Racing Club de Lens
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Its official! Lens has formalized a much anticipated coaching change. Jean-Guy Wallemme was relieved of his duties and replaced by veteran Romanian headman Laszlo Boloni (57), former coach at Nancy and Monaco as well as the Romanian National Team. Boloni is also known as the man who launched the careers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma among others. The Romanian boss will be assisted by George Tournay and the goalkeeping duties will be overseen by Jean-Pierre Lauricella.
” After the match at Bordeaux, Jean-Guy Wallemme had expressed his willingness to be relieved of his duties. After much consultation, we accepted his decision and our choice focused on the recruitment of Dr. Laszlo Boloni, who will be tasked with keeping Lens in Ligue 1. The composition of the technical staff will be notified during the press conference scheduled today at 17h 30, at La Gaillette , “said Lens President Gervais Martel on the club’s official website.
Aged 57, the Romanian won the Champions League title with Steaua Bucharest as a player in 1986, he began his coaching career in 1992 as an assistant to Nancy’s Olivier Rouyer, before taking the reigns of the club from 1994 until 2000.
Boloni also led the Romanian National Team from 2000-2001, he left this post to take the reins of Sporting Lisbon for two seasons and subsequently promoted Cristiano Ronaldo to the starting eleven. After winning the league title in Portugal, he returned to France in 2003 to head Rennes which he lead to an impressive fourth place finish in 2005.
In 2006, he joined Monaco but remained in place for only three months after several disagreements with management.
After a brief stint in the UAE in 2007, he returned to Europe in 2008 at the head of Belgian giants Standard Liege, he lead that club to the league title in 2009, and subsequently the knockout stages of the Europa League and Champions League respectively.
After the 2009 season Boloni signed a hefty contract in the Gulf with Al-Wahda, the Abu Dhabi based side. Boloni’s contract stipulated an opt out clause which he has since exercised by signing with Lens which is currently in the throes of an all out existential crisis which involves the fate of the entire organization. Boloni’s signing comes as a bit of a shock since it was widely speculated that former Toulouse coach Elie Baup would be brought on in the next few days. However, last night La Voix de Sports reported that Baup was indeed not in any advanced talks with Gervais Martel and the reason is now apparent.
Side Note
Lens’ most talented player Razak Boukari is said to be ready to sign with Frederic Antonetti at Rennes. The Corsican headman has been after Boukari for two years and Boukari seems to have had his fill of relegation battles. The impending deal is said to be in the neighborhood of 5-6 million Euros.
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Lens will replay the match canceled last Saturday due to inclement weather. But inclement weather does not really begin to explain the disgusting amounts of snow piled onto the dreadful pitch at the Stade Francis le Blede in Brest.
The problem with the ultimate stoppage is that it was done at the intermission when the players had already expended a great deal of energy and effort. Moreover, since the stoppage came right at the break LFP regulations held that the match could conceivably be replayed on the very next day. Had the players been allowed on to the pitch for the second half this would have nullified the invocation of the rule. Lens immediately filed a protest with the federation following the match. If there was one person who was particularly annoyed with the referee’s decision it was Lens President Gervais Martel.
“It’s not just about the physical integrity of the players on the pitch, there is also a certain respect to be accorded to football clubs. The match was postponed to a later date but I think we lost a lot of time waiting for that decision because of an incorrect application of the attendant regulation. It is indeed unfortunate that the game did not resume at least for a few minutes after the pause. Everything would have been resolved, since in this case, the match could not be replayed the next day. There we would have to wait for confirmation that the weather this Sunday was not good for the postponement of the match until next week. We’d rather play on Tuesday of course.”
Martel however got his wish -albeit after much groveling- and the match will indeed be replayed on Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 20:00 GMT.
To say that this is an important match is an understatement as the club needs to get back to its solid ways which came apart in the second half of last week’s match against Lyon when the club experienced a physical and mental collapse that cost them a positive result. A victory at Brest would finally propel them out of the relegation zone and provide a much needed boost of confidence ahead of the winter break.
Furthermore, the club is confident they can indeed pick up all three points against the Brestois as they dominated most of the proceedings on Saturday before the game was eventually called.
