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French Revelations: Can Anyone Catch Bordeaux, Or Is Ligue 1 Done & Dusted?
Goal.com's Robin Bairner considers whether there is a side in France capable of challenging les Girondins and suggests Lille are their most likely rivals come May...
| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.00 | Draw £42.00 | Caen £85.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £13.60 | Draw £43.30 | Caen £100.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £13.64 | Draw £43.33 | Caen £85.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £13.60 | Draw £43.30 | Caen £100.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Lyon £14.00 | Draw £40.00 | Caen £73.50 |
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Dec 24, 2009 10:00:36 AM
Rarely has an outlook seemed so good for Girondins de Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc. The former international centre-back has commanded the Aquitaine unit with great success for two-and-a-half years now, transforming them from mid-table makeweights into Ligue 1’s new dominant force.
Le Championnat reached its half-way stage on Wednesday evening, and as the dust settled and the players broke for their two-week winter recess, Bordeaux command a lavish nine-point advantage at the division’s summit.
It took a nail-biting late season charge for les Girondins to wrest the trophy away from Olympique Lyonnais last term, Bordeaux winning a largely unprecedented 11 successive league games to conclude the season, but it seems that no such heroics will be required this time around as the peloton continues to fall back in the face of the searing pace set by the leaders.
The Stade Chaban-Delmas side have not been perfect this term. Already they have slipped to four league losses, though these came in two back-to-back spurts. Where they differ from the chasing pack is in their remorseless ability to win.
Blanc’s men have only one solitary draw to their name this season. Meanwhile, the wins column boasts an exceptionally healthy figure of 14. The next best sides in this regard can only show 10 victories.
While les Girondins charge forward, showing only the very occasional slip, the likes of Lyon and Olympique de Marseille have stumbled hopefully towards the top, recording far too many draws to seriously challenge the ultra-confident Garonne outfit.
Lyon’s season in particular has been abject to this point. General manager Claude Puel has received a great deal of backing from president Jean-Michel Aulas, but the fans are deeply upset about the club languishing in sixth place in Ligue 1.
Arguably the most concerning aspect of les Gones’ campaign to date is that they have slipped into a miserable slump and look clueless as to how to extricate themselves from their current position. Wednesday evening’s match against Montpellier was a typical example of the inability of the Stade Gerland outfit to break down a well organised, packed defence.
Moreover, their defence is simply woeful at present, with the marking on Joris Marveaux’s late winning goal from a set play of the Sunday morning park ilk. And such a moment is by no means an isolated occurrence over the last three months.
Quite simply, Lyon, at 13 points back, cannot challenge Bordeaux this season. Bordeaux have only dropped 14 points thus far, and it’s impossible to see them collapsing to such an extent that OL would be allowed back into the race. Even if they did, Lyon have not hinted recently that they could take advantage.
Marseille, meanwhile, are not much better placed. Like Lyon they have suffered from their share of defensive woes this term and certainly lack the killer instinct of a recognised No.9. Didier Deschamps has set his side up sufficiently to move forward at a steady pace, but there is certainly not a title-winning aura about les Phoceens at this stage.
OL and OM were expected to provide the major challenge to Bordeaux at the season’s outset, so if they are written off, is there any hope for a title race?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Ligue 1 followers will be aware of the searing pace set by Lille in recent weeks and will be hopeful that les Dogues can maintain their exciting brand of offensive football into the second half of the season.
Over the last month Rudi Garcia’s men have been in irresistible form, winning all of their last five matches and scoring a whopping 19 goals in the process. Indeed, only their now traditional slow start to the campaign has prevented them from being closer to Bordeaux.
Prized talents Gervinho and Eden Hazard have enjoyed scintillating form down the flanks for the Nord side, with the former one of the outstanding players of the campaign to date. In Pierre-Alain Frau they have a striker in form, but should he fade then there is Robert Vittek or the fit-again Tulio de Melo in reserve.
The midfield is a gritty zone, with the ever-tenacious Florent Balmont teaming up with Rio Mavuba in the central roles. Furthermore, in Yohan Cabaye, les Dogues boast a dynamic and determined young midfielder surely destined for greater things.
In both of these areas Lille can call upon significant reserves, with Ludovic Obraniak and Stephane Dumont amongst the players who can be mustered from the bench. Only in defence is there any kind of shortage, and Garcia has promised to address that problem in January, when Aurelien Chedjou will depart for the African Cup of Nations.
