Titi frustated...come back to Europe!

Recent rant from French striker  - Titi Henry - about playing in the MLS, click here to read. Based on the article, the two areas of concern for Henry - the playing surface and the media requirements. For the first rant, not a surprise. I understand why MLS teams play on the turf, they share stadiums with their American football counterparts. While we have made great strides in field turf, it still is not grass! I think all outdoor sports should be played on NATURAL grass. I realize that the new field turf is better than the old astro turf and is starting to mimic natural grass...but it still mimics, why not just have the real thing??? I can hear teams complain, "well in the cold, the snow, the rain and the difficult conditions, field turf is better." Okay I get that, and for the NFL that makes some sense, the playing surface does not impact the ball, but in soccer the ball spends its time on that surface. It changes the game. It impacts the players. Get rid of it for soccer.

As for the media complaint, I am sure that Henry is just venting. The reality is he is not being treated as a star as he was used to at Arsenal or Barcelona. So instead of being able to do what he wants post match, he has to sit down and answer questions from a 21 year old reporter from the New York Daily News....

Titi has a long way to go on his contract with Red Bull (another 4 years). Unlike Beckham, I do not think that Titi really views himself as a footballing ambassador. Maybe we will see Titi coming back to Europe and why not back to Ligue 1? Teams such as PSG or Bordeaux could do worse than adding the veteran to their rosters. Maybe even the likes of Lille could try to lure Henry back.

Reviens en France Titi!

Ligue 1 is here! Frog's predictions and thoughts on upcoming season

Wow, cannot believe that this Saturday we will have the start of the French domestic season...wasn't the World Cup just yesterday? I guess that is a good thing since South Africa was a tournament all France fans want to forget...and soon. Of course the transfer season is not over so some of the French squads might look very different come Sept 1st but here are some predictions based on current rosters and what I think might transpire the next few weeks.

Here are the teams I see finishing in the top 5:

5th Place - Stade Rennaise FC: The club from Brittany finished in the top 10 last year. They did lose the likes of Sow and Briand during the off season so why do I see them getting into the top5? I actually think losing Briand will not be as bad for the squad, not that the player is not talented. However he was injured most of last season, tallying only 5 goals for the side. I think Rennes has always been waiting for him to live up to his enormous potential and has held back the team during this waiting time...with the additions of Apam and Mandjeck they have added some muscle to the squad. The midfield will hinge around youngster M'Vila and former PSG player Leroy. Add the talented but frustrating Dalmat to the mix and the midfield could be very strong. The real catalyst for Rennes, will be the season I expect from Ghana World Cup star Gyan. Many will remember Gyan for missing that penalty kick in the 120th minute against Uruguay but he was a monster the entire tournament and was the offensive force for Ghana. Of course if Rennes ends up selling their star striker then they will fall out of my top 5.

4th Place -Girondins de Bordeaux: The team that took everyone by surprise two season ago by winning Ligue 1 and had a great Champions League run last season also has a number of holes. Namely losing their manager Laurent Blanc. He has been replaced by another French legend, Jean Tigana - who I think is one of France's greatest holding midfielders. Tigana had stints with Fulham, Besiktas, Lyon and Monaco as their manager. He also was one of the

pillars for Bordeaux back in the 1980s, playing over 250 games for the club. Bordeaux has not made major additions other than Tigana, but more importantly they have held on to the majority of their talent - Gourcuff and Diarra to name some of the players that were rumored to moving on. They did lose Chamakh to Arsenal, but the fact he left on a free transfer meant Bordeaux expected to have their striker leave. Assuming they hold on to their key players before September 1st I think they are in a good position to threaten for a Champions League spot. Why? First with the rumors around Laurent Blanc and his move to managing France all of last season, the team clearly suffered and lost focus. This will not be an issue this season. Second, I think Gourcuff and Diarra will be motivated to put the World Cup debacle behind them and show that their form from 2 seasons ago is what we can expect. Third, Tigana will be able to build from a formidable defense - Carasso in goal, Ciani, Chalme, Tremoulinas on defense with captain Diarra acting as the cover from the midfield that is a formidable defense. Finally the midfield will remain strong with Gourcuff, Wendel, Plasil and Gouffran. The real question Bordeaux must answer is: who will make up for the loss of Chamakh in the goal scoring category.