Sidekicks
Several major French outlets are reporting that Marseille are after Lens’ young phenom defender Serge Aurier (17), in order to replace starting right back Cesar Azpilicueta who is likely out for the rest of the season. The rumor surfaced after former Toulouse coach Elie Baup mentioned it on Canal + Football Club show on Sunday. Aurier and Lens management have thus far denied any contacts with OM on the matter. Let’s hope it stays that way…
Injuries & Notes:
The only changes for this replay will include the return of Franck Queudrue and Zakarya Bergdich and the suspension of Sidi Keita who was supposed to sit out the match against Auxerre but will now be eligible for that match instead. Marco Ramos and Geoffrey Doumeng (CFA) are still excluded, as David Pollet, Issam Jemaa, Darnel Situ and Samba Sow remain on the injured list.
le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Bergdich, Chelle, Queudrue, Touré, Varane, Yahia ; Démont, Hermach, Kovacevic, Roudet, Sertic ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida.
le groupe brestois: Elana, Deneuve – Baysse, Kantari, Coulibaly, Daf, Brou Apanga, Ferradj – Licka, Traoré, Ewolo, Bigné, Grougi, Soumah, Lesoimier – Poyet, Roux, Micola.
Viewing Options: http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=95576&part=sports
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Its back to the drawing board for Lens this week. After an excellent run of five consecutive fixtures without defeat, the blood and gold ran into brick wall physically and mentally in the second half of last week’s match against Lyon at the Stade Félix Bollaert.
After thoroughly dominating the first half and taking a 1-0 lead, the Lensois came out flat and visibly drained after the intermission. There is no doubt that the combination of mid-week international matches for several of the key players along with the high intensity of the first half caused Jean-Guy Wallemme’s men to fall back on defence and forgo the attacking style that put them on top earlier. Moreover, the lack of depth on the bench due to the recent rash of injuries prevented Wallemme from calling on experienced reserves to match the likes of Lyon substitutes Lisandro Lopez and France international Yohan Gourcuff. Dreadful officiating also did not help matters and the final result was in reality rather harsh and most Lens supporters felt a great opportunity was indeed squandered.
Today the Lensois must regroup quickly if they intend to finally break out of the relegation zone and start climbing the table ahead of the winter break.
Unfortunately things won’t get any easier when the club travels to Brittany to take on the shockingly solid promoted side Stade Brestois 29 and their uber-talented goalkeeper Steeve Elana who earlier broke a Ligue 1 record for minutes played without allowing a goal. To add insult to injury, Lens President Gervais Martel had Elana in his grasp several years back when the keeper was on trial at La Gaillette but the club balked on his signing citing that his age at the time was a concern since the club was looking for a very young keeper. Another blown opportunity for Martel and then GM Francis Collado indeed.
Superman Steeve Elana in goal for Brest
Another visible Lens screw up will show its shameful gait in the form of Nolan Roux. The young France U-21 forward is a product of La Gaillette that Martel virtually discarded then gave away to the Brestois. Roux has shown flashes of brilliance this season after leading Ligue 2 in goals last season whilst providing the driving force that propelled Brest to its first promotion in years. Roux’s presence at the very best will provide an embarrassing reminder of Lens management’s recent ineptitude. At the very worst he will cause actual problems on the pitch. Martel’s already fragile nervous system could be in for another shock.
Nevertheless, of late the Brestois have begun to come back to earth a bit and seem to be ripe for the picking. For a hungry Lens squad who know full well they are more talented than their record would indicate this should be a match they feel they can win.
Injuries:
Back from injury are Yohan Demont and Gregory Sertic who played with the reserves last weekend. They make their return this week to the pro squad whilst Geoffrey Kondogbia – who made his first Ligue 1 appearance against Lyon – heads back to the CFA.
