Gillot drive powers Lens

AS Monaco FC coach Didier Deschamps has had it tough this week and it will not get any easier when RC Lens arrive at the Stade Louis II on Sunday. Needing desperately to lift his side following Tuesday's UEFA Champions League elimination, Deschamps must instead find a way to keep Francis Gillot's high-flying team at bay.

Outstanding job
Lens followed last Saturday's 7-0 victory against AJ Auxerre by defeating CFR Cluj 3-1 to win their UEFA Intertoto Cup final. In contrast to Deschamps, Gillot's biggest problem is keeping his players' feet on the ground. It was a measure of the Lens coach's authority that he was able to quickly calm last Saturday's euphoria and refocus his players on Cluj. Reaching the UEFA Cup is reward for the terrific job the 45-year-old has done since taking charge in January; Not bad for a man in his first top-flight coaching post.

Former defender
Were it not for his week-old grey beard, Gillot could still be mistaken for a Lens defender. He cuts his hair short and wears the team tracksuit, happy to deflect attention away from himself. Gillot does not like to stand out, keeping his distance from journalists. "I never read the papers, I prefer to focus on my team," he said.

'Nouveau Druide'
Recently the focus has been very much on him. Since the thrashing of Auxerre, Gillot's autograph is as valuable as those of his star players. He even has a new nickname, Le Nouveau Druide – the new druid – in reference to Daniel Leclercq who led Lens to their solitary title in 1998. "Those were different times and different players," Gillot said. "But if the result is the same you can call me whatever you want."

Attacking philosophy
Leclercq was named after the Astérix character Panoramix, Getafix in the English version, partially because he boasted a similar haircut to the druid but mostly because of his team's magical style. Like Leclercq's title-winning side, Gillot's players love to attack.

Centenary year
Lens fans are enjoying their club's centenary year so far. Lens scored 16 goals in eight Intertoto Cup matches and have added eleven more in Ligue 1. The strike force is ostensibly unchanged; John Utaka left and Aruna Dindane has arrived, but the real difference has been Gillot. When he was promoted from assistant coach, Lens were 14th in Ligue 1. He lost his first match, but since then Lens have taken 36 points from 19 games, a record bettered only by champions Olympique Lyonnais. "[Gillot's predecessor] Joël Muller built a good squad, but something changed when the new coach arrived," midfield player Eric Carrière said.

'Love it'
Gillot is Lens through and through. The Sang et Or (blood-red and gold) pumps through his veins. Born in nearby Maubeuge, Gillot represented Lens 248 times between 1982 and 1993. The fans consider him one of them and his links with the area bring respect from the players. Gillot has also been careful to surround himself with loyal friends. His backroom staff is composed largely of former Lens team-mates, with Didier Sénac, Eric Sikora and Jean-Pierre Lauricella all driven by a singularity of purpose; "to put the side on top because we love it," according to Gillot.

Polish trip
Gillot ran the FC Sochaux-Montbéliard academy for seven years before joining Muller's staff in June 2004. Now back at Lens he has no intention of going anywhere else - except into Europe. Next stop for Gillot is Poland to play Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski in the UEFA Cup; after paying his respects to M. Deschamps in Monaco on Sunday that is.