Last game...no surprises please France!

Les Bleus head into the last group game in a position they have not enjoyed the last two tournaments - with one foot in the 1/4 finals! Granted at the Euros in 2008 and World Cup in 2010, they were not mathematically eliminated heading into the final game but the odds were against them...kind of like the famous scene in "Dumb and Dumber"...





This time around, France sits on top of their group and all they need is a draw to get into the next round, could even loss the game and get in...but let's keep it simple. France need to win this game. Period. Sweden is already out of the tournament, only they and Ireland were eliminated before the last group game. Sweden have nothing to play for but pride. Sweden will pose a good challenge for Les Bleus.

Let's face it, France has won one game in major tournaments in 9 tries and it was against Ukraine. Nothing against the co-hosts, but this is their first European Championship ever...and they are ranked 52nd. If France expects to do anything beyond they 1/4 finals they must show that they have overcome the malaise that has struck them the past few years. Additionally, Sweden will test one area of France's game that has been lacking for a few years - defending set pieces.

Another aspect - France has three players on a yellow card - Mexes, Debuchy and Menez. I debated whether or not Blanc should look to protect these players, but I realized that if he tried to get too cute and France do not go through...well it will turn ugly. I expect Les Bleus to start a formation looking to win, looking to go forward and build on what they have done so far.

Look for the Rennes MF to get higher up the pitch

The one change could be M'Vila and Diarra partnered together in a more beefy midfield. I could see Blanc looking to a hybrid 4-3-3 slash 4-2-3-1. Looking to snuff out Ibra in the midfield and hit Sweden on the wings with his wide players. This could also be what Blanc wants to look to if France do progress and have to face the likes of Spain or Germany.

How I see the starting line up -

Lloris
Clichy, Mexes, Rami, Debuchy
Diarra, M'Vila, Nasri
Ribery, Benzema, Menez

Look for Nasri to have the freedom to roam wing to wing as well as play a higher line or drop deeper. M'Vila will play more like he does at Rennes in a traditional Relayeur role - linking up between the back 1/3 and the attacking 1/3. Diarra will continue to hold on to his role as midfield destroyer. The Marseille man will be tasked to keep an eye on Ibrahimovic, much of Sweden's offense goes through the big man who plays a 9 1/2  type role almost a traditional #10. I would look for Benzema to try and play a higher line, pushing the Swedish defense deeper and getting service from the wings. I would hope to see Clichy get a start again, he gives France more of a threat from the left back than Evra did in the game against England. He partners well with Ribery and opens up the diagonal run for the Kaiser. On the other side, Menez showed that he can keep his discipline by staying on the right wing, while he does drift inside at times, he is holds his channel better than Nasri who's natural instinct is to drift more to the center of the park. I also think that the first half of the Ukraine match, Menez had some jitters (it was his first action in a major tournament), but getting the goal in the second half should boost his confidence and I look for him to be more clinical from the start.

France needs to play for the win, while minding the players on a yellow. Meaning - if France go out to a lead and have the luxury look for Mexes to get some time on the bench with Koscielny getting some run as well as Reveillere on the right. If the game is tight until the end, Blanc might still look to afford himself this luxury.

Prediction - France 3 Sweden 0. Brace from Benzema and goal from Rami.

Allez les Bleus!!!

Les Bleus WIN! Finally....

Menez opens the scoring for Les Bleus

Ouf Ouf Ouf...France come away from the Ukraine game with a victory and are top of Group D. For those of you keeping score it has now been 8 games in major tournaments between French victories. Last game was the 1-0 win over Portugal in the 2006 World Cup semi final!  In a game that saw a 50 minute rain delay due to lightning and rain, France put two past the Ukrainian keeper in a 6 minute span. This has to get a rather large monkey off France's back.


The Good:

Diarra making a case to keep his starting role

• LES BLEUS WON! I do not think you can underestimate this. After the debacle in South Africa and the terrible showing 4 years ago in the Euros, France had to get a victory. That was the least of what one needed to see from the group games. Even if all teams had drawn each game and somehow France got to the 1/4 finals, a victory was the most important first stage for Les Bleus. Just imagine the pressure had France only drawn or gasp, lost, to Ukraine! Now Les Bleus go into the last game knowing that more than likely any positive result will see them through.
• Goals...granted only two of them. But Cabaye did hit the wood work, Menez should have had a brace, could have should have! But France did get two goals. Both came from some clinical passing from Benzema. Maybe wearing the #10 kit for Les Bleus makes him more Platini or Zidane like! France have 3 goals from 2 games, no  one is going to mistaken them for the French team from the '58 World Cup. But compared to the past two tournaments, I will take the 3 goals!
• Diarra once again showed his skill and ability as the midfield "destroyer." He was strong on the ball, strong in his tackles and read the game very well. His play will give Blanc a real dilemma, a good one, but a question of should he bring in M'Vila or use him as a late game substitute to shore up his midfield. Not a bad problem to have!
• Speaking of midfielders, the play of Cabaye was excellent. His first half was quiet but he did his job. Second half he had a fantastic finish, after slotting higher up the pitch when Benzema dropped deeper for the ball. He could have had a brace after a fantastic shot from distance hit the wrong side of the wood work. His midfield partner - Nasri - had another solid game. He was dangerous on set pieces, held the ball very well and was able to provide a safety valve for Les Bleus when need be.
• The left side of the formation. The change of Clichy for Evra changed the French game. Clichy was much more active charging down the flank, opening up space for Ribery. The Manchester City player also defended very well. Ribery once again showed he had his dancing shoes on. Making some fantastic runs, pick pocketing some Ukrainians and being very active through out the game. Now if he can only get himself a goal! 
• The Ukrainian keeper...Pyatov kept his side in the game, without big saves versus Menez (1v1 break), Mexes (header off a set piece) and Nasri (direct kick). Without Pyatov Les Bleus might have run off to a 3 or 4 goal victory. He was also assisted by his posts on a powerful strike from Cabaye who can very close to a brace.