Several players will once again forgo the journey to Britain: Issam Jemaa (muscle injury in his left thigh), David Pollet(fractured fibula), Franck Queudrue (recovery phase after injury to the musculo-cutaneous left quadriceps), Darnel Situ (recovery phase after injury to the meniscus) and Samba Sow (recovery phase after ligament injury to the foot). As with Kondogbia, Zakarya Bergdich, Geoffrey Doumeng, Marco Ramos and Anthony Rogie were not selected by Jean-Guy Wallemme.
le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Chelle, Touré, Varane, Yahia ; Démont, Hermach, Keita, Kovacevic, Roudet, Sertic ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida.
le groupe brestois: Elana, Deneuve ; Baysse, Kantari, Coulibaly, Daf, Brou Apanga, Ferradj ; Licka, Traoré, Ewolo, Bigné, Grougi, Soumah, Lesoimier ; Poyet, Roux, Micola.
Viewing Options: Streaming at http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=95576&part=sports
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So the question remains, will this be the week Lens finally gets things together and gets out of the relegation zone? Three points against Lyon will certainly get it done and this is what Jean-Guy Wallemme and the boys will indeed be playing for.
Considering the dreadful start to the season last week’s draw at the Stade Veldrome against champions Marseille was no doubt a positive result. But the Lensois know full well that they could have walked out of there with all three points the way they performed and they will now look to capitalize against Lyon at home.
The club’s recent run of form coincides with a rash of injuries that has no doubt left very little options on the table for coach Wallemme. The Lens boss has developed quite a reputation for juggling lineups and never sticking too long with one particular group of starters. Such a strategy has drawn the ire of club supporters as well as the media. However, the attendant infirmary that has become a feature at La Gaillette has forced Wallemme’s hand, or apparently forced it down. Having to stick with a consistent starting eleven has brought a measure of stability and continuity to the side not seen for quite some time. Indeed, many of the starters today were those that many supporters felt should be playing a greater role in the club’s plans.
So whether by accident or design the likes of Kanga Akale, Toifilou Maoulida and Sidi Keita have once again become stalwarts for the northern giants. This, along with the amazing defensive form of captain Adil Hermach, Henri Bedimo and Serge Aurier has led to the current resurgence that has many fans dreaming once again. If today’s match goes well, the Lens nation may once again be permitted to think that this may yet be more than a dreadful exercise in survival. Indeed, it may just be the beginning of a memorable campaign.
Injuries
Issam Jemaa and David Pollet are out and recovering until at least after the Christmas break. Franck Queudrue is slowly working his way back into shape after suffering a terrible thigh injury against Montpellier. Yohan Demont is also back with the reserves trying to recover from the broken hand he suffered when he stupidly smashed a wall in the club locker room after a confrontation with teammates.
le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Bergdich, Chelle, Touré, Varane, Yahia ; Hermach, Keita, Kondogbia, Kovacevic, Rogie, Roudet ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida.
le groupe lyonnais: Lloris, Vercoutre – Kolodziejczak, Cissokho, Diakhaté, Lovren, Réveillère, Gassama – Källström, Makoun, Gonalons, Toulalan, Pjanic, Pied, Lacazette – Briand, Gourcuff, Gomis, Lisandro.
Viewing Options: Available in North America through Fox Soccer plus in high definition. Streaming here http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=95572&part=sports
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Three points, thats all. In recent years Lens fans have suffered greatly from the unforgivable incompetence of President Gervais Martel and the now departed GM Francis Collado and we are again confronted by the sad reality that the only thing the club can really aspire to this season is staying alive in Ligue 1. Yes, once again one of France’s powerhouse clubs with an iconic following both in and out of the country is barely surviving. A pathetic state of affairs indeed.
This Sunday the beleaguered northerners get an opportunity to possibly climb out of the bottom three with a victory against Montpellier and a Monaco defeat. Yes, whilst promoted club Brest and their record breaking goalkeeper Steeve Elana sit incredibly in sole possession of first place, giants like Lens and Monaco struggle to stave off relegation. Such is the sad landscape one sees in French football today. On Sunday fans will accept nothing but three points and the front office is well aware that anything less will precipitate another serious backlash from the loyal fan base. Indeed, with the likes of Marseille, Lyon and even Brest on the horizon, tomorrow’s match certainly seems like a must win.
