Europa Challenge

[samillyroy]

In an attempt to test my managerial skills, I have decided to set out to win all of the major domestic leagues in Europe. I am not giving myself any time limit on this challenge, as there are 6 leagues to win, and i do not rank this as an easy feat.

My challenge begins in the south of France with the former club of Laurent Blanc, Girondins de Bordeaux. I chose them as I believe they have a strong fanbase, solid finances and also a good squad. It's not a strong enough team to challenge in Europe yet in my opinion but I want to raise a team that can challenge the elite.

Looking in the league, I believe my major threats are Lyon and Olympique Marseille. Lyon have re-strengthened since losing Benzema and have brought in the likes of Lisandro Lopez from Porto, a strong and clinical striker, and Michel Bastos, a tricky little left winger who I think will cause problems in Ligue 1.

However, I also believe my team has all the strengths to challenge in this division. And too right, as we are the current champions. Our key players are undoubtebly Yoann Gourcuff and Marouane Chamakh (who is constantly being linked with Real Madrid).

Here is the 2009/2010 squad:

Goalkeepers: Ulrich Rame, Cedric Carrasso, Kevin Olimpa
Defenders: Diego Placente, Benoit Tremoulinas, Mathieu Chalme, Christopher Glombard, Michael Ciani, Henrique, Ludovic Sane, Marc Planus
Midfielders: Fernando, Alou Diarra, Jaroslav Plasil, Yoann Gourcuff, Bilal Hamdi, Abou Traore, Yoann Gouffran, Henri Saivet, Jussie, Gregory Sertic, Wendel, Simon Poulsen, Eyong Enoh
Strikers: Fernando Cavenaghi, Yannick Djalo, Lacina Traore, Jose Paulo Guerrero, Marouane Chamakh

The players that are highlighted in red are those that I purchased after joining the team. Bilal Hamdi and Jose Paulo Guerrero joined in January.

(The 2009/2010 season was completed before I decided to create this story. It will therefore not be covered in as much detail as following seasons.)

The story of the 2009/2010 season.

After joining les Girondins, I set about moulding the team to my style. I did however struggle to decide upon the best formation. Therefore throughtout the season we chopped and changed between 3 formations - the 4-1-2-1-2 formation, which I felt best utilised the powerful trio of Chamakh, Guerrero and Gourcuff. The 4-3-2-1, or the Christmas Tree formation, which allowed more width than the 4-1-2-1-2 formation. And finally the current formation, the 4-4-2 diamond. I've settled upon this at the moment because it allows width and also two strikers. I personally like developing strike partnerships.

It was a dissapointing league campaign. Because of the inconsistency in tactics, the players were also themselves largely inconsistent. We gave away last minute goals as well on a large number of occassions which in the end cost us dear. We also allowed Lyon to do the double over us and saw a number of vital leads given away cheaply. We ended 5th at the end of the season, and we were lucky not to finish 6th as a last gasp equaliser meant that instead Stade Rennais dropped.

On the other hand, we did not finish the season empty handed. Thanks to the large squad that we possessed, we were able to fight battles on 4 fronts. In April, we won the Coupe de la Ligue with a 3-1 victory over the south French side AS Monaco at the Stade de France. This match was largely won by the heroics of Yoann Gourcuff.

He also single handedly led us to triumpy in the Coupe de France, securing an impressive 3:0 victory over St. Ettiene, no easy side at all.

We went out of the Champions League at the Group Stage, mostly because we were drawn with Inter Milan and Real Madrid. We were 2:0 up against Real Madrid at the Bernabeau with 20 minutes to go, when Michael Ciani brought down Kaka in the box, last man, and earned himself a red card and gave the Galacticos a penalty, which they scored. Cristiano Ronaldo then gave them the winner late on to clinch a gut wrenching victory.

But despite that, we finished 3rd in the group and went into the Europa League where we were knocked out by the impressive Genoa.

It was a dissapointing European campaign, but with two trophies already under the belt in my first season at les Girondins, I am positive that I can lead them on to further glory with a team moulded to my satisfaction.

The Trophy Cabinet so far

2010/2011 Season

Pre-season is currently underway and I have given the team a bit of a revamping. After finally settling on a formation, I bought the players that I believe could lead us to domestic glory this season.

But the key aim of pre-season is holding on to Yoann Gourcuff who is under constant speculation of a move to Chelsea. I have offered him a new contract with the club, and if he signs it, that will be a huge sign of our ambition this season.

Firstly though, transfers.

We said goodbye to a couple of first teamers from last season, with Christopher Glombard leaving to join Huesca on a free, whilst Fernando Cavenaghi joined Malaga in a 2.9m deal after failing to hold up a starting position last season. Diego Placente, our second choice left back, and Ulrich Rame, our now third choice goalkeeper both departed the clubs on free transfers.

Say hello though to the new players at le Stade Cheban-Delmas (in cost order):

Juan Valera signed a pre-contract with us half-way through last season after the news that Glombard had done the same with Huesca had filtered through. He is a decent, and young right-back from Atletico and he's looking to take the right back spot off of Chalme.

The ginger hero: John Arne Riise joins on a season long loan to give cover at both the left back and left midfield positions. He has an incredible amount of experience, having won the Champions League with Liverpool and there is no doubt he will solidify our leaky defence.

Vincent Kompany. One of the first signings in the Manchester City revolution left them this summer in a 3.8m deal, which could prove to be an aboslute bargain. At 24 he has a lot of experience, and will only improve over the next few seasons. He is also fairly versatile, as he can play in both the defensive and central midfield roles.

And finally...

Former Standard Liege defensive midfielder Steven Defour joins us on a 4-year contract in a 12m deal. He is a young, but mentally very impressive young midfielder. He already has plenty of experience but his move to Bordeaux signals the next step in his career. With him in front of the defence and Gourcuff at the top, it looks like our midfield could be one that teams in this league will certainly envy.

I felt the positions that needed strengthening the most were in defence and midfield, as this is where we showed a lot of weaknesses last season. I brought in Riise as he brings an experienced head to the pack (a lot of the players in our defence are under 25), and Kompany as he is a huge talent, and I couldn't say no for 3.8m. Valera is a sturdy player on a free transfer and Defour is an incredibly intelligent player who I believe will settle in straight away.

Pre-season is continuing, so for now you will have to wait. I will be giving monthly updates from now on in my quest to become the ultimate European manager.

​

 

[leedsunited1987]

cool o look forward to every update as i did before lol

 

[samillyroy]

August 2010

August marked a critical stage in our development as a team, and it also saw the closing of the transfer window. With a successful pre-season under our belt, we kicked things off with a French Champions Trophy final against Ligue 1 winners of last season LOSC Lille Metropole...

Transfers
Naturally August sees the closing of the transfer window, so Bordeaux sneeked in a couple of extra players before it kicked in:

Carlos Vela joins us on loan from Arsenal for a season for a fee of 3m - this is definitely a gamble from the manager and he will be sincerely hoping that it pays off.

Mathieu Chalme left for pastures new, joining English side Liverpool for a fee of 10m, with West Ham star Julien Faubert coming in as his replacement at right-back for a 6.25m fee.

Girondins de Bordeaux 0:1 LOSC Lille Metropole
Trophee de la champion de France

Bordeaux missed their opportunity to claim the first silverware of the season at le Stadium Lille Metropole today, after going down to a well worked set piece finished by Aurelien Chedjou (above).
It was a fairly even game, with chances falling to both sides, but Bordeaux looked rusty up front, with the partnership of Djalo and Chamakh creating chances, but both of them failing to score.
Chamakh thought he had given les Girondins the lead in the 28th minute when he headed in, only to see the offside flag be raised.
And in the second half, a short corner was well converted by Chedjou to win the trophy for the French champions.
It was a poor showing from Bordeaux, and hopefully things will pick up before too long.