The Bad:

Game started under a small typhoon

• Benzema, okay not bad in the way you might think, but it is clear that the Real Madrid man is getting frustrated at not finding the back of the goal. This might become bad if he starts pushing and forcing his game. Mind you he was the reason for the two goals that France did score. Tactically he seems to be drop deeper on the pitch to get his touches, this takes away any potential pressure that the defense might have to face where he to play off the last defender. Something to watch.
• Silly yellow cards...both Mexes and Debuchy got yellow cards late on for fouls that were not necessary. These are not smart. Both players will be on a "alert" heading into the Sweden match...if either get another yellow then they will miss the 1/4 finals. Not good. Menez will also be on alert, however where he to miss the 1/4 finals I feel France have more cover with the likes of Malouda, Ben Arfa and Valbuena. Something to watch for next week. I would not be surprised if Reveilliere did not get the start for Debuchy against Sweden, not sure if Mexes will sit nor Menez.
• French finishing...I realize they scored two and had some clear opportunities, but they need to be more clinical and put one more goal. There was a time after being up 2-0 that France just toyed with Ukraine, rather than go for the goal...let's not forget that French flair sometimes bites us in the arse...Sevilla 1982...

The Ugly:

• The weather...wow that was scary. Never seen a professional football match get postponed like that! That was ugly...correct move.

Overall not much to complain about after winning the match. With England beating Sweden, France are in a good position to get to the 1/4 finals. The standings after day 2 -

Group D

Teams	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
France	2	1	1	0	3	1	2	4
England	2	1	1	0	4	3	1	4
Ukraine	2	1	0	1	2	3	-1	3
Sweden	2	0	0	2	3	5	-2	0

France only need a draw to go through, and can even make it if they lose to Sweden. Of course France should push and look for the win, Sweden is on 2 straight losses and if France get the full 3 points they will most likely avoid Spain in the 1/4 finals.

Les Bleus should get to the 1/4 Finals, barring a disaster...lets hope that the French can build off the good win as well as avoid any players getting another silly yellow and missing the 1/4 finals.

Allez les bleus!

Moving day - France v Ukraine

In golf the "moving day" is usually associated with the third day of a 4 round tournament...but we only have 3 group games in the Euros! In the Euros and the World Cup, the second game is when teams figure out who is in to the knock outs and who needs a miracle in the final game....as well as who goes home (see Ireland). So tomorrow's game for Les Bleus will determine if they can get to the 1/4 finals.

The weight on the game cannot be underestimated. First, France is facing the co-host who pulled off a surprise win versus Sweden and sits a top the group. If the Sweden v Ukraine game is any indication, the crowd is going to be super-charged. Second, France have history to contend with...they have not won a game in a major tournament since they defeated Portugal in the 2006 World Cup semi finals! Need I remind you that Zidane was the captain of the team, Barthez was the keeper, Vieira was patrolling the midfield and Inspector Clouseau was the manager (Domenech). Since then Les Bleus have 3 draws and 4 defeats...France need a victory. Granted they could draw against Ukraine and still qualify in their final match. But I rather see a France win for obvious reasons! Finally, France cannot allow Ukraine to get a point or gasp a win! If so it will make the final game very dicey.

So will Blanc change his line up with the return of M'Vila and the ineffective play of Malouda? Not sure...based on his press conference there is a chance he might, but he remains mum.

France will most likely stay with a 4-3-3. The back line and keeper will not change, least last minute injury. The front three will most likely remain the same as well...unless. The question becomes, does Diarra sit for M'Vila and what to do with Malouda?

Paired up like against Bosnia?

Diarra had a good game against England, had he not allowed Lescott run onto the Gerrard free kick for the England goal then I would say he had a very good game. Diarra was a rock the remainder of the game allowing the other midfielders to focus on their offense. Ukraine, surprisingly, might be more offensive minded than the English! Well maybe that is not too surprising. Against Sweden, the Ukraine played very open, attacking football. Might Blanc opt for two more defensive minded players in his midfield to break up any potential attacks and act as a platform for counters.

Or does Blanc stick with Malouda and his veteran stature?

I think Blanc will insert M'Vila in place of Malouda, go with a more muscular midfield - Cabaye, M'Vila and Diarra. Mimic what he did away to Bosnia. France was in no shortage of offense against England, but then again the Three Lions sat back. Ukraine appears to be more keen on going forward, France will need to break that and ensure that Shevchenko does not get fed opportunities from the midfield or wings...