Compounding problems for the Lensois in this tense battle is the recent rash of injuries that has effectively decimated the attack and sorely hampered the defence. Both Issam Jemaa and David Pollet have been lost until after the Christmas break and defenders Yohan Demont, Darnel Situ and young star Samba Sow (yet to play a match this season) sit in rehab at La Gaillette. Indeed, the club has brought Franck Queudrue onto the first squad after being injured for several weeks and Coach Jean-Guy Wallemme has been forced to accelerate the development of young prospect Raphael Varane who could well start tomorrow in central defence alongside Eric Chelle since Alaeddine Yahia must sit out the match under suspension.
Lens will in fact carry three fresh new faces from La Gaillette on the pro squad. Geoffrey Kondogbia 17, and Anthony Rogie 19, will both be available on the bench for Sunday’s clash. Combine this with the possible debut of Varane and the return of Steven Joseph-Monrose and the youth invasion seems well under way at the Stade Félix Bollaert.
Yet with all of these on-field problems the club faces another potentially fatal situation in the form of staff and management infighting. After weeks of tension among the players it has been reported in L’Equipe that now the coaches Michel Ettore and Jacques Santini have stopped communicating with each other after serious disagreements. According to reports President Gervais Martel has had to intervene almost on a weekly basis and is said to be physically and mentally exhausted by the combination of the club’s poor results and this grave situation in the clubhouse. Problems with Coach Santini seem to stem from the latter’s frustration with his limited role in decision making with regards to sporting level strategy. Many observers warned this might be a potential problem from the outset as a man of Santini’s credentials would cause problems unless his role was prominent and near equal to that of Jean-Guy Wallemme. It will be interesting indeed to see what happens should a negative result occur. One thing is clear, tension is palpable in every corner of the Lens nation and this could reach a boiling point with anything less than victory at the Bollaert on Sunday.
One of the club’s few recent bright spots have been the return of Sidi Keita to the starting lineup and the continued resurgence of Kanga Akale on the left side of the attack. These two international level players have given the club a shot in the arm and should continue to play prominent roles unless they are sold off to one of the many suitors over the Winter break.
So the message is clear grab three points or else…
Young Lensois Raphael Varane prepares for his baptism of fire
Le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Chelle, Queudrue, Varane ; Hermach, Keita, Kondogbia, Rogie, Roudet, Sertic ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida.
le groupe montpelliérain: Jourdren, Pionnier, Bocaly, Stambouli, El-Kaoutari, Dernis, Lacombe, Ait-Fana, Yanga-Mbiwa, Dzodic, Jeunechamp, Marveaux, Pitau, Estrada, Belhanda, Giroud, Camara.
Starting Eleven:
GK: Runje
DF: Aurier – Varane – Chelle – Bedimo
MF: Hermach– Roudet – Keita
FW: Boukari – Maoulida – Akalé
Viewing Options: Streaming live here http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=93749&part=sports
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Ligue 1 – Matchday 11
Toulouse FC – RC Lens
Saturday, October 30, 2010 – 19:00
Municipal Stadium
Television Broadcast: Foot + and Orange World
Today Lens travels to Toulouse. After winning their first home game of the season against Nice last weekend, Jean-Guy Wallemme’s men try to take away a positive result from the pink city this week and move away from the dreaded relegation zone.
With 17 goals conceded in ten games, Lens still has one of the worst defenses in Ligue 1, only Arles-Avignon has been worse (11 goals conceded). However, in the last two matches, the Lensois have produced two clean sheets. One of those came against one of Ligue 1’s deadliest attacks in Rennes. Veteran keeper Vedran Runje and his teammates will look to confirm this newfound defensive solidity today against a good Toulouse side, another club that has seemingly benefited from Lens disgraceful relegation in 2008. Another clean sheet today will indeed be difficult since the Toulousiens have rattled off 13 goals since the start of the new campaign and seems to have regained its confidence after scoring three goals away at Sochaux last time out.