7th August 2010
Girondins de Bordeaux 3:1 USBCO
Ligue 1, Matchday 1

Arsenal prodigy Carlos Vela, on a season-long loan with les Girondins, sealed an impressive victory against newly promoted Boulogne with 2 very well taken goals.
Bordeaux got off to a great start, creating a number of chances, and before long they were 1-0 ahead, when Gouffran laid the ball across the box where Vela found space to slide under the goalkeeper.
But things were complicated when Gregory Thil brought it all level 5 minutes later with a thunderbolt of a shot that beat Carrasso.
But after the break, Bordeaux came out and punished their opponents, as Vela dribbled past 3 defendants, before sliding past the goalkeeper, who may have been at fault for conceding at his near post. But take nothing away from the goal.
And Yannick Djalo sealed the win with a lovely finish inside the box, almost bursting the net, as les Girondins made an impressive start to the Ligue 1 season.

14th August 2010
Grenoble Foot 38 0:4 Girondins de Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 2

Last season's top goalscorer Marouane Chamakh scored the pick of the goals in a rout over Grenoble, finishing a fine move with an exquisite lob over the keeper.
After a good showing against Boulogne, Bordeaux were keen to press their early advantage and it didn't take long to cut Grenoble apart. Riise played the ball into Defour who found Gourcuff with a very sweet crossfield pass. He took a touch before sliding it behind the defence with a deft pass where in-form Yannick Djalo took full advantage to tuck under the keeper.
Bordeaux pressed but were unable to take the lead until into injury time in the first half, when Gourcuff again split open the defence with a lovely pass and Vela took full advantage to score his third goal for les Girondins.
Then Marouane Chamakh opened his account with a goal of true class, breaking free of the defence before lobbing the oncoming keeper from over 25 yards to crown a majestic Bordeaux performance.
And in the 88th minute, substitute Wendel converted a rebound after Yannick Djalo's shot was parried to give Bordeaux a healthy boost to the goal difference.
Captain, Marc Planus: "It has been an incredible start to this season for us. We feel more solid as a unit than last season, and I think that is showing in our strong defensive displays. Of course there is a lot of time yet, and we have a lot more games to play, but the confidence in the camp is building from these early displays."

Thursday 19th August 2010
FC RB Salzburg 0:1 Girondins Bordeaux
Europa League 4th Qualifying Round, 1st Leg

January signing Jose Paulo Guerrero opened his account for the season with a dramatic last-gasp winner over a sturdy Salzburg side in Austria this evening.
The match saw first starts for the season for Jaroslav Plasil and Wendel who both missed the beginning of the season through injury, but both failed to give any penetration during the game.
Vonlanthen came the closest in the first half when he was played in by Tchoyi but he failed to keep his balance and his shot went over the bar.
From then on Bordeaux controlled, but Chamakh and Djalo were short of their recent form.
It took a last gasp finish from substitute Jose Paulo Guerrero to seal the away win and ensure a more comfortable second leg.
Captain, Steven Defour: "We have to be proud of this win, because Salzburg are a strong side, especially at home. We definitely lacked a little composure up front today but this is natural in front of a big away crowd and the most important thing is that we got our first victory in Europe today."

Sunday 22nd August 2010
Girondins de Bordeaux 2:0 Toulouse FC
Ligue 1, Matchday 3

Yannick Djalo continued his impressive scoring form this season to ensure victory over a dissapointing Toulouse side.
It didn't take long for Bordeaux to establish a stronghold on the game, despite an early chance for Andre-Pierre Gignac, and number 1 right back Juan Valera met a fine Tremoulinas cross from the left with a header to score his first goal since joining on a free from Atletico this summer.
And it was 2-0 after half an hour when the fiery Portuguese striker found space thanks to a lovely backheel from Vela to smash into the roof of the net.
It was a comprehensive victory for Bordeaux and they are improving on the inconsistency that was the main cause for their poor showing in last season's campaign.

Thursday 26th August 2010
Girondins Bordeaux 4:1 FC RB Salzburg
Europa League, 4th Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg

A number of key players were rested for the second leg of this Europa League game, and the players coming in certainly made the most of their opportunity.
Saivet, Wendel, Sertic, Traore and Guerrero all made the starting line-up for this game, and wasted no time in exploiting their lacklustre opponents when Michael Ciani flicked on a fine corner from Wendel to give them the lead.
And 15 minutes later, Lacina "the Giant" Traore was freed behind the Salzburg defence thanks to a wonderful pass from Defour to double the advantage.
Salzburg did nick one back before half time, but the second half belonged to Jose Paulo Guerrero who continued his scoring form in the Europa League.
His first came in the 83rd minute courtesy of a brilliant run and cross from the promising Henri Saivet, and the second was a magnificent solo effort. Riise won the ball back in the Bordeaux half before laying the ball on to Guerrero who sprinted the length of the Salzburg half before fooling his man and smashing past the goalkeeper to finish an impressive performance.
It was exactly what the squad needed going into the crunch match against Ligue 1 holders Lille, as les Girondins meet their first real test in the league.
Captain, Steven Defour: "It was a comprehensive victory for us today, I believe we performed very well indeed and for me personally it was one of the best performances so far this season."

Sunday 29th August 2010
LOSC Lille Metropole 0:2 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 5

Bordeaux secured a huge victory at le Stade Lille Metropole today, getting revenge after their loss in the French Champions Trophy.
It was a tighter affair than the scoreline may suggest, but thanks in part to some very solid defending (despite the absence of the suspended captain, Steven Defour), Lille were unable to profit.
Bordeaux got the lead after just 24 minutes, when Valera headed in his second goal of the season, after a brilliant cross from Carlos Vela.
Bordeaux pressed more and Yannick Djalo was unlucky when he smashed a shot out of nowhere off the corner of the post.
But Lille had their chances too, and the most lively player, Eden Hazard, managed to find space after 42 minutes to get a shot away, but his effort rebounded off the woodwork.
And they were punished in the second half when Gourcuff dropped the ball back on the left side for Tremoulinas to swing in an inviting ball which Chamakh flicked onto the far post to secure an impressive victory.

At the end of August, the top of the table looks like this:

1. Girondins Bordeaux 12
2. AS Monaco 12
3. RC Lens 8
4. Stade Rennais FC 7
5. Paris Saint-Germain 7
6. Montpellier Herault SC 7

The Manager's say: "After a dissapointing league campaign last season, I am delighted to see the sheer determination of this group of lads. It's vital to stress that this is a marathon and not a sprint, and we have a huge distance to cover before the end of the season, but we've certainly done ourselves no harm with this cracking start."

2010/2011 Season
​

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 AM ----------

September 2010

September started in the same vein as August, but turned sour in the first Europa league group stage match against Spanish side Valencia...

