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 makes 2 changes...not the ones expected

Interesting, Blanc makes some interesting changes to his line up. The formation is more of a 4-2-3-1

Diarra keeps his place over M'Vila. Clichy is in on the left over Evra, a surprise and Menez makes his way on the right to the detriment of Malouda. This makes sense since Les Bleus seemed to forget the right side of the attack at times against England.

I am surprised Evra gets switched out...should be an interesting attacking formation, with more width than against England.

Allez les Bleus

France - Estonia: Building momentum

I have been remiss for not posting on the France v Estonia match, the last one prior to the start of the Euros. But sometimes life gets in the way of my publishing! Here are my thoughts:

The good:

Keys to France's fortunes

• I realize I sound like a broken record - the victory. Granted France were playing a smaller side in international football - 57th in the FIFA world rankings. The nation still finished second in their qualifying group, behind Italy. They ended up being thumped by Ireland in the playoff. But let us not forget what it was like during the warm up matches for the World Cup in 2010 - France lost to China! That threw everything into a tail spin, granted Dumbenech didn't help the situation and deciding to start Gouvou...sorry I digress. Heading into the Euros on a high note is a positive.
• Benzema and Ribery - These two have been linked at times for all the wrong reasons, but the fact both got goals is very positive. The fact that Kaiser Frank has scored in three straight games for Les Bleus is even more positive. After not scoring for France in too long, he now seems on a nice streak. Granted he will be facing a slightly tougher opponent on Monday, but he must be heading into the tournament full of confidence. The same for Benzema. After a very successful season at Real Madrid, I wanted to see him score for France before the start of the tournament. 4 years ago he headed into the Euros with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, which he still has. However playing at the highest levels with Real Madrid, having to battle for his place on the squad have allowed him to mature. Getting a brace against Estonia is just what the doctor ordered. He also had a nifty flick on for the Ribery goal.
• The 4-3-3 seems to be working well for Les Bleus, at least offensively. Scoring 9 goals in 3 games is a very positive sign. The freedom the formation gives to the offensive players has allowed them the freedom to exploit their offense. The move of Malouda to a deeper role seems to be working out very well. The question remains - is the system solid defensively? More on that later.
• No one got hurt! This cannot be understated, while it looked like Diarra might give us a scare early on, end of the day none of the players picked up any last minute knocks. All you have to do is look at France's first opponent - England - and see what injuries can do to your squad.

The Bad:

• While not necessary bad, it is not good either...but I am still waiting to see the right side of the offense take the next step. Nasri continues to be a bit maddening in his inconsistency. At times he looks like the player we always expected him to be - able to play the right wing, slot to the middle, drop deep and bring an offensive touch to the side. Unfortunately at times he seems to disappear as well. I am also not convinced of his interplay with Debuchy, the Lille right back makes some very dangerous runs from deep, but I am not sure that Nasri is quite there yet with how to interact with him. We know that Nasri has it in him, but can he be consistent? The one saving grace is that Blanc has a number of options he can throw on the right in games to change the pace - Ben Arfa, Menez and Valbuena can all operate on the right side.
• Of course on the left side I am concerned about Evra. He does not seem to have the confidence a player of his stature should have. I believe Blanc will stick with him because of his experience, but he is at times a tad shaky. His offensive runs are still useful but on defense he is not the defender we are accustomed to seeing patrolling the left side for Manchester United.

 The Ugly:

• Speaking of defense...Mexes is starting to give me some concern. There have been whispers of he being out of shape and too "fat." Whether or not his weight is an issue, the fact remains that the AC Milan man has had some gaffs, which against a sterner opponent will not go unpunished. As with Evra, Blanc will stick with his core. Mexes has the talent and ability, the question is he paying for being injured much of the year in Italy? If the central defense gets leaky, this could get very ugly.
• This is not helped by the current 4-3-3. I realize I stated I thought the 4-3-3 is good, and it is, but defensively it still needs some work. Unlike the formation and how it was leveraged away to Bosnia, where Blanc deployed 3 holding midfielders: Diaby, M'Vila and Diarra. He now has 1 true holding and 2 hybrid holding players...The question is, can Malouda and Cabaye be disciplined enough to pace themselves when it comes to their offensive runs? Both players will have to be very conscious of their defensive responsibilities otherwise we might see the equivalent of run and gun!

Overall there is much to like from this last match. But none of this counts come June 11th. France will have a massive task ahead of it. Look for the Frog's Euro predictions coming out soon!

Allez Les Bleus

France with the 4-3-3 or Christmas tree?

