Ligue 1 2014-15

[Bus-Conductor]

Can't see a thread, thought there should be one.

The team interesting me this year is Bielsa's Marseille. He seems to have worked his magic on them quicker than his protege has with us.

Watched the game against Reims tonight and they were incredibly impressive. Pressing, passing and movement was very good. They are using an almost identical system to us, with (a player I've flagged up a couple os including when he was with Lille) the clever, tricky and industrious Payet (a player I've flagged up a couple of times including when he was with Lille) in the ACM (Eriksen) role, the young Thauvin (flagged up by @Barry Mead this summer) in the Lamela ARM role (and very, very similar to Lamela in many ways (leftie who likes to cut in, young and exuberant, a bit erratic, but clearly talented) the evergreen Andre Ayew in the Chadli ALM role and Gignac who doing the Adebayor job (and for the first time in their respective careers, doing it better right now).

The have a couple of dynamic busy ****'s in the CM2 in Romao and Imbula who do a bit of everything, Imbula particularly gets about the pitch well.

The defenders all look decent enough, but the RB Djedje caught my eye in this game. Bit erratic, but quick and loves bombing on and getting involved, no doubt encouraged by Bielsa, set up two goals IIRC, also tenacious.

There is a real nice balance to this Marseille side. They all graft from top to bottom, they are a quick team, and in Payet and Thavin they have some craft, Ayew gives them directness and Gignac a focal point, again all graft as well as play.

Once upon a time, Marseille were a bit like the ManU of France, so there's a lot of animosity toward them from every other team, who still like to take their scalp. The emergence of first Lyon a few years back, and now the likes of PSG and Monaco (who are sinking as quickly as they rose due to Divorce and FFP) has reduced Marseille's dislikability a little but I'm sure them doing well would still piss a few off, but personally I'd like to see them pip PSG to the title this year, if they continue to play this way. Very watchable.

 

[Barry Mead]

Gignac had a brilliant season at Tolouse a few years back now, he's a curious player because even then he didn't look much of an athletic type yet showed some excellent skills and some great finishing iirc he finished top scorer in France that season and doing that in a team like Toulouse was not an easy thing. I think doing that didn't help him because instead of adding a decent striker to add a bit of support or give him a break and adding an extra attacker they left it all down to him the next season and of course his success made him a marked man. He played well for a while put eventually struggled from having to do so much of the attacking work himself. He hit a poor patch but moving to Marseille (he comes from Martigues which is effectively on the outskirts) should have got him back on track, however they went through a difficult period too and he had a couple of disappointing seasons then a decent one then last season better, this season I think he's already got half of last seasons goals. He can be an excellent striker he uses his strength well, he's deceptive and very skilful but I think there's something maybe not quite right mentally that he should be so inconsistent. At 28 and with only playing in the French League I would see him as a big risk although it might be the right time for him, maybe more mature, more experienced. I have an idea his contract is up next summer.

The player I liked a lot last season and is already hitting goals this (not to the same degree as Gignac!) is Alexandre Lacazette. I just look at his game and think he'd really link well and get in the positions to give Eriksen and Lamela an in the box finisher. He's not big but he's surprisingly strong to shake off the ball, can beat players, is sharp, intelligent and last season started to show he can finish well. Not the big strapping target man but one I think would help maximise our approach play by finding the space in the box for the final pass and putting the finishing shot

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Gignac had a brilliant season at Tolouse a few years back now, he's a curious player because even then he didn't look much of an athletic type yet showed some excellent skills and some great finishing iirc he finished top scorer in France that season and doing that in a team like Toulouse was not an easy thing. I think doing that didn't help him because instead of adding a decent striker to add a bit of support or give him a break and adding an extra attacker they left it all down to him the next season and of course his success made him a marked man. He played well for a while put eventually struggled from having to do so much of the attacking work himself. He hit a poor patch but moving to Marseille (he comes from Martigues which is effectively on the outskirts) should have got him back on track, however they went through a difficult period too and he had a couple of disappointing seasons then a decent one then last season better, this season I think he's already got half of last seasons goals. He can be an excellent striker he uses his strength well, he's deceptive and very skilful but I think there's something maybe not quite right mentally that he should be so inconsistent. At 28 and with only playing in the French League I would see him as a big risk although it might be the right time for him, maybe more mature, more experienced. I have an idea his contract is up next summer.

The player I liked a lot last season and is already hitting goals this (not to the same degree as Gignac!) is Alexandre Lacazette. I just look at his game and think he'd really link well and get in the positions to give Eriksen and Lamela an in the box finisher. He's not big but he's surprisingly strong to shake off the ball, can beat players, is sharp, intelligent and last season started to show he can finish well. Not the big strapping target man but one I think would help maximise our approach play by finding the space in the box for the final pass and putting the finishing shot

I watched Lacazette earlier in the season at Toulouse. He is a bit of a handful, a livewire, and he scored but I haven't seen enough him to form a full opinion.