Saturday 12th September
Girondins de Bordeaux 4:1 AS Saint-Ettiene
Ligue 1, Matchday 6

Bordeaux gave Saint Ettiene a hiding today at Stade Chaban-Delmas, with Guerrero continuing his fine vein of goalscoring form to seal an important victory.
It took just 11 minutes for the home side to take the lead, as he picked the ball up in the box, before dribbling past at least 6 players and tucking home. It was an absolutely tremendous goal, and it kick-started the game.
Chamakh then hit a fine volley from Valera's cross only to see it hit both the posts, before Vincent Plante then deflected it into the back of the net for a very unfortunate own goal.
But things got even worse for St. Ettiene when Guerrero pounced to finish a nice move, after fantastic work on the left wing from Carlos Vela.
And on half time, Vincent Plante scored a second own goal, after his defender smashed a clearance onto his back, and the ball found it's way in.
4-0 at half time, and the game was as good as finished, but striker Gonazalo Bergessio managed to ****** a consolation with a crisp finish after 73 minutes

Thursday 16th September 2010
Valencia 3:1 Girondins Bordeaux
Europa League Group E, Matchday 1

David

Villa scored a hat-trick to seal a comprehensive victory over Ligue 1 leaders Bordeaux.
David Villa steered them into the leed with a crisp finish after poor defending from Tremoulinas.
And not long afterwards, Kompany came in with a clumsy challenge on Joaquin to give Valencia a chance to double their tally, and Villa did so with style to give them a 2 goal cushion.
Bordeaux rarely threatened, even in the second half, as Villa completed his hat-trick with a simple finish past the oncoming Carrasso on the 47th minute.
Juan Valera did manage to score his third goal of the season as a consolation but it was a poor first showing by les Girondins against the Spanish giants.

Sunday 19th September 2010
AS Nancy Lorraine 2:1 Girondins de Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 7

Incredibly, 9-man Nancy Lorraine somehow held off Bordeaux today, despite having only a couple of chances.
Things started badly for Bordeaux as Feret scored a wonderful strike to give them the lead.
But from there, they dominated and created several chances, both Riise and Chamakh hit the woodwork.
But they couldn't find that cutting edge. But after half an hour, Lorraine were reduced to 10 men, and Bordeaux fans would be forgiven for thinking they would then press on.
But les Girondins pushed forward very slowly, with Faubert and Riise creating very little chances on the two flanks (with Saivet and Vela both out with injury).
They did create one chance for Chamakh who headed in at the near post, only to see his goal called for offside, before Djalo smashed a shot off the crossbar.
But then disaster struck. A seemingly easy pass from Faubert back to Carrasso was hurrendously cleared, and N'Diaye was on hand to double their advantage.
2-0 up, but they were then reduced to just 9 men after 66 minutes, and Bordeaux then started to press the advantage.
It didn't take them long then to get the first goal, as Riise headed home a brilliant cross from Faubert.
Guerrero and Chamakh were then both denied after brilliant saves from Bracigliano, before drama in the last minutes.
Valera swung a brilliant ball into the far post and Riise was on hand to head home, only to see his goal wrongly chalked off for offside, the second offside of the match.
Bordeaux left the field after their second defeat in a row, and the picture on Illyroys face spoke a thousand words.

Saturday
Girondins Bordeaux 0:1 FC Sochaux-Montbe
Ligue 1, Matchday 8

Sochaux piled on the misery for Bordeaux today with an edged win after Kompany conceded another penalty to doom Bordeaux to a third successive loss.
It was only 5 minutes into the match when Kompany hacked down his man to give Sochaux a chance to take the lead, and Ignazio Abate.
And the big players were nowhere to be seen again as Bordeaux produced another absent performance.
Chamakh had a number of chances in the first half but he failed to take them.
But most of the blame will be heaped upon Belgian centre-back Vincent Kompany who conceded the penalty and also missed at least 6 free headers from brilliant Wendel corners.
The Bordeaux manager was visibly beyond angry, as he was sent to the stands for throwing a drinks bottle towards the bench. They remain second in the league, but 4 points off the leaders Monaco, and with a lot of work to be done.

It has since been revealed that centre-backs Henrique and Vincent Kompany were fined by the Bordeaux management a weeks wages for their dreadful performances in this game.

Girondins de Bordeaux 1:0 Sunderland
Europa League Group E, Matchday 2

Bordeaux got back to winning ways again in the Europa League today but it was a far from impressive performance, with a number of chances being wasted.
After the huge optimism around the city after the fantastic start to the season, Bordeaux have seen a rapid decline in the past few matches.
This game took a beast of a goal from playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who himself has been performing under-par recently.
But despite controlling the game, they looked susceptable at the back again, and they will have to improve going into October if they are to rescue this season.

The season has reached another critical point after this month. It's a dissapointing one by all standards. It started and ended with wins, but the games in the middle will be likely to cause the manager a few headaches in the coming weeks.
The lack of performances from players such as Chamakh and Kompany as well will be a concern to the team, and it will be something the manager will desperately need to adress next month.

The table looks like this.

1. AS Monaco FC 19
2. Girondins de Bordeaux 15
3. RC Lens 14
4. Stade Rennais FC 13
5. LOSC Lille-Metropole 12
6. Olympique Lyonnais 12

It's tight still, and with a game against Monaco next month, we will definitely need to be improving on the performances of September, one that will fade quickly in the memories of les Girondins fans.

​

 

[Nick.]

well played. 2nd in the table. great signing in Faubert

 

[cfc12345]

brilliant story so far mate well done i think this story is going to be equally as good as the chelsea one you done a while back

 

[samillyroy]

thanks, I appreciate it guys
it's been a while since I got a game going, and I'm starting to get into this now, quite enjoy playing in foreign leagues for a change so should be interesting.
any ideas on how to spice it up, and on lay-out and that would be much appreciated

---------- Post added at 05:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:02 AM ----------

October 2010
Three months of the season have now passed and after two very different fortunes in the past couple of months, we enjoyed a return to form in October, starting with a tough away trip against Olympique Marseille:

3rd October 2010
Olympique Marseille 3:2 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 9

Niang gave Bordeaux's title hopes an early dent with his last minute penalty at the Stade Velodrome.
Olympique Marseille scored in the 5th minute of injury time to seal an undeserved victory against an otherwise impressive Bordeaux side.
Things started badly for les Girondins as Brandao slammed home a nice finish from inside the box to give OM the lead.
But it took just 2 minutes for them to get level as Marouane Chamakh, the man out of form at the moment, scored a delightful goal, turning his man before striking it right into the top corner from inside the box.
And he doubled their lead after just half an hour, after Plasil played him in behind the defence and, onside, he smashed the ball home.
Bordeaux started the second half in similar fashion, controlling affairs until a counter-attack caused them some problems and Marc Planus brought down Niang in the box, and he converted the resulting penalty to bring Marseille level.
But still Bordeaux pressed and they maybe should have scored when Plasil was given a clear shot on goal, but Mandanda made a very impressive save.
And it was to prove vital when in the 5th minute of injury time, OM were given a penalty for shirt pulling against the otherwise solid Jaroslav Plasil, and Mamadou Niang stepped up to seal an undeserved victory at the Stade Velodrome.
Sam Illyroy: "We're showing a lot of naivety at the moment, and we have to eradicate that from our play because it is costing us in important games like today. I can't fault the performance of the lads, but I'm furious with Plasil because he's an experienced player and he knows what's going to happen if he tugs his shirt. But that's just football at the end of the day."

17th October 2010
Girondins Bordeaux 2:0 En Avant de Guingamp
Ligue 1, Matchday 10

Faubert scored his first goal since his 6 million pound transfer from West Ham.
Bordeaux returned to winning ways in the league, after three games without victory.
And it was the big signing Julien Faubert who grabbed the opening goal after 15 minutes. Defour picked out Sertic going forward who's shot was saved, and Faubert was on hand to smash home.
And Bordeaux continued to press, even if they were unable to find the finish with Gourcuff and Chamakh posing problems.
But after 24 minutes, Bordeaux were hit by an injury problem as Chamakh went off injured. He will be out for over 2 weeks.
His substitute was Lacina Traore, but it was another substitute who won the match, as Vincent Kompany came on for Michael Ciani to seal the game.
It capped a tough couple of weeks for him after he came out saying he had made a mistake joining Bordeaux after his fine a couple of weeks back.
But he'll be looking ahead after this victory.