It appears that Blanc might be ready to move on from the usual 4-2-3-1 that we have grown accustomed to. Of course let us not forget that a certain Dumbenech dabbled with a 4-3-3 before the 2010 World Cup, it showed some potential...and then went back to a 4-2-3-1 once the World Cup started. Why the 4-3-3 or even the Christmas Tree is an option for France is the personnel available.

Not just a pretty face

Blanc does not have a true #10, but what he does have are a number of flexible midfielders - ones that can play wide or float into the middle of the park. With that in mind, the 4-3-3 works well allowing the top 3 to interchange, play at different levels and widths. Benzema fits that scheme as he likes to drop deep at times or float to the wings...Ribery, while natural on the left, can pop up on the opposite wing or in the middle. What has been eye opening is the play of Malouda who seems to be at ease slotting deep or in the middle. While he is not the typical #10 he does fill a void in the center of the park. The question becomes Nasri or Ben Arfa on the right. The Manchester City man had some flashes against Serbia but also disappeared at times. Does Blanc continue to put him out there or does Ben Arfa get a serious look.

Blanc also has depth - Menez, Martin and Valbuena are all options to play on either wing in the 4-3-3. The formation shows promise, it has been used before with success and I hope Blanc sticks with it...and does not pull a Domenech at the last minute!

Another win for Les Bleus - but a big time scare early on

So France march on with another victory in preparation for the Euros. This one much easier than the first against Iceland. Yet it too had some scary moments...right from the beginning!

The Good:

• Like I stated after the Iceland game...a win is a win. Unlike the Iceland game, Les Bleus came out with their dancing shoes on and quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead and it could have been 3-0 at the half hour mark had Benzema been able to react to a deft Ribery pull back. But the game was much easier for France overall and the victory well deserved.
• Speaking of Ribery, another goal and really a fantastic match for the Kaiser. Ribery started this match in his preferred left attacking spot. He and Clichy seem to click immediately, the Manchester City left back jumping into the offense allowing width to the attack. On the Ribery goal it was a nice little overlap from Clichy after Ribery had drawn 3 defenders that opened up the space. Ribery was then able to run to the open space left by the Serbian defenders, follow up on a dangerous cross from Clichy and finish with a powerful volley. In addition, Ribery was allowed to float and interchange with Malouda and Nasri, really popping up all over the field. Scoring two goals in two games has to be good for the Bayern man, he looks ready to have a good tournament.
• One has to give a tip of the cap to Malouda and Nasri as well. The Chelsea man had a wonder goal from distance, showing a willingness to shoot, something too few midfielders seem to do these days. Like Ribery, Malouda allowed himself to run to space and take what the Serbian defense gave him. The same can be said for Nasri. While he tried to maintain his position on the right, he too allowed himself to take what was given. At times two of the midfielders found themselves stacked on the same side, but not an issue when the defense was giving that space away.
• Lloris was once again solid. It is easy to overlook sometimes the consistency of the Lyon keeper. He was called upon to make some above average saves, in particular on a free kick early in the second half. His play and steady hand will be vital to keeping the French well grounded from the back.
• The wide players - Clichy and Reveillere - both played solid games. Giving Blanc some good options for who he wants to lean on for left and right fullbacks. I still put my money on Debuchy on the right but on the left Clichy could play his way over Evra.

The Bad:

• Midfield work in progress...why bad? Because there are 11 days until the start of the tournament! I think the Ribery - Nasri - Malouda midfield was good...but I think there remains work to be done. I am not sure that with Nasri you have enough balance between the left and right side. Nasri tends to like to come back to the middle and while Malouda and Ribery pop up on the right, the real threats are from the left. Does this mean Ben Arfa is the solution on the right? I do not know. And that is bad this late in the game.
• Benzema...might be a surprise but I think his lack of finishing is a bit disconcerting. He had a clear 1 v 1 early on, while the keeper made a decent save, a striker of Benzema's caliber needs to make the keeper work harder for a save. He also had a clear opening when Ribery showed some twinkle toes on the end line, granted it wasn't the easiest ball to handle, but again player of his level should at least get a foot to it.

The Ugly:

• M'Vilas ankle...ouch. After 44 seconds it looked as if a key part of Blanc's set up could be done. Seeing the Rennes midfield on the bench sobbing after being taken off at the 4th minute was also a tad nerve wracking. M'Vila has become one of Blanc's main players and one quickly sees why when he is on the pitch. He provides cover for the back 4 and adds steel to the midfield. France could go far if he plays and plays well, without him there is definitely a lost element.  Thankfully all reports indicate the injury will not keep him out the Euros. 
• Yellow cards .... for Mexes. Ribery played in two games and scored twice, Mexes has played in two games and recieved...two yellow cards. These do not mean anything now, but once the games start for real if begins to pick up yellows it will not be good for France. Especially since Blanc only has three natural center backs. Something that could get ugly if not controlled. 

