Home Football Lorient and Lens offer newly promoted clubs a lesson in purpose

Lorient and Lens offer newly promoted clubs a lesson in purpose

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Two of Ligue 1’s new clubs showed the benefits of playing a well-organised, contemporary style of football

By Eric Devin for Get French Football News

It is easy to get carried away with the results of one round of football, especially in France where we have been deprived of Ligue 1 for more than five months. Cardiff City and Norwich City have enjoyed early 3-2 wins over Manchester City in recent Premier League seasons, but both sides went on to finish bottom of the table. So, while newly promoted Lorient and Lens are historic clubs with passionate fans who will be popular with neutrals in Ligue 1, we must take their fine performances on Sunday with a grain of salt. That said, neither side appears likely to drop back into Ligue 2 immediately and they seem determined to stay up while playing some surprisingly compelling football.

Lorient hosted Strasbourg on Sunday, playing a 4-2-3-1 with record signing Adrian Grbic leading the line, the Austrian youth international having shaken off a knee injury. Grbic, who finished as the second top scorer in Ligue 2 last season while at Clermont, combines physical power with plenty of innovation and a keen ability to involve his teammates. Lorient’s front three of Grbic, Yoane Wissa and Stéphane Diarra (who was unfortunately forced off early), left the Strasbourg defence – normally the picture of calm under the organised Thierry Laurey – chasing shadows with their pressing and insistent running.

Continue reading…Two of Ligue 1’s new clubs showed the benefits of playing a well-organised, contemporary style of footballBy Eric Devin for Get French Football NewsIt is easy to get carried away with the results of one round of football, especially in France where we have been deprived of Ligue 1 for more than five months. Cardiff City and Norwich City have enjoyed early 3-2 wins over Manchester City in recent Premier League seasons, but both sides went on to finish bottom of the table. So, while newly promoted Lorient and Lens are historic clubs with passionate fans who will be popular with neutrals in Ligue 1, we must take their fine performances on Sunday with a grain of salt. That said, neither side appears likely to drop back into Ligue 2 immediately and they seem determined to stay up while playing some surprisingly compelling football.Lorient hosted Strasbourg on Sunday, playing a 4-2-3-1 with record signing Adrian Grbic leading the line, the Austrian youth international having shaken off a knee injury. Grbic, who finished as the second top scorer in Ligue 2 last season while at Clermont, combines physical power with plenty of innovation and a keen ability to involve his teammates. Lorient’s front three of Grbic, Yoane Wissa and Stéphane Diarra (who was unfortunately forced off early), left the Strasbourg defence – normally the picture of calm under the organised Thierry Laurey – chasing shadows with their pressing and insistent running. Continue reading…