Gignac has the robust qualities to be able to play in the EPL, but even in his best season with Toulouse I wasn't overly blown away, he's not without skill, but he's always been a bit more physical hustle bustle than dynamic finesse. Ligue1 is so short of top drawer strikers and anyone half decent usually ends up exported pretty rapidly to pastures foreign, the fact that he wasn't is probably indicative. The EPL or Italy both like his type normally.

I do think he'll have a good season this year, playing in front of Payet, Thauvin, Ayew and Allesandrini in Bielsa's up and at em style. It'll suit him I reckon, as long as he can live with the pace.

 

[Barry Mead]

I watched Lacazette earlier in the season at Toulouse. He is a bit of a handful, a livewire, and he scored but I haven't seen enough him to form a full opinion.

Gignac has the robust qualities to be able to play in the EPL, but even in his best season with Toulouse I wasn't overly blown away, he's not without skill, but he's always been a bit more physical hustle bustle than dynamic finesse. Ligue1 is so short of top drawer strikers and anyone half decent usually ends up exported pretty rapidly to pastures foreign, the fact that he wasn't is probably indicative. The EPL or Italy both like his type normally.

I do think he'll have a good season this year, playing in front of Payet, Thauvin, Ayew and Allesandrini in Bielsa's up and at em style. It'll suit him I reckon, as long as he can live with the pace.

He's a deceptive player, he looks more like the Michelin Man than a footballer, but he can show some great control, surprising agility and though no great pace, actually can show far more pace than you suspect. Against that he can hit long spells when he looks pretty poor and it's this inconsistency that raises question marks and given his age and not having played outside France it does make you think it would be a big gamble.
But yeah I think he could have a great season this season, he's certainly started well.
All very curious at OM though, Bielsa says he only signed for one year with no extension option, he's criticised the chairman as they signed none of the targets he wanted, yet they have been doing really welland maybe as importantly at a time when PSG have had a poor run.
Quite a good mix this season Lille shouldn't be discounted, Montpelier may offer a challenge, Bordeaux have started well as has St Etienne. Lyon and Monaco comparatively not doing so well, early days yet though

 

[Barry Mead]

Hmm timely

As reported by RMC, Marseille president Vincent Labrune has decided to let 28-year-old forward Andre-Pierre Gignac leave

http://www.transfermarketweb.com/?action=read&idsel=147233

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Hmm timely

As reported by RMC, Marseille president Vincent Labrune has decided to let 28-year-old forward Andre-Pierre Gignac leave

http://www.transfermarketweb.com/?action=read&idsel=147233

RMC ?

 

[Barry Mead]

RMC ?

http://tunein.com/radio/RMC-1031-s14896/

 

[Bus-Conductor]

He's a deceptive player, he looks more like the Michelin Man than a footballer, but he can show some great control, surprising agility and though no great pace, actually can show far more pace than you suspect. Against that he can hit long spells when he looks pretty poor and it's this inconsistency that raises question marks and given his age and not having played outside France it does make you think it would be a big gamble.
But yeah I think he could have a great season this season, he's certainly started well.
All very curious at OM though, Bielsa says he only signed for one year with no extension option, he's criticised the chairman as they signed none of the targets he wanted, yet they have been doing really welland maybe as importantly at a time when PSG have had a poor run.
Quite a good mix this season Lille shouldn't be discounted, Montpelier may offer a challenge, Bordeaux have started well as has St Etienne. Lyon and Monaco comparatively not doing so well, early days yet though

St Etienne were excellent last season, especially considering the players they lost in 2013. They've also lost Zouma now as well.

Can't see Montpellier sustaining any kind of Challenge, but below PSG and Marseille (and maybe Monaco if they get their shit together) the next layer will probably be St.Etienne, Bordeaux & Lille. The rest of the league is almost a complete lottery as there is so little between them.

 

[nuttynoah]

The season looks more open this year, it's good to see Marseille and Bordeaux back up there, although it's stlll only September.
In my experience most French people like to see PSG falter rather than Marseille. And this goes back to before the recent injection of oil money and has more to do with the PSG fans and them being the Parisian club.
The other Paris clubs are FC Paris and Red Star. FC Paris are currently the leaders in the equivalent 3rd division, the Championnat National which is mostly amateur and the standard of football can be woeful.

 

[punkisback]

Can't see a thread, thought there should be one.

The team interesting me this year is Bielsa's Marseille. He seems to have worked his magic on them quicker than his protege has with us.

