Bonjour and bienvenue! After another trophy-less season, and another fourth-place finish, we’re dusting ourselves off and preparing to go again. The number eight might be lucky for the Chinese, but will this be the year of the Basque Boy? Let’s f*cking go (again)…

As always, transfers are first up. Lopez Rekarte only played once due to a formation change, so he’s moved on at a £60k loss…

Sukia was third-choice after I signed Zubizarreta’s regen, so he’s also gone. At least I won’t have to listen to any more of his complaining…

Lambea had a year left on his deal, and had been transfer listed for ages with no interest, so he frees up another space…

It’s ball fondling time, and this year it’s Strasbourg, now of Ligue 2…

We have no money again, so it’s time to fire up the old regen machine, and the first Basque Boy brought back to life is Moises Arteaga…

This is García José Mari, formerly of Bilbao…

Welcome Emery! How do you feel about joining the Basque Boys?…

Err, not that Emery, we’re talking Manuel Yanguas the second…

The machine doesn’t churn out many forwards, so Gonzalez Gorka MkII is a welcome sight…

Not all of them make the grade…

Are you having a f*cking laugh?!!!

The first three loan rangers depart…

But for the latter it’s over before it’s even begun, poor kid…

Here’s what I’m left with. I’m looking to move some of the old guard on, so a few of the youngsters who impressed out on loan last season will get their chance this campaign…

And here’s how we’re lining up (formation borrowed from tactical legend, Nikolai). Come on boys, surely you must be bored of finishing fourth by now…

Le Mans are up first. We race into a 2-0 lead in under 24 minutes (let alone 24 hours), and a few late goals send them to the pits…

Basque Country is the place to be these days, and it even prizes Becks away from United…

We’re looking set for another routine defeat away at Marseille, but stage the mother of all comebacks to leave with three points. Yes!!!

I write off games against PSG these days, and the only surprise on this occasion is that they score less than three goals…

Oh Babs, you’ve been superb so far…

UEFA Cup draw time, and It’s always nice to get opposition from a non-loaded league…

Gueugnon have been a headache in the past, so it’s nice to give them a hammering. Have that, you b*stards!…

Next out the loan door is Lasa…

Nantes are next, and to my delight, Dida is out, but his replacement naturally brings his A game. They’re not on Santi’s nice list though…

Europe, and Standard have a mostly-grey squad, but it’s looking like one of those games until a Badiola double spares our blushes…

It’s so like us to throw in a stinker against rock-bottom Lens just when it was all going so well..

Just to add injury to insult…

Honestly, what the f*ck is going on?!…

We’re bouncing back at Le Havre, but then decide to throw it away just for a laugh…

Standard make it three defeats on the spin, but we’d done enough in the first leg, and book ourselves a trip to Edinburgh…

We finally catch a break in the cup against Strasbourg to get back to winning ways, and it’s Chateauroux next…

Despite the three losses, I’m still deemed worthy of the manager of the month award…

Chateauroux have a good go at us, but Alkorta Jr snatches a win at the death…

It’s a stroll against Montpellier as we follow up three straight losses with three straight wins…

Meanwhile, up in Edinburgh, we lose…

To this…

Back home, Monaco’s demise continues, and we find life all too easy at the Louis II…

Loan bidder for Bida…

There’s an early scare against Metz, as our keeper gets sent off, but they miss the resulting penalty, and our ten men see it out…

There’s no repeat of that display a couple of weeks ago in the second leg with Hibs, and we romp through to face Kaiserslautern…

Oscar gets rewarded for his recent efforts…

I let 32 year-old Cobra Kai go to get some game time before retiring…

The League Cup run continues, with the man of the moment opening the scoring before a Santi brace sends us into the quarter-finals…

Where we draw Le Havre, which could be worse, with PSG, Marseille, and Bordeaux all still in the mix…

Speaking of Bordeaux, Oscar strikes first again, but things inevitably go pear-shaped, and it’s all downhill from there…

We’re behind at home to Auxerre, but help arrives when their keeper gets sent off, and it all becomes surprisingly easy…

Our European adventure resumes against Kaiserslautern. I’d have taken a draw, so their late winner is a right kick in the Ballacks…

Back in the league it’s Guingamp. We get super keepered by Betterton, and they score their only shot on target to nick a draw. F*ck off…

Next to leave is 33 year-old Urzaiz, who never let me down, so I wish him well…

We’re only just into December, and Santi dislocates his jaw while eating a mince pie. Could Christmas be cancelled?…

Lille rely on Sola power to nick a Desmond after we were 2-0 up and cruising…

Babs begins the comeback at Kaiserslautern, and then we have what would be the winning goal disallowed on 50 minutes, and we’re out…

Caen are as frustrating as ever, and make it three league draws in a row, which sees our title hopes take a serious dent…

Rounding off this week’s action are Bastia, who don’t put up much of a fight, so at least we’ve ended the episode with a win…

Familiar territory at the halfway mark. Ok we’ve lost to PSG and Bordeaux, but the other two losses and three draws have cost us dearly, and although third spot is not to be sniffed at, we’re now seven points off the pace.

Do come back next time, when we’ll do it all again. With the top two still to play, can we close the gap? And will either domestic cup provide us with the chance to finally win something? Find out next week. Au Revoir!