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redwineconversation · 1 year

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Knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired (and you'd be standing in my front porch light)

Just going to go out and say it: I prefer Twenty One Two's cover version of Cardigan to the original one by Taylor Swift. I'm holding out on the hope they will pop up on the Eras Tour but also am not holding my breath. The original is quieter, literally like putting on a cardigan; the cover is like the cold, the rush you get when you step outside and the temperature has dropped. Also, this is mildly nitpicking, but I think the hook is better when it ends on "And you'd be standing in my front porch light" rather than "I knew you'd come back to me."

Why, yes, I can write entire essays on Taylor Swift lyrics. Whatever. You are who you are.

ANYWAY let's talk about Lyon's 2023 contracts, and other factors that are actually at play. I'm going to go through position by position because I think it helps explains things a little better. I don't care if this turns it into a whole-ass essay. It's my blog and I will monologue if I want.

GOALKEEPERS

CHRISTIANE ENDLER: A 2024 contract. While not up this cycle, she is arguably the world's best goalkeeper and one Lyon will most likely seek to extend. Will she? My guess is probably, but this is based on her not having a legitimate reason not to. As long as she and her wife are happy in Lyon/France, there is no reason to believe Lyon won't be able to get an extension.

EMMA HOLMGREN: 2023. I go back and forth on this one. On the one hand, Lyon made it explicitly clear that Endler is the starting goalkeeper, so any chance of playing time is contingent on Endler getting injured. But Holmgren is young, and it's one of those situations where playing time isn't necessarily a make-or-break factor. I would guess 60-40 she re-signs, but this could probably go either way. Right now I think she would choose salary increase over playing time.

ALYSSIA PALJEVIC: I DESPERATELY want her gone, which means that Lyon is days away from giving her an extension until 2026. The day that happens you will find me playing in traffic. I will legitimately scream into the void if a team whose winning pedigree is what Lyon's is re-signs a goalkeeper who is literally the same height as Selma Bacha.

DEFENDERS

ELLIE CARPENTER: 2026, not a factor for this cycle or next cycle unless we are discussing the right back position. And even then it's basically written by the Sports Gods that Carpenter is locked in as a starter for the right back position, so yeah. Non-factor in almost every way.

PERLE MORRONI: 2024. Kind of a factor for 2023 contracts. Here's the thing: in a weird way Lyon's injury crisis in the first half of the season showed how dependent Lyon is on their bench, and how when that falls apart, Lyon is so completely crippled. Someone commented recently that Lyon has the "luxury" of substituting one world class (left back) player for another. At the end of the day, Bacha will need a certified cover as LB. Morroni provides that option. So will Lyon set aside 2023 money for Morroni's extension? Not impossible, and not something we should dismiss.

SELMA BACHA: 2025. A non-factor. Basically certified starter at left back. When on, and vexed, she has the most lethal left foot in the world. Knockout game Bacha > your favorite player. I said what I said.

VANESSA GILLES: 2023. She's one of the ones that I think won't extend because it's a loan situation, but Lyon will be wishing there were ways to skip around that. I've said it before but Gilles slips under the radar because she is, well, boring. You're not going to get any flashy defending from her. She's just a no-nonsense defender, keeps her head down, and does her job. I wouldn't have said this back in October 2022, but, as The Daylights once argued, I think I miss(ed) you.

WENDIE RENARD: 2026. Non-factor.

ALICE SOMBATH: 2026. I said it before and I'll say it again - she is PSG's The One That Got Away.

KYSHA SYLLA: Out on loan, 2023 contract. Skeptical about the renewal chances but never say never I guess.

INES JAURENA: 2023. Out of sight, out of mind. Zero probability of her extending, if she does, it will probably put the entire Lyon fanbase on suicide watch.

Griedge MBock: 2024. Will be an expensive renewal but one Lyon would be willing to pay for.

ASSIMINA MAOULIDA: 2023. Very unlikely to be renewed.