Lens could receive a big boost in the midfield as Sidi Keita is slated to make his long awaited first start after working his way back from a terrible pre-season leg injury that has kept him out until just recently where he has been working his way back into playing shape with the reserves and subsequently the pro club in the last two weeks. If Sidi does indeed make that long awaited start he will be paired in the midfield with young captain Adil Hermach. Such a pairing will provide much needed muscle and and should go a long way to plugging up the wide spaces that opponents have enjoyed since the beginning of the season when Samba Sow was injured with the Mali National Team.
Injured and Absent
Lens will be without Marco Ramos (injured) and Yohan Demont (suspended and injured), Jean-Guy Wallemme turns to two “new” defenders for the trip to Toulouse. Indeed, for the first time this season, Franck Queudrue and exciting prospect Raphael Varane will make the trip with the first team.
Besides the absences of Ramos and Demont, the club will be without the services of Samba Sow, Nenad Kovacevic and David Pollet, all three injured and remaining at La Gaillette. Pollet’s injury could very well be the most devastating as the young Belgian was in form last week when he came on as a substitute and fed Issam Jemaa with the perfect pass that delivered all three points to the blood and gold. Pollet is expected to miss up to two long months.
For his part, Alain Casanova’s Toulousien side will also be without several players. Indeed, Cheikh M’Bengue along with Xavier Pentecôte, Søren Larsen, Yohann Pele, Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé, and Yannis Tafer are currently injured or in recovery.
Le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Chelle, Queudrue, Varane, Yahia ; Hermach, Keita, Roudet, Sertic ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Jemaa, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida.
Le groupe toulousain: Valverde, Vidal – Gunino, Fofana, Congre, Tabanou, Cetto – Devaux, Sissoko, Ben Yedder, Machado, Mansaré, Didot, Braaten, Capoue, Sirieix, Regattin – Santander.
Viewing Options: http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=91348&part=sports
Images from Toulouse
The club strolls through a park in Toulouse
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Ligue 1 – Matchday 10
RC Lens – OGC Nice
Saturday, October 23, 2010 – 19:00
Stade Felix Bollaert
Referee: Stephane Bre
Broadcast: Foot +
The vultures have certainly been swirling over the head of coach Jean-Guy Wallemme’s office the past few weeks but last weekend’s 0-0 draw against league leading Rennes was enough to calm the stormy waters if only for another week.
Now comes the hard part. Yes, today’s at home clash at the Stade Félix Bollaert will either confirm the last solid defensive performance or throw the club back into unbridled chaos. Indeed, if the Lensois fail to pick up anything other than three points, the faithful will once again be claiming Wallemme’s scalp. Thus is the life of a coach leading a financially inept European side.
On the sunnier side of the street is last week’s encouraging defensive showing against a decidedly strong offense. Moreover, The return of Kanga Akale who nearly won all three points with two deadly crosses after coming on as a substitute. Also encouraging was the long awaited return of Sidi Keita who finally emerged after enjoying a fantastic campaign in Spain with Xerez. Injured since the beginning of the current campaign, the Mali international still finds himself in Artois due precisely to that untimely injury along with the fact that his host club in Spain was relegated and although badly wanted to hang on to its most valuable midfielder, had to relinquish due to the player’s lack of desire to play in the second division. Look for Sidi to work his way back to a starting role at Lens. The pairing of Keita and new captain Adil Hermach may not be far in the offing.
Injured and Absent
Jean-Guy Wallemme renews the same group from last week, except for the presence of top prospect Geoffrey Kondogbia, left at the disposal of the reserve side. It will be the same story for Darnel Situ, Geoffrey Doumeng, Nenad Kovacevic and Franck Queudrue. Marco Ramos (thigh) is day to day.
Nice coach Eric Roy will be deprived of Habib Bamogo (thigh), Didier Digard (thigh) Drissa Diakite (Achilles tendon) and David Hellebuyck (knee).
Le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje – Aurier, Bedimo, Chelle, Varane, Yahia – Démont, Hermach, Keita, Roudet, Sertic – Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Jemaa, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida, Pollet.
Le groupe niçois: Ospina, Letizi – Cantareil, Civelli, Clerc, Gace, Mabiala, Pejcinovic – Ben Saada, Coulibaly, Faé, Sablé, Traoré – Bagayoko, Ljuboja, Mouloungui, Mounier, Poté.
