Thursday brought an end to the first round of Champions League and Europa League action of the season, with a rich selection of pulsating matches and ineffable goals lighting up the European stage once more.
European results reflects well on Ligue 1
English sides, with the exception of both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, could not indulge in the success of the continent's well-established powerhouses. Arsenal, Manchester United and neighbours Manchester City were all on the wrong end of dramatic upsets. The former saw Olivier Giroud sent off as the Gunners succumbed to defeat against highflying Dinamo Zagreb, a Memphis Depay goal upon his return to PSV Eindhoven could not save United’s blushes while the latter let a lead slip to a stuttering Juventus side. Liverpool, meanwhile, did well to earn a point away to Bordeaux.
A quick look across the English Channel sees a change in fortunes, with French sides remaining unbeaten across both of UEFA’s club competitions. A modest 2-0 scoreline was recorded by Paris Saint-Germain upon Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return to former club Malmo, courtesy of strike partners Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani. Lyon’s youngsters made a steady start to life in the Champions League as they were held by Gent while Marseille, Monaco, Saint-Etienne and the aforementioned Bordeaux all came out unscathed in the Europa League.
“PSG have to escape, there is no excuse there” stated Andrew Gibney. “Lyon have a similar task to Monaco last season – it’s a tough group, but not impossible. Their home games will be of great importance. I hope they can make it through to the last 16.”
Andrew Gibney is an established freelance journalist that has written for such publications as FourFourTwo, Mirror Football and Bleacher Report respectively. Known for his in-depth knowledge of French football, founding FrenchFootballWeekly, Gibney was kind enough to discuss Ligue 1 with VAVEL.
“In the Europa League,” the Scotsman continued, “I have hopes that all four teams can make it through. However, I can see Monaco not taking it as seriously. Coming second will be their priority and playing Thursday/Sunday could really effect that.”
PSG the dominant force as Monaco change approach
Les Rouges et Blancs attained a draw away to an exciting Anderlecht side, with a late Lacina Traore strike rescuing a point. The club from the Principality have undertaken a new business model in recent seasons, opting to acquire young talent before selling them for a telling profit at the peak of their transfer value. The sales of Layvin Kurzawa, Anthony Martial and Geoffrey Kondogbia typify this approach, already used by the likes of Valencia and Porto, and Gibney agrees with the change.
“It’s not so much whether it was the right direction, it was definitely the direction that made sense.” he proclaimed. “The way the club is set up and the potential income that it can grow, they are never going to compete financially with PSG, so you have to create a profit another way.”
“It feels similar to the projects of Porto and Atletico Madrid. They have bought well within Ligue 1 and it will be interesting to see how this crop of Portuguese players does. The next two years are going to be very interesting.”
Kurzawa broke into the first team in 2013, with the left-back proving to be a regular fixture in the starting XI ever since. Representing his country at youth and senior level whilst donning the famous red and white, the 23-year-old was tipped for big things. Linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, one of Monaco’s most promising players did decide to move near 600m north but to rivals Paris Saint-Germain.
“The Kurzawa sale was disappointing from a Ligue 1 fan’s perspective. You want Monaco to at least pretend there is a competition in the league. I can understand why he would see it as a step up, but it’s a shame to see a player go from Monaco to the champions. It’s like they are completely surrendering their place as challengers.”
The defender was one of six permanent transfers the Parisian outfit completed, culminating in an estimated £81m spend. The bulk of that, just over half, was spent on Manchester United’s Angel Di Maria. Seemingly unable to adapt to the Premier League and life under Louis Van Gaal, the forward’s quality was never in doubt and already looks worth the money. One player who still remains under the microscope by the Parc de Princes faithful is Kevin Trapp.
The German goalkeeper was purchased in a bid to succeed Salvatore Sirigu in the first team, or at least to challenge to Italian. Trapp was a casualty of two horrific blunders against Bordeaux a week ago though, scoring an own goal before conceding possession to allow Wahbi Khazri the chance to equalize. The 25-year-old did retain his place in midweek however, a wise move from Laurent Blanc according to Gibney. He said: “I think it was right that Trapp kept his place against Malmo. It would have been too risky to drop him and it could have ruined his confidence. However, any more mistakes and there will be a huge call for Sirigu to come back in.”
“I think it has been disappointing the way Sirigu has lost his place. He is easily good enough for PSG and it’s unconvincing to think that Trapp will be the difference between them gaining Champions League success – not to mention possibly stunting the progress of Alphonse Areola.”
