2. Yoann Gourcuff. Much has been said and still, I have to add my 2 cents worth. His behavior was unprofessional. I don’t think there’s a team other than Bordeaux where he could heal from his mental world cup wounds, improve his play and win matches under the guidance of such a brilliant coach as Tigana. Christian, his father, has obvious strong influence on him. Sometimes I wonder what Yoann’s motives really are. A move to any other team might cost him the national team spot when he’s eligible to play, considering Nasri’s shape and the obvious competitors who proved their worth against Norway.

3. Gouffran. Surely the man is just as frustrated as we are. He has talent, he knows how to score, yet, his desire to succeed does not translate to success on the pitch. I do not know how Tigana sees the situation, but right now he has no stable offensive player he can count on to finish in front of the opposing goal. Bordeaux’s reliance on free-kicks and corners cannot be a good thing.

4. Diarra. Finally, a bright spot. Such a powerhouse. Planus will still be (dearly) missed next Sunday against Marseille, but the experienced captain was the reason PSG failed to control the ball as much as they expected. The first half was dominated by PSG, mostly, yet, Bordeaux had 53% possession of the ball.

5. Fernando and Chalmé. The two are highly motivated but their almost crazed phases scare the living daylights out of me. If the team is to succeed this season, it’s one ‘bad’ that Tigana has to fix. The pressure on a player’s shoulders cannot be translated to over-aggressive play. Bordeaux’s main advantage against teams such as Marseille is that they don’t have to rotate between players in order to succeed both in Europe and Ligue 1. Tigana dearly needs his classic starting 11.  Hopefully, the win tonight will lead to a calmer season.

PSG 1, Bordeaux 2! Tigana’s boys did not deserve a victory but thanks to PSG’s lackluster and indecisive defence, 2 of Bordeaux’s defensive players slotted in the winners, Ciani doing so 4 minutes in injury time!

I’ll gather my thoughts and possibly write more tonight.  In the meantime, here is Gourcuff half-naked

The good: Hatem Ben Arfa, Jérémy Menez

The bad: I’m convinced Blanc does not know who to start in defence against Belarus. Mexes proved he could play well. He’s not captain material (yet).

It’s a new road for France. With patience and support from the fans we’ll see wonderful things from these boys

Will Blanc’s boys have a brighter future than the Cantona/Papin/Ginola generation? Your guess is as good as mine

]]> http://umtseed.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/the-men-in-blanc/feed/ 1 umtseed Blanc Houllier http://umtseed.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/in-tigana-we-trust/ http://umtseed.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/in-tigana-we-trust/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:31:16 +0000 umtseed http://umtseed.wordpress.com/?p=79 ]]> What have we here?

FCGB’s new season is around the corner. The man in charge is Jean Tigana, the guy I loved to love during the fabulous ’80s. A coach who knows a trick or two.

Not ignoring the total meltdown near the end of last season, I am risking my reputation and declaring that 2010/11 will see Bordeaux finish higher than 6th.

Why? Why not?

Chamakh is gone, true, and so is Placente (thank God). Basically, Tigana has to work with what is mostly a very experienced squad plus Savić (which I like a lot). The summer break went by quietly and besides some negative tabloid action (Gourcuff allegedly leaving and Diarra wanting to go as well), there were signs of brilliance and maturity during the warm-up friendlies. I believe Tigana can turn this group of players into a winning team.

Carrasso may be injured and Planus cannot start against Montpellier tomorrow. Defence is still a little rusty too. Offensively, we’re lacking. Cavenaghi might need a new companion if the team wants to go places. Still, I am convinced Bordeaux does not lack world-class players who will all click together and can win a title (which one, I will not gamble on). Plašil will improve even more as he finds common language with the newbies. Diarra  will once again dominate, and Savić (yeah, I like the boy), even if benched earlier on, will prove to be a tremendous addition to the team’s defence.

The journey starts in Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier. Where will it end? Tigana has a lovely smile. I’d love to see this journey end with him celebrating. In the mean time, allez Bordeaux!

France’s offensive play is predictable. They cannot surprise or innovate. The lack of leadership leads to many lost balls in midfield. The defence is shaky. There is no need to blame now, but it’s obviously the result of the last few skirmishes in the squad

I’ve been a fan of the French team for 28 years. I remember the disappointment of not qualifying to the final in 82. I remember losing to Bulgaria in 93 and the failure to reach the US WC. Nothing could have prepared us for this year’s horribly twisted and heart-breaking finale.

The FFF needs new faces. Laurent Blanc will start from scratch and the foundation is there for him to work with. His insistence on discipline could potentially lead him to find new players to work with. I hope the FFF knows he’s the only boss. Any intrusions and he might leave.

I know we all want to let our feelings show. I prefer to stay calm and figure things out in the next few weeks. This chapter is over. Let’s write a new one

Shame

Lloris sees the future

Henry whispers to Evra before the match

Gourcuff’s Red

Gourcuff’s Red – close up

Cissé reacts to the red

Domenech angry at Parreira at the end of the match

First half:

France had a few defensive hiccups. Offensively? Possibly killed a few ants

Second half:

This is when Domenech’s 6-year system culminated. Ray-Ray’s tactical nudity wasn’t the sight we were expecting: no opportunities for passing created, careless tackles, terrible marking, lack of motivation from the players.

Toulalan tried his best, Gallas stood by while Mexico cut deep into Lloris territory. Diaby was Arsenal-ish in his instability. The forwards? Extremely inaccurate passes, bad shots. Slow and predictable one-twos, lack of commitment to pressing in Mexico’s half.

The first goal was typical for a team who has no system. A terribly-timed and executed offside trap allowed Mexican celebration.

The second goal – typical Abidal meltdown 2008-style. While it was a dive, Abidal shouldn’t have given the ref the impression he was actually going for the leg.

Not only did the subs not contribute to the match, I am convinced the ones who stayed on the bench felt somewhat relieved. To think these are the only stories Planus will have to share with his grandkids from his international career. What about Cissé? To wait 4 years to NOT be given a chance? Henry? Instant Irish Karma is hardly the goodbye he deserves.

Raymond, in 6 years you have destroyed so much that we can’t forgive you. Social brawls resulting in cliques, complete and utter disdain for media and fans alike, personal fights with almost every 1998-era player. I hope you do better in the future. I know we will

We’ve endured this for 6 years, one week won’t matter.

I’m lost for words. Here are photos because an image is worth at least 1000 of *my* words. Technical discussion will follow in the next post

Ball Possession after Mexico's First Goal. Stats don't even begin to show what happened regarding ball-possession

Ribéry Flat On Face

Abidal's Foul - Ref, really??

The end? Is this Toulalan's last WC match?