France v Albania...Les Bleus lucky to escape with a draw.

Thankfully that game did not count towards France's qualification efforts...what a bland bland bland effort from Les Bleus. Albania, gasp, were the better team on the night. From the start it was apparent that the team Deschamps rolled out onto the pitch was only there physically and certainly not mentally. Anyways...the game was a friendly...end of the season...at least they didn't lose.

The Good:

• Lloris was world class. He was not at fault on the Albanian goal, a impeccably placed header after France failed to clear the corner kick. Otherwise the Tottenham keeper played a solid game, making some very good saves. One on a long range shot that came down the right flank. The save looked decent in real time, when you saw the replay one realizes what a difficult save it turned out to be as the ball was dancing all over the place and Lloris showed great skill in

  

  Big save that kept it a one goal deficit

  parrying the shot. He made another huge save on a defensive breakdown where he had to parry a bullet of a shot that was heading for the upper corner. The Spurs' keeper was also in command of his area. In a bland showing he was the one bright spot...and without him it could easily have been 3 or 2 goals to the Eastern Europeans. 
• The insertion of Griezmann changed the game. Coming on late in the game, the Atletico Madrid winger quickly placed his stamp on the game. Bringing pace and some offensive punch that was otherwise absent from the French attack. His goal was a perfect two man game on the wing. He and the French right back, Jallet, played a give and go game that sprung Griezmann into the Albanian penalty area where he clinically finish. 
• The Albanians. For a team I thought would pack it in, they took the game to the French. for some stretches they were outclassing the hosts. Ever dangerous on set pieces and smart with their counter attacking. Their fullbacks were dangerous down the flanks and their center backs a constant threat in the air on set pieces. The midfield did a good job collapsing to thwart any French offensive forays. They are a sneaky side that could find a way to the Euros, don't forget they already took 3 points off of the Portuguese.

The Bad:

• The French 4-4-2...was abysmal.  I had written about this earlier but I was not convinced that the 2 striker formation would work. And I feel as if it didn't. The high line was clogged up by both Benzema and Lacazette operating in the same space. The midfield had no width. And the fullbacks were able to push up but  their offensive forays were too often "one and done" runs, which then left a lot of room behind them for Albania counters. Cabaye seemed to be asked to scramble to much to fill in the spaces left by the fullbacks. Les Bleus used to be able to run out  strikers, when those strikers were named Henry and Trezeguet...and they had a certain Zidane in the midfield. Henry was really more of a roaming striker, while Trez was a true #9. France do not have those players. I hope that DD rolled out this formation based on necessity. I certainly do not expect to see it again in the near future. 
• Finishing...stop me if you have heard this before....Les Bleus just lack any clinical finishing, other than the Griezmann goal. Benzema had the 2-1 ball on his foot but inexplicably ballooned it from 10 yard out. Otherwise there just was not finishing threat. Concerning. 

The Ugly:

• Lack of rhythm...Les Bleus looked like they were sleep walking, had zero consistency with they play. They never really controlled the match. Even when they were mounting some sustained threats to the Albanian goal, it did not feel like the French had their finger on the pulse of the game. They still looked like they were chasing the Albanians. Yes Les Bleus were missing the likes of Matuidi, but the apparent lack of consistency and ability to dictate the game was a bit disconcerting. If they play like this against Zlatan and his merry band from Sweden, it might get ugly.

Okay so France move on with a "point" from this game. Thankfully it does not mean anything, but there were more areas of concern than of good. Let us hope that their next match, against a much larger fish, is better than what we saw in Rennes.

Incroyable! Les Bleus pull off a "hold up" and leave Madrid with a point

Wow. I did not expect to see this out of Les Bleus. After Ramos scored and the way Spain were playing, I was ready to turn off the game. But what a swing in the second half. And at the ultimate last minute, France somehow leave Madrid with a 1-1 draw and a point. Unbelievable! The standings after this match:

The Good:

• The draw. During qualifiers you need to look to draw away from home and win your home games, especially when faced with the defending World Cup champions and two time defending European Cup champions. Add to this the way Spain made you look in the 1/4 finals of the Euros and the fact France leave Spain with a point is huge. France and Spain are atop the group with goals being the difference. If, and that is a big IF for France, both sides hold serve, the group cold be decided when Spain come to Paris in March.
• Hugo Lloris, the Tottenham #2 keeper was nothing short of phenomenal for France. He was unlucky that his defense abandoned him on the Ramos goal but otherwise was nothing short of spectacular. He kept his nerve on the Cesc penalty kick, saved well on numerous point blank chances and anticipated some Spanish through balls - especially late in the match saving at the feet of Cesc again. Without Lloris France would have been sunk.
• France's persistence. I will admit I was surprised that the likes of Benzema and Ribery kept running at the Spanish. For once they showed 90 minutes of fire in their bellies and were rewarded for it. In the second half both Ribery and Benzema single handedly carried the attack to the Spanish. Benzema was unfortunate to not be credited with an assist on Menez's goal...which was NOT offside. But in the second half both attackers put the Spanish back line under tremendous pressure.



Oh what a goal can do for one's spirit!

• Deschamps, unlike Blanc during the Euros, kept some modicum of offense in his line up. What was very interesting was how the game tipped in the second half. The French retained the ball more and attacked quickly down the flanks with late runs through the middle. This forced the Spanish fullbacks to sit at home more, play more defensively. In doing so the Spanish attack seemed to lose some steam. What was apparent was that the Spanish were doing a lot of damage early on by holding up the ball in the middle, allowing their fullbacks to make runs from deep and forcing the French to sag deeper and deeper on the pitch. Once those fullbacks were forced to sit in their half, the French began to have greater control of the ball.
• This pains me to say...but Ramos was a rock for Spain. Not only did he score the goal but he held the Spanish defense together which at times looked completely out of sorts. He made some tough tackles and single-handily corralled Benzema on a few occasions.
• Giroud...came in late for an injured Benzema, but did what a #9 is suppose to do. Almost latched on to a cross late in the game and did latch on to the last minute cross from the Kaiser to equalize. As someone on Twitter said - Arsenal needs to find someone to cross the ball to him!

