Lille call on Brunel vision

By Matthew Spiro

LOSC Lille Métropole captain Philippe Brunel is confident of reaching the UEFA Cup quarter-finals by beating fellow French side AJ Auxerre.

Inspirational skipper
Few expected Lille still to be involved in Europe eight months after their adventure began with a UEFA Intertoto Cup tie against FC Dinamo Minsk. But Claude Puel's team have proved to be the surprise package of French football this season, and their inspirational skipper is desperate to see their European run continue.

Home advantage
"Playing in Europe has given everyone at the club a lift," Brunel told uefa.com. "It's amazing to think that only Auxerre stand in the way of us and a quarter-final place." Lille have home advantage in the first leg, but Brunel warned: "Auxerre are a good side and they have more experience of playing two-legged games than us. But at least with Auxerre we know what we are going to get."

Title contenders
Lille have already beaten Guy Roux's team once this season, winning 2-0 at the Stadium Lille Métropole in August, with Brunel scoring the opening goal. It marked the start of an impressive campaign that has seen the northerners emerge as shock title contenders. "At the start of the season none of us thought we had a team capable of challenging for the title. But now it'd be a massive disappointment if we finished outside the top four," Brunel said.

Flourishing youngsters
The club's success has been all the more surprising given that Puel has had to rely on a young squad after receiving limited funds in the summer. Striker Matt Moussilou and midfield pair Mathieu Debuchy and Mathieu Bodmer are among those to have flourished, and Brunel, a veteran in the side at 32, believes the coach deserves credit. "A lot of the youngsters were lacking self-belief," said the former RC Lens playmaker. "Claude told them that he rates them highly and he's helped them come out of their shells."

New level
Brunel has also come out of his shell this season. Regarded for many years as a reliable but unspectacular performer, he has taken his game to a new level. Playing in a floating role behind the striker, the forward has already scored seven goals as well as frequently laying on chances for team-mates. "The added responsibility of captaining the side has helped," he said.

'Set an example'
"These days I pay more attention to the way I behave because I know the young players are watching me. I don't go around shouting at people on the pitch, but I know that I can set an example by giving absolutely everything."

'Dip in form'
Brunel's biggest fear is that Lille's good work could go to waste. Five draws and a defeat in their last six Ligue 1 outings have seen them slip to third, nine points adrift of Olympique Lyonnais, while they were knocked out of the Coupe de France by Ligue 2 side Grenoble last week. "We've been drawing too many games," he said. "It's important that we start winning again because it would be dreadful to fade away after playing so well."

'Extra fixtures'
European ties with Dinamo Minsk, NK Slaven Koprivnica, UD Leiria, Sevilla FC, TSV Alemannia Aachen, FC Zenit St. Petersburg, AEK Athens FC and FC Basel 1893 have added considerably to Lille's fixture list. But Brunel dismissed the suggestion that the team is tired. "People will say that but it's not true," he insisted. "We've got a big squad of young players and, if everything, the European games have given us more energy - not less."