^L’Equipe’s team of the year. Bordeaux’s only one two players off from Lyon!

Biggest Flop: Diego Placente 
Free transfer or not, I think this one is unanimous. It’s like buying another CFA player except much older and not as talented. 

Biggest Diappointment: Mathieu Jérémy
It’s too bad he did not sign. He would have been a great replacement for Jurietti. Bordeaux still shows interest in him since he is not extending with Toulouse, but my guess is that he is leaving for the Premiership.

AND

Yoan Gouffran
Surprise? No, not really. His performance was really disappointing. I prefer not to speak more.

Biggest Promise: Gabriel Obertan
Gaby has all the makings of a star (in the strict non-womanizing, non-Drama Queen, excellent footballer way). A loan away will allow him he the experience he needs to excel. FC Nantes really wants him now, too. Not surprising.

Biggest Invention: GirondinsTV/GirondinsMag
Uhhh, when can I get my hands on those?

Biggest Injury: Ulrich Ramé
We couldn’t fix him in time, it certainly cost a few, albeit important, games.

Also there’s Wendel..more of a mental thing, but he’s back and I’m glad for it.

Biggest Performer: Yoann Gourcuff
This one’s been expected by everyone. Raking in pageviews everywhere, who can beat that?! *Cue naked jokes….or banana hammock*
(I also like to acknowledge the consistent, solid services of Diarra and Diawara. Without you we’d be even shittier than we think we are.)

Biggest Break: Kevin Olimpa
It’s not like a really impressive start, but definitely a shocker that Valverde would break a few games after Ramé breaks. I think he’ll become a great keeper if he’s given the chance, unlike Valverde, who scares the living shit out of me.

Biggest Matchup: Lyon – Bordeaux
This has been the best match up this season. The games have been pretty exciting so far, and I hope the next one will be just a good (and hopefully we’ll win one that actually counts).

Biggest Influence: Fernando Cavenaghi
I’m a big fan of this guy. I’m a even bigger fan of his finishing and the charisma he has on the field. This is one player who can change the course of a game even as a sub.

Biggest Loss: Roma 2-0 Bordeaux
It’s been a long time coming huh…it was terrible to watch, even worse than that Chelsea game. Well there’s next year..and UEFA Cup

Biggest Moment: Beating Lyon
This blog started off with a bang! That was such an intense game. Moar moar moar!

Biggest Hope: SIGN YOANN “MONEY” GOURCUFF
Self explanatory.

So, what are your biggest(s) this season? Don’t say something dirty.
 

I am angry. Very very very angry. So if you’re having a really great day, please don’t read this. If you’re a Roma fan, again. Or if you’re a Blanc fan, please don’t.

Okay, I understand that this group is a very difficult group to do well in, and for Bordeaux to be so close in points going into the last leg was a very pleasant surprise. But all that aside, an opportunity is an opportunity. You do not go into the match thinking that you had a great time in Champions League and that it was nice to be here. You go in there knowing that you have to win this because you want to get further than just the group stage.

Well today, Bordeaux did not play Roma thinking that. Blanc’s formation (4-3-2-1) was obviously too defensive for a game that is either win or die. I understand that you want to keep a clean sheet, but a draw will not get Bordeaux anything. I’m sure Blanc knew that Roma’s defense would be hard to break down. But what did he do? Add some defensive midfielders to the mix of course. Because Roma are SURELY not going to score with our (shitty) defense. (I’m not pertaining to Diarra, of course).

Second. Why did Blanc start Gouffran? If you read this blog you’ll know that I’ve had problems with this problem since time immemorial. I’ve always sort of ignored it, but this obviously impacted the game today. No, Gouffran is NOT of the caliber to take on Champions League games yet. He’s too unexperienced and frankly ineffective. Now if he was the ONLY FUCKING PLAYER left on the bench that can fill the role, sure. But a player like Fernando Cavenaghi should not be the SUBSTITUTE coming on for GOUFFRAN. Cavé may not be a winger, but with him on the pitch for longer than just 34 minutes would have greatly changed the outcome of the game. I mean, just how do you keep the team’s top scorer and (almost) top scorer of the league on the bench? I’l be shocked if he doesn’t pick Tottenham when the time comes.

Third. Jéremy f**king Ménez, I’m coming to get you. And Thumb-sucking Totti, I’m crashing the party. (That’s right. No Totti, NO PARTY.)

Fourth. The typical it’s all the referee’s fault. Some of the fouls were not fouls. Fernando didn’t touch a single hair on Riise’s body and you give them a freekick? Totti’s goal also came off a Ménez-foul-that-ref-didn’t-see moment. 

Finally. UEFA cup. HOW THE F**K AM I GOING TO CATCH THAT? I get Champions League with enough trouble already. Bordeaux had better get their game together, because with this kind of performance, they’re not going to be able to  keep their top players (Gourcuff, Cavenaghi, Diarra, Chamakh) and things will just go down hill. 

(That said, I actually thought that Ducasse, Jurietti, Chalmé and Diarra played very well. And Ramé is just getting old.. Wendel was quiet. Bordeaux just didn’t have a good game like they hoped.)

Expect Ramé, for he has returned. Jussiê as well!

The group
Ramé, Valverde – Chalmé, Diawara, Jurietti, Placente, Planus, Trémoulinas – Diarra, Ducasse, Fernando, Wendel, Gourcuff, Sertic, Traoré – Bellion, Cavenaghi, Chamakh, Gouffran, Jussiê, Obertan.

Blanc knows that to expect too:

“I know what to expect in Rome. We must not imagine that Bordeaux will throw in the attack to mark immediately. We have 90, 95 minutes to win this match. We’ll first we strive to defend well. To win the match, it must first defend well and if we succeed we may have opportunities to win this meeting.” Laurent Blanc
 

You can also expect the rest of that Gourcuff interview. The amazing people at ontd_football took pictures of the scans. Did I mention they also have the video of Gourcuff walking around in his undies?

(For those of you not here for Gourcuff:
-Potential target Yohan Cabaye is also under watch from Arsenal. He also interests many other clubs such as Bordeaux, OL, PSG, ASSE, etc.

-Wendel says that Bordeaux goal for this season is to qualify for Champions League again. He said that it might be too hefty a goal to dream about winning the league, and that he would rather not think about it. He also thinks that Bordeaux does not need Gourcuff to continue playing well, but admits that Gourcuff will be an asset who keeps the pace of the game, as well as the fittest in all the Girondins.)