3rd Place - Lille Olympique Sporting Club Lille Métropole: The club from northern France finished 4th last season with a league leading 72 goals for. Add to this offensive powerhouse, former France U19 striker, Moussa Sow from Rennes and you might get close to an 80 goal season. Granted, LOSC will need to ensure they hold on to some of their

highly sought after players names Hazard and Gervinho. The Ivory Coast player is rumored to be moving east to either Spartak or to the EPL, if he does move on how LOSC leverages those funds will determine if they can achieve a 3rd place. I do think that Sow will provide some cover but LOSC will have to find another player to replace some of that offensive punch if Gervinho departs, €20 million would make that somewhat easier! I think that the Belgium wonder kid - Hazard - should be with Lille for at least this season, but he clearly has many of the big named clubs very interesting in getting the new Enzo Scifo. I think that Hazard's value, baring injury, will only go up. However with Gervinho, his value will never be as high as it is post World Cup.  In addition Blanc pre-called up 5 players from Lille, and not including Landreau and you have a very strong core of players to build on for the season. Look for Mavuba to have another strong campaign, I think the international door being reopened to the fiery midfielder will only add to his motivation. The core remains and if they can weather the rest of the transfer season and ensure they have the right pieces in place, they have a legitimate change at making a run at a top 2 spot this season.

2nd Place - Olympique Marseilles: The defending champion will not repeat. Granted maybe this has as much to do with my loyalties to PSG as to the fact I think OM will not repeat the season they enjoyed last year. However it will be a close race. Much will depend on if OM can find the same offensive punch they had last season with Niang, Gonzalez, Valbeuna and Brandao. OM finished second to LOSC in goals scored - 69 to 72. It appears the OM captain, Niang might be out the door. This would be a big mountain for OM to climb to fill this gap. Might be why there has been so much noise around Marseilles making an audacious move for former striker Drogba. If Niang does leave, Marseilles will need to find a way to replace those 18 goals. Add to this the fact Ben Arfa seems on his way to Newcastle and you start seeing some offensive gaps for Marseilles. Marseilles is rumored to be also looking at Adebayor (who played for Deschamps when at Monaco) as well as Gignac. Of course both strikers would come with some baggage - Adebayor's attitude and would he accept to leave the glamor of Manchester City? Gignac was a shell of himself last campaign with Toulouse, can he rediscover the form from 2 seasons ago when he had 24 tallies. OM will still lean on the likes of Cheryrou, Heinze, Taiwo (unless he leaves), Mandanda and Cisse to provide a strong defense. Add to this the Spanish U21 captain - Azpilicueta (who also made the 30 man provisional Spanish World Cup roster) and you have the making of a solid defense. Deschamps will clearly get the most out of his squad, however if he cannot get some offensive talent back in return, especially if Niang and Ben Arfa leave, it will be a challenge to maintain the offensive showing that led OM to the title.

1st Place - Olympique Lyonnaise: OL has not won Ligue 1 in....2 years!! Crisis time. The seven straight winner of the domestic title must be getting very itchy to get back what they see as their title. There was a time last season that they were in trouble and might have not even had European football this season. However they came back strongly and finished second to OM, only 6 point difference. Couple this with a very strong Champions League run defeating Real Madrid and Bordeaux to reach the semi finals, where they fell to Bayern Munich. Take the second half run for Lyon and another year of maturation for some of their squad and I think you have the recipe for another title. The main question for Lyon will be on defense. Boumsong is already gone, I realize he is not as good as his "French international" moniker will have you believe, however he was a solid central defender for Ligue 1 and made a good tandem with Cris. Lyon will have to find a partner for Cris...Toulalan? In addition, the rumor that left back Cissokho might be heading to Italy or Turkey, would be a hole defensively for Lyon. However, the left back remains at the club and the fact Lyon is flush with cash makes his sale seem a long shot. Lyon can build on a solid season from Bosnian youngster Pjanic, French international Toulalan, Brazilian back Bastos, coupled with a solid first season from Lopez and the addition of Briand (who I think will do well with Lyon where he will not be the focus of the team unlike when at Rennes) and the future looks bright for Lyon. In addition Lyon has a solid base of youngsters to build on - 6 players from the U19 European Champions are from Lyon, including Tafer and finals winner scorer Lacazette. I also think that Gonalons will take another major step this season to establish himself as one of Ligue 1's best midfielders. Oh and Lyon still have the best keeper in Ligue 1 and maybe one of the best keepers in Europe - Lloris. Put all this together and Puel and Lyon will find themselves at top of Ligue 1 after a 2 year hiatus.

