IPaulo Fonseca wanted to “poke” Endrik…he succeeded. “I’m not satisfied with his performance. He was tired after the trip to Brazil, but he has more responsibilities to do. We need him. He needs to give more of himself and be more available,” said the Olympique Lyonnais coach after the draw with Angers (0-0).
I’m not satisfied with his performance. he has more responsibility to do
A public “ear tug” after coming on as a substitute in the win against Lorient (2-0). However, the 0-0 half-time scoreline and OL’s nine games without a win (five draws, four losses) forced Fonseca to rectify the situation. He made a triple change at half-time, bringing on Tolisso, Mangala and Endrick.
The arrival of the Real Madrid striker completely revolutionized the game. It took him just four minutes to “direct” the “first” goal. He “nipped” a long ball from Tolisso into the right corner of the penalty area and delivered a superb cross, which Yaremchuk headed into the net.
He received from Afonso Moreira in space, removed Abdoulaye Faye, and set up a one-on-one shot that Yvon Mvogo deflected with all his might…but it was Tolisso who headed it into the empty net.
Gefinho hasn’t scored in Ligue 1 for more than two months since his hat-trick against Metz (2-5) on January 25, but he continues to develop his reputation as a “clutch player” – someone who reacts in great moments. Since joining Lyon, he has scored six goals and provided six assists in 1,232 minutes. In other words, he is involved in a goal every 102 minutes.
Fonseca’s “strategy” worked. “As a coach, you have to find a strategy to get the players to react, and I did that,” he said.
As coaches we have to find strategies to get a reaction from the players and that’s what I did
“We talked to get a reaction from a player who is important for us and needs to contribute more. I think he did well and gave us the reaction we needed. It was positive,” said the Olympique Lyonnais coach.
Former Mallorca teammate Dominic Greif chose to defend. “Endrik is a great player and talented, but people forget he’s only 19 years old. He’s a kid. Maybe the expectations they created when he came in were unfair, but he’s a great player. We all go through highs and lows.”
Endrik is a great player and talented, but people forget he is only 19 years old. he’s a kid
Orel Mangala has also closed in the standings with the Real Madrid loanee. “He reacted well. He showed…we all know his qualities. Now it’s just a matter of maturity, knowing when to take risks and when to play simply. That’s it. He’s a very good player.”
“He showed that he can sometimes light up the stadium. And if he can be decisive like that, it can only be beneficial for the team,” said the ‘OL’ stopper. Endrick is back. Clutch time is back.
