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Laurent Blanc offered a unique answer yesterday to a question asking how his Lyon side could improve their form under his watch: “You have to change the manager.”
Blanc was appointed as manager of the Ligue 1 side in October 2022 on a two year contract.
Lyon have won just under half of the games Blanc has presided over, but have endured a tough start to the season.
An opening day loss to Strasbourg was followed by a 4-1 demolition at home to Montpellier. Alexandra Lacazette scored a consolation goal for Lyon but was promptly sent off eleven minutes later.
Lyon are restricted financially and have struggled to recruit this summer, with a difficult pre-season seemingly extending into the actual one.
The former United defender was a figure of discontent in the post-match interview, responding to questions with a “serious” tone which betrayed a sense of “resignation.”
When asked where Lyon could look to make improvements, Blanc offered an unusual response.
“Change the manager,” he said.
Baffled, the reporter asked him to confirm: “Change Laurent Blanc?”
“Why not?” he answered.
Hallucination level post-match interview from Lyon boss Laurent Blanc after two losses to start the Ligue 1 season, who appears to invite his own sacking.
Interviewer: “What can be done to change the situation?”
Blanc: “Change the manager.” pic.twitter.com/TU77HwYDCd
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 19, 2023
He was then asked to clarify whether this meant he wanted to resign from Lyon as manager.
“No, but you’re asking me what has to be done, and I’m saying you might have to change the manager.”
While the remarks appear in jest, the context in which they were made indicates the negative situation unfolding at Lyon.
Blanc had at one point appeared an option for Manchester United, when the club was searching for an interim manager to steady the ship in the wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s dismissal.
His unique style of post-match interview would at least have provided more joy that season than the dismal experience United fans endured under Ralf Rangnick.