Some other thoughts: team most likely to disappoint - PSG. Hard for me to keep rooting for my home town team. They did add Nene and Bodmer which will be helpful. However I fear the fundamental issue with the club continue...they have little clue of what is going on. For many seasons now they have not had a good recruiting strategy nor developed via youth - Sakho aside. The main issue for PSG is holding on to some of their key players - Hourau, Sessegnon, Clement, Sakho, Chantome and Erdinc - these players will be needed for PSG for to make any semblance of a run. With the noise around many of these players looking for the exit signs, I fear that PSG will once again look at a net loss in terms of players. PSG have no real base to build from and this will show once again this season. Team most likely to surprise ... again ...Montpellier HSC. The surprise team from last season will do so again. Building on their youth especially Ait-Fana as well as some veteran talent in the form of Estrada from Chile, the team from the south of France have a chance to make a run at Europe. I do not think they will make a real threat for a top 3 slot but could sneak into the top 5. The one issue for Montpellier is that they will not longer be able to sneak up on any of the Ligue 1 sides.

Teams that will be relegated: Sochaux, AC Arles-Avignon and St Etienne.

Player of the year: Pjanic - the Lyon midfielder will only get better and will clearly be the main cog in the Lyon midfield. Will also make the Bosnian national team a dark horse to get to Euro 2012.

Manager of the year: Puel. The Lyon manager is much maligned since he is the first in a long time not to win the title for Lyon. That will change this season. The team has been transformed into his team and he will guide them to another Ligue 1 title.

Glad to see Ligue 1 starting up this Saturday, not happy still that Setanta went out of business in North America...they were a great resource for watching Ligue 1 games. Another good write up on Ligue 1 from ESPN as well. Thankfully I still have TV5 but that means only 1 game a week!

Blanc set for head of FFF

Seems as if the worst kept secret in France is drawing closer to being a reality - Laurent Blanc taking over the national side. With Deschamps stating that he will remain at Marseilles, primarily due to the fact the FFF has not reached out to him about the role running Les Bleus. So the ball is in Blanc's court, will he decide to move on from Bordeaux? It would appear that his squad and the manager had a down season once the rumors surrounding the French National team started to pick up steam. With the departure of his striker Chamakh to Arsenal, the "noise" coming from Gourcuff about following Blanc (translation - wants a bigger club) and the lack of any silverware this season makes it ripe for Blanc to strike out to greener pastures. So I think the odds of Blanc running the national team are quite good now...too bad he cannot take over today.

Bordeaux drop more points...Allez PSG!!!

So the defending French champions enter Parc Des Princes and leave with their tails between their legs after suffering a 3-1 loss to PSG. How the mighty have fallen! Bordeaux, who a few weeks ago were in the running for the Champions League and League Cup, now find themselves holding on to some hope for repeat title - they are 4 points behind leaders Auxerre but with 2 games in hand. Granted OM is in second place, 1 point off the pace and also has 2 games in hand.

So where did this season all go wrong? Granted if Bordeaux find a way to retain their title it should be viewed a success, but after such a strong start to the Champions League many were viewing Bordeaux as a team destined for more than 1 piece of silverware this season. To me it all starts and ends with Gourcuff. The break out player from last season has, at times, labored this season. I am sure it is the combination of increased scrutiny, having played the most games of his career last season coupled with greater number of games this season. Throw into the mix the fact he is now France's uncontested "#10" and you add that pressure to his slight frame. Last year he appeared to play with a much more easy and carefree manner associated with a player that is not the focal point of a nation as he is today. This is all part of player learning to assume greater responsibility and how to manage himself during a strenuous season for an ambitious club. So I am not entire surprised at his drop off - now mind you he still has had some great performances but is just not being consistent. Off the pitch, I think the constant rumors of Blanc leaving and taking over Les Bleus could not be good for the squad. This team appears to be a flux even before the end of the season and before anyone has left the club.

Bordeaux should not be count out of the title chase, but the sledding will be more difficult, especially considering OM and Lyon seemed to be hitting their strides at the right moment. Now granted PSG beat a 10 man Bordeaux, who were forced to play their 3rd string keeper. But those are 3 points that might come back to haunt Les Girondins.

Champions League 1/4 finals surprise surprise

Some interesting story lines are emerging from the Champions League and the first day of 1/4 final matches. First Bayern Munich find a way to come back after an early Rooney strike to find a 2-1 victory.  A little bit of revenge from the 1999 finals where Manchester United pulled back 2 goals in the dying minutes to complete their treble. Granted this is the 1/4 finals and there remains the difficult return leg in Manchester. However if Rooney, who limped off late and was seen on crutches, is not available for the return leg while Bayern might be getting Robben back it might be game over for the Red Devils. Ribery already terrorized the English champions with his runs on the left wing, add a healthy Robben to the right wing and I am not sure Manchester United will be able to pull back the victory. With the two fast wingers, SAF will need to change his midfield allowing for Park and Valencia to assist the wide defenders in containing the Bayern wingers. This might limit the ability for the Red Devils to take advantage of the offensive runs from Evra. Of course Manchester United do have the away goal and are heading home, so they technically sit in the driver's seat, however if Bayern score first and if Rooney is not 100% that advantage is minimal. Throw into this equation the fact Manchester United are playing Chelsea this weekend in what many are touting the match for the league title and the next few days will be difficult for Manchester United to navigate.