Ramos - man of the match for Spain

The Bad:

• French finishing...I realize that France scored two goals, yes one was not allowed, but it should have been. And France were playing Spain not Georgia, but they had other chances that had to be put away. Other opportunities that needed to be taken - in particular a streaking Sissoko that latched on to a Benzema cross inside the penalty spot and didn't even come close to the goal! Les Bleus still have trouble taking advantage of their chances. This must improve.
• Deschamps substitutions. Taking Menez off the pitch and introducing Sissoko was a real head scratcher for me. The introduction of Valbuena in place of Gonalons made perfect sense - you were chasing a goal. But in the 68th minute, still chasing that goal, to take out your right winger and insert Sissoko, a holding midfielder was questionable. If you are going to make that move why not bring Capoue, also a holding midfielder, but one with more offensive punch than his TFC teammate. That substitution smacked of a Domenech move...it also called into question some of the players Deschamps selected. Leaving the likes of Nasri, Ben Arfa and Remy at home deprived him of offensive options late in the game. He had plenty of defensive options on his bench. But very few offensive "jokers."
• Set piece defending...when oh when will Les Bleus learn to defend set pieces! Ramos should have scored off his header, which was completely uncontested, and then was  left unmarked to roof in the cross! This has dogged France for too long now.

The Ugly:

• The Koscielny challenge was AWFUL. He was fortunate to not have received a straight red...the official probably wanted to spare him the added humiliation! I was convinced his partner Sakho would have committed such a foul, but the Arsenal man completely butchered that situation.
• Spain's defense in the second half was ugly and leaky. Where it not for Cassillas and Ramos, the Spanish could have easily lost this game in the second half. The chink in the armor seems to be, the ability to pressure the Spanish fullbacks, force them to sit at home on defense. This creates avenues from which to attack wide, there were a number of occasions where Ribery or Evra would push down the flank which would open up lanes for secondary runs to push through. Alonso virtually disappeared the second half - he seemed to be stuck deeper on the field trying to cover for the space that was being opened up. Clearly the Spanish missed their center back tandem of Puyol and Pique.
• Busquets...and his flopping. If there is one player I cannot stand it is Busquets. Whether playing for Barcelona or Spain...he is the biggest flopper and diver next to Suarez. Every time he goes down it is as if he were shot by a sniper. Nothing compares to his play acting a few seasons ago in the Champions League against Inter, but he drives me nuts. Sad thing is he is a good player and doesn't need such theatrics.

 An unlikely point for France. But one that was well deserved. France really took the game to the Spanish in the second half and had they left Madrid with a 1-0 loss it would have been undeserved. Unlike what happened in the Euros, Deschamps did not stray from his game plan. His team absorbed the Spanish attack for the first 20 - 30 minutes. They really did not allow the Spanish to truly threaten the goal from open play (conceding on a corner). In the second half they started putting more pressure on the Spanish, particularly going after the full backs and forcing the Spanish backs deeper and therefore opening up space in the middle. France were the more dangerous team in the second half. Ribery and Sissoko both having clear scoring chances, until Giroud put his away.

This will be very interesting to see how the return leg goes in Paris. Both sides should have some of their key players back. Can Deschamps replicate this strategy back home?

Allez Les Bleus.

Les Bleus - Glass half empty, but the half full has some optimism

So it has been less than 24 hours and the long knives have already come out. No surprise. After being thoroughly outplayed in their last group game, coupled with a timid exit from the 1/4 finals, there plenty of ammunition for the pundits to question Les Bleus. Let's look at what we learned from France's run:

The Good:

One of the few bright spots for Les Bleus

• Reaching the 1/4 finals. I realize this is difficult to process after what we saw yesterday. However, after two disastrous tournaments - Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 - getting out of the group stages was one of France's goals. Les Bleus navigated their first two games as they should. While they could have hoped for a better result versus England, they were able to come back after being down 1-0. They then resumed regular service when they defeated co-host Ukraine 2-0. With 4 points, Les Bleus knew they had a foot into the 1/4 finals, good to take care of business from the start...not all good...more on the bad later.
• The emergence of Lloris....okay this is not a news flash! Lloris did not have much of a chance to shine in South Africa, but he showed his class at these Euros. I would only fault him on the English goal, the others he gave up were unstoppable. The Lyon keeper will be backstopping Les Bleus for many years to come. A team cannot underestimate the comfort in having a stable #1 to call on....look at what Hart is doing for England!
• A duo of M'Vila - Cabaye to build on? I realize that M'Vila struggled with an injury and at times was not able to display his full range of abilities. On the contrary, Cabaye had a coming out party at the Euros. His ability to link the defense and offense were on display in his first two games. He even opened his goal account with Les Bleus. Both players are young and look for France to build on this base in the midfield.
• Menez playing on the right. I realize we have a small sample size. However the PSG winger was one of the few offensive players who fulfilled his role. He kept the right wing occupied and allowed the French to have the width necessary to off set the tendency to lean on the left with the likes of Ribery. Menez should scored more in his game versus Ukraine, but it was his goal that unblocked the situation. There is a future for the PSG winger on the right side of the French formation. But enough about the good....let's get to the juicy part.

