He was sent out on loan to FC Lorient for the second half of 2008/09. They’re not exactly a big club…
That’s true, but he did very well at Lorient. And the fact that Bordeaux sent him on loan to a struggling side shouldn’t be seen as a negative. I think it served two purposes: it said to him that he needed to play more games and start making some progress, but it also would have provided a valuable education. Lorient are a modest club without bells or whistles – he would have been forced to work hard there and roll his sleeves up and get stuck in. While he was there he played for France U21s against England U21s in Nottingham. France won that night, Obertan was the best player on the park and scored the first goal. That performance was a good indication