The second, all French affair, was not as one sided as the final score would indicate with Lyon securing a 3-1 victory over Bordeaux. The game was wide open with both sides with great opportunities and Lloris making some tremendous saves to keep his team at 1 goal against. Bordeaux had some chances with Gourcuff playing closer to his top level than he has in the past few months. Lyon did show an ability to sustain their game, to constantly attack from any area of the pitch and defend as a block. With Lloris playing the way he is, Lyon have to believe in their ability to get to their first semi finals of the Champions League. This might be a bad omen for Bordeaux who lost to Marseilles this past weekend in the League Cup finals, if they cannot find a way to climb out of the 2 goal hole next week they will drop out of another competition. What started as a very promising week is not looking as positive.

Some highlights:

Olympique Lyonnais...set the #1 seed as a goal

With the last day of Champions League upon us, Lyon will be looking to securing a #1 seed for the knock out stages of the Champions League. Lyon has had a strong run so far in the Champions League, it was a difficult lose against Fiorentina, however they still have some of their destiny in their own hands. Heading into the final match, the French team is 2 points behind Fiorentina. The Italians play in England versus a disappointing Liverpool, while Lyon is in Hungary. As it current stands, Lyon would go top if they win and Fiorentina do not get the full three points, Lyon would have the goal difference advantage. Why is this important?

Being top seed would avoid being drawn against the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona (which could also end up 3rd of their group) and Arsenal. With Bordeaux already secured as a #1 seed, having two teams in that spot would give Ligue 1 a great chance of having at least one team in the 1/4 finals. Such success might push Ligue 1 ahead of Germany in terms of ratings, which could get France 3 clubs in directly into the Champions League....one can always dream!

Gourcuff set deeper...could this be an option for Les Bleus

Interesting statements coming form Domenech and Blanc about the French playmaker Gourcuff. The young French playmaker has at times evolved deeper in the Bordeaux line up, while he lined up in his traditional spot behind the striker, he regularly dropped deeper switching with the goal scorer Plasil. Domenech seemed to stated he was aware of this and might think about it for Les Bleus...hmmm....here is to hoping he does!

I think for it to work with Les Bleus, assuming Domenech insists on sticking with his 4-2-3-1 formation, can Gourcuff be one of the 2 holding midfielders? I think so, but that would place increased pressure on whoever is his partner as the true holding midfielder. Why this worked for Bordeaux is while Plasil can swap with Gourcuff and push higher leaving the #8 to sit deeper, but will also track back to alleviate some of the defensive responsibilities. Also, for Bordeaux this works since they have two true wingers in Sertic and Gouffran. Why is that important? Having two players that understand the need to give the field width forces the opposing team to defend wider and therefore makes the center less congested, meaning that the 2 holding players are under less defensive pressure coming through the center of the park. With Les Bleus you do not, at least recently, have natural wide players. With the likes of Henry and Anelka, you have players who have a natural tendency to drift back to the center, this adds greater emphasis to the center of the park. While I think that you can still manage with one holding midfielder, not sure that Gourcuff playing deeper would work for Les Bleus, unless there were some other changes.

If you were to go to a 4-2-2-2 with Gourcuff/Lass or Toulalan as the pairing sitting in front of the back 4, with the 2 wide players such as Malouda on the left and Ribery on the right and play 2 natural strikers - Henry and Anelka high that might work. It would place more defensive pressure on whoever is shouldering Gourcuff, but it would also allow the French play maker to push high when the opportunity allows and then drift back deeper to see more of the game in front of him - playing the the role of the deep lying midfielder Pirlo plays with Italy and Milan. It would almost become a 4-1-3-2 with the 3 midfielders forming a V. Might be an interesting formation, and with the likes of Diaby, Nasri, Remy who could be the wide players of the 3 there would be depth in the formation as well. This would also allow a Toulalan the freedom to do what he is suited for - run around and destroy any offensive threats from the opposition, do not concern yourself with the counter - destroy the offense and give the ball to Gourcuff to start the attack. It would also permit Ribery more room to operate in the offensive 1/3, providing the linkage between Gourcuff and the strikers - similar to what Totti did with Italy (sorry for all the Italian references!) Unfortunately I think Domenech is so in love with his 4-2-3-1 that all this is just conjecture and may only see the light of day in practice...alas....maybe we need Blanc to manage France sooner!

