Hard Work Can Improve Lyon – General Manager Claude Puel

Six points in six games is mediocre form by any side’s standards but for seven-time defending Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyonnais, it is the kind of run that is enough to spark a crisis. Les Gones’ performance in drawing 1-1 with Lorient last weekend was not the kind of showing that will inspire their supporters with a great deal of confidence, although general manager Claude Puel, who saw his side surrender an early lead, insists that there is nothing too great to worry about at present.

“You should not look at our series of results,” Puel insisted to Football365 before blaming his side’s lack of match time following the winter break. “It was a game of recovery. That was particularly notable in the second period, when we lacked pace.

“We missed the boat on many occasions. If we could have scored a second goal it would have been decisive. It was a difficult game but we played in an insufficient manner. We will fix that.”

Puel would suggest that only hard work can ease Lyon out of their current malaise. “This is only the start of the second phase [of the Ligue 1 season],” he explained. “It would have been interesting to start with three points but this is not the case. We will have to work to make sure we take all the points against Grenoble next week.”

Lyon’s lead at the summit of Ligue 1 has been cut to a slender one point and, with Bordeaux in excellent form, many pundits are tipping Laurent Blanc’s men to overhaul the French kings in the coming weeks.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com