Laissez Bon Temps Roulez!!

I really don't want to discuss Manchester United today.  Their defensive woes are leaving "no light at the end of the tunnel," as Sir Alex said yesterday.  Using midfielders as defenders can work sometimes (as it did the other night), but Aston Villa took advantage of the inconsistency and walloped the Reds 3-0.  Enough about that.

What "good times are rolling?"  One word.  Bordeaux.  No, not the wine, the football club.  Girondins de Bordeaux.
The Marine et Blanc are rolling over the competition.  Whether it be Ligue 1 opponents, or Champions League fare, the Bordelaise are serving up the pretenders on a platter every week.
This week the victims were FC Lorient.  An added twist to the match was a familial connection; Lorient is coached by Christian Gourcuff, the father of Bordeaux middie, Yoann Gourcuff.

Christian and Yoann Gourcuff

From the first whistle, the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux was rockin'.  David Bellion, a Manchester United academy product, started off the scoring in the 2nd minute with a clinical strike through the legs of the Lorient keeper.  It was lights out from there.  Les Girondins rolled 4-1, with a brace from Bellion, and goals from Cavenaghi and Gourcuff.

Bellion celebrates with teammates

Bordeaux now sits atop the Ligue 1 standings at the halfway point with 40 points.  Nearest in the hunt for the title is Marseilles with 32.  Perennial Ligue 1 contenders, Lyon, are struggling in sixth place with 29.
Next up for the Marine et Blanc is away match vs. Toulouse on the 23rd.
Laissez Bon Temps Roulez!!

Chamakh giving thanks for his Lyon-beating header

Nota bene:  Marouane Chamakh was interviewed before the match and intimated that he would finish out his Bordeaux contract (June) but would probably not be staying.  That is good news and bad news for the Bordelaise.  Good news because he will be around to finish the Champions League and Ligue 1 campaigns, but replacing his heading ability and workrate will be difficult.

The Gourcuff-Chamakh partnership will be hard for Bordeaux to replace

Video highlights of the Bordeaux-Lorient match:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y93VqcXdEM&feature=player_embedded