The Bad:

• Backing into the 1/4 finals. As I had posted prior to the Sweden game, click here for post, I thought it was very important for France to end the group stages on a win after getting the 4 points after their first two games.The fact Les Bleus were thoroughly outplayed in their game against the vikings was a bad omen for yesterday. It is unlike what happened in 2000 when France lost their last group game against co-host Holland 3-2...starting a secondary line up. France had won their first two games and knew they were headed to the 1/4 finals. Many would argue that they were happy to finish second in the group since they would stay in their location. This time around, France should have wanted to finish first - avoid facing Spain! Alas, Les Bleus exhibited some hubris and lacked the professionalism to finish out the group. The reaped what they sowed.
• I have to question Blanc's over managing at times. Of course had France come out of yesterday with the win we would all be heaping praises on his brilliance. I cannot completely throw Le President under the bus. I like the fact he was willing and able to shift strategies based on his opponents. Unlike his predecessor who would, apparently, blindly threw out the same line up. However does this gloss over a bigger problem? Did Blanc have faith in his team where he could just roll out his best formation and basically take on the challenge - strength on strength? At some level I think Blanc did not have complete faith in his team. Did not trust his best line up could beat another team's best line up. I do question starting Debuchy high on the right side. I understand the reasoning...but the reality is the Lille right back was dangerous when he was able to overlap and make runs from deep. Starting him higher on the pitch did not allow him to do accomplish this. Had Blanc really wanted more defense, why not start Matuidi? Have Debuchy play right back. Instead it felt like a round peg in a square hole. Again hindsight is 20/20. Good for Blanc to be flexible but sometimes one can over think the situation.
• France needs an on the field leader! I realize that Lloris wears the arm band, and leads through example (he is the only player who gets a good rating for all his games) but he is not a leader a la Platini, Vieira, Zidane, Deschamps or Desailly. A player that will lead not only through example but by telling teammates to get it together. Les Bleus need one...could it be Cabaye or M'Vila eventually? Maybe. But there wasn't one in Poland/Ukraine.

The Ugly:

No repeat...yet

• La Generation 87...Nasri, Benzema, Ben Arfa and to some extent Menez (although I did praise him earlier!) did not show up.  Yes Nasri scored the equalizer against England, but where was he in the other games? His tendency to drift to the center of the park left his right side vacant. He did not provide the offensive outlet the team needed. Benzema had a large number of shots and two assists against Ukraine...but he is our striker, he needs to score goals. I realize he got frustrated and dropped deeper to get the ball, but a striker can go all game with very few touches and still be effective. Look at Inzaghi! You would never hear his name for Milan or Italy and then all of sudden 3 touches and a brace! If Benzema is more comfortable playing deeper, like Ibrahimovic for Sweden, then France need to line up a true striker. Otherwise teams will just let their last bank of 4 sit deep and keep everything 10 - 15 yards in front of them. Finally Ben Arfa for his brief time on the pitch was a shell of himself. Where was the Newcastle player who ran at defenses and forced teams to their back heels? Granted he had a short run of it, but did not step into the opportunity.
• I don't think Mexes covered himself in glory. First he seemed to show up in less than ideal shape. Second he continued to make mental mistakes during the games. Finally getting that second yellow card was silly...granted it might have been for the best since I think the Spanish would have skinned him alive. But for the 30 year old defender might he have seen his international career pass him by? I was always a fan of his, I think Domenech was a fool in the way he handled the AC Milan libero during his peak years. Unfortunately we are now getting him on the back nine of his career. Alas, another legacy left by Dumbenech!
• Speaking of seeing the last of a player, I do not think that we will see Malouda for France any more. It is a shame. Flo has always been a good soldier for France. And another player that was mishandled by Domenech. I respect the reasoning behind why Blanc took the veteran Chelsea man, but his play on the field was not good. He was invisible. While it was ugly, I will thank Flo for his time and play for Les Bleus.
• Finally, speaking of ugly...what Nasri did post game was unacceptable. That was ugly.

So France head home. Not as early as the last two tournaments, but still with too many questions and doubts. There is a core to build upon. There remains some hope! I hope that Blanc stays on, he has done a lot already and changing jockeys at this point would seem counter intuitive. Allow him to build to World Cup 2014. 

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!

Beware what you wish for - Les Bleus draw host nation again

Ooof oooof ooooof, so France avoided the really big fish in the shapes of Spain, Holland and Germany. They even missed the likes of Portugal and Croatia...so why does this group still make me nervous? It might be the fact that France head into the group as a co-favorite if not the favorite to finish top of the group. Gasp. Remember when France was drawn in what appeared to be an "easy" group for the South Africa world cup? Too bad the ended up in dead last of that group, after scoring one goal and securing one whole point...

So the French will face the following group and schedule:

Monday 11 June 2012
#7: FRA v ENG, 18.00CET, Donetsk
#8: UKR v SWE, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Friday 15 June 2012
#15: SWE v ENG, 20.45CET, Kyiv
#16: UKR v FRA, 18.00CET, Donetsk

Tuesday 19 June 2012
#23: ENG v UKR, 20.45CET, Donetsk
#24: SWE v FRA, 20.45CET, Kyiv

In a good way, facing their historical rival England in the first match will force Les Bleus to be on top of their game from game 1. Based on France's recent history as well as the fact England will be without their best player - Rooney - gives Les Bleus a decent chance to come out with at least a point. Facing the host Ukraine in the second game will be tough, it is never easy to play a host especially in the caldron of Donestek (Ukraine's heart of club football). Sweden will not be an easy opponent for the final game.

France have played well against all three nations they will face - defeating England 2-1 last year, won 4-1 in Kiev and lost to Sweden oh wait that was in the woman's world cup. Les Bleus have a winnable group, but at the least need to finish second. Granted I would be simply happy to see France win a group game after going 0-4-2 in the last two major tournaments. Lloris has already "punted" and put all the pressure on England saying they are the clear cut favorites. Good move Hugo! Deflect the attention!!

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?

Nasri voted best French player for 2010...maybe missing the World Cup wasn't so bad!

The Arsenal winger/midfielder was elected best French player for 2010 by France Football. At 23 years of age, a great reward for a player that is beginning to find his way in London and has been allowed to reestablish himself for his national team.

