Come on, that was a good save, had that been Pato, Pippo, Ronnie or Kaka' that's what everyone would be saying.

Top post, zd.

@zd That has to be the most visually pleasing post ever! (After those who include pictures of beautiful girls )

Danke!

If you're waiting for me to call you legend...don't hold your breath zd. Those two just want you to lend them money.

Anytime.

That was 'danke' not 'spank me'!

A prodigy is born again
(FIFA.com) Friday 10 October 2008
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After making an excellent start to the season, Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is very firmly in the limelight. Not that the fans who have followed his progress since his Ligue 1 debut with Rennes on 7 February 2004 are too surprised about that, their early appraisals of the youngster having been confirmed by his sparkling performances for the French club, which have helped swell his army of admirers.

As is invariably the case with other French prodigies such as Samir Nasri, Hatem Ben Arfa and Karim Benzema before him, the 22 year old has been hailed from the stands as the successor to Zinedine Zidane's throne, a lofty comparison that his coach Laurent Blanc does not entirely dismiss.

"It's too early to compare him to Zinedine because he's only 22," comments the Bordeaux boss. "That said, the two of them have similar qualities. They bring others into play and help teams play better."

One man with a slightly different take on the situation is the midfielder's father, Christian Gourcuff, who is Blanc's opposite number at Lorient. "This comparison is just something the media like to play with and Yoann doesn't think about it all. He's an admirer of Zidane's but that's all."

While it is perhaps too early to describe Gourcuff as the new Zizou, there is little doubt the two have much in common, not least a similar physique and a host of technical attributes that allow them to drift from one flank to the other, pick out a team-mate in space or effect a graceful pirouette to avoid the attentions of a close marker. What is more, their career paths have also crossed, with Yoann spending time in Serie A before decamping to the banks of the Gironde, and Zidane moving in the opposite direction. The question is, do these shared characteristics give the kid from Brittany the credentials to take up Zidane's mantle?

From Rennes to Milan
Although still in his early 20s, Gourcuff has already built quite a career for himself. Sold by Rennes to AC Milan in 2006, he acquired valuable experience with the Italian giants over the following two seasons, and even though the first of them was marred by injury, he still totalled 21 league appearances.

Despite stronger competition for places in 2007/2008 restricting him to 15 games, Gourcuff was content with the progress he was making. "My performances were better, more consistent," says the man himself. "I felt more a part of things. I felt good. Even so I needed more time out on the pitch to keep progressing."

In the eyes of Blanc, his Italian sojourn was a vital learning curve. "It gave him the chance to assimilate and take on board all the requirements and demands of football at the highest level. That's going to help him for the rest of his career, particularly in terms of physical preparation."

The loan deal that saw Gourcuff move to Bordeaux in the summer has led to the first-team football he has been craving. And in the eyes of his father, the switch has paid off.

"I've seen a development, especially since the start of the season. Getting an extended run in the team has given Yoann more confidence and made him more effective. His increased maturity means he can analyse his performances better and that's something he's picked up from his time at AC Milan, where they really keep your feet on the ground."

The statistics back up what everyone has been saying. As well as a goal and three assists in eight Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, Gourcuff also scored his side's only goal in their two UEFA Champions League matches to date. Along with Marouane Chamakh, the youngster has been the French outfit's most impressive player this term.

Les Bleus come calling
To cap it all the U-19 European Championship winner has also embarked on his full international career, making his debut as a late substitute in the August friendly against Sweden. While the new boy did not even get a touch of the ball on that occasion, he saw more action in the 3-1 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying defeat to Austria on 6 September before starting and starring in the 2-1 win over Serbia four days later, setting up Nicolas Anelka's clinching goal and hitting the bar from distance.

Now that his son has arrived, Gourcuff Sr believes perseverance is the key to sustained success. "He needs to improve how he manages the good times and the lean spells and he needs to keep it simple when he finds himself in difficult situations on the pitch."

It is a view shared by Blanc. "The hardest part starts now. Yoann has to cement his position and become consistent in the seasons to come."

We lost a great player

Flamini Pirlo Gourcuff
Kaka
Pato Borriello

Scored an amazing goal today for France.

But if I'm not mistaken Bordeaux have an option to buy after the loan expires at the end of the season. Still can't forgive Carlo for throwing Yoann away like garbage just so he can keep ******* off at his 2 defensive mid system, and actually subbing in Brocchi instead of him.

Hopefully by next season Milan somehow manage to keep him and Carletto will be out on his @ss. And I'm praying that Pato doesn't suffer the same fate also

Scored an amazing goal today for France.

But if I'm not mistaken Bordeaux have an option to buy after the loan expires at the end of the season. Still can't forgive Carlo for throwing Yoann away like garbage just so he can keep ******* off at his 2 defensive mid system, and actually subbing in Brocchi instead of him.

Hopefully by next season Milan somehow manage to keep him and Carletto will be out on his @ss. And I'm praying that Pato doesn't suffer the same fate also

Why? I think if he continues to impress we will bring him back.

what an amazing shot btw!!