Again a win. First half was very good. France played simple and fast, constantly putting Serbia on their back heels. The second half it appeared that fatigue caught up to both sides and we fell into a lackluster international scrimmage. That is fine as long as you win and do not get hurt!

One more before we start for real.

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?

Blanc plays it safe - 1 nil to Les Bleus?

The biggest concern for Le President is who will be his right back, as Sagna is recovering from an infection. The Gunner cannot go, then the Lyon right back  - Reveillere will most like slot in on the right side of the defense. Not a big drop off since the Lyon player has regularly seen action for Les Bleus.

The other news for Les Bleus is that it appears Blanc will opt for "ole faithful" the 4-2-3-1. With the following:

Lloris
Evra - Kaboul, Abidal - Reveillere/Sagna
Diarra - M'Vila
Ribery - Nasri - Malouda
Benzema

Malouda will apparently slot to the right wing, which is a bit of a surprise to me considering Blanc has three natural right wingers on his roster - Menez, Valbuena and Remy. His two left sided players will be on the pitch at the same time - Ribery and Malouda. It would appear that starting both might limit his options or perhaps he assumes he will take out Ribery and slot Malouda on the left and bring in a right wing or just swap Malouda for a right wing. It just appears a bit forced to me that he has moved Malouda to the right side. Now it could be that with Reveillere as the right back, Blanc will hope that he and his former Lyon teammate, Malouda, have some degree of understanding. Couple this with the fact Malouda has greater defensive discipline that the other options at right wing, and Revelliere tends to push high on the pitch, Blanc maybe looking for a more defensively disciplined right side.

I am a bit surprised at the very defensive minded formation - 2 true holding midfielders - that Blanc appears to be favoring. Granted he might be thinking that if he can play this formation and score a goal on Albania, that he then has options to switch to a more defensive formation later on to protect the lead, or just rotate offensive players, knowing he has a strong defensive core. Alternatively, if he is chasing a goal after 60 minutes he could easily bring in a Martin for one of the holding players and switch to a hybrid Spanish: 4-1-4-1. Or even swap out Malouda for a Gameiro and push up higher on the pitch.

Les Bleus should win this match regardless of a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-1-4-1, but I do not think the match will be easy. France have never found away trips to Albania to be picnics. Assume the pitch will be heavy, the supporters boisterous and the competition tough.

France 2 - Albania 0
Goals from Ribery and Benzema

Allez Les Bleus!!!

Dunga's influence on Brazil still evident.

After the World Cup one of the biggest criticisms of the Brazilian manager Dunga was that he was playing too defensive a brand of football, not allowing the Samba Boys demonstrate their flair and creativity. Upon his ouster it was hoped by many fans of La Selecao that they would return to a style of yesteryear. Surprise surprise, what appears to be the line up for today's match will feature a 4-3-1-2. 

L'équipe probable contre la France : Julio Cesar - Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, André Santos - Elias, Lucas, Hernanes - Renato Augusto - Robinho, Pato

In form with Brazil

3 deep lying midfielders? That is more of a Catenaccio of Italian fame....with 7 players lined up deeper on the pitch. Granted, the Brazilian fullbacks are really much more oriented to pushing forward than in defending - Daniel Alves being the more offensive oriented of the pair. Watch him play for Barca and at times it appears Barca have a 3 man back line with Alves constantly pushed high into the opponent's 18 yard box. However this is necessary if you are playing with a 3 man holding midfield - the fullbacks are expected to provide the width and flanking attack that wold usually be assumed by wide midfielders or wingers. Of course the front pair of Rohinho and Pato are lethal enough on their own, with Pato on quite a goal scoring run as of late for Brazil. Yet without Kaka to anchor their midfield, will the two front men be able to get the service necessary to spring the French defense? Of course Menezes could push up Augusto and play a more offensive 4-3-3 formation, however that might make Brazil very vulnerable in the midfield and open up a lot of space for Malouda, Menez and Gourcuff.