The top 3:

1.- Samir Nasri (Arsenal) : 99,5 points

2.- Florent Malouda (Chelsea) : 90 pts

3.- Hugo Lloris (Lyon) : 83 pts

Clearly the recent form by Nasri, coupled with the fact he was not in South Africa and therefore avoided being painted with the brush of the malcontents and striking players, elevated him in he eyes of the voters. Both his club and country form of late have been nothing short of top notch. He already has more goals for Arsenal (8 EPL goals, 11 total for the season) than he has had in a full season in North London, including a brace versus cross town rivals Fulham that propelled the Gunners to the top of the EPL table. For Les Bleus he has established himself as one of Blanc's "core" players, being able to play on the right wing or higher up the pitch behind the stikers, he has also demonstrated an ability to be partnered with the other French playmaker Gourcuff in the middle of the midfield.

I thought the award would go to Malouda, based on his form at Chelsea and the fact he was one of the few French players in South Africa to have played with some level of respectability. Nasri is, however, a deserving choice and offers a bright future for Arsenal and Les Bleus.



Great goal from the Aston Villa game, demonstrates that placement of the shot is better than power on the shot!

Blanc moving towards a 4-4-2: Menez on the right?

Without the services of his 3 "natural" play-makers - Gourcuff, Ribery and Nasri - it would appear that Blanc is moving towards leveraging a normal 4-4-2 with a flat middle 4. Opposed to the 4-4-2 diamond that was leveraged during the Norway game where M'Vila sat at the base of the diamond as the solo holding midfielder and Nasri at the top of the diamond as the play-maker. 

Blanc will apparently lean on his wide players to carry the play making role, with Malouda on the left and Menez potentially on the right. The other option for the right would be Valbuena. Remains to be seen how Blanc goes with the

right side of the midfield. ADiarra and Diaby will hold the middle 2 slots in the midfield providing cover for the back 4,  wonder if M'Vila will slot in rather than Diarra? Up front, it appears that Hourau and Remy will once again get the nod to start, partially due to Benzema picking up a knock and I am sure Blanc wants to see the tandem on the pitch again.

Finally the back will have the same center back partnership (Mexes - Rami) with the return of World Cup players on the wings and in goal: Sagna, Clichy and Lloris.

It will be interesting to see if the two wide midfielders can carry on the play making for France. The formation might make Clichy and Sagna less free to push high up the pitch. With a striker like Hourau the crosses from the wings will be crucial to unlocking the opposition allowing Remy to play off his position. If Malouda and Menez can carry the game and allow the wide channels to be opened at appropriate times permitting the fullbacks to push higher and send in crosses, this might create the necessary offensive push to bag a few goals.

Probably line up:
Lloris - Sagna, Rami, Mexès, Clichy - A. Diarra, Diaby - Ménez, Malouda - Rémy, Hoarau.

France v Uruguay...nothing gained nothing lost

My my my how we never make things easy. France once again open their World Cup campaign with a very lackluster match. They had their chances and they gave up opportunities...all for naught.

The Good:

• France did not lose...when that is the best thing you can write that is not good. With the other Group A match ending in a draw France neither gained nor lost with the result.
• There were no injuries. When that is the second best thing one can say about the match...that is all one needs to know about this game.
• I was happy to see the play of Diaby, the Arsenal man showed some pace and creativity. He did attempt some
  
  long distance shots early, which is not bad for him, he has shown an ability to score from distance for his club. He also did some of the defensive work in the midfield and his height played a part defending on set pieces. Something, albeit small, to build upon.
• Lloris was solid, he was not called upon too often but did make some sure handed saves when called upon.
• Speaking of keepers, much was made about the young Uruguayan keeper, Muslera. And how he was not the first choice and he was too young...well he played very well, did not get rattled and made a strong save on a Gourcuff free kick midway through the first half.

The Bad:

• Missed opportunities for France....and Uruguay as well. With both teams knowing the other game saw a sharing of the points, both nations knew if they could grab the full 3 points they would be a very advantageous position in the group standing. Both nations made some attempts to get the win, yet neither team seemed fully invested in the effort.

The Ugly:

• So much "ugliness" for Les Bleus...not sure where to start. Govou? Again he seemed like a waste on the right side. Anelka looked okay at times but he constantly drifts too deep as a center forward. Ribery? Where was he more lots of the game? Gourcuff? Is he being properly used?? He, Ribery and Anelka seemed to get in each others' way on too many occasions. France just seemed out of sorts, no one seemed to take the reigns on the team on the pitch...maybe not having a Pat Vieira or Zizou on the field is showing in the leadership category. Could this increase the desire to see an Henry back in the starting XI?

So much like kissing your cousin, this game leaves you with a bad taste. France miss out on an opportunity not only to get a full 3 points but also to give a better showing...all this will do is increase the pressure on Les Bleus and increase the doubts on the unity and quality of the team. I realize that Les Bleus did not start the 2006 World Cup very well, but they also had some elements that are missing - on field leadership and the creative genius of a certain Zidane.

On to Mexico next week....nerves on edge....

France World Cup squad - Part 1 - Goalkeepers

And away we go....first part of what should be 4 parts on who should head to South Africa for Les Bleus. I will break up my discussion into who should go and who Domenech will call up on the 11th. The basics:

• 23 total players
• Probable breakdown - 3 keepers, 8 defenders, 7 midfielders and 5 strikers
• I categorize players such as Malouda and Ribery as midfielders, they are wingers which to me is a midfield position
• I will assume that Domenech will favor the 4-2-3-1 formation

So with these ground rules let us jump into who the keepers will be for Les Bleus -

Who Should Go:

