Jeff Queen-Adelaide will complete his first game in full under the jersey of the Olympique Lyonnais, Wednesday, November 27, in the Champions League on the lawn of Zenith St. Petersburg? This is not the only suspense of this fifth and penultimate day of Group G, crucial for qualification in the round of 16, but the management of the former Angevin occupies all minds in Lyon.
Facing Nice, Saturday, Queen-Adelaide had played only thirty-four minutes, enough time to open the score (10th) and then out prematurely because of the expulsion of his teammate Marçal, author of a "high kick "(Circular high kick) on the Niçois Boudaoui. The replacement of the striker had also led to the whistles of part of the public Lyon, dissatisfied with the choice of coach Rudi Garcia.
On November 10, the international hope had already paid for the bad first half Lyon in Marseille, replaced at halftime because his coach, Rudi Garcia, wanted "Strengthen the environment. " It's quite simple, at OL, Jeff Queen-Adelaide never exceeded the 86 minutes of play (in the first leg against Zenith in September) in twelve games played.
In Russia, while his teammate in the Blueberries (under 21 years), Houssem Aouar, is recovering and the other technical leader of the team, the Dutch Memphis Depay, also misses the call because of 'a muscle injury, one of Lyon's flagship rookies, bought 25 million euros (plus 2.5 bonus eventual) in the final days of the transfer window, will have a leading role to assume.
And Reine-Adelaïde must pray that one of her teammates will not be taken by another blow of madness so that he can finally finish a meeting.
"A boy who knows where he is going"
At 21, the former resident of the training center of Lens and Arsenal was revealed in Ligue 1 after a full and promising season in Angers, where he played 35 league games. On 12 August, at the start of the season, before signing for OL, he was still shining under the SCO jersey by flying over the debates in a 3-1 win against Bordeaux (1 goal and 1 assist).
He had to wait more than three months to know again the joy of the striker in his new jersey, Saturday against Nice. "It's a goal that's good for the team and it's good for me too. I am very happy tonight. There are still many areas where I need to progress. I make sure to work very hard in training to progress on these points. I will continue to workresponded the young player, who did not wave despite his disappointment at being replaced. Of course, I would have preferred to stay on the ground. I was obviously a little frustrated to go out, but it's the coach's choice, it's like that "
Recruited permanently to Arsenal in the summer of 2018, after a six-month loan rather successful, Queen Adelaide had seduced everyone in Angers. The former recruiter Axel Lablatinière Angevin has confidence in his football skills but also moral: "It's a boy who puts goals, makes assists, creates offsets and has a vertical game carried forward. And it's also a boy who knows where he is going, confident of his strength but who is patient, who knows the steps and the efforts to be made. "
Progress to make in defense
Friday, November 22, in a press conference, on the eve of the resumption of the championship, Rudi Garcia had delivered an analysis of the Olympian debut of his offensive player: "He is one of the technical leaders. We expect it on its ability to be decisive on the offensive plan. On the defensive side, he must be more involved, in the engagement and in the duels. His potential is huge. He is listening. "
In Maine-et-Loire, we were aware of the progress to be made by hope to reach the very highest level. «Stéphane Moulin (SCO coach) had told him that he had to progress in this area. When you aim higher, you must know how to defend in transition when your team loses the ball. We had Sofiane Boufal and Nicolas Pepe. And Jeff Queen-Adelaide does not escape the rule, says Axel Lablatinière. Perhaps Garcia wants to spare him, that he considers that he is not yet making the effort to defend or that he is not yet physically ready to assume them … "
To explain his decision to replace him while OL was 10 to 11 against OGC Nice, Rudi Garcia had used other arguments, which oscillated between caution and pragmatism. "He played twice 90 minutes in the week (with the Blueberries) and he had a yellow card. Obligatorily, when we are ten, if we do not fight, we lose or we are joined. I could not afford to lose Jeff today, but also for next Wednesday, because I remember that I do not have Houssem Aouar nor Memphis Depay. "
In St. Petersburg, Garcia will have every opportunity to give confidence to his player, including an umpteenth premature exit during the game would not fail to talk.