Thursday 21st October 2010
Ekranas 1:6 Girondins Bordeaux
Europa League Group E, Matchday 3

Vincent Kompany put in a top class performance to make up his errors last month.
Bordeaux gave Ekranas an absolute hiding this evening, but the main talking point will undoubtebly be Vincent Kompany's incredible 4 goal haul!
Making a start after his brilliant cameo performance against En Avant de Guingamp, he gave Bordeaux the lead from a Wendel corner after just 8 minutes.
The manager might have been forgiven for thinking it would be another long game though when Martynas Steinas scored a weak goal after poor defending from Kompany.
But Yannick Djalo then scored his first goal in a few games, with a great finish just outside the box, after he was played in by a beautiful cross-field ball from Gouffran to put les Girondins back ahead.
And he then made it 3-1 when he slotted another brilliant finish from Defour's through ball.
From there on, it was the Kompany show, as he scored header after header, in the 68th minute, the 78th minute and then in the 90th minute, he rounded off a brilliant performance to make up for his one error and he finally had a smile on his face.
A great game for the confidence, and Bordeaux go back into the league this month with a great win on their hands.

Sunday 24th October 2010
AS Monaco FC 0:1 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 11

Guerrero is furious after seeing a straight red.
Bordeaux edged this game today, but they won't care after having Jose Paulo Guerrero sent off inside the first half hour.
Coming into this game, Monaco were top of the league and unbeaten, so the manager would have been expecting a tough game.
But this must-win looked to have been tipped towards Monaco's favour when Guerrero picked up a second yellow card after just 28 minutes to give them a numerical advantage.
And to make matters worse, Carlos Vela was then taken off with an injury moments later, to be replaced by Wendel, so impressive against Ekranas.
Despite that though, Bordeaux took the lead after 36 minutes in extremely contraversial circumstances.
Ciani made the tackle on the edge of the box before playing the ball into Gourcuff. He slotted a brilliant pass behind the defence, but as video evidence shows, Yannick Djalo was a good 2 yards offside.
He managed to outpace the defenders before finishing a brilliant goal that turned out to be the winner.
Monaco pushed for the rest of the game, but to no avail and the game was well and truly ended when they were themselves reduced to ten men after a ridiculous foul from Mathieu Coutadeur.
A very important win for les Girondins, and one which will really boost the confidence after a tough few weeks.

Wednesday 27th October 2010
Girondins Bordeaux 1:0 Montpellier Herault SC
Ligue 1, Matchday 12

The Bordeaux players mob Vela after his last minute goal
Bordeaux grabbed a vital victory in injury time today which sends them a point off top place, with a game in hand.
It was a generally frustrating game for les Girondins fans, as time and time again Bordeaux created chances, but Chamakh failed to tuck them away.
He was replaced after the hour by Yannick Djalo, but he too, despite his brilliant recent form, was unable to provide that final touch.
The manager looked very frustrated from the sideline as they looked they were going to record a 0-0 draw against the team in 14th, a game they really needed to be winning.
But in the 93rd minute, they were saved by the magnificent Carlos Vela, and what a winning goal it was.
Played in by substitute Tremoulinas, he turned on the area, and hitting it with his left foot, bent it wickedly towards the near post at far too great a pace for the keeper to manage.
It was a fantastic end to a very frustrating match, and things are genuinely looking like they're picking up now after that victory.

Sunday 31st October 2010
OGC Nice 1:3 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 13

Bordeaux truly thrashed OGC Nice at the Stade du Ray today, a team that are themselves pushing for Europe this season.
They started as they meant to go on, Michael Ciani getting his first goal of the season with a powerfully executed header.
And Yannick Djalo got another for the month after finishing a beautiful pass from Carlos Vela.
And the youngster, who scored that incredible last minute goal against Montpellier, scored the 3rd just before half time, hitting a cool volley from a brilliant Faubert pass.
Vela has really settled in with Bordeaux this season, and his composure for a 21 year old is truly outstanding.
The second half saw Bordeaux continue to dominate, but they did concede a 72nd minute goal after a lack of concentration from Ciani saw Modeste through who buried hard into the net.
But in the end, it was a comfortable victory to round off a very important month for les Girondins and they sit 2nd in the table, but with a game in hand.
Manager, Sam Illyroy: "For me, the most important thing about teams that I manage is that they react. We had a poor month in September, and I asked the team for a reaction, and that was what I got. I asked Kompany for a reaction after his dreadful first few performances at the club, and he has, eventually, reacted. I'm delighted with the win against Monaco where we showed true character to not only score with 10 men, but to hold on, and we can now look forward to November."

Elsewhere around Ligue 1, Lyon are in crisis as their chairman has spoken publicly about signing Hantz as manager after an abysmal start to their season.
The title really is up for grabs in France this season, as RC Lens, Stade Rennais, Monaco and Saint-Ettiene all stake their claim for championship glory and it's been a really entertaining first few months.
Another point to clear up for the fans however, is that despite Gourcuff's odd lack of goals so far this season, he does top the charts for assists in Ligue 1, and remains a vital part of the club's plans
Here's the league table at the end of October:

1. RC Lens 28
2. Girondins Bordeaux 27*
3. Stade Rennais FC 26*
4. AS Monaco FC 25
5. As Saint-Ettiene 22
6. OGC Nice 20**

* 1 game in hand
** 2 games in hand

Stay alert for more updates as the season heats up. A couple of important Europa league games are coming up, including a chance for us to get revenge over Valencia after that drubbing at the Mestella.

And this months player of the month is the fantastic Yannick Djalo who, after a slow start to his Bordeaux career following his 800k move from Sporting Lisbon, has really picked up this season and showed how lethal he is in front of goal this month with 4 goals, a great return.

Until next month readers, goodbye, and keep following!

please leave comments xD

​

 

[fozzyliverpool]

Good luck, this is a very interesting read.

 

[leedsunited1987]

yeah this could be as good as ur chelsea game... i havea schalke game going at the moment.... although at the second attempt co the other one crashed...

 

[samillyroy]

November 2010
November saw us return to form, but 2 draws in the last 2 games of the season saw us drop to second after moving up to top.

Thursday 4th November 2010
Girondins Bordeaux 5:0 Ekranas
Europa League Group E, Matchday 4

Gouffran grabbed his first Bordeaux goal of the season against Ekranas.
Ekranas made the trip to Bordeaux, but they got another thumping at the hands of Illyroy's side as they made easy meat of the Lithuanian underdogs.
It took less than a minute for them to get ahead, with Gouffran heading in a brilliant Vela cross.
And Chamakh doubled the advantage after half an hour, with his first goal since early October, and it was a very good goal. He took the ball from Gouffran on the half way line before sprinting past his two markers and sliding past the rushing goalkeeper.
Ciani then grabbed a brace, to take his tally to 4 for the season, an impressive return for the centre half, and Diarra finished the game with a corker from 25 yards.
It's a third win in the Europa league and now they're looking to seal qualification against Valencia, before the final game against Sunderland.

Sunday 7th November
Girondins Bordeaux 1:1 RC Lens
Ligue 1, Matchday 13

Ciani equalised for Bordeaux but they were unable to build on it.
Girondins Bordeaux dropped points in a match which they could have won against top of the league Lens, but the game was mostly soured by an injury to Gourcuff.
Monnet-Paquet gave Lens the lead after just 4 minutes with a very cool finish underneath Carrasso but Bordeaux responded with a Michael Ciani header, his second in 2 games.
Gourcuff was then taken off just before half time to the concern of the Bordeaux fans meaning he will be ruled out for the next 2-3 weeks.
They struggled then to push forward, with Defour pushing forward, but he didnt manage to spark enough creativity into the game and it ended as a draw, a failed chance to move top of the league.