France will get some chances on the break and in general, the interplay between Nasri and Ribery with Benzema higher up the pitch will cause problems for Ukraine. I do not see the co-hosts with the same discipline England showed in the first game.

Prediction - France 2 Ukraine 0

Benzema with a brace.

Allez les bleus!!!!

Diarra to showcase versus England

Latest news - M'Vila and Matuidi will be out for the opening France game against England. While both, especially the Rennes midfielder, will still be available later in the tournament, it will be tough heading into the first match without the full compliment of players. M'Vila has been the most used player by Blanc and that will make things slightly more challenging. Granted, England have their own injury concerns.

It could have been worse!

This would point to seeing Diarra starting the match as Blanc's defensive midfielder. If the latest match is an indication, it would appear that Blanc might lean on a 4-3-3 with a midfield of Malouda, Diarra and Cabaye. Diarra will be responsible for protecting the back 4 allowing Cabaye and Malouda to push higher on the pitch.

The loss of M'Vila will be difficult for Blanc, and with Matuidi out for the first match, Blanc has only one healthy defensive midfielder - Diarra. Let us hope that the OM midfielder does not pick up a knock between now and June 11th!

Lloris the captain...by default

Laurent Blanc has long avoided the question of who will become the captain for France. Instead he has rotated his captains amongst - Lloris, Mexes, Diarra, Abidal and Malouda (I might have forgotten one...). The latest to get the arm band on a regular basis is Lloris. The Lyon keeper does not necessarily fit the profile. His talent is unquestionable, but he is a quiet leader. It does appear that he is becoming the choice for captain, a but by default.

• Malouda - he is one of the players that experienced the Berlin final in 2006, but he is not a clear starter (Ribery offers competition for the left wing slot).
• Diarra - Blanc's captain while at Bordeaux but also not a clear starter for the French, plus his form has dipped as of late. Difficult to give him the arm band when you do not always pencil him in to the starting 11.
• Abidal - some lingering South African clouds hang over the Barcelona defender. When healthy, he is a clear starter either on the left or in the center of the defense. But cannot seem to entirely shake that legacy from South Africa.
• Mexes - I believe that the former AS Roma defender could have a strong case for wearing the arm band. In a strange way the manner in which he was handled by Dumenech makes him a great candidate - a player who has great ability but who understands what it means to fight through adversity. Unfortunately with his knee injury he has been sidelined allowing others to gain ground.

For the time being it appears that Lloris is the choice to wear the arm band, I think that he is a reluctant captain and the reality is he is holding the role until a true team leader emerges - M'Vila?

France v Croatia - back to the future?

After a successful, albeit bland, win last week versus Luxembourg, France will play a friendly versus Croatia tomorrow at Stade de France. There are many questions as to what line up Blanc will roll out? He has declared that he will make some changes to the team that walked out last Friday, but what changes?

On defense, Blanc has already stated Lloris in goal and Mexes/Rami as central pairing. Wise move. While Mexes and Rami have developed a successful partnership, quickly, it never hurts to give them more games together - the partnership has only been in place since last Fall, not a long time by international standards. Other than these three positions, the other roles seem wide open.

• Clichy back on the left? The Gunner could find himself back in the starting line up after apparently been pushed to third in the peeking order, alternatively I could see Blanc slotting Evra back at left back. Why? Inevitably there will be some strong reaction from the fans geared towards Evra and Ribery for their roles in the South African debacle, better to get it out of the way in a friendly than allow it to linger. Or maybe Clichy gets the start and have Evra come on as a substitute to suffer his slings and arrows.
• Sagna on the right or give Reveillere some time? This one is interesting because the Lyon player is 31, so why does this matter? Not sure if he is in the long term plans for Les Bleus, while Sagna is 3 years younger and should be the French right back for a while to come. Does Blanc want to give a fringe bench player time or allow his starter more time to work with his defensive partners?
• Midfield mixer - I will assume that Blanc will opt again for a 4-2-3-1 type formation, in which case the midfield might see the most change. Will Diarra find his place back in the starting line up? How about the Ribery - Malouda debate? And Gourcuff? I think that we will see the likes of Menez and Diarra out on the pitch. I would not be surprised if Blanc slotted Diarra and Gourcuff together as the deep lying midfielders, maybe playing along side his former Bordeaux team mate
  will be just the formula Gourcuff needs to get back on track. In addition, I think Blanc will slot Ribery on the left with Menez on the right and Nasri in the middle. Allow his team to function with a player who prefers the right (Menez) and one that excels on the left (Ribery). This would push M'Vila and Malouda to the bench.
• Stay with the hot hand up front? Will Blanc start Benzema? The Real Madrid striker has had a great run of late, and could have added to his goal scoring tally against Luxembourg were it not for a slightly better effort 1v1 on the keeper. What about the other strikers? I think that Blanc will want to run Benzema out there for part of the game, see how he does with the likes of Menez, Nasri and Ribery behind him. However I would not be surprised if the other strikers did not get some run in the second half.

I think Blanc will go with a 4-2-3-1, but a more offensive line up than the formation would otherwise indicate.

LLoris
Clichy, Mexes, Rami,Sagna
Gourcuff, Diarra
Ribery, Nasri, Menez
Benzema

I see Evra coming on for Clichy in the second half, Remy in for Menez and Gameiro for Benzema.

