France v Paraguay: match #2 for Les Bleus, some questions remain

After the flattering 4-0 win over Norway, you would think that France are already in the 1/4 finals at the World Cup. Yes it was a very encouraging win. Coming on the heels of the remarkable 3-0 win against the Ukraine and then the 2-0 win against Holland, it appears that Les Bleus are moving in the right direction. They are. However there remain some questions with this squad.

• Injuries - Benzema reassured everyone that he is fine and will be ready to go. Fingers crossed. Varane seems to be taking normal precautions and I don't think there is anything to worry about. The real question, or fear, is how De Kaiser's back is doing. I am speaking of Ribery. His back remains a real concern, one that Deschamps has not been able to calm fears over. Per World Cup regulations, France have until 24 hours before their kick off against Honduras to replace the Bayern Munich winger from the roster. The fact we are even discussing that rule is concerning. This makes

  

  Let's hope it is a thumbs up with your back

  Griezmann's play that much more important to observe. How does he handle the left side of the attack? Based on what we saw last week against Norway it is positive...but one cannot assume a pattern based on one data point! Let us hope that the Real Sociedad winger continues to improve on his form and that De Kaiser's back allows him to go to Brazil.
• The right side of the formation. I alluded to this in my last post, and it is something I have harped on for a long time - France leans to the left (on the pitch but I guess also in politics...). Even without Ribery on the pitch, the French seem to launch most of their attacks down that flank and even the right sided players, like Valbuena, tend to drift over there. While I like Debuchy as the right back since he brings a legitimate offensive threat from his right side, I have to agree with the Gooner, his defense is a little suspect at times. And without his right winger there to help with the defensive and tracking duties, it leaves that side vulnerable. Norway exposed some of that early on in the game but did not have the talent to really exploit it. For this reason I think the door remains somewhat open for Sagna. Why? While his crossing ability drives me crazy...due to his lack of success...I cannot argue that defensively he is a beast. Does DD sacrifice offense to shore up the right side of his defense? But in doing so he makes France even more left leaning. Alternatively he could also instruct the likes of Cabaye to cheat to that side of the pitch, giving more cover for the likes of a Debuchy.
• Can the offense continue to show some bite? France's last few matches have shown some good snap with the offense. Can this continue? Much will depend on how Valbuena runs the creative side of the formation. As well as how the 3 holding midfielders continue to be able to jump up offensively. I also think we will need to see some distance shooting from Cabaye, which would really open up the game - forcing opposing defenses to extent themselves, thereby opening space for Giroud or Benzema. 

 Look for Les Bleus to come out with a similar formation as they had against Norway. One change will be Lloris in goal as the captain. We might see Sagna in place of Debuchy, but not sure. Giroud up front again unless DD wants to get some more time for Remy in that slot. Paraguay should be  slightly tougher opponent than Norway, clearly DD wants to get some run against a South American opponent, no surprise that the three friendlies are against a nation from Europe, South America and CONCACAF. See France's group opponents.

As with the last match, first priority - no injuries (see what happened to Italy yesterday) Second is to continue the good run of form from the last matches. Finally get plenty of players run during the game. As DD did last match, use all of your subs, get as many players some game time as possible.

France draw 0-0 against Paraguay. Yes bland, but I think France come back down to earth and we see classic friendly match between a team that doesn't really want to be there and one working through preparation.

Allez les Bleus

6-0 where has this team been? France roll over the Socceroos

Wow, 6 goals...3 of which came from strikers. One of which was Benzema. What is going on?!?!?! The Socceroos did not look like one of the better Asian sides today, but seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. After putting up 4 goals last match these are just the types of games that France need ahead of their World Cup qualifier play offs. Just like we should not take too much from losses, let us not get too far ahead of ourselves after this drubbing. But there is a lot of good that game from this game...so we should at least enjoy it!

The Good:

• 6 goals...anytime you can score 6 goals in an international game that is good. And this wasn't some minnow like the Faroe Islands. Australia has become one of the better Asian sides, but looking nothing like those sides in Paris. After opening the scoring

  