The key for France will be how does Malouda and Menez deal with the marauding Brazilian fullbacks and will they force the French fullbacks - Sagna and Abidal to hold deeper for fear of the Brazilian flanks coming in from deep? With Brazil lining up two high strikers it will most likely force the French back line to also hold a deeper line - Rami and Mexes will need to look for Diarra and M'Vila to shadow one of the Brazilian striking tandem to allow a French center back some freedom to cover. Offensively it will be interesting to see how France will be able to get the space necessary for Benzema to create and hopefully put necessary pressure on the Brazilian goal. I could see the Real Madrid striker drift wide at times to take the space most likely vacated by Alves and look to make some runs from these angles, force the Brazilian center backs to have to move wide to cover. This could open some diagonal channels for the likes of Malouda and Menez to run into, and hopefully have a Gourcuff that has found his passing boots.

Should be an interesting tactical match. I see it ending 1-1, goals from Pato and Diarra.

Allez les Bleus!

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!

M'Vila favored over Diarra - starting 11 for Les Bleus

The young French phenom, M'Vila, was favored by Blanc over his former Bordeaux captain Diarra. Not entirely surprising, the question remains will M'Vila be comfortable in a 4 man midfield? Or does this allow Diaby to push higher up the pitch with Malouda and Menez, essentially leaving M'Vila as the lone holding midfielder providing cover for the back 4. Also, the captain's arm band goes to Malouda, no surprise and a good move by Blanc. Giving the captaincy to a returning World Cup player but one that was not a ring leader and a player that suffered and persevered under Domenech.

Should be interesting.

The line up:

Lloris - Sagna, Rami, Mexès, Clichy - Menez, Diaby, M'Vila, Malouda (cap.) - Hoarau, Rémy

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.

Malouda to wear the arm band for Les Bleus? Would be a great choice

A good blog post about the potential for Malouda being France's captain in the short term and maybe longer. Bottom line from the article is spot on, Malouda has become one of France's best players and this after suffering during the Domenech tenure criticism and silly mind games that only made sense in the fantasy land of Domenech.

Malouda and Ribery were important parts of the team that made its run to the World Cup finals in 2006 - supporting Zidane in the midfield. Then inexplicably he was "banished" from the squad by Domenech only to return and then being yo yo'ed continuously. Again without much rhyme or reason. With the re-inclusion of the World Cup players for the Sept 3rd game, Malouda emerges as one of the most veteran and experienced players on the roster. Could he be the captain? Yes. He was the best player in Ligue 1 when he played at Lyon and has emerged as one of the key players for Chelsea. His comportment during the Domenech era was commendable, especially considering the way others acted in light of Domenech's ineptitude.

Malouda could be the captain. Depends on how Blanc approaches this decision, I could see Mexes being given the arm band as well. Blanc might want to make a clean break from Domenech and the World Cup side, and maybe wearing the arm band for someone like Mexes is an added motivational tool for the AS Roma center back. Too be determined.

French mutineers get their punishment, Anelka officially finished with Les Bleus

The FFF has come down with their punishment for the mutineers from the World Cup. Anelka will be banned for 18 games, Evra will be banned for 5 games, Ribery for 3 games and Toulalan for one match. Effectively the ruling has ended Anelka's international career giving him an 18 game ban...basically making him un-selectable for the next 2 years. Les Bleus will have 14 games prior to the European Championships (qualifiers and friendlies) and if they qualify for the Euros, then Anelka would only be available for a semi final game!

Anelka at Wembley

This marks a sad ending to what should have been and could have been a stellar international career. I remember living in Paris when a young 18 year old was poached from PSG by the "professor" Arsene Wenger. The rest is history...Anelka burst on the scene with Arsenal and that commenced a subsequent tour of European clubs (Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Bolton, Manchester City, Fenerbahce, Chelsea, Hollywood FC...last one was a joke) and on again off again career with Les Bleus. He was dropped from the 1998 roster, granted Jacquet already selected 2 young strikers - Henry and Trezeguet for the World Cup. Anelka did find his way back on the side when France won the European Championship in 2000. He would miss the next 2 World Cups, the most shocking was when Domenech decided to take Govou to the 2006 World Cup when France needed to replace Cisse due to a broken leg, until this last World Cup - his first (scary that he played in 1 World Cup...Govou in 2...shocking). A player that demonstrated so much promise as a youngster - many look at his brace against England in Wembley as the game that gave the hope that he would be the great French striker that would carry the team. Alas, the incredible sulk allowed his attitude overshadow his enormous talent and potential. His inability to get along with managers or to even stick around with clubs turned him into the nomad of international football. Fortunately for Les Bleus, they had Henry, Trezeguet and more importantly a Zidane that emerged in 1998 to carry the national side - winning a World Cup and a European Cup (Anelka was on that squad). Not sure where Anelka would have fit into the side, although it would have been an amazing rotation of strikers between Henry, Trezeguet and Anelka in their primes. Nico leaves the international game under a cloud of shame, alas, we barely had a chance to know you.

