutes of play during J1, Houssem Aouar did not play again under the orders of Peter Bosz afterwards.
First forfeited, then banked by the Dutchman.
Since the arrival of Laurent Blanc, the environment, which has still not chosen its selection between France and Algeria, is living again.
Holder three times, and even scorer against Montpellier.
The 24-year-old finds a position of left torchbearer, very hybrid.
Sometimes number 10, sometimes in support of his defender.
“
We played more with two attacking midfielders so I was not alone behind the two attackers and it is a position that I like and that suits me
, assures the main interested party.
I have evolved in several positions since I started.
There is no position that suits me more, I have more benchmarks as a midfielder but whatever the position I adapt.
Being on the right or on the left doesn't change much for me.
“For his part, Laurent Blanc longs to have such a versatile player.
“
Houssem is a technically gifted player.
He feels the game, he anticipates the game, he feels the ball, he's a type of player that I like.
When you have this type of players, you try to put them in the best position.
»
Boateng, the return of the vigilante
Downgraded by Peter Bosz, the 2014 world champion is back with OL.
And in the shoes of a holder.
Yet at the heart of a court case - found guilty of assault and battery on his ex-wife - the German retains the confidence of his new coach, despite a physical deficit due to his lack of playing time at the start of the season.
“
I ask him to be present in the collective without forgetting to get back into the game
, explains Laurent Blanc.
He played very little or not at all.
To have 90 minutes in the legs, you have to train a lot and above all play a lot.
Training is not enough.
Jerome Boateng also benefits from a switch to three central defenders and the youth of his partners,
Castello Lukeba (19) and Sinaly Diomandé (21).
"
We have a squad made up of very good players, but in the defensive sector we have a lot of young starters.
It takes someone with legitimate experience to speak and it can be Jérôme
, ”defends the former coach of the Blues (2010-2012).
Read alsoOL: Laurent Blanc recognizes a “complex” situation for Boateng, sentenced
Dembele must find the nets
Serial scorer for OL last season with 21 goals, including 17 between January and May, Moussa Dembélé was the main victim of the return of Alexandre Lacazette under the orders of Peter Bosz.
Confined to a substitute role at the start of the season, the striker trained at PSG has started in the last four games.
Only he, who has scored only twice this season, has not planted since September 3.
Since his arrival, the OL coach has insisted on the association of his two leading attackers.
“
When you are lucky enough to have axial players, who score goals, it's complicated not to have them play together,
breathes Laurent Blanc.
We can put them in competition, but it's not the best way to get the most out of them.
.”
Proof is.
Even when he returns to four behind, as in the second period against Lille, the former PSG coach (2013-2016) maintains his two scorers.
“
We know that
(Alexandre Lacazette, editor’s note)
is a scorer.
He also needs trust.
We have to build a team game so that he has the chances to score.
It can work even better with Moussa Dembélé.
»
Diomandé goes up in the hierarchy
He too benefits from the move to three central defenders.
Suspended last weekend against Lille, Sinaly Diomandé was a starter during Laurent Blanc's first two at OL.
The young Ivorian (21) who had lost the confidence of Peter Bosz, to the point of sometimes going down with the reserve team.
Placed right axial in the defense with three, the international at the Elephants (10 caps) is the first raiser but also, by his speed, the last bastion of Lyon.
Mendes has gone up a notch
Holder twelve times out of thirteen possible matches since the start of the season, Thiago Mendes has become a staple of OL.
Since the arrival of Laurent Blanc, the Brazilian has regained his place in midfield, he who had gone down to central defense in recent months.
Relayer training, the former Lille finds a role he knows and benchmarks.
The new Lyon coach does not seem to see a defender in the Brazilian, to the point of preferring Damien Da Silva behind him when Sinaly Diomandé was suspended against Lille.
Tagliafico and Gusto released
If they did not know the bench or the reserve like some of their friends mentioned above, Nicolás Tagliafico and Malo Gusto also benefit from this change of coach, or rather this change of system.
Now pistons and alone in their lanes, OL's two full-backs have more space and freedom.
A new tactic which is especially successful for the Argentinian.
Holder in all games this season, he delivered his first two assists in the last three meetings.
For his part, the young French defender (19 years old) continues to make his mark and does not stop trying.