MIDFIELDERS

DANIELLE VAN DE DONK: 2023. It's not Marozsan's contract situation that will be the determining factor. it's certainly not her relationship with Carpenter, because Lyon will never take that into consideration. No, weirdly enough, I think the biggest determination is if Pernille Harder is actually as virtuous as she claims to be. I somehow doubt that Lyon is currently on top of Harder's Christmas card list. But what does Harder really want more: to be on SBG's side or to win a UWCL trophy? With all that being said, van de Donk also has big game experience, which is vital when you play the 10 for Lyon, and gets along with the squad. She's probably the hardest one for me to predict simply because there's a lot of contingent factors - my guess is they will extend, if only because they will want a cover for the No. 10 position, a position they are so protective of and won't give to just anyone anymore. If they extend - as I said, it's probably the hardest to predict - my guess is it will be a +1, at most a +2.

DZSENIFER MAROZSAN: 2023 +1. The question isn't whether she goes to PSG. The question is whether she goes to PSG in January. I think it's an important distinction, and here's why: Bouhaddi's contract with PSG ends June 2023. Marozsan's interest in PSG is tied to that alone. If Lyon balks at the idea of selling this January, then they are just entering into a game of chicken with Marozsan. Who knows if Bouhaddi will retire in 2023? Probably not. But if she still deemed high enough that she could take a starting spot elsewhere? Does Marozsan have that kind of pull? Not for most of the top clubs, who saw what Harder pulled in 2020 and Miedema in 2022 and view relationships as a cautionary tale.

AMANDINE HENRY: 2023 + 1. "I knew you, heartbeat on the high line, once in 20 lifetimes" I keep threatening to write about it but Henry's relationship with Lyon is so interesting and fascinating and complex. Even more so than Hegerberg, it poses the fundamental philosophical question: did Lyon mold this player into its own image, or did this player mold Lyon into theirs? They might disagree with each other, might go at each others throats with a bloodlust that cannot be described as healthy, but even monsters can be tethered to one another. I think it's too soon to say for sure what's going to happen to her, Lyon's performance in the UWCL probably being the biggest factor.

JANICE CAYMAN: 2023. People threw WOB around as a possibility, but I have my doubts solely because WOB will still be suffering from PTSD after the Harder fiasco. I'm not excluding Germany completely, but I question whether it will be WOB. Will it be a loss for Lyon? ehh, kind of. She's not the fastest player on the squad but can show up when needed. Just not at RB against faster players.

DAMARIS: 2024. There are rumors that Manchester City were inquiring about her but there is absolutely no way Lyon lets go this window. Well, I say absolutely no way, the only player I think Lyon would trade Damaris for is Oberdorf. Since Wolfsburg isn't going to sell Oberdorf anytime soon, Damaris will stay a Lyon player through at least June 2024. She is one of the players that I think (1) will be expensive and (2) Lyon will move for an early renewal for. Her stock will only go up after the World Cup.

SARA DABRITZ: 2025. Non-factor.

AMEL MAJRI: 2026. Non-factor.

LINDSEY HORAN: 2023. Much like Gilles, we only got her on loan. I would love it if we could extend her - she's been much more reliable than I gave her credit for back in January 2022, but I doubt (1) that the Thorns will agree to an extension and (2) that she even wants it. I think she likes Lyon, she does, but she misses the US more than she likes Lyon.

CATARINA MACARIO: 2023. I actually think she won't re-sign, and will be pleasantly surprised if she does. Right now her wage demands are absurd - it will be the equivalent of Hegerberg and Renard combined, and I just see Lyon's board flinching at that. No one player should have all that power. It's frustrating, because Macario is such an incredibly talented player, but she has proven before that her concept of loyalty is somewhat flexible. If she ends up extending, I am happy to donate to the charity of your choice.

INES BENYAHIA: 2025, kind of a non-factor. She has a lot of growing pains left to go through but I wouldn't put a loan in the future out of the equation, but we'll see what Lyon does in the meantime.

