Beast
The Observer
Rise of Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux shows Lyons that coaches matter
Gabriele Marcotti
So much for those — like one high-profile manager — who argued that “a door-knob” could coach Lyons and they would still win the title, such was the club’s dominance in terms of players and organisation.
After seven consecutive league championships, won under four coaches, Lyons ceded the French crown to Bordeaux, who defeated Caen 1-0 on Saturday to secure the title.
Where does this leave the “doorknob” argument? Does it imply that the man who coached Lyons this year, Claude Puel, is necessarily less competent than those who came before him (not to mention less competent than a “door-knob”)? Possibly, especially with a glance at what happened to Lyons’ four title-winning coaches after they left the club.
Jacques Santini, who delivered the first title, went on to coach France, with whom he suffered a shock defeat by Greece in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004. He then went to Tottenham Hotspur, where he walked out after only 13 games. And then, most recently, he was sacked after a single disappointing season at Auxerre.
Paul Le Guen, winner of three straight, signed for Rangers and was so disappointing that he lasted five months, becoming the shortest-serving manager in the history of the club. From there, it was off to Paris Saint-Germain, where he took over in January 2007 and led the side to fifteenth place. The year after he narrowly avoided relegation. Although they did do a bit better this past season, finishing sixth, he has been given his marching orders.
Gérard Houllier followed Le Guen, winning two straight titles before leaving after a dispute with the president, Jean-Michel Aulas. He’s been out of football since then. Alain Perrin, formerly of Portsmouth, delivered the title in 2007-08, but he was let go at the end of the campaign. His next job was at Saint-Étienne: he took over with the club in seventeenth place and ended the season in the same spot, one place above the relegation zone.
Between them, the four men who led Lyons to league titles have 47 years of managerial experience away from the Stade Gerland and, in that timeframe, they have won a single league title (and that was 23 years ago, when Houllier led PSG to Le Championnat).
It’s a compelling argument for those who believe that clubs, not managers, bring success. And it makes you wonder what, say, Harry Redknapp or Martin O’Neill might have achieved had they spent time at Manchester United, Barcelona or Juventus.
Still, credit must go to Bordeaux and their coach, Laurent Blanc, who, after a shaky start, came from behind to win the title (they were fifth as recently as mid-March and third six matches ago). Blanc is widely hailed as one of the most cerebral men in the game and is undoubtedly a rising star among coaches.
The arc of his playing career neatly underscores just why he understands the game so well. Until the age of 24, he was an attacking midfield player averaging about ten goals a season. He then went on to become one of the most admired defenders in the world. He was the epitome of the “intelligent” player, who made up for a lack of pace with vision, technique and a profound ability to read the game (which, incidentally, is why Sir Alex Ferguson signed him when he was a few months shy of his 36th birthday).
It’s perhaps fitting that Blanc, who made the most of his ability, built his team around Yoann Gourcuff, a player who, thus far, had been unable to express his talent. He joined AC Milan two years ago at the age of 20, but failed to make an impact in a side studded with veteran stars.
His skills were obvious, it’s just that Milan couldn’t find a regular place for him and so they loaned him to Bordeaux this season, giving the French club the option to make the deal permanent for ¤15 million (about £13.1 million). Big mistake. Gourcuff was easily France’s player of the year, scoring 12 goals and effectively carrying the side for much of the season. Bordeaux immediately bought him outright, knowing full well that they could easily double their money.
While most neutrals no doubt rejoiced at the breaking of Lyons’ hegemony, the fact is that success in Le Championnat these days means a side are likely to be broken up. Blanc has been linked to Juventus and the France team. Marouane Chamakh, the Morocco striker who struck 14 goals this season, has already indicated he is leaving, with Arsenal a possible destination.
But that’s another issue. For now, Bordeaux supporters are rightly celebrating their first league title in nine years. Deep down they probably realise — as do Blanc’s suitors — that, these days, one championship in Bordeaux is worth several at Lyons.