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Ligue 1 – 8ème journée
FC Sochaux – RC Lens
Saturday 2 October 2010 – 19h00
Stade Auguste Bonal
Referee: Nicolas Rainville
Broadcast: Foot+ (France)
Once again stuck in the relegation zone, Lens fans are made to suffer yet another dreadful start to a new season. Once again the club will hit the road to see if they can finally get things straightened out and and grab three points in order to kick start a moribund clubhouse.
With the international break looming, Lens management is feeling the pressure form fans and media to obtain a positive result on Saturday when they will take on a familiar face in Sochaux coach Francis Gillot who commanded the Lensois in their final solid season back in 2007. Every Lens fan remembers what happened on the last day of that campaign when the club lost on the final day against relegated Troyes and therefore missed out on a once surefire Champions League qualification.
Many observers in France point to that fateful day as the turning point in Lens’ fortunes and the concurrent rise of hated foe Lille which stood to profit directly from the subsequent debacle that befell les sang et or.
The traumatic end to that campaign saw Gillot resign from his duties as head coach. Said move precipitated one of the worst decisions made during Lens President Gervais Martel’s tenure…
The geriatric strategist Guy Roux was supposedly brought in for stability after Gillot’s abrupt departure but what he actually brought was a group of his own players from Auxerre which proved extremely expensive relative to their footballing value at the time.
When it was all said and done Roux decided he was too old to manage a few weeks into the fledgling season. He left the club in disarray with legendary France striker Jean Pierre Papin being brought in as an emergency replacement. Papin’s glaring lack of experience augmented by a confidence deficit handed down by President Martel when he appointed legendary former coach Daniel “druide” LeClerc as Papin’s assistant, a role never clearly explained, was too much for any young coach to bear. By the end of the campaign Lens was six feet underground, banished to the depths of Ligue 2 hell.
Today, RC Lens’ predicament can be traced to this miserable chain of events. Lens fans can only hope this nightmare will end soon. Three points would be a nice start indeed…
Sidekicks
Earlier in the week, the club welcomed back one of its native sons as EPL veteran stalwart defender Franck Queudrue signed a free transfer deal at La Gaillette.
After nine seasons in England, the Paris born Queudrue returns to Artois where he played from 1997-2002. A solid signing indeed Queudrue is expected to fill in at center half as well as left back when needed. The contract was signed binding the player until the end of this season with a possibility for extension. Queudrue was widely expected to sign with Irish giants Celtic FC but he opted for a return to his old club and country instead.
Injury Report
Franck Quedure’s debut will unfortunately be waylaid by a thigh injury incurred during a CFA match last week. Eric Chelle and Razak Boukari both struggling with leg injuries will be included in the travelling squad. Meanwhile, Samba Sow continues his rehab assignment for his pre-season foot injury.
Francis Gillot must due without Yassin Mikari (ankle) as well as veteran goalkeeper Teddy Richert (suspended).
le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje – Aurier, Bedimo, Chelle, Ramos, Situ, Yahia – Demont, Hermach, Kovacevic, Roudet, Sertic – Akala, Boukari, Eduardo, Jemaa, Maoulida, Pollet.
le groupe sochalien: Dreyer, Cros – Drame, Bréchet, Perquis, J. Faty, Sauget – Carlão, Maurice-Belay, Anin, Mar.Martin, Boudebouz, Tulasne, Nogueira – Ideye, Booty, Maiga, Sverkos.
Viewing Options: http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=89602&part=sports
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Ligue 1 – Matchday 7
RC Lens – Paris Saint-Germain
Sunday 26 September 2010 – 21h00
Stade Felix Bollaert, Lens
Referee : Bruno Coué
Broadcast : Canal + (France), Fox Soccer Plus (US)
The scenario is straight forward enough Lens must grab at least one point and find some semblance of positivity to counter their early season spiral. Otherwise talk of crisis will resurface and we may finally see club supporters calling for the head of boss Jean-Guy Wallemme.