Allez les Bleus!!!

Blanc to announce captain Wednesday - new candidates?

Ever since Titi Henry was relegated to watching games from the substitutes bench, there has not been a clear cut choice for captain with Les Bleus. Patrice Evra tried the arm band on for size during the debacle that was South Africa, then Laurent Blanc ushered in his reign by giving Mexes the arm band and then rotating it through a few players - Malouda, Diarra and Lloris.


Blanc has mentioned on more than one occasion that he does not have a clear cut choice to wear the arm band long term - but he has a group of players in mind that could assume the honor. So will he look to a different captain to lead out Les Bleus onto the Stade de France pitch tomorrow? I have a sneaking feeling that Alou Diarra will once again don the captain's arm band.

Anyone who can "stand up" to Crouch deserves the arm band....heheee

The Bordeaux man has assumed the responsibility of captain for the majority of France's European Cup qualifiers, not a small task. He was also Blanc's captain when the former France Libero was at Bordeaux. Diarra appears to have elevated himself in Blanc's long term plans as a pillar in front of the French back 4. His partnership with M'Vila would appear to be the holding duo that Blanc will lean on moving forward. We shall see who leads Les Bleus out against Brazil tomorrow.

Odds of wearing the captain's arm band:

• Diarra 2:1
• Malouda 4:1
• Mexes 6:1
• Rami 7:1
• Lloris 7:1
• Abidal 12:1

Allez les Bleus!

Count down to transfer window...Man City at the center of it all...shocking

So the Citizens are at the head of the EPL,albeit for a few minutes before Manchester United took to the pitch last match, but of course the other Manchester club is at the forefront of the transfer rumors. They are supposedly the landing spot for Wolfsburg striker Dzeko as well as the potential landing spot for disgruntled Bordeaux captain Diarra. Interesting moves, if they were to happen. Were the Bosnia striker to arrive in Manchester it would certainly spell the end of Adebayor and Santa Cruz playing in sky blue. I am sure the idea would be to have some rotation of Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko carry the weight of the attack. The arrival of the Frenchman is a bit perplexing. With the likes of the De Jong and Yaya Toure firmly entrenched as first choice central midfield destroyers and an aged but still effective Patrick Vieira on the bench, not sure where Diarra would find any time on the pitch. I think the Bordeaux captain would be better served either staying at Bordeaux until the summer or trying to move to a club like Marseilles, where the manager Deschamps has never made it a secret that he sees the value in the midfield destroyer.  He could even wait to see if the Liverpool situation changes, the rumor is that Deschamps might be seen as the next manager at Anfield, allow Diarra another bite at that apple.

Speaking of Diarra...Lass in this case, he is rumored to also be heading to Manchester but for the team that wears red. Since the arrival of the Special One, Lass has seen his playing time dwindle...maybe he should not have accepted the #10 stripe! I would be interesting to see if Lass moves again. For a player with so much talent he has never really found a home yet has played for some big clubs - Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid....oh and Portsmouth (he did win an FA Cup there). Too bad Wenger ever let him go...

Of course there remains the question of Wenger, will he or will he not dip into his coffers to go out and buy some players? I think if he does they will be minor deals, per his usual. He will not acquire a keeper. He will  not buy any full backs. Maybe a low lever striker, but that is it....alas.

LDiarra out for Les Bleus - Silver Lining for France?

The big news of the weekend...okay other than the Special One winning the Champions League and then immediately making lots of noise about his leaving Inter to manage Real Madrid...was the news that Lass Diarra has had to leave Tignes and forfeit his spot on the French National Team due to a stomach illness. The loss of Diarra will force Domenech to rethink his strategy and calls into question the list of 30 he put together to start with - 7 strikers but only 5 holding midfielders, one of which is the 19 year old M'Vila from Rennes. This is an interesting choice when you consider Domenech seems infatuated with always starting 2 holding midfielders and 1 lone striker.

However could there be a silver lining in this unfortunate illness? Yes. I have been a big critic of Domenech sticking so stubbornly to having 2 holding midfielders regardless of who France are playing. The qualifying campaign as well as the most recent friendlies demonstrate the lack of linking between the defensive line and the strikers. With two purely holding players - Diarra and Toulalan - in front of the back 4 you do not have a player, like Vieira in the past, who can be that link. For all their had work defensively, neither Diarra or Toulalan are "box to box" midfielders who can add some legitimate offensive support. This happened to Les Bleus in 2004 when Vieira was injured at the end of the group stages of the Euro and France played Dacourt and Makelele together against eventual winners Greece, both world class pure defensive midfielders, but offered very little in terms of linking with the offense. Without Diarra, Domenech might be forced to rethink his strategy and formation. The last reports are that he is experimenting with a 4-3-3. Lining up Toulalan, Diaby and Gourcuff as the midfield, with Ribery, Henry and Anelka up front - there have also been training sessions with Malouda in the place of Diaby and Gignac in the place of Anelka (that one is a little bit of a head scratcher since Gignac is not a winger).