Paris St Germain hits a brick wall

PSG had a good week, aside from losing Coupet to a freak leg break, but they secured two straight wins including one against league leading Auxerre. One would hope that going to Bordeaux that the Parisians might have been able to find a way to get at least 1 point...alas they were not able to cash in on the opportunities they gave themselves in front of the Bordeaux net.

PSG were unfortunate to have to substitute out Erding midway through the first half due to injury. The midfield of Chantome, Clement and Makelele worked well with Chantome being present all over the pitch, although he did allow Tremoulin get the best of him setting up the cross to Plasil who punished PSG with the opening and only goal of the match. The first 30 minutes of the match Bordeaux demonstrated their passing and touch, almost looking like Arsenal! Their one touch and diagonal runs had PSG running in circles. However PSG remained dangerous on the break, Sessegnon out on the wing was a constant threat cutting back to the middle, providing deep clinical passes and putting the Bordeaux defense on its heals with his dribbling. Maurice, who had to step in for Erding clearly leveraged his pace to put the Bordeaux back line under heavy pressure. Unfortunately his finishing still needs some work as his complete wiff in the second half and forced a big save from Carrasso in the first half on a clean break way. Luyindula also created opportunities for himself out on the wing, using his pace and experience to constantly find himself the Bordeaux defense

Paris could have hoped for a draw, but also are fortunate that Gourcuff's scoring touch seems slow in coming back, missing an absolute sitter in the second half. PSG return home having dropped 3 points, but they demonstrated an ability to fight back on the counter, to have good pace on the wings, have a Chantome that appears to be back in full form and will complement Makelele well in the midfield. However PSG clearly miss Hourau and his club leading goal tally from last season, if Erding misses any substantial it will be difficult for the Parisian club.

Bravo Bordeaux!!!!

Girondins de Bordeaux and Laurent Blanc are making believers of me...at least until I see who they draw for the first round of the knock out stage! However after controlling their group, which included Bayern Munich and Juventus, one has to think that Bordeaux have a good chance of advancing once the knock out starts. Plus, they were without Gourcuff in their 2-0 defeat of Juventus.

Watching the match it was clear that Bordeaux were by no means in awe of their opponents pedigree and trophy case. Rather Bordeaux came out and played the Old Lady as if they were playing a match against Grenoble from Ligue 1. They took their chances, played a smart game and were rewarded on set pieces. Juventus were unlucky not to draw even after a Del Piero cross could not be poked in by either Deco nor Amauri in the 64th minute. Now Bordeaux end top of their group and will be matched against a "weaker" opponent to start the knock out stage - as of the current standings unless they fall on Milan or Inter they should be a slight favorite to get past that stage.

Their current form is a testament to Laurent Blanc's coaching. For the return leg against Juventus he decided to line up a 4-2-3-1...sounds familiar? But he did so to block the Turin club and look to beat them on the counter, as well as make up for the loss of his play maker - Gourcuff. He also has his club believing in themselves, after a timid Champions League run last season, Bordeaux appear to go much deeper this year. I would not be surprised if Blanc is not spoken about for some bigger jobs next summer...maybe even running Les Bleus...

Champions League upset - Bordeaux

Congrats to the Girodins de Bordeaux, pulling off the 2-0 victory versus Bayern Munich on the German's turf. Goals from Gourcuff and Chamakh ensure that the French champs are through to the knock out stages with 2 more games to go in the group. This is a huge step for the club after last year where they fell out of the Champions League after being "corrected" by Chelsea in the group stages. Now the true test will emerge, can Bordeaux or Lyon (they too should get to the knock out stage) get past the first round? Will at least one Ligue 1 side make the 1/4 finals...or gasp the 1/2 finals? Granted the ultimate goal is the finals...and a victory, but not since Monaco have a French side made it past the 1/4 finals.

Bordeaux have the pieces in place. Whether or not they have the "bottle" to push through is still to be determined.

Poor Rafa...good for Lyon and Bordeaux!

Impressive victory for OL defeating Liverpool in the Champions League this week, and did this at Anfield. Having the full 9 points from the first 3 games places Lyon in pole position to go through. Knowing they will receive both Liverpool and Debreceni at home, it is not impossible to see Lyon with a sure 4 points from those 2 matches...at 13 points they should be safe. As for Rafa, with the Manchester United game looming might the Reds go 0-3 this week? Poor Rafa, at least with Gerrard and Torres hurt he has a built in excuse for the poor run of form.