Saint-Etienne and Marseille have endured poor summers
PSG have now become Champions League regulars since their takeover in 2011, an accolade once held by both Marseille and Saint-Etienne. Both have participated in UEFA’s premier competition for four consecutive years at one stage, both reaching finals with Marseille triumphing in 1993. The duo have endured turbulent summers, Saint-Etienne losing a range of first team players while Marcelo Bielsa walked directly after Les Phoceens’ opening day defeat to Caen. Replaced by Michel, poached from Olympiacos, the club have netted 13 times since his arrival and Gibney has noticed a change in styes.
“Michel seems to have a much brighter outlook. The players have more freedom and look a little happier.” He said.
“It’s still early days. After the 6-0 win over Troyes, they lost 2-0 to Guingamp. The win over Bastia was great, but the bigger lesson will come in the next few weeks. Especially against Lyon this weekend.
“Michel’s style seems to suit what Marseille are looking for, it will take time, but the signs have been mostly positive.”
Positive form has also arrived at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, despite players such as Franck Tabanou and Max Gradel departing for the Premier League. Les Verts always seem to start the season well, the only team to have registered 10 points or more after the first five Ligue 1 games in each of the last three seasons, and are likely to challenge for a top four spot once more. With a lack of depth in their squad, however, they could fall short yet again. Gibney says: “It would take a huge season to see Les Verts challenge for a place in the top three.”
“This squad is not as good as in previous years, and although they have some excellent young players and the ability to challenge for another Europa League place, it’s highly unlikely they can go higher than that. Monaco and Lyon should be stronger over the course of the season.”
French players have found success in England
Gradel and Tabanou are just two of the former Ligue 1 players to now ply their trade in England’s first division. Bafetimbi Gomis tops the scoring charts due to his exploits at Swansea City, impressing alongside newboy Andre Ayew in Wales, with former Le Havre forward Riyad Mahrez just behind.
Other acquisitions include Jordan Veretout, Anthony Martial, Dimitri Payet, Papy Djilobodji and Yohan Cabaye; when asked who has impressed most and who we are yet to see the best of, the Manchester resident stated:
“From what I’ve seen so far, it’s great to see Dimitri Payet and Andre Ayew doing so well for their new clubs. Both had excellent seasons’ for Marseille and it’s a credit to the league that they have stepped up.
“Villa have seen Jordan Amavi start well and I think they will see more from Idrissa Gueye and Jordan Veretout as the season goes on. I also hope that N’Golo Kante settles at Leicester. He won’t be first choice for a while, but has the attributes to come good.
“English clubs have been pinching talent from France for a long time. The league is very suited to make the jump across the channel. They are prepared physically and have the technical abilities to cope with the increase in pace.”
France prepare ahead of European Championships
With French players plying their trade amongst the world’s biggest clubs alongside the greatest players, it is fair to be optimistic about the country's chances ahead of the European Championships next year. The first time France has hosted a major international tournament since 1998, when the national team famously lifted the World Cup, stadiums are being renovated and the team is being prepared. Didier Deschamps has built a young but talented squad during his three year tenure in charge. Players such as Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann will have a vital say in whether the competition is a success or a failure.
“It’s so difficult to tell.” Said Andrew. “Playing meaningless friendlies makes it very hard to tell where they are at. As soon as you make things competitive, it all changes. The wins against Portugal and Serbia were important and hopefully we’ll see more positives over the next few months.”
“I believe they have the talent to go to at least the semi-finals. Blanc still hasn’t found the right blend yet and the injury to Nabil Fekir won’t help.”
“Paul Pogba is the obvious answer [To who will develop into France’s next great player]. He has the X-Factor and the ability to create something from nothing, but he is still very young and there is a danger of heaping too much pressure on his shoulders – but he is that good.
“If Blanc can find a way to re-create his Atletico Madrid form, Antoine Griezmann has the promise to become a huge player for France – but that would involve playing a front two. Blanc seems to favour three up front.”
A self-confessed Lille fan despite growing up in Scotland, Andrew Gibney proclaimed on Canal Plus that he grew bored of Celtic thrashing teams by five goals and looked elsewhere to find a team to support. An interest in Ligue 1 football followed and, although he told VAVEL a niche could prove to be a hinderance rather than a positive, he was adamant that writers report on what interests them.
Gibney ended the interview by saying: “Write what interests you. Have an opinion – right or wrong – as long as you can make your point and back it up. People don’t have to agree, cause make your point well.
“It’s a difficult industry to break into. Personally, you can never stand still. You always have to look to improve yourself and never believe that you’ve “made it”. Also, if you are ever struggling with how to write something, or just have a block – step away and give your brain a chance to get distracted. Come back to it with a fresh approach.”
VAVEL would like to thank Andrew for taking the time to talk to us, you can find his articles on Bleacher Report, FourFourTwo and his own website, FrenchFootballWeekley.