FORWARDS:

ADA HEGERBERG: 2024. A MASSIVE factor when it comes to determining both 2023 and 2024 contracts. In last year's list she was the second highest paid player on the Lyon roster (Majri might have overtaken her in the 2022 extension, which at worse would have bumped her down to third). Much like Henry, there's debate as to whether she molded Lyon into her image or if they molded her into theirs. Monsters recognize monsters, but that comes as a price.

THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE MELVINE MALARD: 2026. To put my feelings about this extension into context, the moment the news broke a very, very close friend of mine texted me asking if I could let her know I made it to work okay.

SIGNE BRUUN: 2023. The one I firmly believe will become Lyon's The One That Got Away.

EUGENIE LE SOMMER: 2023. This one I think is a little complicated - she's been at the club for a very long time, and although isn't the goal scorer she once was, she provides a ton of experience. Le Sommer is one of the squad players who has basically lived through it all. Is Lyon so ruthless as to send her away knowing she probably has one, maybe two years left in her career? Lyon operates as a business (as it should, you own a football club with the goal of making money, not running a charity case). The other factor is whether they get Brugts (@god pls pls) or Leutcher (I think less probable but never say never).

DELPHINE CASCARINO: 2024. An important factor but not necessarily a dealmaker. Lyon born and bred, I don't think she will necessarily leave for greener pastures, but loyalty does come at a cost, homegrown or not.

VICKI BECHO: Increased playing time shows an increase in confidence. Will she extend? Probably, but she is on the cheap side.

YOUTH ACADEMY PLAYERS TO WATCH

Alice Marques

Maeline Mendy

Feerine Belhadj

EXTERNAL PLAYERS TO WATCH

Pernille Harder though it really comes down to how firm her moral convictions really are

Magdalena Eriksson, though this one I have serious doubts over because she has a pretty consistent trend of using Lyon's name in order to leverage interest elsewhere

Esmee Brugts

Romée Leutcher

#all good love stories start in the rain

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redwineconversation · 1 year

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Soyaux - Lyon OLPLay Postgame Interviews

This is a Timothee Piron fan blog first and a Lyon insights blog second.

Blah blah standard disclaimers apply. Will I ever stop begging OL Comms Dept to either pay (attention to) me or for my Starbucks? Probably not, but it's good to want things.

Also OLPlay was lazy and only did Henry and Gilles, and pawned Majri and Bompastor off to other outlets. I appreciate the shortened interview segment but it also creates more work for me in the long run.

I will probably write more about Henry's relationship with Lyon at a later date, because it's interesting. It's such a complex relationship but to really understand it is to understand Lyon. In that I mean, I don't think you can understand how Henry thinks without really understanding how Lyon thinks, and I don't think you can understand how Lyon thinks without understanding how Henry thinks. Two sides of the same coin, bound together by a philosophy only the other seems to understand. But anyway. As I said, that's for a later topic of conversation.

VANESSA GILLES INTERVIEW

[Note: Amandine Henry is off-screen, heckling Vanessa Gilles during the entire interview]

Journalist: We're going to pop over to Soyaux and catch up with the 100th goal scorer in the club. Vanessa, congratulations. Your name is forever engraved in the Lyon history books.

Gilles: [laughs] Thanks, it's nice, especially leaving Soyaux with a win.

Journalist: Vanessa, we want to know. This is the your first goal while wearing the Lyon jersey, and you're the 100th goal scorer in the history of the club. Obviously it's a little symbolic. But as Timothee [Piron] just said, we're under the impression that you've been here for a long time.

Gilles: [laughs again] Well depending on how you look at it, I've been in France for a long time. I feel like I've known the [Lyon] players for a long time, because I played with them for years, even if it was from the other side of the field. And the players, I said it at the time and I'll say it again, they make it so easy to integrate into the group. It doesn't speak if you speak French or English, they're very welcoming. [looks off-camera] Some are even funny.

Journalist: Vanessa, the result is important. Win, not drop any points, the chase is on against Paris Saint-Germain. It's all we can wish for for Olympique Lyonnais in 2023.