Another Ligue 1 side is also surprising - Bordeaux. They too are sitting atop their group. The only points Bordeaux dropped were on the road to Juventus where they drew 1-1. Bordeaux will have to travel to Bayern for the next rounds of matches, where a draw would be a very respectable result. They will also have to travel to Maccabi, which will not be a simple match, but Bordeaux should be able to secure a draw. The key will be the return leg against Juventus back at Bordeaux, if Les Girodins can get another draw then they should be through.

Oh yeah the third team from Ligue 1 is Marseilles...they are 3 points behind Milan and Real. They will need to beat Zurich in the next round to have a chance before facing Milan and Real. It will be difficult but could be possible.

Anyways Ligue 1 is holding its own right now, but the true test will be if one of the clubs can get to the 1/4 finals or further. That will be the true barometer of the success of the clubs. Time will tell.

Ligue 1 gets under way! Meet the new boss same as the old boss

Ok a gratuitous quote from one of my favorite songs and bands. But it is somewhat appropriate...granted Lyon did not win their 8th straight title, however the new boss is one of France's storied clubs who has 6 titles to its credit. They will head into these season as one of the main favorites to secure the title again and repeat.

This season should be as competitive as it was last season, while the league might not be as sexy as the big 3 leagues - England, Spain and Italy - it remains one of the most competitive so worth taking a look.

So who will be the top 5 teams this season?

#5 - Toulouse. The TFC held on to two of their most important players - Sissoko and Gignac - at least for now. They played very well last season securing a place in Europe. Gignac was the leading scorer in France, although if you asked him to do something with his left foot or head he would have scored ZERO goals. Toulouse did lose wing back Mathieu who was always a fringe international but gave TFC a good balance in the back. Additionally they will be with a new keeper - Yohann Pele from Le Mans. I think they have enough talent and balance to make a run at the top 5 this season. Of course if they lose either or both of their stars before the close of the transfer window that will drop them to the middle of the pack.

#4 - Marseilles. The second place team from last season made some serious moves this off season. Adding a new manager in former favorite son Deschamps. Adding players such as Heintz to bolster the defense. Morientes to add some veteran presence up front - let us not forget that the Spaniard played for Deschamps when Monaco made a run to the 2004 Champions League finals. Also adding Cisse (Edoaurd not Djibril, who also, like Heintz had played at hated rival PSG) and Gonzalez to the midfield. It will be interesting if Valbeuna stays with Marseilles. Deschamps does not appear to have any interest in the French play maker, at least does not seem to see him in the long term plans for Marseilles. I think if he leaves the club, Deschamps will be very disappointed in his decision. With Zenden leaving as well, granted a shell of his younger self, Marseilles will be without their midfield creative forces if they are without Zenden and Valbeuna. Yes Ben Arfa remains, but he has a lot on his shoulders this season. After coming over from Lyon last season, his first campaign with Marseilles was littered with pouting incidents, injury, and overall disappointment. Much will be expected of him if Marseilles is to do well this season. I think there are many question marks around OM and they will slip down the pecking order.

#3 Lyon - The 7 time champion lost their mojo last season. After leading much of the season they fell apart at the end and watched Marseilles and Bordeaux leap frog them in the standing. This off season many of the parts that led to their success have left - Juninho and Benzema - being the two biggest fist. Granted the Brazilian had lost much of his effectiveness but he was still a valuable player. Benzema of course was the jewel of the squad but could not resist the pull from Los Galacticos of Real Madrid. They did add Bastos and Gomis, that will add some muscle to the squad. Bastos today is probably a step up from Juninho. Gomis, while still a raw talent, will not come to the levels of Benzema, however he should shine for Lyon with the improved talent around him. The key player for me will be how 2 of the youngsters step up - Pjanic and Mounier. The two young midfielders were sitting on the bench last season watching the veterans now it is their turn. Pjanic was one of the best young players in France a few season ago playing for Metz. Mounier is looked at as one of France's up and coming players. Now is their time to shine. I think they are still one season away, but they will show progression.

#2 Bordeaux. The defending champion should have a strong squad this season. Without the constant questions swirling around whether or not Gourcuff would stay is no longer hanging over their heads, will mean even greater stability to the club. However they are rumored to lose Chamakh to Arsenal and have already lost Oberton to Manchester United, wonder where the goals will come from? If they do lose Chamakh, much will be asked of Gouffran who was a disappointment last season. I wonder where the goals will come from for Bordeaux. They still have enough talent and fire power to secure a top 3 finish.




