RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Goal.com Special: Who Is Olympique Lyonnais’ Player Of The Season?
Join Goal.com's Robin Bairner to see who was the stand-out performer for les Gones in 2008-09...
| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.00 | Draw £40.00 | APOEL £75.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.40 | Draw £42.00 | APOEL £75.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.44 | Draw £40.00 | APOEL £70.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.40 | Draw £43.30 | APOEL £75.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.50 | Draw £38.00 | APOEL £68.00 |
|
May 2, 2009 6:23:33 PM
The messy and prolonged sacking of coach Alain Perrin last summer hinted at the problems that Olympique Lyonnais would suffer this term. With a young and largely inexperienced squad, Claude Puel’s outfit have largely struggled to live up to expectations of the domestic front, despite a European campaign in which they did not disgrace themselves, falling to an impressive Barcelona outfit.
Habitual French kings, Lyon are, at the time of writing, third in Ligue 1 - six points off the pace of leaders Olympique de Marseille - and are in grave danger of failing to finish in a Champions League spot. In what has largely been a dark season for les Gones, there have been few stand-out performers; however, there are a number of players who have played their part in keeping the ailing club going.
Below is a list of five nominees in no particular order. I then cast my vote at the bottom before leaving it up to you, the readers, to have your say
1) Hugo Lloris: Something of a risky acquisition in the summer when Lyon beat Milan to his signature, the 22-year-old former Nice man has excelled in goal for les Gones. An excellent shot-stopper and generally a comfortable handler of the ball, he wouldn’t have expected so much work in his first season.
2) Karim Benzema: One of the most highly-rated young players in Europe, if not the world, today. Benzema leads Lyon in scoring and has largely supported a misfiring and understaffed attacking unit on his own this season, scoring 14 times. The recent drop in Lyon’s form coincides with ‘Benzinho’s’ slump.
3) Jeremy Toulalan: Mr. Reliable in the centre of the midfield for OL. Rarely does anything particularly spectacular but he is arguably one of the most consistent players in France, constantly breaking up opposing attacks with his characteristically committed style that has brought him six yellow cards in 28 solid appearances.
4) Jean-Alain Boumsong: Once considered almost a comedy figure, Boumsong has this season eradicated many of the concentration lapses that have previously plagued his career. For all their problems going forward, les Gones have the second best defensive record in Ligue 1, and Boumsong is one reason why.
5) Juninho: No ‘Player of the Season’ list at Lyon is complete without the diminutive Brazilian. Despite lacking the influence he has enjoyed in previous seasons, he has still managed to find the net five times in league play. And don’t forget his impudent free kick against Barcelona in the Champions League.
My Vote: Karim Benzema. Simply for single-handedly leading the attack at times this season, 'Benzinho' must get the nod. The 21-year-old’s form may not be great at present but if he leaves in the summer, Lyon will be in real trouble with regard to their offensive unit.
Who gets your vote as Lyon’s Player of the Season? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
Robin Bairner, Goal.com
Habitual French kings, Lyon are, at the time of writing, third in Ligue 1 - six points off the pace of leaders Olympique de Marseille - and are in grave danger of failing to finish in a Champions League spot. In what has largely been a dark season for les Gones, there have been few stand-out performers; however, there are a number of players who have played their part in keeping the ailing club going.
Below is a list of five nominees in no particular order. I then cast my vote at the bottom before leaving it up to you, the readers, to have your say
1) Hugo Lloris: Something of a risky acquisition in the summer when Lyon beat Milan to his signature, the 22-year-old former Nice man has excelled in goal for les Gones. An excellent shot-stopper and generally a comfortable handler of the ball, he wouldn’t have expected so much work in his first season.
2) Karim Benzema: One of the most highly-rated young players in Europe, if not the world, today. Benzema leads Lyon in scoring and has largely supported a misfiring and understaffed attacking unit on his own this season, scoring 14 times. The recent drop in Lyon’s form coincides with ‘Benzinho’s’ slump.
3) Jeremy Toulalan: Mr. Reliable in the centre of the midfield for OL. Rarely does anything particularly spectacular but he is arguably one of the most consistent players in France, constantly breaking up opposing attacks with his characteristically committed style that has brought him six yellow cards in 28 solid appearances.
4) Jean-Alain Boumsong: Once considered almost a comedy figure, Boumsong has this season eradicated many of the concentration lapses that have previously plagued his career. For all their problems going forward, les Gones have the second best defensive record in Ligue 1, and Boumsong is one reason why.
5) Juninho: No ‘Player of the Season’ list at Lyon is complete without the diminutive Brazilian. Despite lacking the influence he has enjoyed in previous seasons, he has still managed to find the net five times in league play. And don’t forget his impudent free kick against Barcelona in the Champions League.
My Vote: Karim Benzema. Simply for single-handedly leading the attack at times this season, 'Benzinho' must get the nod. The 21-year-old’s form may not be great at present but if he leaves in the summer, Lyon will be in real trouble with regard to their offensive unit.
Who gets your vote as Lyon’s Player of the Season? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
Robin Bairner, Goal.com
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
25 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Capello remains one of the greats of the game
After tasting success wherever he had gone previously, the coach will look upon his time at Wembley as an incomplete job rather than a complete failure
-
Can Suarez repeat Cantona's grand comeback?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Key battles: Manchester United v Liverpool
The former Reds defender believes that the Uruguayan must put controversy to the back of his mind when his team face the champions
-
The importance of Champions League qualification
The Ruhr side's remarkable run in Europe's elite tournament saw their revenue unexpectedly soar last season, but some teams are structured to depend on such results to survive
-
Cartoon: Capello's managerial merry-go-round
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day ...
Advertisement
Advertisement