  First half of his brace

  early on a penalty kick, Les Bleus kept on pressing and really took it to Australia. The score line could have easily been more severs had Remy not missed on two golden chances in the second half. But I will take the 6 goals.
• The attacking midfield - I have to say that I liked what I saw from Ribery - Nasri - Remy. As I thought, the presence of Remy on the right, especially with Debuchy behind him, allowed for the French attack to be much more balanced. Australia could not simply overload the left side. Nasri in the middle looked like the Nasri of old. He made some great passes, took on defenders when the opportunity arose and pushed the attack. Mid-way through the first half he dribbled to the end line, took on three defenders...who he beat...and drew a dangerous free kick. He also combined very will with Ribery on the third goal, the two former Marseilles midfielders using their pace and passing to break down the Australian defense and then Nasri put a simple square ball right into the path of an on rushing Giroud who was more than happy to get his brace.
• Speaking of Remy...his work with Newcastle teammate Debuchy was a sight for sore eyes on the right. The Newcastle right back was dangerous all night jumping up into the offensive zone, making runs from deep, offering good crosses and working well with Remy to bring life to the right side of the formation. Oh and Debuchy put away a wonderful left footed volley in the second half. Not sure Sagna would have had the creativity, let alone the talent to put that shot away. Debuchy almost found himself a brace on a header late in the game. The French right has been an enigma for too long. Let us hope that this promise gets fulfilled.
• Benzema...okay this might be a little tongue in cheek, but the fact the Real Madrid striker got himself a goal, albeit in a one sided game can only be seen as good. It was also a pure striker's goal. Ribery made a pacey run on the left and Benzema did what all strikers are taught to do, make a hard run to the near post. And he was rewarded. I hope this gets him back on the right track.

  

  Make a near post run and you will be rewarded

The Bad:

• Remy lack of finishing. Yes I am being picky. But Remy had two wonderful chances in the second half to get himself a goal. The first one he found himself all alone in front of the Langerak, it was clear he opened up the hips to fake going far post and tried to drag his shot back to the near post. Unfortunately he smashed his shot wide, not even calling upon the keeper to make a save. Some are calling into question whether or not he looked at ease enough on that side, but I think he deserves another look. Especially if you keep Debuchy at right back (which I think Deschamps needs to do). 

The Ugly:

• Australia...the Socceroos just did not look like they came to play.  They were letting the French look like Spain with their passing and counter attacks. The score line could easily have been 7 or 8 nil. At one point in the first half it felt like France might even score double digits. Just not what I expected from a decent national side.

Finally a game that we did not have to pull our hair out about. A game where France gave us a reminder of the talent they do have on the side. I forgot to mention but the duo of Cabaye and Pogba looked fantastic, with the Newcastle midfielder bring more offensive punch to that deep lying midfield (scoring himself on a bullet of a shot). Now Les Bleus need to head into their final match against Finland and look to build on this. I doubt they will get 6 goals, look for Finland to be much more organized and disciplined on defense. But France clearly have to have an eye to the home and away play off. The question becomes - does Nasri get another shot at the #10 role? What about Remy, I think he deserves another look but does DD go back to Payet? And up front, Giroud seems to be making it difficult to not start him. Time will tell. But for now let us enjoy this win.

Deschamps tinkering with the right side. As he should.

Deschamps has not unveiled how he will roll out his starting 11 tomorrow against Australia at Parc des Princes. However based on the "first team" that DD leveraged during training, it would appear that he is going to be focused on making the right side of the formation stronger and therefore balancing out the French attack. What the line up my resemble:

Lloris - Debuchy, Abidal, Sakho, Evra - Pogba, Cabaye - Rémy, Nasri, Ribéry - Giroud.

If this is indeed the line up, some interesting notes.

• Giroud in the place of Benzema. The struggles of the Real Madrid striker have been well documented. The fact that DD might not start him for a second straight game could be a sign that he has dropped in the pecking order. Benzema might need a change of scenery with club if he hopes to regain his place with country. The once prolific goal scoring machine seems a shell of himself. Alas, I am not sure if this is a "rough passage" feels more like wasted talent. 
• New right side of the formation. Well not entirely new, Debuchy and Remy had been regulars in the past. With Sagna injured the door is open for the Newcastle right back to get back into

  

  Better offensive option on the right than Sagna?

  the formation. I also feel that Debuchy brings a much more consistent offensive punch than Sagna. Remy, to me, has always been one of the best if not the best option for France on the right side. He is a natural right sided player. Has the pace and touch to control the right channel and actually bring some offense to that side. The fact he can also slot in as the lone striker gives him a powerful profile for the side. I hope that Deschamps gives this right side time to develop. It has much more potential than the Sagna - Payet right side that DD has leveraged the last few matches. 
• Nasri given the keys to the kingdom. Well maybe not the keys, but being slotted in the middle as the #10 would be a refreshing and interesting move for DD. He has been leveraging the "petit velo" Valbuena in that slot recently, but I don't think the Marseille midfielder really fits that profile. Nasri's talent does. Now it it up to him to show it on the pitch.  
• Pogba and Cabaye as the holding tandem. Not an area I am too concerned about for France, whether it is Matuidi or Cabaye or Pogba, there are plenty of options for the holding tandem. I will be interested in seeing how Cabaye, a bit more offensive minded than Matuidi, does next to Pogba. Regardless it should prove to be a powerful tandem in front of the defensive back 4.

