Let’s Check in With Barthez

I’m thinking it’s not a good thing for me to write about players with love and TLC in my heart. It didn’t work out so well for Trezeguet last week. And now…well, let’s have a look at my second-favorite** former Bleu, Nantes goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.

As you’ll surely remember, Fabien signed with Nantes toward the end of last year as their last great hope to help them keep from getting sucked down into the relegation cesspool. At that time they were squarely in the relegation zone, sitting second-from-last on the Ligue 1 table.

And for a time, life was good. Barthez started well. They had a couple of wins and edged their way upwards. If I’m not mistaken, they even had a couple of pleasant weeks where they were only FOURTH-to-last. Maybe even FIFTH! Oh, those were heady times!

But alas, things have started to head south again. The most recent game with Barthez in goal? 5-2, Valenciennes. And Valenciennes isn’t actually that good, hanging onto fifteenth place out of twenty teams. Ouch.

And where does this leave Nantes on the table? Let’s see…that would be…second from bottom. Again.

I’m sorry, Fabien. This is all my fault. I will not write affectionately about you and your delightful quirks and eccentricities ever again. That should make things all bettter.

(**As I have said before: Duh. Starts with a Z and ends with a headbutt.)