Like many top teams trudging on in the early going this Ligue 1 campaign, Jean-Guy Walleme’s men have yet to click and find the proper groove to get their season off and running. Coming off a losing effort at Monaco in the midweek Coupe de la Ligue match, the Lensois must now face a strong Paris Saint Germain side which currently sits 11th in the league table with 8 points on the tally.
After starting out very strongly, the capital club seemed to uravel a bit after three straight defeats. However, a string of an equal three victories including success in the Europa Cup against a talented Sevilla side has seen the club revert to their earlier solid form. Indeed, the Parisians have yet to give up a goal since they reinserted talented young goalkeeper Apoula Edel back into the starting eleven.
”It’s important for us defenders,” said Edel, who had seen nine goals scored against the side, with Gregory Coupet, in the three matches in all competitions prior to their current unbeaten run.
”When you concede nine, the goalkeeper and back four usually get the blame. So to not concede a goal for three straight matches does a lot of good. The next few games, though, will be even harder, because we now have to stay consistent and continue doing what we’ve been doing of late.”
The recent consistency seen in the PSG defence may be attributed to the return of veteran Sylvain Armand, now re-invented as a centre-half by head coach Antoine Kombouaré after spending the vast majority of his career positioned at left-back. The former Nantes stalwart has helped PSG keep a clean sheet in the last two league outings (three in all competitions) to get the club back on an even footing, and leave them in decent standing ahead of Week 7.
Lens currently sit in 18th place, shockingly in front of embattled Lyon who provide an unwilling buffer at 19. Our beloved sang et or have once again set supporters’ nerves on edge with this disgusting start even though the Stade Félix-Bollaert, which today boasts Ligue 1’s third-biggest average attendance, is obviously still alight with passion and commitment to the beautiful bright colors.
We should all take a bit of comfort in knowing that Antoine Kombouaré has never faired well against the Lensois and that the northern giants have won 13 of the two club’s previous 32 meetings in this fixture and lost just twice in the last 13 encounters with PSG in Artois. And the motivation level is certain to play a crucial role as the Lensois are in even more need of three points after the sluggish start.
However, things may be looking up after Razak Boukari’s 90th-minute equaliser (his second goal of the campaign) snatched Lens a 1-1 draw at Valenciennes last week to stem a run of discouraging back-to-back failures.
”The lads really gave everything they had out there. Even though we left it late, it was certainly satisfying to equalise,” said coach Jean-Guy Wallemme, who will re-install Yohan Démont, Grégory Sertic and top scorer Boukari to the starting line-up after the three began Wednesday’s 1-0 League Cup defeat to Monaco observing from the bench.
”We had great chances in the first half that we didn’t take. We know that we have to retore some defensive solidity to the squad, but that’s down to everyone.”
The State of affairs:
Coach Wallemme will still be deprived of former captain and Mali international Eric Chelle (left thigh) but will recover goalkeeper Vedran Runje and top scorer Toifilou Maoulida, both out at Monaco on Wednesday. Samba Sow is still absent due to his left foot operation and President Gervais Martel noted that this particular injury has meant a great deal to the club’s poor start.
Parisien headman Antoine Kombouaré must make due without Mathieu Bodmer (right calf), Marcos Cearà (right hip) and Stéphane Sessegnon (right ankle).
le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Ramos, Situ, Yahia ; Démont, Hermach, Kovacevic, Roudet, Sertic ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Jemaa, Maoulida, Pollet.
le groupe parisien: Coupet, Edel – Armand, Camara, Jallet, Sakho, Tiéné, Traoré – Chantôme, Clément, Makelele, Makonda – Erding, Giuly, Hoarau, Kezman, Luyindula, Nenê
Viewing Options: The match will be broadcast in High Definition on Fox Soccer Plus in North America.
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Of course, after last week’s horrifying debacle in the traditional northern derby between Lens and Lille where the star of the show turned out to be the disgraceful referee Tony Chapron, Lens must now regroup for a second derby in as many weeks.
Regardless of the role of traditional minnow played by Valenciennes FC this match is one between two clubs from the Nord-pas-de-Calais region of France and therefore considered a northern derby as well. Whilst the Lens-Lille match overwhelms, this is nonetheless an intriguing encounter in its own right. The fact that Lens, a traditional powerhouse of French football has fallen to pieces since the relegation of 2008, and its modest neighbour at Valenciennes has been able to stay in Ligue 1 since its rise in 2006 makes it all the more interesting.