Of course all this could be pure speculation and DD could roll out his usual side with Payet on the right and Valbuena in the middle...but DD needs to figure out his right side. Currently it is not working from the stand point of offering offensive threats. With Ribery on the left the game tends to lean that way, a little too much. It has become predictable - stack up your defense towards that side and you will slow down the attack. The likes of Remy and Debuchy should offer some better options on the right and force teams to defend both channels. The real question becomes - can Les Bleus get any goals out of their forwards?

We shall see.

Allez les Bleus.

France v Iceland a tale of two halves

Who would have thought this would be a hard fought 3-2 victory for France? A bad first half, from the scoreboard perspective, not necessarily from the play on the field. A much better second half and in the end a victory for Les Bleus.

The Good:

Le Petit Prince scored some points

•  A win....a come from behind win none the less. Regardless of what the ranking is for Iceland in the world...131 if you are curious...going down 2-0 at half time and being able to come back in the second half to win the game has to be encouraging. France made two defensive gaffs in the first half and demonstrated what happens when professional football players are given a chance. But Les Bleus continue to press on and were rewarded with a victory.  Something to build on...the alternative would have been difficult to accept.
• The right side of the formation - Ben Arfa and Debuchy. What was interesting with these two players on the field was that what tends to be a left heavy attack for France now switched to the right side. The Newcastle midfielder was constantly putting the Iceland defense on its collective heel, while the Lille right back was constantly making dangerous overlapping runs from his fullback spot. Debuchy even open his international scoring account, aggressively pouncing on a deviated ball in the box. I have a feeling this will be the right side for Blanc heading into the Euros and might be one we see for a few years.
• Giroud once again showed why he is a viable option up top for France. While he did not score he got the assist on both Ribery and Rami's goals. Both times doing what a penalty box striker should do - receive the ball and distribute to cutting teammates. His ability in the air and to hold the ball deep might make him a valuable offensive joker during the tournament.

The Bad:

• Going down 2-0 the way France did was not good...a tentative play on 50/50 ball by Mexes led to the first goal and some sloppy covering by Evra led to the second. The Manchester United defender was sloppy again in the second half forcing a terrific save from Mandanda. I think that part of the sloppy play was the fact Blanc did not align a true holding midfielder. This forced the back 4 of France to play higher on the ball than usual. Mexes was pushing up the field to challenge the Icelandic offense...only allowing space to be created behind him. I would hope that the introduction of M'Vila would alleviate this problem. But something to keep an eye on.
• The left side of the attack. What has been the strength for France recently was absent tonight. Granted the usual starter - Ribery on the left wing - did not play until the last 15 minutes and when he did the dynamic on the left changed. There was little going on between Menez and Evra. The Manchester United left back at times was invisible offensively, not making any threatening runs. This left Menez alone to try and animate that side. I think the PSG winger did a commendable job, but was a shadow of what the right side was able to do. We shall see if that remains the case if Ribery is inserted back on his preferred wing. 

The Ugly:

About as fast as his game was going

• I have to say Gourcuff did not impress me. And his play was not bad, I would say it was ugly. Why? When he was not on the pitch, it appeared that Les Bleus operated at a different speed. That speed was not slow. To the OL midfielders defense, he is still no 100%. He worked hard for the ball. However every time he came back to get it, the game appeared to slow down. He was sloppy in some of his passes, seemed to head backwards or sidewards too often rather than ahead and just did not seem to bring any offensive creativity or punch. I do not believe he should head to Ukraine in a few weeks.
• Speaking of Gourcuff...the defending of set pieces was not pretty. Iceland's first corner kick went sailing to the back post where TWO Icelandic players were there and only Gourcuff to defend. He was not even in a good position! I am sure that Carrol or Crouch would salivate at being that open on June 11.

Overall it was an entertaining game, and the result can let us all sleep better! There remains a lot of work to be done for France. I do think that it is encouraging that the right side of the French formation is where much of the attack came until the introduction of Ribery late. I did like the fact Menez and Ben Arfa as the game went on starting popping up on opposite wings. Unlike other French teams, I believe the creativity will have to come from the wingers - Ben Arfa, Ribery, Menez and Valbuena. For that reason I think Blanc will keep all 4. Martin and Nasri were decent in the middle as outlets, I think that Gourcuff will be the odd man out. But we still have a two games and some training sessions to go before we determine who goes.