Lille are a squad built to challenge for the title, but they may just have left their charge too late. If they can maintain their momentum over the winter break then of course they have a shot at the crown, but Bordeaux’s outstanding consistency should ensure the gong once again goes back to the western coach of l’Hexagone.
Robin Bairner, Goal.com
Le Championnat reached its half-way stage on Wednesday evening, and as the dust settled and the players broke for their two-week winter recess, Bordeaux command a lavish nine-point advantage at the division’s summit.
It took a nail-biting late season charge for les Girondins to wrest the trophy away from Olympique Lyonnais last term, Bordeaux winning a largely unprecedented 11 successive league games to conclude the season, but it seems that no such heroics will be required this time around as the peloton continues to fall back in the face of the searing pace set by the leaders.
The Stade Chaban-Delmas side have not been perfect this term. Already they have slipped to four league losses, though these came in two back-to-back spurts. Where they differ from the chasing pack is in their remorseless ability to win.
Blanc’s men have only one solitary draw to their name this season. Meanwhile, the wins column boasts an exceptionally healthy figure of 14. The next best sides in this regard can only show 10 victories.
While les Girondins charge forward, showing only the very occasional slip, the likes of Lyon and Olympique de Marseille have stumbled hopefully towards the top, recording far too many draws to seriously challenge the ultra-confident Garonne outfit.
Lyon’s season in particular has been abject to this point. General manager Claude Puel has received a great deal of backing from president Jean-Michel Aulas, but the fans are deeply upset about the club languishing in sixth place in Ligue 1.
Arguably the most concerning aspect of les Gones’ campaign to date is that they have slipped into a miserable slump and look clueless as to how to extricate themselves from their current position. Wednesday evening’s match against Montpellier was a typical example of the inability of the Stade Gerland outfit to break down a well organised, packed defence.
Moreover, their defence is simply woeful at present, with the marking on Joris Marveaux’s late winning goal from a set play of the Sunday morning park ilk. And such a moment is by no means an isolated occurrence over the last three months.
Quite simply, Lyon, at 13 points back, cannot challenge Bordeaux this season. Bordeaux have only dropped 14 points thus far, and it’s impossible to see them collapsing to such an extent that OL would be allowed back into the race. Even if they did, Lyon have not hinted recently that they could take advantage.
Marseille, meanwhile, are not much better placed. Like Lyon they have suffered from their share of defensive woes this term and certainly lack the killer instinct of a recognised No.9. Didier Deschamps has set his side up sufficiently to move forward at a steady pace, but there is certainly not a title-winning aura about les Phoceens at this stage.
OL and OM were expected to provide the major challenge to Bordeaux at the season’s outset, so if they are written off, is there any hope for a title race?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Ligue 1 followers will be aware of the searing pace set by Lille in recent weeks and will be hopeful that les Dogues can maintain their exciting brand of offensive football into the second half of the season.
Over the last month Rudi Garcia’s men have been in irresistible form, winning all of their last five matches and scoring a whopping 19 goals in the process. Indeed, only their now traditional slow start to the campaign has prevented them from being closer to Bordeaux.
Prized talents Gervinho and Eden Hazard have enjoyed scintillating form down the flanks for the Nord side, with the former one of the outstanding players of the campaign to date. In Pierre-Alain Frau they have a striker in form, but should he fade then there is Robert Vittek or the fit-again Tulio de Melo in reserve.
The midfield is a gritty zone, with the ever-tenacious Florent Balmont teaming up with Rio Mavuba in the central roles. Furthermore, in Yohan Cabaye, les Dogues boast a dynamic and determined young midfielder surely destined for greater things.
In both of these areas Lille can call upon significant reserves, with Ludovic Obraniak and Stephane Dumont amongst the players who can be mustered from the bench. Only in defence is there any kind of shortage, and Garcia has promised to address that problem in January, when Aurelien Chedjou will depart for the African Cup of Nations.
Lille are a squad built to challenge for the title, but they may just have left their charge too late. If they can maintain their momentum over the winter break then of course they have a shot at the crown, but Bordeaux’s outstanding consistency should ensure the gong once again goes back to the western coach of l’Hexagone.
Robin Bairner, Goal.com
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