The Commanderie heats up as we prepare to meet Lyon…

By: Magnusson | January 27th, 2009

In an electric context surrounding the team ever since our Owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus, b.k.a SpongeBob, came out in the press to put the pressure on the present staff. That situation died down but now things are getting heated up again as Hatem Ben Arfa (21, 13 matches as a starter and 6 goals in Ligue 1) and Karim Ziani (26, 17 matches and 2 goals) got into an altercation yesterday (Monday) and all of Taye Taïwo’s strength was needed to split them up. The situation came after Ben Arfa was tackled hard by Ziani in a game between Starters and backups. The Algerian midfielder tackled the french international minutes after the same Ben Arfa did the same to Bolo Zenden. No type of retaliation whatsoever, just the consequences of out now overcrowded midefield.
But one man is enjoying the hell out of this. Erik Gerets, in this morning press conference said that he loved the situation.

«As long as they don’t come to blows to the face, it’s part of the job, copmes with the territopry. It gave me a laugh a little bit.[...] It was a little accident as they happen sometimes, but i’m very pleased by it! Thank God! It’s been a while since two players argued like this on the pitch. i’m happy because it means the group is alive and well. It doesn’t bother me that they’re arguing, shows motivation».

The last time Ben Arfa was a starter was December 21st against Nancy (0-3) and Zenden basically took over his post since then. The french international tackled him rather hardly as i said earlier but the Oranje veteran took it with a smile and a solid dose of fairplay:

«It’s completely normal. This can happen, ten, twelve times a year. As long as it’s not the same players everytime, that it’s all controlled, it doesn’t need to become a problem. There’s a lot of motivation, there are words exchanged and after practice, we all join each other for a little foosball. I don’t think it serves any purpose to try to make it into something it is not.»

That’s what we call class.

Getting back into the game, we will find Sylvain Wiltord for the first time in the group that will face Lyon on wednesday night in Gerland. As Mamadou Niang and Lorik Cana are slowly recovering, we will not have a complete team but this one seems good enough to go and take something there.

Goalkeepers – Steve Mandanda, Rudy Riou.
Defenders – Vittorino Hilton, Julien Rodriguez, Ronald Zubar, Renato Civelli, Laurent Bonnart, Taye Taiwo, Tyrone Mears.
Midfielders – Bruno Cheyrou, Bolo Zenden, Karim Ziani, Mathieu Valbuena, Hatem Ben Arfa
Strikers – Brandao, Baky Koné, Sylvain Wiltord, Mamadou Samassa.