Wednesday 10th November 2010
AJ Auxerre 2:4 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 14

Jussie was in brilliant form to grab two goals for Bordeaux
Bordeaux gave Auxerre a good hiding today, but they will be dissapointed that they conceded two goals.
Jussie came into the starting line up to replace the injured Gourcuff, and he impressed today, but it was Chamakh who got the first goal, stealing the ball wide left, before dribbling in, fooling 3 players and smashing into the roof of the net. It was a brilliant goal.
And he doubled it with a neat finish 5 minutes later, before Jussie finished a brilliant pass from Henri Saivet.
Auxerre then managed to pull one back, with Fernerud burying a brilliant pass.
Into the second half, Bordeaux continued strongly, as Jussie finished brilliantly, but it was more poor marking from Auxerre.
Auxerre grabbed what then turned out to be a consolation, the only real worry for the Bordeaux manager.
3 more points, and Bordeaux move to the top of the table.

Sunday 14th November 2010
Olympique Lyonnais 2:2 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 15

Ciani draws Bordeaux level late on.
Bordeaux held on for a draw thanks to the fantastic Michael Ciani, but Lyon did have the better of the game.
They took the lead early on through Frederic Piquionne who pounced on a Chamakh error before burying clinically underneath Carrasso.
Michael Ciani replied 15 minutes later with a powerful header and that is the way it stayed going into half time.
But Illyroy's record against Lyon (2 losses in 2 games) looked set to continue when Piquionne scored his second of the night after shrugging off Kompany, no easy feat in itself, before smashing home brilliantly.
Bordeaux then pushed forward to grab something and were able to when Ciani headed in a Jussie corner, and it ended 2-2, a result that Bordeaux will still be pleased with, and one which leaves them top of the league.

Saturday 27th November
Girondins Bordeaux 2:2 SC Bastia
Ligue 1, Matchday 16

Carrasso was beaten in the 90th minute, but the defence will have to take the blame.
Bordeaux will be kicking themselves after drawing this match, having had by far the better of the match.
Bastia were clinical though today and started well, with Pierre-Yves Andre burying past the keeper after a mix-up in the Bordeaux defence.
But normality was resumed when the superb Chamakh scored after half an hour, sliding home after Gourcuff had hit the post.
And he grabbed a second moments later, when Defour played him in, and he took the pass on the chest before smashing first time into the roof of the net with real ferocity.
And Bordeaux continued pressing, having chance after chance, but they were not clinical enough and in the 90th minute Christophe Gaffary popped up to slide home past Carrasso to end a frustrating match.
2 draws in 2 leaves them second in the league now, 2 points off Lens but with no games in hand anymore.
Manager Sam Phillips: "It should have been a brilliant end to the month and I have no douts that we should be top of the league but in the end we only have ourselves to blame. I'm concerned that we've conceded 6 in 3 games and that is something we'll be addressing this month."

So that was November in a nutshell, and it really was a tale of two halves. No defeats, but 3 draws, in games we arguably could have won, have left us off the top but only by 2 points.
December is always a crucial period in a season, and we will have to be sure we are in top form going into it, starting with a home game against David Villa's Valencia, so impressive at the Mestella.

It was a toss-up between Marouane Chamakh and Michael Ciani this month for player of the month, but I'm going to give it to Michael Ciani after he rescued us a draw against Lyon. He was our only threat on the pitch so I'm delighted that he salvaged us that draw:

Here's the league table:

1. RC Lens 35
2. Girondins Bordeaux 33
3. Stade Rennais FC 33
4. Paris Saint-Germain 27
5. OGC Nice 27
6. As Saint-Ettiene 25

It's close up at the top, so December will be a key, key month. Allez les Girondins!!!

​

​

 

[leedsunited1987]

u seem to have great Footy management skills

 

[Trophy_Whorder]

brill love it can i see a screenshot of ur league tho all ways nice to see that well done. the story and what you have done for Girondins Bordeaux

 

[samillyroy]

haa im not so sure leedsunited.
weve not done badly, but we've slipped up on quite a few occasions.. but thanks
and cheers ryangiggs, appreciate it
yeahh I'll put a screenshot up at the end of December before the winter break.
it has been tough, lot of pressure considering when i took over we were champions of France, but I think I've done an alright job with them anyway.
if I win the league, I'll be sad to leave them

anyway, keep reading. december ones coming up, some cracking results.

 

[Dan]

Good luck pal, I read your Chelsea so I will read this and I am sure it will be great.

 

[samillyroy]

December 2010
Well, what a tough year it's been for me. It was this time last season I started to turn things around in the league, with the signing of Guerrero, and when we started our brilliant runs in the coupe de Ligue and coupe de France.
But we don't need turnarounds this season, I need consistency after finishing 2010 in the best way possible - top of the league.
Here's the story...

Thursday 2nd December 2010
Girondins Bordeaux 2:0 Valencia
Europa League Group E, Matchday 5

Gourcuff scored just his 2nd of the season.
December started in the best way possible, with a brilliant win over group rivals, Valencia.
The brilliant defending of defence partners Ciani and Kompany worked really hard to nullify David Villa, so influential at the Mestella, and it was those foundations that this victory was built on.
The first goal came through Yoann Gourcuff, a player who has been shy in front of goal so far this season, especially considering his 20 goal haul last season. He ran onto a Faubert long pass before smashing past the goalkeeper comfortably.
And after brilliant teamwork, Chamakh picked out Gregory Sertic in the box for his first goal of the season to cap a promising win.
Sertic was one of the players highlighted last season as a player to watch but so far this season he has been relatively unheard of. Let's hope this game picks him up.

Goalscorers: Goucuff (15), Sertic (44)

Sunday 5th December 2010
Paris Saint-Germain 3:5 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 17

Gregory Sertic put in another very promising performance
An incredible first half performance from Bordeaux saw them 5-0 up at half time, and absolutely cruising, but some slack defending and good finishing from PSG gave them a fighting chance in the second half.
Vincent Kompany gave the away side the lead to start us off with a brilliant hanging header after just 15 minutes, before Guerrero scored a brilliant goal. The fantastic Sertic sprayed a cross-field ball behind the PSG backline to Faubert who crossed the ball into Guerrero to slide home side footed into the net.
And Sertic's brilliant performance earned him a goal after 36 minutes when Diarra played him into space on the 18 yard box, to tuck cooly into the near corner.
He then doubled his tally just moments later to give them an incredible 4-0 lead at the Parc des Princes, when Chamakh backheeled him free, and he sent a composed finish round the goalkeeper.
Chamakh had set up two goals already and he then added the fifth when Guerrero sent him in 1 v 1.
The crucial goal came a minute later when Mevlut Erdinc scored for PSG to give them a way back in, and they really went for it in the second half.
Guillaume Hoarau buried a finish just a minute after the restart, before hitting the post just moments later.
The chances kept coming, and Carrasso was under heavy bombardment, not helped by an injury to centre-half Henrique.
Younousse Sankhare finished with a brilliant volley after an hour, but the substitution to bring on Defour steadied the ship and allowed Bordeaux to hold on to victory.
Camara was sent off with 5 minutes to go for PSG to cap a dreadful display for them, but a truly morale-boosting victory for les Girondins.