Gilles: Well, only to win. That's one of the objectives we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season. It's one of the objectives we're going to continue to aim towards. It's the win, it's trophies. Winning is the only thing [that matters]. I think here we're happy to leave with a win, with a small margin [Lyon won 3-0]. It's never easy to win here at Soyaux, especially with a field that is a little complicated [to play on] [Soyaux's field doubles as a rugby field]. I'm not sure if you could see it on the screen, but the field was complicated to play on, so we're [Gilles gets distracted by Henry doing something off-camera] - we're happy to leave here with a win.

Timothee: Vanessa, hello. I just wanted to follow up on that. You arrived at the club not that long ago. There was another recruit recently. A really, really young individual. What is it like having to travel with a baby, that of Amel Majri? How do you integrate [the baby] into the group?

Gilles: [laughs] I wasn't sure if you were talking about Kysha [Sylla] or Ines Benyahia when you were talking about babies. No but yeah, it's always a pleasure to have Amel [Majri] back in the group. Her daughter is really cute, and it's nice for the group. It makes us happy. When things get a bit complicated during travel, everyone tries to help with the baby, tries to sooth her. Even Amandine Henry smiles [at her].

Journalist: In any case, Vanessa, a big thank you. That's it, your name is engraved in gold in the Lyon history books. Congratulations for that goal. And we'll see you soon back in Lyon.

AMANDINE HENRY INTERVIEW

Journalist: And in terms of pretty goals, she knows a thing or two about those. We have the pleasure of Amandine Henry joining us. Historical day for the club, as we've been saying. 100th scorer for the club, that was Vanessa [Gilles]. For you, it's been 350 games all competitions with the Olympique Lyonnais jersey. And you capped that off with your 50th goal for Lyon in D1 [Arkema]. A nice day, no?

Henry: Yeah, it was a nice day, especially since we won. Personally, yeah, it was also nice, I'm not in the habit of scoring, so. I'm happy for the 350th game and my 50th goal, yeah, I'm super happy.

Journalist: Do you remember the last goal you scored for Lyon?

Henry: [awkward pause] Well, I think it was in the final of the Champions League ...? I think that's right.

Journalist: Exactly. A goal that is nominated for the Pushkas Award for FIFA. Are you feeling good about it? Do you think you can win that as well?

Henry: [laughs] I think there is some tough competition and some really nice goals. So we'll see. Already being nominated for best goal for Pushka is a proud accomplishment. After that, we'll see. May the best goal win. But there are some really nice [goals] nonetheless.

Timothee: Amandine, hello. Congratulations on both the goal and the win. [Selma Bacha starts screaming in the background] I wanted to know. When you look at the dynamics of the group, the return of the players such as Marozsan today, Amel [Majri] returning to the field, holidays which did some good, the training camp as well. Do you think that for January, we can talk about a new beginning for Olympique Lyonnais after a complicated beginning of the season?

Henry: Yes, of course, it's a new [start to the] league. There are some big games coming up, especially the Champions League, the return games such as - well we'll be playing Montpellier consecutively at home be it in the league or for the Coupe de France. Those will be some big games. And it's nice as well to have players back such as Maro[zsan], Sara [Dabritz], Amel [Majri] because, well, we missed them. They do a really good job on the field and that's appreciated.

Journalist: A quick word, Amandine, on the return of Amel Majri. We've been waiting impatiently for this moment. 471 days without seeing her on the field. You see her daily in training. Did you feel that it was a special moment for her as well today?

Henry: Yeah obviously. After so much time waiting, the anticipation. And it wasn't just for any reason, she gave birth to a wonderful baby. We're so proud, she's overjoyed [about her baby]. And now she is going to focus solely on football and what happens on the field. So it's nothing but joy for us. She's a true ray of sunshine.

Journalist: Thank you again, Amandine. And have a safe trip back to Lyon, with your 350 matches on the one hand, 50 goals on the other. Your hands might be a little full but whatever. That's good.

Henry: Thanks, have a great evening.

#all good love stories start in the rain #vanessa gilles #amandine henry

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