• Hugo Lloris (Lyon): Can you really argue with the Lyon keeper? I will admit I had doubted him when he was first called up as the France #1, I felt that Frey was the deserved #1 for Les Bleus. However the matches against Ireland in the play off as well as how he has played for Lyon, clearly makes him the undisputed #1 for France and I would argue one of the top 5 keepers in the world currently. He can steal games on his own and with a questionable defense in front of him might be called upon to do so! A no-brainer.
• Steve Mandanda (Marseilles): He was the surprise call up in 2008 for the Euros making the squad as the #3 keeper behind Coupet and Frey. This was a major surprise since Landreau was always seen as the 3 member of the France goalkeeping roster. Post Euro he was given the first shot at securing the #1 spot, while his performances were not terrible they did nothing to cement himself in that role. He is a strong shot stopper but I question his ability to command his area. While I do not think he could cost France a game he will not win one either...making him a #2 at best or the out right #1 for England were he British.
• Mickael Landreau (Lille): The aforementioned former France #3 should be back in the squad as the #2...he has had a very solid season for Lille the reason why the Northern France club is sitting in 3rd place. Let us face it....the only reason Landreau was dropped from the national team is only known to Domenech, the play on the field did not diminish to a point that he should be banished to the waste lands. Maybe he did not have the proper astrological sign for Domenech.  I think the 30 year old would welcome a trip to South Africa, even if it means he will be sitting in the stands or on the replacement bench. However since his days at Nantes he has been nothing but the consummate professional and his experience will be invaluable for Lloris and Mandanda.

Who Domenech will take:

• Lloris - Even Domenech knows that the Lyon man is France's clear #1
• Mandanda - No reason to change now...
•  Carasso (Bordeaux) - Domenech will probably forget to read the papers to learn that the Bordeaux keeper has a number of injuries keeping him out of action. At least this is the #3 keeper spot and if Les Bleus need to play him ... well they have bigger problems!

Other keepers that might get a look:

• Ruffier (Monaco) - he has been outstanding in a number of matches this season. Watch what he did against PSG earlier in the season as well as this past weekend in the finals of the France Cup. He is also getting scouted by some big European clubs, he should be in the conversation for the national team.
• Janot (St Etienne) - the 32 year old is probably too "old" to get his first call up for France to head to South Africa, but the tattooed headed keeper has played very well the past few seasons.

Lyon v Bayern - the forgotten Champions League semi final

After a shocking 3-1 win by Inter over Barca yesterday, we have the second semi finals today in Munich between Lyon and Bayern. After having to take planes, trains and automobiles...minus the planes...Lyon finally got to Munich. On paper they are the underdog. Bayern is peeking and scored a famous win over Manchester United in the last round. With Robben and Ribery picking up the pace on the wings and Olic scoring goals in bunches, it appears that the former French champion might be in for a long day.

Not so sure. With Sissoko and Reveillere on the flanks, Lyon have the players that can hold their own versus the powerful Bayern wingers. In addition, Van Bommel is suspended taking out some steel from the middle of the Bayern side as well as Badstuber, the left back, who is suspended. That should free up space for Pjanic to pull the strings in the midfield for OL. Bayern cannot underestimate the Lyon strikers such as Lisandro. Finally the x factor for both sides are their keepers - positive for Lyon huge negative for Bayern. Hugo Lloris might just steal a game in this home and away tie.



I think that Lyon will play much like they have all Champions League - organized defensively and look to counter. They will not be afraid to allow Bayern to do what they want with the ball for 2/3 of the pitch and then lock down when it gets into the Lyon defensive third of the pitch. They have tremendous faith that Lloris can come up with the big saves when called upon. The key for Bayern will be Robben, if he can win his battle with Sissoko then Bayern could find themselves with a fruitful night, otherwise it will end a draw.

Prediction - Lyon 1 Bayern 0 - goal from Bastos late into the second half.

France v Ireland...The Hand of God, Frenchy style

Okay okay, might not have been in the World Cup in a knock out stage game between two nations that had recently fired their weapons against each other in anger....but this, in Ireland will be seen much as Maradona's hand ball is seen by England - a major travesty of justice! For France the essential is done, albeit under extreme duress, and they will be in South Africa next summer. The Irish can only feel extremely disappointed and let down, they were the better team tonight and yet they head back home and will not get to experience the first African world cup. A video recap first:



Truth be known I "watched" the match in a hodgepodge manner - Setanta's terrible video stream, the live text updates from numerous sites and the audio stream from RTL. With that in mind let us look at the match:

The Good:

• The Irish fighting spirit, clearly Ireland did not feel there was anything they could not accomplish and the fact they had to win by 2 goals away to France was not seen as an insurmountable mountain. Kudos to them. They came out and dominated the first half, clearly the better team. While the possession would make one believe France were dominating, watching the match it was clear that Ireland was allowing France to play their game but the French did not know what to do, routinely turning the ball over to the Irish and making huge mistakes. Keane rightfully punished the poor french defense in the 32nd minute when no one decided to pick up the Tottenham striker who was camped out in the French 18 yard box, everyone decided to watch as Duff drove the ball to the end line and calmly crossed to Keane who surgically finished. He could have had a goal a few minutes earlier but Lloris made a brave save punching the ball away just as Keane took a might whack at the loose ball...again a result of terrible French defending. The Irish could have had a second when Duff went through and once again the French keeper had to save his teammates from a summer vacation next year. Ireland fought bravely, Ireland believed they could win and Ireland's fight should have seen them get to penalties...kudos to the men in green shorts.
• I also have to call out Keane. I stated that he was invisible in the game in Dublin, which was the exact opposite in Paris. He was a major threat to the French goal, his goal was absolutely deserved and he was unfortunate to not getting another goal a few minutes sooner. Had he played like this in Dublin it might be the men in green packing their bags for South Africa next summer.
  
• The only player from France that can hold their head high is Lloris. After last match I stated he was clearly France's #1, after this match I think he has clearly cemented his place as France's backstop for the World Cup. Once again his serenity, bravery and ability was what prevented France from taking what could have been a 2 or 3 goal defeat. His save on Keane, mentioned above, was superb and saved the French house. His save after 60 minutes on a break away on Duff also saved the French bacon. The goal was unstoppable and on his defenders not him. Lloris also demonstrated a coolness needed at the end of the match to keep the game under control. Bravo Hugo, tu est le numero 1.
• France is going to South Africa....ok might not be good for the Ireland or the fans of the green, and having the Irish fans and team in South Africa would have been good for the event. However France remains one of footie's power houses and not having them in South Africa would have been a big loss. Now Les Bleus can go to South Africa and play their 3 games and come home...