Goalscorers: Kompany (17), Guerrero (25), Sertic (33, 36), Chamakh (43)

Saturday 11th December 2010
Girondins Bordeaux 1:1 Havre AC
Ligue 1, Matchday 18

Bordeaux put in a very poor performance, and may have lost to the bottom of the table side, Havre AC (who they beat comfortably in the Coupe de France last season), were it not for a brilliant cameo performance from Yannick Djalo.
Selim Bouadla made things interesting after 65 minutes when he buried a header, entirely against the run of play.
Bordeaux looked awfully short of ideas, especially considering their increidlbe goal haul against PSG last week.
And it took an injury time header from substitute Yannick Djalo, his first since October, to save a point and continue their unbeaten run.

Goalscorers: Yannick Djalo (90+1)

Thursday 16th December 2010
Sunderland 0:0 Girondins Bordeaux
Europa League Group E, Matchday 6

Scotsman Craig Gordon did brilliantly to hold off the Bordeaux tide.
The final match of the Europa league was a bore draw which despite qualifying Bordeaux, leeaves them second to Valencia.
And it didn't have to be that way; Bordeaux created a number of chances, but their profligacy in front of goal was what let them down today.
Chamakh hit a wonderful strike that hit the bar, before Saivet thought he'd scored his first senior goal for the club, before seeing it wrongly called off as offside.
Defour also had a crack (he's without a goal yet too), but he was unfortunate to see it smash off the crossbar.
A good performance which could have been a win, but the most important thing is there are no injuries going into the huge top of the table clash against Stade Rennais this weekend.

Sunday 19th December 2010
Stade Rennais 0:1 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 19

Chamakh sealed an invaluable victory.
Bordeaux sealed an absolutely priceless win today, despite being dominated by the home side.
The pace of Ismael Bangoura was a constant thorn in the side of the Bordeaux defence, far too pacy even for Valera to handle.
But they did get their noses ahead after half an hour when Defour's wonderful through ball found Chamakh to bury home his 11th goal of the season.
Rennais pushed and pushed, clearly knowing how important a game this is, and buoyed by their home fans went very close on occasion, with the best chance falling to Jimmy Briand who saw his shot fly inches wide of the post.
The young striker, once tipped for greatness, was lively all afternoon, and his partnership with Bangoura caused Bordeaux problems, but with them sitting and countering, Rennais were stuck in two minds between attacking and defending, with the pace which Bordeaux can counter.
In the end, it was a victory for les Girondins, an absolutely vital one indeed and they go into the new year top of Ligue 1.

Goalscorer: Chamakh (34)

Manager Sam Illyroy: "Massive, massive win that against Rennes. I'm delighted with our defensive performance in that game after some poor ones this month (namely PSG!), but special praise has to go to the lads for some great games this month, and despite that extremely dissapointing draw at Le Havre, I'm confident we can go into the new year on the back of this and seal Ligue 1."

Wow. What a month. It's the first time I've been able to write that we're top of the league, so that comes top of my agenda!
The new year starts with 2 cup games in quick succession, against SO Chatellerault in le Coupe de France and against PSG in the Coupe de la Ligue, so there's no letting off.

But for now, the lads can enjoy a good winter break, where I will be thinking about potential signings..
But in my honest opinion, I think we have brilliant strength in depth already, I may only be thinking about adding to my youth team.

Anyway, player of the month has to be Marouane Chamakh, who has led the line brilliantly after a dissapointing start to the season so congrats to him

And here's the top 6 again:

1. Girondins Bordeaux 40
2. RC Lens 39
3. Stade Rennais FC 36
4. Paris Saint-Germain 33
5. Olympique Lyonnais 32
6. AS Monaco FC 29

As you can see, Lyon have come back into it after a poor start to the season, so we'll be keeping our eyes on them. But beating 2 of the top 4 in one month is brilliant, and I'm delighted going into 2011!

 

[Paul LUFC Custus]

great story

 

[samillyroy]

January 2011

Well, since we last met, a lot has gone down. We started with two cup games, but we have dissapointingly relinquished our hold on the Coupe de la Ligue at the Quarter-Final stage.
It's a shame, but we still have our eyes on Ligue 1, despite losing our unbeaten record this month too, against Toulouse. Also, we were drawn against Hearts, which will be played next month in the Europa League.

Two new faces joined us this January as well, although one has returned to his club after a loan spell after suffering a serious injury..

Jermaine Jenas joined on a 180k loan deal from Tottenham, but only managed 3 appearances before breaking his leg.

So in came Arsenal reject Abou Diaby. Technically, he leaves something to be desired at this level, but he has an astonoshing engine, and also an eye for the game. Definitely has the potential to play well at this level.

Unfortunately, we also said goodbye to Jose Paolo Guerrero who only managed 1 year at les Girondins before deciding he wanted to move to a bigger club, and that bigger club was AC Milan. We wish him all the best after a brilliant season at the club, and we also gladly accept the 7.25m that came with it, a 6m profit!

But anyway, to the results of this month..

To the results...

Saturday 8th January 2011
SO Chatellerault 0:4 Girondins de Bordeaux
Coupe de France, 4th Round

Cheick Diabate had a very impressive debut for Girondins de Bordeaux.
2011 started in the best fashion possible with a comfortable performance from our second string side, including goals on debuts for striker Cheick Diabate, who has been in impressive form for the reserves this season, and youth star Oumar Bagayoko, still only 15 years old.
He kicked things off with a nicely taken goal just 12 minutes in, smashing home after receiving a through ball from Jussie.
Gouffran then doubled the lead minutes later smashing in from a tight angle, when the goalkeeper really could have been doing better.
A rowt look set when Cheick Diabate scored a 3rd before 20 minutes, heading in a Bagayoko free-kick, but things went stale then until the 85th minute when Henrique headed home to settle things at Chatellerault.
4-0, and into the next round of the French Cup - there could be no complaints from the Bordeaux end.

Goalscorers: Bagayoko (12), Gouffran (15), Diabate (19), Henrique (85)

Tuesday 11th January 2011
Paris Saint-Germain 1:2 Girondins de Bordeaux
Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round

Gouffran (left) and Gourcuff (right) scored the goals to see off the threat of PSG.
Bordeaux turned this game around with two goals after the hour mark to seal a big cup victory. With progress already secured in the Coupe de France, it was essential that Bordeaux beat title rivals PSG, and they didn't dissapoint.
Mevlut Erdinc, so impressive the last time these two teams met, put PSG in the lead after just 13 minutes, smashing home after losing his marker, Kompany.
And they continued to have the majority through until half time.
They may well have wished they'd taken some of their opportunities in the first half, as Gourcuff punished them, tapping in a brilliant through ball from the again impressive Diabate.
And the right winger Yoann Gouffran, who had a very impressive game too, finished things tapping in another brilliant through ball, this time from Sertic who is regaining the form that he achieved last season.
Bordeaux then did well to hold PSG until the end of the game to qualify for the next round which will be against Stade Rennais FC, another tough one.

Goalscorers: Gourcuff (66), Gouffran (71)

Saturday 15th January 2011
Girondins de Bordeaux 2:0 Grenoble Foot 38
Ligue 1, Matchday 20

Gregory Sertic scores the winner, following a very impressive performance from the youngster.
Bordeaux's impressive form this season continued against strugglers Grenoble with a comprehensive victory, although there was more to the story.
Things look set to be comfortable when Chamakh put les Girondins ahead after just 16 minutes, finishing well from Sertic's lovely pass.
Sertic continued to pull the strings alongside Gourcuff, and just behind Chamakh. It seems to be a formation that is working for Bordeaux's players now.
But things looked like they might turn ugly after 48 minutes when Ciani pulled down Pierre Boya inside the box, and the cheers eminating from Stade Chaban Delmas turned to groans of annoyance.
But Danijel Ljuboja stepped up and smashed the ball off the post to save Bordeaux their blushes.
And Grenoble were punished late on when the fantastic Gregory Sertic finished off the game, tapping in a rebound from Jermaine Jenas' shot.
A good victory and it keeps us top of the table, with a 100% win rate in 2011.