#1 PSG. Ok I know...crazy....maybe a little too much of my bias as a PSG fan coming into play. However, PSG have not lost some of the key players I feared they may loose - Sessegnon, Clement, Chantome or Sakho. They did switch French keepers, seeing Landreau move on and adding Coupet. What I think is promising is that PSG have a full season under their belt with the majority of the effective, least we forget that heading into their late season match up against OM, PSG was 2 points out of first place. They then spiraled out of contention. I think that having UEFA cup games in concurrence with these matches weighed heavily on PSG. Falling out Europe might be a blessing in disguise for PSG this season. The midfield is solid with Sessgnon, Chantome, Clement, Guily, Makelele, and even Rothen. Hourau should continue to grow up front. Luyindula has rediscovered his form. Kezman will hopefully bounce back and contribute to the offence. The addition of Erdinc is intriguing, if he plays to the level he did at Sochaux, PSG will have a lethal offensive strike force. Armand, Sakho, and Camara are solid in the back. And in veteran shot stopper Coupet, you have a solid veteran back stopping the defense. The question is around the depth on defense. PSG are a veteran team, so the window to grab a league title might be open for 1 - 2 seasons. Without Europe, I think PSG will be focused and ready to take a run at the Ligue 1 title. I am going to go out on a limb and say that PSG will bring the Ligue 1 title back to the capital!


It should be another interesting and entertaining season in France. While the league might not have the star power found in Spain, Italy or England it is competitive and should prove a title that will come down to the end of the season to be decided!

Looking forward to the start, and with TV5 and Sentanta I will have plenty of matches to watch.

Gourcuff signs with Bordeaux

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/28052009/58/ligue-1-gourcuff-commits-bordeaux.html

While this is not a huge surprise, until it was officially announced there was always that fear in the back of my head that he would go back to Milan, only to get splinters in his butt from riding the pine. This a great move for all the parties involved:

• For Gourcuff - He has obviously discovered himself coming back to France as well as playing for one of the games strong young managers - Laurent Blanc. A few season back when the midfielder moved to Milan, it was under the umbrella that he was the new French star, the next Zidane. However instead of shining at the San Siro he quickly found him self far down the pecking order. The loan move back to France was the breath of fresh air the young player needed and he has taken the opportunity and made the most of it. The permanent move will serve him well for both club and country since there will be no distractions around his going back to Milan (if the loan was extended) or being back in Milan in a system where I doubt he would have the free reign he has at Bordeaux.
• For Bordeaux - The fact Les Girodins are on the verge of capturing the French title is due in large part to the play of Gourcuff. Having him signed for 4 years will ensure that at least next season they can continue to count on this level of play. I also think that keeping this important cog will benefit the club in Europe. They had a less than stellar Champions League campaign, and while I do not expect them to win the trophy with big ears, I think they can expect to this time get out of the group stages. The ability to keep the core of the squad intact will go a long way towards that goal. Also, I am sure that if France make the World Cup and if Gourcuff has a good tournament, that Bordeaux will have many options to resell the player to a bigger club in 2010/2011 and more than make up for their transfer fee of 15m Euros.
• For Milan - I just do not see where the player would have fit back in Milan. While the club itself is going some overhaul, no one is sure of who the manager will be or what players will be available. On the surface the best place on the pitch for Gourcuff is the player slotted in the hole behind the strikers, somewhere Kaka also excels in...and while I might be a slight French homer even I know that Gourcuff is good but not one of the world's top 3 players. So would he slot wider? Maybe but that is not his strength. Deeper? Seedorf is deeper and again not really his strength. So Milan gets some return on their investment, and let us face it, if Gourcuff has a monster World Cup and if the new manager wants to change the system, Milan is not short of cash to reacquire the young Frenchman.
• For Les Bleus - Clearly the success of Les Bleus will depend on how well Gourcuff and Ribery control the midfield offensively. The fact he will spend another season in France, under Blanc with stability, will be beneficial for Les Bleus. Now we all know that Domenech cannot be trusted so France might not even qualify for South Africa, but let us hope that if that does not happen it is because Domenech cannot manage his way out of a paper bag and not because Gourcuff does not play well.

Overall a good piece of information for Gourcuff and all the parties.

All little video of his talent...the first few scenes of him pulling off the "roulette" reminds one of another player that also played at Bordeaux.

Gourcuff needs to stay with Bordeaux

The star of the French Ligue 1 for the first half of the season is unquestionably Yoann Gourcuff. At the age of 22 there is no reason to believe that his best years remain ahead of him and for this reason we should see an interesting negotiation begin between the team that owns his rights - AC Milan - and the team he is currently playing for - Bordeaux.