The Bad:

• The French defense. It looked like the Maginot line at times, completely standing still and being by passed by the Irish offense. Too often they were too slow and in poor position allowing the Irish to run around them. On the Keane goal, 3 French defenders were caught flat allowing Keane to receive the cheeky Duff cross and calmly slot home the shot. Neither Diarra covered themselves in glory either giving the back 4 cover. Were it not for the heroics from Lloris they would be carrying the title of French Goat.
• Gourcuff once again seemed slow and was never the offensive and creative presence we expect of the French playmaker. I realize the Irish defense as well as his time off due to injury play a role but a player of his talent needs to make himself more influential in such matches.
• Without the creative expression from Gourcuff, the French offense suffers and once again does not cover itself with glory. Henry, Anelka and Gignac all appeared to grow frustrated at the Irish defense and never got into a rhythm offensively. There is too much offensive talent available for Les Bleus to not show more offensive prowess.

The Ugly:

• Um no surprise...but the Gallas goal. Okay it was not Gallas' goal but the assist from Henry. Clearly he handled the ball with his forearm and then seemed to gently palm it into his feet to give a nice pass to Gallas who just had to tap in for the goal. Clearly on the video you can see Henry handles the ball before giving Gallas a soft pass to easily head in the tying goal. However watch the play at regular speed and think about where the official is standing.
  
  
  
  He has at least 6 to 7 bodies in front of him all scrambling towards the ball and Henry has an Irish defender blanketing him, so at full speed it is not as clear as to whether or not he handled the ball or if just bounced off his chest or upper leg. Does such a play add fuel to the fire to add more officials? Have video replay? Absolutely. But Henry did what we are all taught...play to the whistle. Should France be penalized for Henry's actions? Um...seriously? Should the Yankees give back the AL East title to the Red Sox in 1978 for Bucky Dent using a corked bat? Should Argentina give back the 1986 World Cup title because they won a game on the "hand of god?" Does Manchester United need to give back the game that Roy Carroll "saved" a ball clearly over the goal line? This carries more weight because of the stakes, no doubt. Let us not forget that had the goal not counted all that was guaranteed is that the game go to penalties, while everyone was favoring the Irish in this exercise, it is by no means a certainty. Maybe it was karma since a few minutes earlier there appeared a clear foul by Given on Anelka in the 18 yard box that was not called (as well as one on Evra in the game in Ireland). At least Henry has admitted the digression.
  
• The overall game from France was ugly, I realize I already called many parts bad...but the entire match was ugly! If Les Bleus play like that next summer it will be a very short trip. There are still some ugly holes that the squad needs resolved - Who will be the central defensive pairing? What is the best formation for Les Bleus? Gignac or Benzema? Will Govou play an important role? What about players such as Mexes, Flamini, Nasri, to name a few. This qualifying campaign did nothing other than get France to the World Cup, they have not found their "soul" nor their system and the players are not clearly defined as to who are the building blocks.

So I can finally breath a small sigh of relief. France will be part of the celebration next summer. I do not have much faith that they will be able to do much - a 1/4 final appearance for me would be an over achievement! Domenech has had this team since 2004, on paper his record is not terrible - World Cup finalist 2006 and qualified for the 3 major tournaments he has had control of the squad. However that is on paper, in reality he has survived what should have been a sackable offense - his showing during the Euros 2008 - he has struggled to qualify, needing the old guard in 2005 to come back, has not clearly demonstrated a grasp of the talent he has at his disposal and has yet to give this squad any soul.

I realize this will never happen, but for France to have any chance next summer I believe they would need to sack Domemech now and put in a manager that can take the talent at hand and get a team together. Figure out how to get the likes of Mexes, Nasri, Benzema, Henry, Anelka, Diarra, Gourcuff, etc etc to work together and how to build a team. Unfortunately that will not happen. So we will go to South Africa with 2 holding midfielders, a right winger who is really a striker, a left winger who is more a left forward, a question mark at left central defense.....and a player such as Benzema on the bench, Mexes at home....and a whole host of other anomalies.

Congratulations Les Bleus you made it to South Africa....the real work starts now.

Lloris the French #1

The one take away from yesterday's game is the fact that Hugo Lloris is emerging as the French #1. As Henry mentioned a keeper needs to make 2-3 big saves/plays in any win, and Lloris did exactly that yesterday. With his huge save at the end of the game at the feet of Whelan where he exhibited a text book 1 on 1 save, sprawling out make himself big and deflecting the point blank shot with his shoulder. Granted one game does not make a career...least we forget this is the same keeper that gave up 5 goals the prior weekend in the OM v OL game.



A nice compilation of saves from the OL keeper, the one he had against PSG when he was with Nice was amazing.