Gabriele Marcotti
So much for those — like one high-profile manager — who argued that “a door-knob” could coach Lyons and they would still win the title, such was the club’s dominance in terms of players and organisation.
After seven consecutive league championships, won under four coaches, Lyons ceded the French crown to Bordeaux, who defeated Caen 1-0 on Saturday to secure the title.
Where does this leave the “doorknob” argument? Does it imply that the man who coached Lyons this year, Claude Puel, is necessarily less competent than those who came before him (not to mention less competent than a “door-knob”)? Possibly, especially with a glance at what happened to Lyons’ four title-winning coaches after they left the club.
Jacques Santini, who delivered the first title, went on to coach France, with whom he suffered a shock defeat by Greece in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004. He then went to Tottenham Hotspur, where he walked out after only 13 games. And then, most recently, he was sacked after a single disappointing season at Auxerre.
Paul Le Guen, winner of three straight, signed for Rangers and was so disappointing that he lasted five months, becoming the shortest-serving manager in the history of the club. From there, it was off to Paris Saint-Germain, where he took over in January 2007 and led the side to fifteenth place. The year after he narrowly avoided relegation. Although they did do a bit better this past season, finishing sixth, he has been given his marching orders.
Gérard Houllier followed Le Guen, winning two straight titles before leaving after a dispute with the president, Jean-Michel Aulas. He’s been out of football since then. Alain Perrin, formerly of Portsmouth, delivered the title in 2007-08, but he was let go at the end of the campaign. His next job was at Saint-Étienne: he took over with the club in seventeenth place and ended the season in the same spot, one place above the relegation zone.
Between them, the four men who led Lyons to league titles have 47 years of managerial experience away from the Stade Gerland and, in that timeframe, they have won a single league title (and that was 23 years ago, when Houllier led PSG to Le Championnat).
It’s a compelling argument for those who believe that clubs, not managers, bring success. And it makes you wonder what, say, Harry Redknapp or Martin O’Neill might have achieved had they spent time at Manchester United, Barcelona or Juventus.
Still, credit must go to Bordeaux and their coach, Laurent Blanc, who, after a shaky start, came from behind to win the title (they were fifth as recently as mid-March and third six matches ago). Blanc is widely hailed as one of the most cerebral men in the game and is undoubtedly a rising star among coaches.
The arc of his playing career neatly underscores just why he understands the game so well. Until the age of 24, he was an attacking midfield player averaging about ten goals a season. He then went on to become one of the most admired defenders in the world. He was the epitome of the “intelligent” player, who made up for a lack of pace with vision, technique and a profound ability to read the game (which, incidentally, is why Sir Alex Ferguson signed him when he was a few months shy of his 36th birthday).
It’s perhaps fitting that Blanc, who made the most of his ability, built his team around Yoann Gourcuff, a player who, thus far, had been unable to express his talent. He joined AC Milan two years ago at the age of 20, but failed to make an impact in a side studded with veteran stars.
His skills were obvious, it’s just that Milan couldn’t find a regular place for him and so they loaned him to Bordeaux this season, giving the French club the option to make the deal permanent for ¤15 million (about £13.1 million). Big mistake. Gourcuff was easily France’s player of the year, scoring 12 goals and effectively carrying the side for much of the season. Bordeaux immediately bought him outright, knowing full well that they could easily double their money.
While most neutrals no doubt rejoiced at the breaking of Lyons’ hegemony, the fact is that success in Le Championnat these days means a side are likely to be broken up. Blanc has been linked to Juventus and the France team. Marouane Chamakh, the Morocco striker who struck 14 goals this season, has already indicated he is leaving, with Arsenal a possible destination.
But that’s another issue. For now, Bordeaux supporters are rightly celebrating their first league title in nine years. Deep down they probably realise — as do Blanc’s suitors — that, these days, one championship in Bordeaux is worth several at Lyons.