What I do like the fact that Domenech seems to be willing to have Gourcuff play deeper, something I have been advocating for,  and also trying to figure out a way to have both Malouda and Ribery on the pitch - both on their preferred left side. The fact Diaby has been included more prominently is also encouraging. Diaby has shown well in the 4-3-3 at Arsenal and if he can carry over some of that success to Les Bleus he will prove a valuable asset. With this combination of player on the pitch you also have flexibility to moderate your formations as the game progresses. The 4-3-3 is much more of a 4-1-2-2-1 - with Toulalan providing cover in front of the back 4, Diaby/Malouda paired with Gourcuff as the offensive midfielders, Ribery and Anelka providing high offensive width and Henry at the point. Ribery could always slide deeper giving you a 4-1-3-1-1 or even go to a traditional 4-4-2 with Anelka and Henry up front. If you want to be more defensive Diaby could drop deeper and even Malouda could slot deeper (he used to be a left back and can play a deeper defensive role). Or Domenech could opt for a diamond in the midfield - Toulalan the deep lying player, Gourcuff the top of the diamond with Malouda and Ribery the wings - Anelka and Henry the strikers. The 4-3-3 also give France an interesting option with Valbuena - Cisse - Anelka as the high 3. All very intriguing options.

Of course it is never good see one of the players you counted on so heavily miss out on the tournament, but if it means forcing the "Stubborn One" aka Domenech to rethink his formation and maybe line up a system more in tune with the talent he has on hand, maybe it is for the best.

France limp into next month's WC qualifiers

Ok so I finally was able to watch the France - Argentina match on my DVR. I had to watch, not that I wanted to knowing Les Bleus lost 2-0, but based on some of the comments I was reading I had to see with my own eyes what happened. First of all, let us be clear, Les Bleus did not lose to some run of the mill chump team, we are talking about Argentina. Twice World Cup champ, defending Olympic soccer champ, with players such as Messi, Gago, Mascherano. I know they are ranked 6th in the FIFA rankings (which are a joke) but I believe they are one of the top 2 teams in the world currently with Spain. With that in mind here are some thoughts -

The Good:

• Mexes and Gallas looked solid even though they lost. Both central defenders appeared to find their role during the match. Gallas was the calm presence in the back while Mexes dominated in the air and was aggressive and attacked the play higher up the pitch. The only minor mistake was early on the match when he allowed Messi to turn to the center of the 18 yard box and needed Gallas to block the young Argentina's shot that seemed destined for the right side of the goal. Otherwise both central defenders looked much more confident in this match than in previous. Something to build upon moving forward, and finally we might see the end of Boumsong in the middle of the French defense!
  
• The center of the Argentine midfield - Gago and Mascherano - were formidable. As I had stated in prior blog entries, I was convinced that which ever midfield controlled the middle of the park would have the advantage in the match. The two Argentine holding midfielders were huge during the game. The completely shut down Gourcuff and were tireless in their work rate. They constantly attacked the French midfielders and strikers when they had the ball in the middle of the park. This duo allows Argentina to do so many things offensively, freeing up the likes of Aguero, Messi, Rodriguez and Gutierrez to be completely offensively minded.
• Messi, what do you expect from one of the world's best players? I find it somewhat humorous reading some commentary that the second goal was Diarra's fault, or Mandanda should have done better, or 4 French defenders had the chance to shut Messi down...um folks we are talking about one the world's best players (#1 or #2 depending on how you rank him with Ronaldo). Has anyone watched him for Barca or in prior Argentina games? He has done this to other defenses and will do it for many years to come.

Maybe we just need to applaud and realize there is no shame in giving up a goal to Messi.

The Bad:

• I do not want to completely throw Mandanda under the bus but you could make the argument that his poor angle work on the first goal changed the entire game. Granted, speaking as a keeper, the shot was much trickier than it appears. A low, rebounding shot to the near post, you are usually playing for a hard shot rather than one that takes a soft skidding bounce. But again, as an international keeper you should be expected to do better. The OM keeper did show himself more aggressive and in control of his 18 yard box when it came to crosses and high balls into his area. In prior France games he tended to be too hesitant too passive, this time he attacked the ball and took advantage of his physical presence. However overall he did not do enough to secure the undisputed #1 spot in the keeper pecking order. I still think that France's number 1 resides in Florence. Too bad Domenech has rubbed Frey the wrong way...what a surprise that is!
• Gourcuff had probably his worst game in his short career with Les Bleus. He was completely shut down by the Argentine midfield. Every time he had a little bit of space to work with, he was quickly shut down by the defense. He did have one moment of brilliance, dissecting the Argentine defense with a diagonal ball springing Anelka 1 on 1 with Carrizo, otherwise he was well bottled up. It was clear that Maradona had targeted him as the primary Frenchman to contain, and it worked to perfection. Gourcuff will have to learn that as his role becomes more prominent for Les Bleus that he will start getting this style of treatment and attention, it is up to him to take his game to the next level. I believe he can and will. This was a sobering reminder that being dubbed the next Zizou is a heavy burden.
  
• Anelka and Benzema, neither appeared too dangerous. The Argentine back 4 did a very good job shutting down Anelka and later Benzema. But neither man appeared motivated to really work hard against the defense. One two occasions I watched as crosses came in to Anelka where he barely worked to get free, allowing Demichelis to easily sit in the striker's back pocket. One the picture perfect pass from Gourcuff I felt Anelka should have taken another touch, tried to go around Carrizo rather than try to one time chip the keeper. Benzema did not really have enough time to do much, but never appeared into the game either.