France v Ireland...."First Half"....France 1 - Ireland 0

Ooof...that was a tough match to watch. France escape Dublin with a 1-0 victory as well as no players suspended for the second leg in Paris on Wednesday. Good to see a little fracas after the match...with Richard Dunne in the middle of it! Overall not a surprising match, Ireland defended in lines of 4 behind the ball and allowed the French to come to them, blocking Les Bleus once they came close to the 18 yard box. On the flip side, the Irish took their chances on set pieces and long balls into the box causing the French fits, something to be concerned about for the return leg. Let us jump into the match -

The Good:

• France get the essential done - win on the road. Having the away goal in hand will force the Irish to seek to win the game back in Paris, this is not impossible but the stakes have been raised considerably.
• Hugo Lloris, he was absolutely huge in this match. I wrote previouslyy that neither he nor Mandanda have stepped up to claim the #1 shirt, well games like this go a long way to doing just that. While he did not have a large number of shots to face - 4 shots - he made the save of the match in the last 10 minutes when Abidal inexplicably misplayed a harmless ball right into the path of the Irish attack resulting in Whelan having an absolute point blank shot saved by a sprawling Lloris - text book keeping! However it was not just that save, but Lloris' complete command of his 18 yard box. On multiple occasions he came off his line to corral dangerous crosses from the Irish. He did have a few poor kicks on back passes from his defense, otherwise played a solid match and saved the victory for Les Bleus late in the match.
• While Lloris could be considered man of the match for Les Bleus, that would go to Anelka. He was absolutely everywhere for Les Bleus. Slotted as the right offensive midfielder, he was much more of a #10 being present everywhere on the pitch, slotting deeper to pick up the ball, holding his right channel, drifting to the middle and even defending. His goal was fortunate in that it took a deflection, but like all good goal scorers you know good things happened when you put the ball on net.
  
  
  
  The Irish defense had no solution for the Chelsea man. Nico was clearly the man of the match.
• Take away his terrible last minute gaff and you realize that Abidal had a tremendous game defensively. His pace and power clearly were put to the test as he had to provide cover to Evra and Sagna who both were constantly pushing up high as if they were the French wingers. Abidal showed the composure and presence needed to play central defense. Now if he can avoid having gaffs like the one that almost led to the equalizer!
• From the Irish side, Duff was absolutely huge. He gave the Irish the creative maestro in the midfield. The turn he had on Evra in the first half was Brazilianesc. He gave Les Bleus fits all game and was dangerous every time he touched the ball. Unfortunately for him, Robbie Keane was fairly invisible during most of the match leaving Duff alone in attack.
• Shay Given also had a solid match. He made some solid saves including one that was called back on an offside call but he still made a superb save on a header from Gignac. The goal was clearly not his fault after taking an unlucky deflection.
• Finally and very good were the fans at Croke Park. The atmosphere was electric, the fans were clearly into the game and understood the importance of the match; however, clearly it was all in good sport. You could hear fans singing the Marseillaise...even some of the Irish fans! Too often I have seen the Marseillaise booed - in Serbia, at Ukraine...even during the Algeria and Tunisia games at the Stade de France. I think that it is completely unacceptable to boo the anthems, no matter what your feels towards that nation. Fans need to demonstrate the respect associated with teams representing their nations for nothing more than the pride of wearing your national colors. Kudos for the Irish fans for showing class during the anthems. Throughout the entire match the fans were engaged and brought an incredible atmosphere (especially when you saw the other matches being played to half full stadiums - except for the Portugal match). While the audience was clearly for the lads in green, they are to be applauded as an example for the rest of Europe and the World.
  

The Bad:

• French passing....there were occasions during the match I thought I was watching a pub league game on a chewed up field...why? Because there were countless passes from Les Bleus that were lazy and ended up at the feet of the Irish. None of the passes were anything of creative difficulty, simple square passes or through passes in the midfield area....not good.
• The Bordeaux boys - ADiarra and Gourcuff - Diarra was not out and out bad, but I expected more from him. He appeared timid and unsure of himself right from the start. I thought that having his physical presence would make a difference in the aerial game, but instead he at times appeared tentative and not sure of himself allowing the Irish to take advantage of him, something that should not have been allowed to happen. He did settle in, but at times his inability to take control of aerial game could have cost Les Bleus. And what about Gourcuff? I got through the first 30 minutes of the game and had to remind myself that he was on the pitch. When he did get the ball he tried to be too complicated, appearing as if he wanted to dazzle and justify the "next Zizou" moniker that he has had to burden. The few occasions he did have to threaten the goal his shots looked barely better than the ones I am able to muster in my hack league games. He was slow to react to a ball in the area in the 69th minute that he should have gotten to ahead of Given. I realize that he has been injured and not 100% back to game form, but he was invisible for too many stretches of the match for a player of his caliber.
• Gignac did not cover himself in glory today. Granted he had moments of good play and looked dangerous on some occasions. He also proved why Domenech favors him as the lone striker. He is physical, has pace and is not afraid to shoot. However as Manu Petit (one of the commentators on TV5) pointed out, his first touch was a bit heavy today. One a few occasions his first touch let him down and rather than put himself in a position to score he did the Ireland defenses job for them. The worst of these may have been with 10 minutes left in the game with an open goal in front of him, he butchered the shot which should have given Les Bleus a 2-0 cushion. Not sure why Benzema was not brought on in his place late in the game, more on that later.
  

The Ugly:

• The scuffle at the end of the match. Not sure it is "ugly" just showing the intensity that is involved in this match. But the game was played well, there were hard tackles and hard fought one on one battles, but it was all within the laws of the game. So no need to re-enact traditional post US-Mexico activities. Should lead to an interesting return leg on Wednesday. Of course Trap claims that Lass insulted the Irish people and that is why there was a scuffle...how is that for mind games to try and rally the entire nation...not as if they did not need the motivation already.
  
  
  