Guys don't fret..can ya'll remember that we loaned him out to get more playing time..There's no buy clause at the end of the season...He's on loan and he'll be back next season..Emerson and the rest would retire pretty soon and from what he's shown; Galliani and Carlo are witnessing what he's been doing so far this season....He's been really good...Carlo made the right signing bout Gourcuff but not the right time..Next yr/season would be the right time

If there is a buy out clause in his contract then Bordeaux would have every right to pay whatever ammount was stipulated in the loan deal and sign him permanently. If this is the case then Galliani is more stupid then we thought.


We don't know id there is a buy out clause or not, no one is certain, but if there is one, we will lose a player that could have been a top quality starter on the team for the next 10 years. Carlo ruined Yoann because he had some personal issue against him, that the only explenation of why he would play either Emerson or Brocchi and still leave Yoann out. And for the management to keep a crocked Puma on who can't remember how to even kick a ball anymore but gave Yoann to the first taker easily enough, especially when we already have Ambro, Rino and Flamini for the DMF position, but only have Pirlo and Seedorf as creative central mids. If Carlo stays on next season you can forget him coming back and the other young players we have that have real potential will all be wasted simple as that

AS I said, hopefully we manage to keep him even if there is a buy out clause in his contract. He would be a natural replacement for Seedorf.

or a co-ownership.

So how does it go when a team have an option to buy a player on loan? Is it a fixed price that if they meet we have no choice or what?

If there is a buy out clause in his contract then Bordeaux would have every right to pay whatever ammount was stipulated in the loan deal and sign him permanently. If this is the case then Galliani is more stupid then we thought.


We don't know id there is a buy out clause or not, no one is certain, but if there is one, we will lose a player that could have been a top quality starter on the team for the next 10 years. Carlo ruined Yoann because he had some personal issue against him, that the only explenation of why he would play either Emerson or Brocchi and still leave Yoann out. And for the management to keep a crocked Puma on who can't remember how to even kick a ball anymore but gave Yoann to the first taker easily enough, especially when we already have Ambro, Rino and Flamini for the DMF position, but only have Pirlo and Seedorf as creative central mids. If Carlo stays on next season you can forget him coming back and the other young players we have that have real potential will all be wasted simple as that

AS I said, hopefully we manage to keep him even if there is a buy out clause in his contract. He would be a natural replacement for Seedorf.

There is no such thing outside of Italy.

and by the way there is no buy out clause for Gourcuff's loan to Bordeaux..It's just a LOAN

What we have to do is to rotate the squad like Guardiola is doing for Barca..But the problem is the trust in all these players to deliver well isn't there yet...In Barca, messi doesn't play every game..At least he comes in as a sub...We need to rotate our players efficiently but the likes of Emerson and Ambro should be lesser..Some games should start with Pirlo, Gourcuff, some with seedorf flamini...know wat i mean...With the guaranteed starting 11, it makes players feel less important to the starting 11...and by the way there is no buy out clause for Gourcuff's loan to Bordeaux..It's just a LOAN

What we have to do is to rotate the squad like Guardiola is doing for Barca..But the problem is the trust in all these players to deliver well isn't there yet...In Barca, messi doesn't play every game..At least he comes in as a sub...We need to rotate our players efficiently but the likes of Emerson and Ambro should be lesser..Some games should start with Pirlo, Gourcuff, some with seedorf flamini...know wat i mean...With the guaranteed starting 11, it makes players feel less important to the starting 11...and by the way there is no buy out clause for Gourcuff's loan to Bordeaux..It's just a LOAN

Give em all top quality dope...from Colombia... They'll all be happy...

Me...I want a CB. As much as I'd like Yoann to be our replacement for Seedorf in the mid-field trio, I don't know if he'll wait that long...

Hot Diggity! Do I love your lengthy posts like these where you address multiple people at once Han, or what? Keep going lad, you're the only hope of Milanfan. And I mean it.

I believe in han2503! I kind of agree with most of what you said here. The Seedorf part in particular!

It's one of those things where you start with just a few things to say then it builds and builds into a monster post

Maybe I should write one about the departure of Sourav Ganguly in the cricket thread. I've been fussing about it so much, football has almost ceased to exist. Dada...oh dada!!

rotation is not a word in Carletto's vocabulary...

How do you know this? Do you have a source?

Gourcuff? I'm happy for him, I hope he found the best situation to express his qualities. Here he expressed them, then he got lost a bit, he suffered the fact that he did not play much. Now he is doing well and we are really happy about this. He will surely return as he's on loan.

http://www.acmilan.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=74148

He also apparently jokingly said: “Are we incompatible? If we are then maybe he will come back and I will leave,”

... he suffered the fact that he did not play much

Yeah... and that's cause you begged him to get on the field, Carletto and he refused...

He was also asked about Yoann Gourcuff, the young French midfielder who has been performing very well since joining Bordeaux on loan last summer.

"We believe Bordeaux won't claim him because they would have to pay us 15 million euros, which is a high price" Galliani continued. "But Gourcuff must understand that if he comes back to Milan he will have the competition of at least three or four midfielders."