Next up - Serbia on Thursday. Should be interesting.

Sagna out at RB for Les Bleus - Debuchy #1

After this weekend's Arsenal clash, France right back Sagna suffered a broken leg which will keep him out of the Euros for sure. This paves the way or at least makes it easier, for Lille's right back Debuchy to get the starting nod for Les Bleus. Lauren Blanc will be announcing his short list of players over the next few days, look for the Frog's thought on that in a later post, but the right back slot looks certain. Without Sagna in the picture, Blanc will most likely take Debuchy and Reveillere as his two options to man the post. The question becomes who will start, my vote is for the more offensive minded Debuchy. Sagna's injury could have another result, the Arsenal man might lose his spot as France's #1 right back if Debuchy has a good tournament as well as boost the Lille players value on the transfer market.

France get the victory, but let's not get ahead of ourselves

Well at least I got the score right...just the wrong victors. Les Bleus get a famous 2-1 victory over Die Mannschaft in Bremen last night. Goals from Giroud and Malouda. France will head into the Euro preparation matches on a high note having defeated one of the tournament favorites. Of course, I am sure that the German supporters will point out that Germany were missing some key players...but so were the French. So what to make of the match?

1st Half - France were fortunate to not being down 2 or 3 goals. Ozil and his band of merry midfielders punished some sloppy French passing leading to quick counters. Were it not for Lloris, Les Bleus would have found themselves on the wrong end of the score sheet.
2nd Half - France seemed comfortable sitting back and hitting back at Germany on the counter and exposed some weakness on the German back line. Les Bleus could themselves, have scored a few more goals.

Let's dive in deeper:

The Good:

• A win,  a victory is a victory, just ask Mitt Romney. France showed that they could go into a hostile environment and win a game that at times they looked like they were going to let slip away. I was a little frustrated that they were not able to kill the game when they had a two goal advantage, but that is not uncommon these days.
• Who should be the new right back for France: Debuchy. The Lille right back was a surprise inclusion against the United States, but clearly has a little something extra the likes of Sagna and Reveilliere have failed to bring to the table - a regular offensive punch to the right side. Debuchy was incredible active all game making deep runs down the right channel and provided the assist on both French goals. He even had a cannon of a shot from distance forcing the German keeper to punch the ball to safety. France have been looking for a right back that can bring greater width and crossing to the game - ever since Sagnol retired. In my opinion Debuchy has not only punched his ticket to go to the Euros, but should be the starting right back for France.
• Giroud was inserted in the starting line up and also did well enough to earn his ticket to the Euros. The leading scorer for Ligue 1 was very active on the offensive side and actually did his fair share defensively as well, at times he seemed to be sweeping rather than Mexes. His goal was a pure striker goal, no wasted motion, nothing fancy - take a cross and simply touch it past the keeper. This does not put him above Benzema or Remy, but it gives Blanc peace of mind that he has some decent depth up front.
• France could have been down 2-0 were it not for the exploits of Lloris. He made some huge saves to bail out his defense who decided to turn over the ball for much of the first half. Saves on Klose from point blank as well as reflect save on a deflected Klose volley in addition to his command of the aerial game were more proof points of why his one of the world's best keepers. Blanc announced the Lloris would be the French captain this summer and he demonstrated why his coach had so much faith in him.
• Seeing Mexes and Rami back together at the center of the defense. Both players seemed at ease with the other which is vital for central defensive pairings. Mexes is allowed to be more free - roaming, more or a sweeper while Rami is the pit bull that sits back to defend. Assuming both stay healthy and do not punch anyone, this should be a strength for Les Bleus.
• Le Petit Velo - Valbuena - showed me something last night. He was the most dangerous and hard working attacking midfielder for Les Bleus. He could have and should have scored on two occasions for Les Bleus, had he done so I would have rated him higher. Overall I think he made a strong case for being the right midfielder for France something that he should have been allowed to do 2 years ago rather than Govou! He did pop up on the opposite flank and in the center from time to time, something that might be of service if the likes of Debuchy are behind him, this would give the Lille right back more space to run into and create some real defensive problems for France's opponents.