  
• I know I sound like a broken record...and I always take a chance to criticize the France manager...but Domench once again drove me crazy. Why? How can you return back to Paris with your 3 substitutions in your pocket...the Malouda substitution was completely inconsequential and did not make much sense coming so late in the game. Clearly as the game was moving along in the second half it was clear that Gignac was not having his best of matches, maybe bring in a Benzema in his place. Ireland had a tired defense as they started to show signs of cracking, maybe a fresh stiker with the talent of a Benzema could have added another goal. Or how about Gourcuff? First he was already on a yellow so another one and he would be suspended for the return leg. Second he was clearly not at his best and was getting tired. Maybe take him out with 15 minutes left - after you have the 1-0 advantage. Maybe bring in a Govou to spell Gourcuff and go with a 4-2-2-2, allowing more width to be added. Or if you want to be really cautious bring in Sissoko and play with 3 holding midfielders, let Henry and Anelka carry the game behind Gignac. I would have brought on Benzema at the 60 minute mark, give him a good 30 minutes to run. Once you have the lead I would think of taking out Gourcuff with 15 minutes to go, get Sissoko in there and play a 4-3-3, or let Lass push higher as he does with Real Madrid. But at least use your subs! You have a game in 4 days. You will need fresh legs. Clearly that did not weigh on Domenech's mind, which is completely incomprehensible. TV5 was speaking that maybe Domenech was comfortable with the way the game was being managed...sure, but you need to think about the following game. You should also have a substitution rotation ready - for any situation - leading, needing a goal, injury, etc. Yes he got the victory, but he could have managed better and might have even had another goal...or had fresher legs to defend so we would not need Lloris' heroics to save the victory.
• The fact the game might not be televised on Wednesday is ugly!!! With the FFF having some issues with the TV rights it might get down right ugly and not be available for fans across the globe to watch the match. I realize this is all about money, but think of the money you will lose if fans are shut out. Get it worked out, get it done.

So now we have a few more days before the return leg. Much to think about. Nothing is done yet, France have a slight advantage having securing the victory. For Ireland heading to Paris down 1-0 or 1-1...even 0-0 makes no difference, they will need to chase the goal. So the final score does not change how I think Ireland will approach the match, unless they had a win leaving Dublin they were always destined to be the team chasing the goals. This should be very interesting as both managers look to devise the strategies needed to get to South Africa.

I am going to take a deep breath now...read all that I can, maybe even watch the game again, but the stress level will only increase since there remains 90 minutes of football!

France v Ireland....The Players

So I gave some th0ught to the managers last post, now let us look at the players. Since at the end of the day it is the players on the pitch that will make the passes, take the shots, defend, score and make the saves. Where to start...might as well go from the back to the front:

Goalkeepers: Ireland is very stable with their starting keeper. Shay Given has been a main stay in the back for Ireland for a long time, since 1996 to be exact. In that time span he has 100 caps to his credit. He was the Irish keeper during the World Cup 2006 qualifying campaign, so is no stranger to having to play Les Bleus in a qualifying campaign. Also, he also has been in the middle of the Premiership since 1991, having played over 350 games for Newcastle...not a place without huge pressure from the fans. France will be backstopped by either Mandanda or Lloris - who have a combined 17 selections for the French national team. Based on Domenech's track record I would assume Lloris will find himself between the pipes for both matches. Both keepers are incredibly talented and have very bright futures ahead of them, however neither's performance has made him the clear cut #1 for Les Bleus. In such a high pressure match, experience will play a huge part in the ability of the keepers to make a difference, both positively or negatively....for that I will give Ireland the edge.

Defense: Rather than looking at individual defenders I will look at the entire units. Ireland will lean on Richard Dunn and John O'Shea to anchor their back line, both of which are veterans of the Premiership. They can even expect the unexpected goals such as against Italy when Sean St Ledger scoring the opener on a set piece.



This unit is solid, have veteran leadership and under Trap I am sure will be prepared to defend. As for Les Bleus they are still maddeningly inconsistent at the center back tandem - who to pair with Gallas? While I still contend that Mexes should be that player, and the heir apparent for the future "patron" of the back 4, he has not shown the consistency nor the opportunity from Domenech to establish himself in that role. The wide defenders are some of the best in the world at their positions - Sagna and Evra. The question becomes who will shoulder the central defensive role with Gallas? My bet is on Abidal, not that he is a natural central defender, but he appears to be the most consistent of the inconsistents. Edge is a push - on talent alone it would go to France but the instability gives me pause for concern.

The Midfields: This causes fans of Les Bleus some serious hair pulling at times. With all the potential that Domenech has at his disposal it appears he constantly leans on defensive minded midfielders, rather than take a balanced approach. Granted some of the offensive talent is injured - Nasri and Ribery - however there are other players that could have/should have been blooded earlier in the campaign - Menez, Feghouli, and Mounier - or players that could still serve a purpose - Pires and Giuly. It would have been nice to at least have a greater pool to pull from with regards to the offensive midfield. Defensively France have holding/defensive midfielders in spades - Toulalan, ADiarra, LDiarra, Sissoko and Diaby (he will most likely have to withdraw due to injury). That is not even looking at the likes of Vieira or Mavuba that have been used in the past. As for the Irish, the midfield would be much more formidable if Stephen Ireland would decide to play for his nation. A strange decision indeed for the young 23 year old, who is clearly Ireland's most creative player. Add to this Damien Duff's recent injury for club and the Irish midfield might have to rely on the likes of Hunt, McGeady and Miller...not house hold names. Advantage - Les Bleus, and if Ribery/Nasri had been healthy the advantage would be even greater.

The Strikers: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea...3 of France's strikers are all starters at these clubs. Ireland? Their main striker plays at Tottenham and could not make his mark at Liverpool. Now Keane is not slouch, he is a solid striker so please don't bombard me with comments that I am not giving him enough respect...he is a good striker...I just said it again. However, looking at the offensive punch Les Bleus can pull together means that purely on paper the advantage is clearly with Les Bleus...I really do not need to go into further analysis. The question is the following - will Domenech leverage all this offensive power or put most of it on the bench? Will he have Henry/Anelka on the field...how will Benzema be leverage? Will Gignac be the choice striker? Unless Domenech plays a 4-3-3 there will be a striker or two left on the bench. Not a bad thing to have late in games, but if you have 2 of the said strikers on your bench you will clearly be wasting one of them...(doubt you would bring in 2 strikers late unless you are chasing a goal). So how Domenech selects the starters will play a role in how much of an advantage France can take with regards to their talent offensively. I would argue that Keane is a wash with any of the strikers France will throw on the pitch - it is the second and third striker options where the gap becomes apparent. Advantage - Les Bleus.

On paper France clearly have the more talented squad. However that does not always guarantee a win...