His story is already well know. Son of a coach, had an early rise in French football which found him the new crown jewel of French football and at the tender age of 20 found himself heading to one of Europe's biggest clubs - AC Milan. In hindsight the move was too early or the wrong club. With an already loaded midfield, including the likes of Pirlo, Kaka, Gattuso, and Seedorf, Gourcuff found himself much more on the reserves bench than on the pitch which promoted his loan to Bordeaux. Where he has been allowed to shine, both for domestic and national side, since Domenech has apparently decided that he is the key to the France midfield...an assessment I agree with.

Of course with this new found glory, AC Milan appear poised to want their player back...but will Bordeaux allow this and would this be best for the player? I would say no on both accounts.

Bordeaux need to hold on to the young Frenchman, even if it is only for a few seasons. Les Girondins must look to develop a team around the playmaker, much like they did around another French prodigy - Zizou. In Gourcuff they have the perfect counter in the midfield to Diarra who provides the defensive cover. In Bellion and Cavenaghi, Bordeaux have some solid strikers. And I think that at some point soon we will see the Yoan Gouffran that was the rage of the Ligue 1 while at Caen, if that happens the Bordeaux midfield could be extremely exciting and dangerous. With Gourcuff, Bordeaux have a legitimate chance at silverware in France, without him they are still behind the Lyon.

I think that Gourcuff needs to stay as well. Not sure that if he goes back to Milan he will find the going any easier than when he left. With AC Milan taking on Beckham on loan, and now hinting that they might want to keep him. When Pirlo comes back, you will have a clogged midfield once again. Even if AC Milan sell Kaka to Manchester City, the midfield will have an abundance of players. I think that Gourcuff would benefit from playing at least 1-2 more seasons at Bordeaux, especially under Lauren Blanc. If he has any questions about a move back to Milan, he only need to look as far as his Milan teammate - Flamini. Where has he gone since moving to the Italian giant?

If Gourcuff stays at Bordeaux and looks to lead France at the World Cup in 2010, he will come of that tournament a much more prized commodity. Both he, Bordeaux and Les Bleus should look to give the player as much opportunity to shine and to develop, in what should prove to be a win - win situation.

Big games in Europe

So I am sitting in Logan waiting for my flight and figured I would pontificate about this weekend's big footie matches. There are two big games today and I will most likely see neither...ugh but I did DVR them! Ok the first match -

Manchester United vs Chelsea. What really needs to be said about this match. These two clubs have become heated rivals ever since the Russian wealth has showered the Blues with outrageous buying potential and made Chelsea a club on the same level as Manchester United when it comes to contracts and purchase power. ManU have 3 games in hand over league leaders Liverpool, so if they win all three of those matches they will be leading the title chase. However this is game is much more than than. If Chelsea win they will be 1 point off the lead. So both teams will be motivated for the full compliment of points from this match. Both sides should have most of their regulars available for the match so that should not play a part in the outcome. The question will be, can Chelsea's central defense deal with Rooney, Tevez, and Ronaldo? Terry is back after suspension so should be fresh, but that does not take away from the fact the Blues have had a difficult time figuring out who will anchor the middle of the defense. I think without Essien it is even more difficult since more attacks are getting through the midfield when in the past Essien or Makelele would be shutting some of those attacks down. Without this cover the Chelsea back line has been exposed. The trip to Old Trafford is not where you want to be fixing this problem. Manchester United have their own defensive woos, with Ferdianand coming back from injury, so how effective will he be against Drogba and Anelka? I think this match will be a tight match, with both sides afraid to make any mistakes. I think Scolari will bring on Ballack at some point in the second half and that will change the dynamics. Ballack and Lampard will put pressure on the ManU midfield and allow Drogba to spring a late game winner - Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0.

The other big match? PSG vs Bordeaux!!!! In the past this was always a tasty fixture, but for the past seasons PSG has been more concerned about being relegated than in challenging for any silverware, but not this season. PSG won the first fixture, in what proved to be the beginning of PSG's run back up the table. This game would give them an opportunity to leap up to the third spot in France, a remarkable change after their wooful past few seasons. It will be interesting to see how PSG and Bordeaux come out of the break. PSG was clicking with Hourau starting to pile up the goals and Landreau recapturing his form. However it is bitterly cold in France and Hourau, who is from the warm waters of the Reuion has admitted that is it the cold that is his biggest enemy. Will this latest freeze impact the big man? There have already been 3 games postponed due to the weather. As he goes so does PSG. The question on the other side is how will PSG handle what is turning out to be a solid midfield combo of Gourcuff and Diarra. Both French internationals are really finding their games this season, it will be interesting if PSG employs Makelele to try and slow down this midfield and how Chantome and Sessegnon work against Diarra. I think that PSG have some good mojo going, and will find a way to beat Les Girodins once again 2-0, goals from Sessessgnon and Guily.

Should a good pair of games, too bad work is making me miss the matches live!