Les Bleus start off with a 3-2 victory

Les Bleus go to Sweden and emerge with a 3-2 victory. Granted the Swedes were without Zlatan Ibrahimovic....I was able to catch the highlights of the game as well as follow it online. Here are some thoughts:

The Good -

• Mandanda - From all reports the French keeper made some solid saves. The first goal was a spectacular volley from Larsson while the second was on a penalty kick. Otherwise it sounds as if the Marseille keeper made some solid stops in net. With the announcement from Frey that he will be retiring from the international game, it is clear that Les Bleus are firmly going to look to Mandanda and Lloris to carry France from a goalkeeping perspective.
• Govou - Ugh, every time I am ready to say...this is it, he is not going to find his place in France's long term plans and he goes out and scores a brace. So he has to get a nod for being "good" once again. He was running hard on both goals to get himself into the proper position to score, the second one after a great back heel from Henry. Govou still does not convince me that he is the option for France at right wing, that should go to Ribery once he is healthy again. I think that the Lyon player has performed nicely for Les Bleus under Domenech but just because he wears #10 he should not be a main stay with France.
• Benzema and Henry - Okay I was wrong, well not wrong, but skeptical to the success of playing two strikers up front. It did seem to work...albeit for one game. Henry and Benzema were able to work well off one another and put pressure on the Sweden defense. The goal from Benzema was the result of good service and pressure from Sagna from his right fullback position...not sure Clerc would have been able to jump into the play that quickly. The two striker combo gets a good for now, but I still think the lone striker with 3 supporting midfielders is the future for Les Bleus.

The Bad -

• Mexes and Gallas - Okay this might be a bit harsh but clearly on the first goal there was a misunderstanding between the two central defenders. Sweden sent a striker through the 18 yard box on a diagonal run drawing both defenders....a pair that is comfortable with one another would understand who would peel off and cover the run while the second would drift back to protect space and cover a secondary run. In this case, both Mexes and Gallas when to the near post leaving Larsson alone, granted the Swede made a spectacular volley to score the goal but he was all alone...allowing him the space and lack of pressure to attempt and execute such a move. I could even argue he second goal came from a similar misunderstanding between the central defenders, forcing Diarra to come back and hack down Kallstrom. However, central defender pairings are the one spot on the pitch where understanding, positioning, and building a trust is crucial for success. I hope that Domenech sticks with this pairing and allows them time to grow and develop a working relationship, if so they will have something very solid. I hope...pray...that Domenech does not all of a sudden decide that Boumsong is a better option to Mexes in the middle....

The Ugly -

• Lack of substitution - Okay what do I mean by that? This is a friendly, a game that means nothing in the grand scheme of things but a game that allows an international manager to look at his players, look at who he has moving forward. With that in mind, how can Gourcuff sit on the bench until the last minute? Can you really get a good look at him this way? No. Maybe Domenech should have brought him in with at least 20 minutes to go, see how he worked with his fellow midfielders/strikers. Sweden used 5 substitutes, France 1 (Gourcuff came in with 1 minute to go...so he gets a cap....but that is about it). Why did Domenech not try Fanni and Clichy in place of Evra and Sagna at some point of the game? See what these two backs can do. Why not insert a Flamini in place of Toulalan or Diarra see if the ex-Arsenal man is a good fit as the holding midfielder for Les Bleus?
  While I think the win was important for France, it would have been better to see Domenech use his substitutes in a friendly to see what some of his players can do. Maybe after going up 2-1, in the 61st minute, that gives you another 30 minutes....hmmm. Maybe look to see if you can insert your youngsters, above mentioned, who are more defensive and see if they can hold a lead, counter attack, etc. Maybe take out an Henry, go with 1 striker, insert Groucuff to play a 4-2-3-1. Take out a Toulalan and insert Flamini, see how he works with the defenders and with Diarra. Switch Evra for Clichy, allow 3 of the Arsenal backs to play some time together. Maybe insert Fanni...you selected him....see what he can do on the international stage. Hey, maybe even switch out Mandanda for Lloris, see what your #2 keeper can do. This trend with Domench drives me crazy, he refuses to take advantage of opportunities he has to see players, to use substitutions to the max, whether it be in a friendly or in a game that counts. I know some managers go to the extreme...see Sven and his full blown substitution patterns as if he were an NHL coach....but Domenech does not seem creative enough to envisage leveraging these opportunities to see what he has. National team managers have a difficult situation, they get to see the players they are too take to major tournaments a few times a year. While they have training sessions, it is during the game situations that managers really get a look at what they have....unless they decide not to take advantage of this.

Overall it is better to start the international season with a win, there remains so questions for Les Bleus - the defense, the formation, who will be the #1 striker and will Domenech use more than 1 sub.....