The Ugly:

• As good as Gago and Mascherano were, Toulalan and Diarra were not. The French holding midfield were the opposite of their Argentine counterparts. They committed an outrageous amount of fouls (I believe over 20 between the two of them), they were late on many tackles and just did not provide the proper platform for counter attacks. Toulalan was more of the culprit than his Real Madrid partner. But both men had ugly games that they need to put behind them.
• And of course the biggest culprit...Domenech. Once again I seriously question the manager and his ability to motivate his team, to adapt a game plan, and as the ESPN commentator said "have a plan B." I really do not understand how you cannot look to do things differently, down by a goal in the second half. Maybe take off one of your holding midfielders who was not having a good game and insert another creative midfielder, say Nasri, to put more pressure on Gago and Mascherano, giving Gourcuff more space as well. Maybe you allow Henry to slide higher up the pitch shoulder Benzema. Maybe you take off the other holding midfielder and insert ADiarra who will give you more height allowing you to attack the Argentines through the air...just a thought Raymond. For me, a good international manager needs to have 3 attributes - 1) ability to select the right mix of players, no brainer. For a nation like France you have no shortage of talent, but getting the right mix is important and having the right players on the bench to change a game is what allows for success 2)understand the right system of play but have a Plan B, do you play a 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, do you have the right player to control your midfield? attack on the flanks? attack with long crosses? 3) motivate your team, you are managing a national team, the cream of the crop. But you need to ensure the team understands that they are playing for the nation they represent and a manager needs to instill that national pride and motivation, this usually entails strong interpersonal skills. Unfortunately I am not sure Domenech possesses any of the above. I question some of his selections - Boumsong? I think he has some clue about what system, but has no ability to change if and when that system stalls. Yes he took France to the WC finals, but I attribute that to Vieira's will and Zidane's immense talents, not Domenech. Motivation...um Domenech might be the worst when it comes to interpersonal skills. Look at how he handled the Coupet v Barthez question during the World Cup, he has alienated players like Trezeguet and Frey, he has completely shut out players like Landreau for no apparent reason. I really fear that Les Bleus will waste a crop of talented footballers because the FFF insists on keeping Domenech as the national team manager.

Overall, I do not think that Les Bleus were dominated by Argentina. There were some rays of hope - Mexes and Gallas - the primary one for me. However the real issue remains the man in the funny glasses. As long as Domenech is making the managerial decisions I think France will be hamstrung. He does not seem to have any creativity when it comes to selecting, managing or motivating the team. Watching Argentina, it was clear that they were unified that they were playing for Maradona, and that he had their trust. If Les Bleus do not want to waste the talents of Gourcuff, Ribery, Mexes et al it is time to find a different manager.

Domenech announces his list for the Argentina match

Domenech finally announced his list for the upcoming match up against the Albicelestes. Here is who we will be seeing on the Marseilles pitch -

GARDIENS : Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Cédric Carrasso (Toulouse)

DÉFENSEURS : Eric Abidal (FC Barcelone/ESP), Gaël Clichy (Arsenal/ANG), Julien Escudé (FC Séville/ESP), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal/ANG), Philippe Mexès (AS Roma/ITA), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal/ANG), Sébastien Squillaci (FC Séville/ESP).

MILIEUX DE TERRAIN : Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid/ESP), Jérémy Toulalan (Lyon), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Samir Nasri (Arsenal/ANG), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich/ALL).

ATTAQUANTS : Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea/ANG), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Thierry Henry (Barcelone/ESP).

At first pass I like this list...primarily because no Boumsong! Thank goodness. But I know what will happen, one of the defenders will bow out because of injury and Domenech will decide call up the Lyon defender as a replacement and then will play him the full 90 minutes. Ugh.

The Good:

• No Boumsong.
• Carrasso is the only fresh face on the team, but a deserved call up. He has been playing very well for French side TFC. Having looked at Pele from LeMans during the last go around, I will give Domenech credit for using these opportunities to look at different keepers. He clearly will give the keys to the team to either Lloris or Mandanda, but is covering all his bases. As he demonstrated during the Euros, he is not afraid to use the third keeper slot on an up and coming talent.
• Strength at central defense while that is usually not something I will say is the case for Les Bleus recently, having Gallas, Mexes, Squillaci and Escude all together is good. Why? I see the natural pairings of Gallas and Mexes, Squillaci and Escude (both at seville now). Hopefully Domenech will have enough time during the training sessions to see if these two pairings work well. Again no Boumsong makes this a possibility.
• I like the fact Nasri is back in the fold. He has been playing well for the Gunners and deserves the chance to make a case for him to be on one of the wings for Les Bleus.

The Bad:

• No Savidan, while this is not completely unexpected, after his first appearance for Les Bleus you would think he deserved another look. I am not sure that Briand is a better option up front.
• No Vieira, this is not really bad, since Pat has just started training again with Inter. What might be bad is that we may never see Pat again playing for Les Bleus.
• Abidal, I am not sure where he will slot for the team. I have lost faith in his ability to play central defense let alone on the flanks of the defense. I realize that with Clichy, Fanni and Sagna, Domenech goes 2 deep for both the left and right side of the defense. However since this is a friendly and in a pinch he can slot Diarra on the right or left of the defense why not take this as a chance to look at another defender, maybe Adil Rami from Lille.
  