Goalscorers: Chamakh (16), Sertic (90+4)

Tuesday 18th January 2011
Toulouse FC 2:1 Girondins Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 21

Andre-Pierre Gignac silences the Bordeaux fans, so used to winning.
Unfortunately, our unbeaten record for 2011 dissapeared at Stadium Municipal as Bordeaux failed to recover from an early Andre-Pierre Gignac brace, as he put on a masterclass.
After being fairly anonymous in the reverse fixture this season, Gignac popped up after just 5 minutes to nod Toulouse ahead.
And he made it 2-0 after 20 minutes, ending a nice move with a thunderbolt of a shot, almost breaking the net.
By this point the fans in the Stadium Municipal were all up on their feet, and in buoyant mood, but that ended when Michael Ciani pulled a goal back from a corner after 38 minutes.
Unfortunately, Bordeaux were unable to take any real momentum into the second half, and were unable to overturn the one goal deficit.
It was a dissapointing performance for Bordeaux, and they will be having to improve if they are to win the league this season.

Goalscorers: Ciani (38)

Saturday 22nd January 2011
AJ Auxerre 1:4 Girondins Bordeaux
French Cup 10th Round

A horrific leg injury to loanee Jermaine Jenas scarred an otherwise brilliant performance.
Bordeaux returned to winning ways with a strong victory over AJ Auxerre, but it was soured by a horrendous injury to on loan midfielder Jermaine Jenas.
Ciani gave Bordeaux the lead after just 12 minutes, but Amr Zaki made things level almost instantly, finishing a brilliant Pedretti pass.
Ciani did the business again though just 10 minutes later, heading in another corner bringing him to 10 for the season!
Gourcuff then scored a penalty after Diabate was brought down in the box, before Faubert slid in a brilliant Sertic pass.
Sertic has been a different class in the past month or so, especially considering his young age of 22, and he is starting to become the integral part he so promised to be after last season.
But in injury time, a late tackle from Auxerre's midfielder, Benoit Pedretti, sent Jenas writhing in agony, and he was later sent to hospital for treatment on a broken leg.
Having just played 2 games, it was a horrible way to end a loan spell and we wish him all the best with his treatment.

Goalscorers: Ciani (12, 25), Gourcuff (pen 32), Faubert (53)

Wednesday 26th January 2011
Stade Rennais FC 1:0 Girondins de Bordeaux
Coupe de la Ligue Quarter-Final

Ismael Bangoura scored the winner to knock out the holders, Bordeaux
Bordeaux put in a decent performance in the coupe de la ligue against overachievers Stade REnnais today, but were doomed to an early Ismael Bangoura goal, taken brilliantly after some nice approach play.
Bordeaux came close to equalising just minutes later when Wendel's header hit the bar, but it was eventually cleared for a corner.
Things did die down then until about 25 minutes in when Rennais then hit the bar.
Sertic hit a speculateive free kick from about 30 yards moments before half time, but the Rennais goalkeeper did brilliantly to tip over acrobatically.
Both goalkeepers were in fine form throughout the game, with Carrasso making the most impressive save of all, somehow getting a hand to a curling Jimmy Briand shot.
But in a game that could have gone either way, an early goal cost Bordeaux and they will definitely be losing hold of the Coupe de la Ligue for this season.

Saturday 29th January 2011
Girondins de Bordeaux 2:0 LOSC Lille Metropole
Ligue 1, Matchday 22

Gouffran celebrates scoring the winner that sees Bordeaux stay at the top of Ligue 1 for February.
The month ended on a high, featuring the debut of new signing Abou Diaby.
But it did look like it was going to be a frustrating afternoon for les Girondins against the French champions, just returning to form in the past month.
But their 6 game winning streak was brought to a crushing end with 15 minutes to go when midfield dynamo Yoann Gourcuff scored his 3rd goal of the month, latching onto the end of a lovely lofted through ball from Faubert, before hitting a shot that somehow sneaked underneath Mickael Landreau.
And Gouffran doubled the pain for Lille fans when he punished them for failing to clear a corner by smashing home a very clinical finish.
It was a real statement of intent from the Bordeaux players to ****** the win late on, and they will be delighted that they were able to complete a double over the current Ligue 1 holders, a statement that the rest of the teams in the league will no doubt have been made aware of.

Goalscorers: Gourcuff (73), Gouffran (87)

All in all, a great month for us. 2 defeats, but it was a congested fixture list in the players defence and we have lost no ground on the title race this month, as the rest of the teams also dropped points.

We welcome Abou Diaby to the team, and hopefully he will be able to settle in and become an integral part of that already strong midfield.

My player of the month for this month is Gregory Sertic. After performing so well at the end of last season, he seemed to drop off until November, but he has played every game this month and has shown intelligence and technical ability beyond his age. So well done to him.

​

And here's the table at the end of January...

1. Girondins de Bordeaux 46
2. RC Lens 43
3. Stade Rennais FC 41
4. Olympique Lyonnais 37
5. Paris Saint-Germain 37
6. OGC Nice 35
​

As you can see, Lyon have crawled right back into the frame, and we are now only 9 points clear of them. It's going to be a brilliant season but there is plenty more to look forward to...

Despite losing against Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue we still have the Coupe de France to look forward to, an 11th Round match against US Boulogne, before a home and away tie against Scottish side Heart of Midlothian in the Europa league...

It's a tournament I would sincerely like to win, especially after this dissapointment of last season, and we will be going all out for victory in that game.

That Europa league match is to come in the following match so make sure that you stay following this story, it's just getting interesting..!




---------- Post added at 04:04 AM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 09:50 PM ----------

February 2011

Possibly one of my toughest months managing Bordeaux. We kicked things off at St. Ettiene, never an easy side to beat and ended at Olympique Marseille, but there were plenty of stories in between.
A number of injuries to players such as Ciani, Vela, Gouffran, Saivet, Henrique, Kompany and Diabate made us a bit thin on players at times and we didn't manage to play the same team in consecutive games.

Saturday 5th February
AS Saint-Ettiene 1:1 Girondins de Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 23

Chamakh scored a brilliant goal, but it wasn't enough to win the 3 points.
1-1 was probably a fair result in a match which Bordeaux preferably needed to win, with teams around them dropping points, but they do still remain top of the league.
A slow first half was brought to life only by a couple of chances, the best of which fell to the lively Sertic, but his fine shot was well saved by the man of the match Plante.
Bordeaux didn't dominate possessions but they did create the most of the chances, and Vela also played in Gourcuff but he could not find the finish before the break.
Abou Diaby replaced Defour at half time for a shift of tactics, and he added a bit of engine in the midfield.
He played a hand in the first goal, tackling back before playing the ball into Gourcuff to launch a counter-attack. He found Chamakh, who then finished ruthfully into the bottom corner.
But it took just a minute before Saint-Ettiene were level again, as Gonzalo Bergessio, who always seems to score against les Girondins found the bottom corner after taking on both the centre backs, Planus and Henrique.
In the end a 1-1 draw was a fair result, not a bad start to February, but they will be needing more urgency in the next few games.

