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Olympique Lyonnais Players Are Not Robots – Kim Kallstrom

Players must be allowed to have bad weeks, the dynamo has argued, indicating that the secret is picking up points when the team plays badly...

Nov 23, 2009 3:52:31 PM

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Kim Kallstrom - Lyon (PA)

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Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom has argued that Olympique Lyonnais’ players cannot be expected to perform at their very peak in every game, but he has assured supporters that les Gones will be going to Fiorentina on Tuesday evening to claim maximum points.

OL were well below par in their Ligue 1 encounter against Grenoble on Saturday evening, leading to some significant criticism from a few quarters, most notably directed towards general manager Claude Puel, who is perceived to have played the game too defensively.

Kallstrom simply argues that the aim over the course of a season simply has to be to pick up points with enough regularity to win the title, because poor showings are inevitable.

“We would like to play matches of the quality we managed against the likes of Marseille and Liverpool every three days,” he indicated to Le Parisien. “But the problem is we're not robots. You must be able to win without playing the perfect match. That's how you win titles.”

Lyon are aiming to take a further step towards continental success on Tuesday evening, when they meet the Viola, with victory guaranteeing them top spot in Group E and therefore an easier last 16 tie.

“Over the past five seasons, we’ve ran three times into the eventual champions [Porto, Manchester United and Barcelona],” he lamented. “The draw is important. And it is a very strong signal to win your group in the Champions League.”

Midfield partner Jeremy Toulalan has already been ruled out of the fixture, while right-backs Francois Clerc and Anthony Reveillere are missing too, which will make life tricky for the seven-time Ligue 1 champions.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

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