(Football news) Montpellier’s all-time top goalscorer Laurent Blanc is set to be the new coach appointed by Lyon to bring about a defensive revolution at the club. Blanc’s task is to add solidity to their attacking approach that was installed by Peter Bosz. Blanc is a calming influence which is much needed as Bosz’s style never truly fit Lyon. Despite a recent tactical revolution, Ligue 1 remains a physical league and Lyon’s attacking approach under Bosz was easily exposed by more results-oriented teams. Bosz tends to stick to his principles stubbornly, which doesn’t give the team much flexibility. 

Lyon scored 66 goals last season as only Rennes and PSG scored more – however they conceded 51 goals, also slumping to a disastrous eighth-place finish, meaning no European football. Bosz was very lucky to keep his job in the summer but was helped by a positive end to the season. This season’s surprise package, Lorient, embarrassed Lyon by beating them 3-1 in early September before PSG and Lens edged to 1-0 wins, their 1-1 draw at home to newly promoted Toulouse on Friday night was Bosz’s final game.

Stylistically, Blanc is a typical 21st-century French coach with a pragmatic and adaptable style of football. Four years out of the game and two coaching jobs at Al-Rayyan in Qatar will have done little to prepare Blanc for this new Ligue 1, which is producing an average of 3.09 goals per game which is the joint-most of Europe’s top five leagues. Blanc has much to work with at Lyon as the club returns of Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso are major coups and need to help their side get back on track from a disastrous start to the season..

Blanc will be given a strong squad to work with as the club hierarchy at least expects them to challenge for the top three in the league. Aulas is desperate to see his team Lyon get out of this tricky transition period. Blanc’s transition towards his own goal during his playing days catapulted him into one of Europe's finest players, but he may not be able to achieve the same shift at Lyon in the long term coaching as a lot has changed in the French footballing landscape.

Rarely did Bosz’s philosophy and Lyon’s performances match. After the Lorient defeat, the frustrated manager complained: “We defended very badly and played very badly with the ball. At half-time, I would have liked to change eight players.” A poor first half against Troyes prompted him to complain: “We can’t go on like this. We were late every time, badly placed on the pitch, we lost balls too easily.”

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