Indeed, VAFC has been another one of the small clubs that have profited directly from Lens’ precipitous fall from grace. Judicious recruiting and solid coaching has helped elevate the northern club from obsequious grinders to solid mid-table mainstays. Whilst Lens sunk into the netherworld in 2008, the former Athéniens played botom feeder and picked up one Milan Bisevac fresh off a solid season as a backup to star defender Adama Coulibaly in the Artisan back line. The solid Serbian central defender has gone on to feature prominently with his new club and has received looks from several bigger named clubs the likes of Lyon and PSG before staying on at Valenciennes at least for now.
Lens in the meantime need to regroup quickly after referee Tony Chapron’s despicable histrionics which saw him dismiss two Lens players for telling him he was being “a bit harsh.” Said “offensive” remarks led to an 11 against 9 no contest which helped Lille break the chains of their own miserable start and sunk the Lensois to 19th place in the league table.
Sidekicks
Gael Danic
A veritable cog in the Valenciennes midfield, the 28 year old playmaker will surely look to set the table on Saturday. And for good reason, the former Troyes midfielder has become a center piece in Coach Philip Montanier’s attack. Danic’s pace and mastery on the ball are capable of destabilizing an entire defense and placing his forwards in a good position to score.
Carlos Sanchez
Valenciennes Carlos Sanchez sees no end in sight. Due to a knee injury, he had already missed the previous northern derby between Lens-Valenciennes (0-0) on April 25 at the Stade Felix Bollaert. Once again, he will miss out on Saturday. However, he should return to full fitness in the coming weeks.
Lens Support
850 is the magic number of supporters expected in the Lens visitors section. Situated at the top of the Podium Pouille, the area expects to rage with passion. The parking lot will also see many a Lens supporter as many could not get a seat in the small, dilapidated Nungesser grounds that seems more fit for an amateur or third division side than a professional Ligue 1 outfit. VAFC management expects around 15,000 supporters to cheer on the red and white.
Sebastian Roudet and Issam Jemaa suspended
At the heart of the controversy in recent days, the vomit inducing officiating of Mr Tony Chapron against Lille will cary further repercussions at the Nungesser. Indeed, both players were sent off against Lille on Saturday, and both will serve their suspensions against VAFC, which also happens to be Roudet’s former club.
Stade Nungesser: A Love Fest
Along with the Stade Auguste-Bonal in Sochaux, the Nungesser has been one of the most successful grounds for players in blood and gold. The Lensois are undefeated in Valenciennes since February 21, 1990. Lens has racked up a total of ten victories at the Nungesser, against 8 draws and seven defeats.
A Parachute Derby
If you are there make sure to look up, the Nord-Pas de Calais’s second derby still promises many unique events of its own on Saturday. And if the weather permits, four paratroopers will be dropped on the lawn of the Stade Nungesser.
Will Malige stay out of the way?
Maybe some reassurance for Lens supporters here. Neither Tony Chapron nor the equally incompetent Laurent Duhamel have been appointed to officiate the derby on Saturday. A native of Nimes and denizen of the lovely Languedoc-Roussillon area, Philip Malige will don the golden whistle for this meeting. At 43, this referee has worked two matches in Ligue 1 this season and produced nine yellow cards, hardly reassuring. He will be assisted by sirs Stephane Grenier and Didier Mercier.
le groupe lensois: Kasraoui, Runje ; Aurier, Bedimo, Chelle, Kondogbia, Ramos, Situ, Yahia ; Démont, Hermach, Kovacevic, Sertic ; Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida, Pollet.
le groupe valenciennois: Penneteau, Wimbée – Baldé, Bisevac, Ducourtioux, Isimat-Mirin, Mater, Pallois – Cohade, Danic, Da Silva, Dossevi, Gomis, Loriot, Nam, Saez – Aboubakar, Pujol, Samassa.
Viewing Options: Streaming live (19:00 GMT) at http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=87101&part=sports
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