In the midst of a crisis, Olympique Lyonnais manager Fabio Grosso has called on his players to step up. The club are currently bottom of Ligue 1 following Sunday’s 2-1 loss against Clermont Foot.
Grosso replaced Laurent Blanc as Lyon manager in mid-September. Les Gones were winless at the time, and that remains the case now. They are the only side in the division without a win, whilst they also have the worst defence in the division. The Italian, who is a former OL player, has previously conceded that his side are in a battle to ensure their Ligue 1 status. However, after Lyon’s latest defeat, owner John Textor rubbished talk of relegation to Ligue 2. The club’s American owner described talk of relegation as “nonsense.” Textor did nonetheless concede that Lyon could be on for a “very mediocre” season.
Whilst perceptions over the severity of the crisis of OL differ, it is clear that improvement is necessary. “We need to look at the standings, look at where we are, look at the difficulty we are in in this period, feel the responsibility and want to get out of it. We have enough matches to get points, to catch up with the teams ahead. We have the quality to do it. We want to do it. Those who believe will be in, those who don’t believe should step aside,” said Grotto following Lyon’s defeat to Clermont Foot.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