The Ugly:

• Surprisingly I do not see any real ugliness with this selection. Of course this will change if anyone drops out and Domenech decides to call up his binky - Boumsong.

Overall there are no real surprises on this roster. I think the team will have a very familiar feel, with a 4-2-3-1 formation -

Keeper: Mandanda (or Lloris) - both are solid, neither has solidified his role as #1.
Defenders: Clichy, Gallas, Mexes, Sagna - I think it makes sense to play 3/4 of the Arsenal defense. It will be important to see if Mexes and Gallas can work together in the middle.
Holding midfielders: LDiarra, Toulalan - this should be the holding duo for the next few years for Les Bleus. ADiarra, Flamini and eventually Blaise Matuidi will be capable second in commands.
Attacking midfielders: Nasri, Gourcuff, Ribery - I would like to see these three on the pitch together, althought I can also see Henry slot back on the left wing.
Striker: Benzema - This might be a tough call, Anelka could easily slot in this spot or Henry, depending on whether or not Titi will slot back to the left side. However I think that the young french star should be given the chance to lead the attack.

This will be a very difficult game, Argentina is bringing their big guns - Messi, Tevez, Aguero, Gago, Mascherano, Zanetti to name a few. The test for Les Bleus will be how will the defense hold up against the dangerous Argentine attack. This will start with Toulalan and Diarra, if they can hold the midfield and slow down the attacks through the midfield the back 4, which is shaky, will have less pressure. I also think this will hinge on how well Gourcuff can hold the ball up front and control the tempo of the game, I am sure he will be matched up against a Mascherano, this will be a stern test for the young Girodin.

I think this is a good test for both sides. Unfortunately for Les Bleus I still think there are too many questions of the defense. Facing such South American fire power will see a similar result as last time they faced off - Argentina 2 France 1 - Messi and Tevez for Argentina, Nasri for France.

Big games in Europe

So I am sitting in Logan waiting for my flight and figured I would pontificate about this weekend's big footie matches. There are two big games today and I will most likely see neither...ugh but I did DVR them! Ok the first match -

Manchester United vs Chelsea. What really needs to be said about this match. These two clubs have become heated rivals ever since the Russian wealth has showered the Blues with outrageous buying potential and made Chelsea a club on the same level as Manchester United when it comes to contracts and purchase power. ManU have 3 games in hand over league leaders Liverpool, so if they win all three of those matches they will be leading the title chase. However this is game is much more than than. If Chelsea win they will be 1 point off the lead. So both teams will be motivated for the full compliment of points from this match. Both sides should have most of their regulars available for the match so that should not play a part in the outcome. The question will be, can Chelsea's central defense deal with Rooney, Tevez, and Ronaldo? Terry is back after suspension so should be fresh, but that does not take away from the fact the Blues have had a difficult time figuring out who will anchor the middle of the defense. I think without Essien it is even more difficult since more attacks are getting through the midfield when in the past Essien or Makelele would be shutting some of those attacks down. Without this cover the Chelsea back line has been exposed. The trip to Old Trafford is not where you want to be fixing this problem. Manchester United have their own defensive woos, with Ferdianand coming back from injury, so how effective will he be against Drogba and Anelka? I think this match will be a tight match, with both sides afraid to make any mistakes. I think Scolari will bring on Ballack at some point in the second half and that will change the dynamics. Ballack and Lampard will put pressure on the ManU midfield and allow Drogba to spring a late game winner - Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0.

The other big match? PSG vs Bordeaux!!!! In the past this was always a tasty fixture, but for the past seasons PSG has been more concerned about being relegated than in challenging for any silverware, but not this season. PSG won the first fixture, in what proved to be the beginning of PSG's run back up the table. This game would give them an opportunity to leap up to the third spot in France, a remarkable change after their wooful past few seasons. It will be interesting to see how PSG and Bordeaux come out of the break. PSG was clicking with Hourau starting to pile up the goals and Landreau recapturing his form. However it is bitterly cold in France and Hourau, who is from the warm waters of the Reuion has admitted that is it the cold that is his biggest enemy. Will this latest freeze impact the big man? There have already been 3 games postponed due to the weather. As he goes so does PSG. The question on the other side is how will PSG handle what is turning out to be a solid midfield combo of Gourcuff and Diarra. Both French internationals are really finding their games this season, it will be interesting if PSG employs Makelele to try and slow down this midfield and how Chantome and Sessegnon work against Diarra. I think that PSG have some good mojo going, and will find a way to beat Les Girodins once again 2-0, goals from Sessessgnon and Guily.

Should a good pair of games, too bad work is making me miss the matches live!

The holidays....and winter transfer window fast approaching!