Watched the game against Reims tonight and they were incredibly impressive. Pressing, passing and movement was very good. They are using an almost identical system to us, with (a player I've flagged up a couple os including when he was with Lille) the clever, tricky and industrious Payet (a player I've flagged up a couple of times including when he was with Lille) in the ACM (Eriksen) role, the young Thauvin (flagged up by @Barry Mead this summer) in the Lamela ARM role (and very, very similar to Lamela in many ways (leftie who likes to cut in, young and exuberant, a bit erratic, but clearly talented) the evergreen Andre Ayew in the Chadli ALM role and Gignac who doing the Adebayor job (and for the first time in their respective careers, doing it better right now).

The have a couple of dynamic busy ****'s in the CM2 in Romao and Imbula who do a bit of everything, Imbula particularly gets about the pitch well.

The defenders all look decent enough, but the RB Djedje caught my eye in this game. Bit erratic, but quick and loves bombing on and getting involved, no doubt encouraged by Bielsa, set up two goals IIRC, also tenacious.

There is a real nice balance to this Marseille side. They all graft from top to bottom, they are a quick team, and in Payet and Thavin they have some craft, Ayew gives them directness and Gignac a focal point, again all graft as well as play.

Once upon a time, Marseille were a bit like the ManU of France, so there's a lot of animosity toward them from every other team, who still like to take their scalp. The emergence of first Lyon a few years back, and now the likes of PSG and Monaco (who are sinking as quickly as they rose due to Divorce and FFP) has reduced Marseille's dislikability a little but I'm sure them doing well would still piss a few off, but personally I'd like to see them pip PSG to the title this year, if they continue to play this way. Very watchable.

I don't think Andre Ayew is that old. He is left footed though, so offers a different proposition to Chadli. I would love us to add Lacazette to the squad, he's like sterling but with good technique.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

@Bus-Conductor you watch a lot of French football don't you? Always remember talking Sissoko/Capoue a couple of years back, is there a particular reason you watch a lot of it as opposed to Spanish, German, Italian?

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I don't think Andre Ayew is that old. He is left footed though, so offers a different proposition to Chadli. I would love us to add Lacazette to the squad, he's like sterling but with good technique.

24 according to google, not very old at all, maybe one of those players who seems he's been around longer than he has.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

@Bus-Conductor ^^^^^

 

[Barry Mead]

As reported by Il Mattino, Napoli are keen again on OM 24-year-old winger André Ayew

http://www.transfermarketweb.com/?action=read&idsel=147338

As reported by L'Equipe, OM would like to extend the deal of 29-year-old striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, but could need to sell this latter for financial reasons.

http://www.transfermarketweb.com/?action=read&idsel=147340

 

[424style]

In 40 minutes its Marseille - St Etienne. Im really stoked because either team could basically top the table with a win. I really like Marseilles supporters and they (St etienne too) have a great atmosphere.

I followed the Ligue 1 closely in 2009-2011 and my favourite team is PSG.

A joke (my mate came up with):

(Whenever Toulouse play) "This is a match they cant afford to lose"

In the Ligue 1 feminine i like Lyon best because of Necib. She is my favourite female footballer and I think she is as good as Totti.

 

[Lufti]

In 40 minutes its Marseille - St Etienne. Im really stoked because either team could basically top the table with a win. I really like Marseilles supporters and they (St etienne too) have a great atmosphere.

I followed the Ligue 1 closely in 2009-2011 and my favourite team is PSG.

A joke (my mate came up with):

(Whenever Toulouse play) "This is a match they cant afford to lose"

In the Ligue 1 feminine i like Lyon best because of Necib. She is my favourite female footballer and I think she is as good as Totti.

So why did you choose Tottenham? Doesn't fit in with your glory hunting philosophy surely?

 

[424style]

So why did you choose Tottenham? Doesn't fit in with your glory hunting philosophy surely?

I started supporting Spurs in 1998 and its my main team.

PSG I started watching in 2009 and they certainly were not the team they are now. I dont understand what you mean with gloryhunting?

 

[424style]

In todays game I really look forward to seeing Ayew (if he starts) because I have coached him maybe 4-5 times in FM. His stats in the game are amazing and I wonder if he is as good in IRL.

There are 4 others in Marseille in keen on seeing and a couple of guys in St Etienne, Max Gradel pops up because I have coached him when he was at Leeds United.

 

[424style]

Imbula just scored a cracker in the 8th minute. Never heard of him though, gonna check him out on wikipedia.

 

[Lufti]

I started supporting Spurs in 1998 and its my main team.

PSG I started watching in 2009 and they certainly were not the team they are now. I dont understand what you mean with gloryhunting?

Alright keep your knickers on. You said you started watching in 2009, didn't say when you started supporting PSG.. The other date you mentioned was 2011, when they were bought out. Anyway, was lighthearted, relax!