Tuesday 8th February
USBCO 0:0 Girondins de Bordeaux (p)
French Cup 11th Round

Abou Diaby netted the winning penalty to send Bordeaux into the next round of the Coupe de France.
Bordeaux made it through to the quarter-finals of the French Cup by the skin of their teeth after being given a real game by Boulogne today.
It was an even match, but in a game that Bordeaux were expected to dominate, it was their opponents who made a lot of the most likely chances.
Mame N'Diaye headed just over from a corner in the first half before Kevin Das Neves smashed a piledriver over.
But Bordeaux themselves never managed to get out of second gear. The only player who looked lively was Carlos Vela, tearing up their left wing, but the unimpressive Chamakh never looked like finishing any of his chances, skewing one particular chance horribly wide from 6 yards.
In extra-time, USBCO then had a man sent off, as Anthony Lecointe saw red for a second bookable offence, before Valera then followed him down the tunnel for the same thing, in his first game back from suspension!
In the end it went down to penalties, and it was initially advantage USBCO when substitute Jussie saw his penalty smash against the post, but Das Neves lost his nerve when it mattered, smashing it straight at Carrasso. Diallo then smashed his penalty dreadfully over, and Abou Diaby kept a cool head to send Bordeaux into the Quarter-Finals, where they will meet Paris-Saint Germain.

Sunday 13th February
Girondins Bordeaux 1:1 AS Nancy Lorraine
Ligue 1, Matchday 24

Chamakh had a poor game for Bordeaux, especially to his standards.
Bordeaux will have had one eye on the mid-week game against Hearts, but they could and should have beaten Nancy Lorraine at Stade ChabanDelmas today.
Yoann Gourcuff gave them an early lead when Sertic sent him through, and he slid the ball cooly under the opposing keeper.
And they did seem to dominate the entire first half, even if it was without creating any more chances.
The only particularly lively player was the young Sertic, who is growing more and more in stature - he is now their top assist player in all competitions.
But in the second half, a sloppy tackle in the box from Wendel gave Benjamin Gavanon the chance to equalise from the spot, and with their only real chance of the game they drew level and saw Bordeaux drop points again.
But they only have themselves to blame in all fairness after a game which seemed to show their weaknesses to their rivals.
The most dissapointing thing for the manager will be the poor form of Marouane Chamakh, who was brought off again in this game after a really poor hour on the pitch.

Thursday 17th February
Girondins de Bordeaux 3:0 Hearts
Europa League 1st Knockout Round, Leg 1

Yannick Djalo was a nuisance to the Hearts defence all evening.
Bordeaux cruised into the second leg of this Europa League tie after battering Scottish minnows Hearts.
5th in their domestic league, they never looked like posing les Girondins problems, and Gregory Sertic gave Bordeaux the lead after just 15 minutes, finding space to head in a Jon Arne Riise cross.
They then doubled their lead when Yannick Djalo's shot was saved, and Faubert came through to tuck in the rebound.
The impressive Djalo then made it 3-0 before half-time, when he slotted in Gourcuff's clever back-heel.
Bordeaux then proceeded to sit on this 3-0 lead which should see them through to the next round without too many problems.
The only downsides were the injuries to John Arne Riise and Carlos Vela. Time will tell how crucial these are.

Sunday 20th February 2011
FC Sochaux-Montbe 0:0 Girondins de Bordeaux
Ligue 1, Matchday 25

Oumar Bagayoko made his Ligue 1 debut, but it was a desperate attempt from the manager.
Bordeaux's profligacy once again let them down in the league, and this is now their 3rd consecutive draw, a worrrying statistic for the manager.
The game was devoid of chances as the scoreline might suggest, and the desperacy of the manager was proven in the last half an hour when he brought off Yoann Gourcuff for youngster Oumar Bagayoko, who missed a glorious opportunity late on to win, but seemed to crack under the pressure.
A poor game for Bordeaux, and Lyon are now just 9 points behind them in the league, they have really caught up.

Thursday 24th February 2011
Hearts 1:1 Girondins de Bordeaux
Europa League 1st Knockout Round, 2nd Leg

Ludovic Sane saw his chances of a regular first team spot take a blow after his early dismissal.
Bordeaux looked set for a comfortable second leg, but after just 10 minutes, Ludovic Sane committed a ridiculous last-man foul to earn himself a straight-red and complicate things slightly for les Girondins.
It wasn't an advantage that Hearts took immediately, and Sertic scored his second in as many games to put Bordeaux in the lead, finishing smartly from Hamdi's superb lofted through ball.
But Hearts then dominated, creating chance after chance. They didn't seem to be able to take any of them however, and that was mostly down to the quality of the finishing.
In the end, the away goal meant they would need 5 to qualify, and that task was well out of their reach.
David Goodwillie did score a consolidatory goal late on, but it was a bad night out for Hearts, and the already out of favour Ludovic Sane.

Sunday 27th February
Girondins de Bordeaux 2:0 Olympique Marseille
Ligue 1, Matchday 26

Chamakh celebrates after scoring a sensational lob to cap a tough month.
Bordeaux ended a tough month with victory against strugglers OM.
Even though they are strugglers however, their team is undoubtebly full of quality, and they gave it a real go first half, with Hatem Ben Arfa coming very close indeed, slamming a first time effort just past Carrasso's near post.
And Carrasso also had to be aware on a couple of first half occassions from the lively Brandao.
But after a half-time team talk, Bordeaux came out and dominated the second half, and it was Marc Planus, the captain, who gave Bordeaux the lead after 55 minutes, glancing in a Wendel corner.
And then Chamakh pulled something truly glorious out of the hat, breaking free of the OM defence, before lobbing Steve Mandanda from 30 yards. A truly breathtaking goal to win the game, and Bordeaux's first 3 points of the month!

Sam Illyroy: "January was a great month, but we saw us slipping a little bit this month. More care and composure, and we would be a good 6 points clear at the top of the table. As it stands, we're in a precarious position at the top of the league with some tough games yet to go, but it's all in our hands. As for the Europa League, I think AZ Alkmaar is a good draw, and PSG in the Coupe de France should be a very interesting tie."

Plenty to look forward to as the season draws into it's final few months. With 12 games to go, there is so much to play for, and with the Europa League + Coupe de France to worry about, Bordeaux will need to be in top form coming into the close.

Player of the month is Sertic for the second time running. His consistency, great finishing and constant assist making has easily earned him the award and he will hopefully keep up his brilliant partnership with the more experienced Gourcuff:

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Here's the Ligue 1 table then..

1. Girondins de Bordeaux 52
2. RC Lens 50
3. Stade Rennais FC 47
4. Olympique Lyonnais 47
5. Toulouse FC 44
6. Paris Saint-Germain 41

All the lesser teams who were pushing for places early on in the season, such as Nice and Sochaux have dropped out, and we are now seeing the better teams in the French league push forward, with Lyon now level on points with Stade Rennais. Bordeaux's win does lift them 5 points clear of Rennes, but Lens are pushing themselves and with the Europa League to enjoy too next month, there is plenty to look forward to!

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[shootie]

Just read through the whole thing. A great read and a great layout, and as always a good deal of effort into your updates .

Your challenge is a tough one and should keep you occupied on this game for a long time. Looking forward to the next update

 

[samillyroy]

shootieee good to see you back mate
yeahh I kinda prefer playing european games now? and this ones gettin proper interesting now.
thinkin of takin fiorentina when I get to serie A, although I won't do as good a job as you ha

 

[Slacky]

just read through it all, very good read

 

[leedsunited1987]

great story here good luck for the rest of it i am still following,also my Madrid to Anfield story is back