With Christmas just a week away, wow I should think about doing some Xmas shopping, I figured it was time to think about which players would be on the move once the January transfer window opens. A few thoughts -

• LDiarra from Portsmouth is all but signed and delivered to be heading to Real Madrid for a small sum of 20m pounds...wow. Diarra will now have been at 4 clubs in basically 2 years - Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth and now Real Madrid. He is approaching Anelkaesc movement of teams. It is not a surprise that Diarra is leaving the south of England for a top notch European club, I was always a bit shocked that he left Arsenal...not totally shocked since he was sitting behind Flamini as the holding midfielder (Arsenal could use him this season). I hope that Diarra finds some stability at Real. He will have some competition at the position from Gago and Diarra (not related). Now Diarra is hurt, but should be back at some point. However, I think that LDiarra could develop into Reals new Makelele...or decide to move in the summer transfer window.
• Marseilles - They seem to be going after every tier 2 offensive players - Podolski and Savidan - on the market. The irony is that Marseilles had the top of the diamond striker they desire when Cisse was not back in England. I think OM sees this season as an opportunity to threaten Lyon at the top of the table, and to do so they will need another striker. I say they get Podoloski on a loan for the rest of the season.
• The Arsenal rumor mill is rather quiet, then again do they even have any money to go out and acquire a player? Or do they see Eduardo's potential return in the second half of the season as equivalent to a transfer addition? Granted, there are some stories that Inter want Bendtner...hmmmm not sure why, but maybe Mourinho just wants to stick it to Wenger from Italy. Of course the biggest rumor is that Gallas is on his way out, especially after his captain's armband being taken away from him. But where could he go? Here is a crazy thought - PSG could take him. PSG has had a surprisingly good first half of the season and will be looking to build to at least challenge for Champions League football...or gasp....a Ligue 1 title. There were some mild rumors this past summer that PSG would make a push for the French central defender, the situation seems ripe now for that to occur.
• Speaking of Paris...PSG maybe a player in the transfer market this January. With wins over Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseilles, PSG must see that they have a real chance of challenging for the top step on the podium (in addition Lyon keeps dropping points). The strangest rumor is Hourau for Adriano....hmmmm. Why would PSG want to get rid of their tall striker that plays well partnering with Guily. And why would PSG want Adriano? The player that is one dinner and binge night away from spiraling back into a black hole. I do think a move for a Gallas would be very intriguing, giving PSG some more steel on the back line and allow Gallas to redefine his club career. Could PSG also go after Briand from Rennes after failing in their bid this past summer. It never hurts to add some quality players, but I have never been convinced Briand is the offensive star the media hypes him up to be.

These are just some thoughts, the rumors will start flying fast and furious. Looking forward to the crazy transfer season.

Les Bleus - the starting XI

Domenech announced his starting XI -

Keeper - Mandanda. The obvious choice since Coupet and Frey were left off the roster. Mandanda, I believe, is the clear future for Les Bleus in goal. While still needing some seasoning, has all the tools to be a great kepper. Lloris, who will back him up is a very apt #2, and is really #1b.

Defenders - Sagna will start on the right, which is the natural choice, even if Sagnol and Clerc were available. The Arsenal back should be the #1 choice for Les Bleus moving forward, I know Domenech loves Clerc but Sagna is a better defender might not be the same offensively, but is not far behind. Gallas will partner with Mexes in the middle. Gallas is the obvious choice, and I am glad to see Domenech finally got his head out of his arse and has the best option in the middle - Mexes. The Roma player should have been France's #1 choice to shoulder Gallas during the past few years, maybe even in Germany for the World Cup. I hope that this signals France's partnership moving forward. On the left Evra finds his place in the squad. The Manchester United player, should be a mainstay on that side for a long time to come, with Clichy being a apt lieutenant.

Midfield - The two holding midfielders will be Diarra and Toulalan, both are good choices. Flamini could make the case to take Toulalan's slot but amongst the three, France cannot make a poor pairing. On the wings we find Domenech's binky - Gouvou on the right and Malouda on the left. I have some questions about these choices. Gouvou and Malouda??? Really? But more on that later....

Strikers - Henry and Benzema will partner up front. Not a surprise to see these two partnering up front for Les Bleus.

Okay so what does this mean? From the defensive stand point, I think this is a good sign as long as Domenech stays with this formation. Mexes and Gallas need to develop a working partnership. Evra will add a lot of offensive pressure from his left side and Sagna should remind French fans of Lilian Thuram during his days as right back for Les Bleus.

Here is what I am worried about - the midfield/strikers combo. I am not sure if Domenech is looking to play a 4-4-2 and if so not sure that will work, who is the #10? Grourcuff would be that player, but he is not on the pitch....Gouvou and Malouda on the wings? Fine but you need someone to control the middle of the park. Toulalan and Diarra are solid holding midfielders but are not the type of players that can fill the space behind the strikers. With natural wide players in Malouda and Gouvou (althought Sidney could slide to the middle) I fear that Les Bleus will have a gap behind Henry and Benzema, something that was painful apparent during the Euros. If Domenech wants to have his two wide players, he needs someone between them to support the striker(s). I would much rather see - Diarra and Toulalan as holding, with Malouda, Gourcuff, Gouvou, with one striker up front....once Ribery is back he could slot at either the wide wing in place of Gouvou or in the middle in place of Gourcuff. I also think Ben Arfa should be the wide player on the left side...until Malouda returns to form.

We shall see what happens. I am happy to see some of the youth in the line up, I just hope that Domenech sticks with the youth and allows them to develop and become cohesive.