The Bad:

• The Manchester City playmaker, Nasri, was not fantastic. I would even venture that he was completely invisible the first half. The second half he was at least visible! What is frustrating is the fact he has one good game one off game for Les Bleus. The lack of consistency is maddening. Many of the problems France had in the first half is that their playmaker was not gaining control of the game, unlike his counter part Ozil, who was controlling the pace of the match. Les Bleus need their playmaker to be able to slow the game down or speed it up depending on the situation, Nasri did not do this the first half and it could have cost France dearly. Blanc still has some work to do with regards to who pulls the strings for Les Bleus, could this open the door for Gourcuff? Surprisingly Martin did not make his way onto the pitch to see if he could fare better. Something to watch for.
• Speaking of former Marseilles players - Ribery - wasn't exactly the Kaiser last night for France. After scoring a brace over the weekend for Bayern, he clearly forgot his good boots somewhere in Germany other than Bremen. Granted he picked up a knock early on in the game and did give it his all, but more is expected and needed from the left winger if France is to do more than site see in Ukraine - Poland this summer. He made some decent runs but just did not have the extra punch to really threaten the German goal.
• The German defense. I realize they were missing some key players, but still they allowed some terrible scoring chances and turned the ball over themselves in terrible positions on the pitch. Germany is still a favorite but they better shore up the defense. 

The Ugly:

• The French first half - Les Bleus looked awful in the first half...yes I am aware that they went into the dressing room up 1-0, but were it not for Lloris, a post and some wide shots, Les Bleus would have been down 2 of not 3 to 1 at the half. France cannot expect to go anywhere if they play like that at the Euros. Sloppy passes, silly give aways and poor defending will cost them dearly.   Had Germany been more clinical in front of the goal...it would have been ugly. In the second half Les Bleus seemed to calm down a bit and better control the game, the Germans then became a bit sloppy themselves.

Overall winning away to Germany is nothing to sneeze at, but Les Bleus need to take this in stride and realize that they did not dominate. The game showcased two talented teams, both with flaws. Both teams can cure these flaws, but France's might be more difficult to overcome...but if they can, they have the potential to be a real surprise this summer.

Allez les Bleus!

Les Bleus - the next wave on defense

Blanc and Les Bleus have faced a number of injuries on the defensive side of the pitch - Abidal still with Barcelona, Sagna injured, Mexes injured, Evra personal issues, Clichy out of form, Kaboul non selected...this has opened the door to 3 players - good article about the players here. The players in question - Koscielny Mathieu and Debuchy. The article discusses each players opportunities in length so I will not rehash what is said, but to me I think the player with the best opportunity is Debuchy.

Mathieu is third in line behind Abidal and Evra for left back. While the Valencia defender offers some interesting offensive options, I do not think they are superior to what Abidal and Evra bring to the table. I watched Abidal play for Barcelona this weekend against Athletico Bilbao and the cross he offered to Cesc was a thing of beauty. Koscielny has a good future, but it will have to wait, I think that Blanc will go back to leaning (correctly) on the Rami-Mexes tandem. However I think the Gunner has a strong chance to find his way into the starting line up sooner rather than later, granted neither Mexes 29 nor Rami 25 are on the verge of retirement, but over the next 2-3 years there could be a place to be had.

Future starting RB for Les Bleus?

Which brings us to Debuchy, who I think has a strong chance to take on a greater role on the right side. Sagna has been the unquestioned started for France the past few seasons. I am not convinced his place is firmly cemented. One area I have always been frustrated with Sagna (as well as with Clichy, must have to do with being a wide defender for Arsenal) is his poor crosses and too often wasted offensive forays. Watching Debuchy for LOSC, he offers a much more solid and dangerous offensive repertoire (he has 16 career goals to Sagna's 3, okay I realize no one is going to mistake the LOSC player for Van Basten). The LOSC player brings a more lively attacking option for France. Something that is vital at the international level. His other competitor, Reviellere is a good option, but I think age plays against him (the OL player is 31).

Of the three mentioned in the Sport24 article, I think the LOSC man will be a mainstay with France and has the potential to be a starter for the next few years.

France going with a new right back...surprise surprise

The latest news from Clairefontaine is that the LOSC right back, Debuchy, will be slotted to start at right back, over Reveillere (Sagna is out injured). It is a bit of a surprise that Blanc will go with a player earning his first cap to slot him in a big game, granted it is against Albania, but there is no room for error.

Otherwise it appears the starting line up will resemble what has been reported for the past few days. Question becomes does the formation look like a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 or even a 4-2-3-1...will Remy stay high on the pitch to shoulder Gomis or drop deeper, and will Malouda slot high to give 3 across the top? The final question is does Blanc go with a more attacking midfield with Martin or stay defensive with Cabaye or Diarra? If you see Martin in the midfield then we are looking at a very offensive minded 4-3-3 with Martin, M'Vila and Nasri in the middle, Remy, Gomis and Malouda up top.

I think Blanc should opt for such a formation, we are playing Albania...France should be able to win and do so easily at home, get out and there and put the offensive pressure on the Eastern Europeans from the start!