This will be interesting for Blanc as well with regards to Evra, Ribery and Toulalan. There is some depth at left back - Clichy, Tremoulinas and Cissokho. With 5 games for Blanc to leverage one of the other French left backs, Evra might have a difficult time getting back into the starting rotation. Similar situation with Ribery - there is depth at left wing/midfield. With Malouda scoring a brace over the weekend for Chelsea it would appear his good form from last season has not taken a break. He would be the clear first option on the left, assuming Blanc goes with a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Other candidates - N'Zogbia, Diaby and Menez to name a few. As for Toulalan, fortunately for him, he only suffered a 1 game suspension with M'Vila showing he can more than comfortably hold down the defensive midfield role combined with a more offensive side, the Lyon midfielder would want to be able to get back on the pitch sooner rather than later to hold on to his spot. In addition, Blanc will not be able to call on Gourcuff since he will be serving a suspension for the red card he picked up in the last France game.

September 3rd should be very interesting, how will Blanc continue to build his team with some of the World Cup 23 come back into the list.

France line up - no Gourcuff

As was expected, Domenech has succumbed to what appears to be internal politicking and has sat Gourcuff in favor of Malouda on the left and Ribery in the axe...with Govou on the right. That the Bordeaux man was "sacrificed" is not surprising that is what the rumors were pointing towards all week, but Govou still on the right? Sigh. Why? Both he and Anelka have been nothing short of disappointing, yet Domenech still rolls them out once again...insanity.

The line ups -

FRANCE
Lloris - Sagna, Gallas, Abidal, Evra (cap) - Toulalan, Diaby - Govou, Ribéry, Malouda - Anelka

MEXIQUE :
Perez - Juarez, Osorio, Rodriguez, Salcido - Torrado, Marquez, Moreno - Giovani, Franco, Vela.

Interesting solution offered by L'Equipe

So we are all awaiting the other shoe to drop and another surprise from Inspector Clouseau aka Dumbenech. L'Equipe suggests moving Ribery to the right, Malouda to the left, Gourcuff/Anelka in the middle - not sure how Anelka would fare in the creative midfielder role with Gignac up front as the center forward. There is some merit to this, but again why are all ignoring Valbuena? I realize the goal is to get Ribery and Malouda on the pitch at the same time, but I am not sure that is better than keeping The Kaiser on the left and allowing Valbuena to patrol the right. Use Malouda as a pace changing substitute. While I realize Malouda had a solid season with Chelsea I just do not see him as an absolute starter.

Bottom line Domenech has poorly thought out his team formations and selection, but that is not a new headline.

Diaby in Malouda out - Domenech sat the wrong player!

As we have all grown accustomed to dealing with when following Les Bleus - Domenech springs another surprise and swaps out Malouda for the Arsenal man Diaby. The formation -

France : Lloris - Sagna, Gallas, Abidal, Evra - Gourcuff, Toulalan, Diaby - Govou, Anelka, Ribéry 

Is this really going to be a 4-3-3? Or are we shifting to a 4-2-1-3? With two holding players - Diaby and Toulalan? I am happy that Domenech made a change, but changed the WRONG player!! Why is Govou still out there? Why Why Why? I just do not think the Lyon man will bring to the game.

It does look as if Domenech is nervous about the Uruguayan line up with what appears to be 5 midfielders and only 3 at the back. Defending the likes of Forlan and Suarez are first priority, but adding some attack on the right side would  have been nice as well... 

What should Domenech do about Thierry Henry?

The former Gunner is clearly in the twilight of an illustrious career, unfortunately that twilight falls in a World Cup year, where he is the captain of his national side but does not seem to be in Barcelona's plans anymore. Doubtful he will see the pitch in the return Champions League tie versus Inter. His playing time has been limited, putting it kindly. So what should the genius Domenech do about Henry? Titi clearly wants to play in South Africa, who would not....other than a Paul Scholes....but it is not clear if he deserves to start or where on the pitch he should feature. Based on current form, Malouda might have the strongest case for holding up the left flank for Les Bleus and Ribery is starting to get his legs back.

So what to do with Titi? Play him up front? Then where does Anelka slot? If you go by what Domenech has been saying than Henry might not even be on the plane to South Africa, but we all know that is not going to happen. So instead we have a major headache with a few months to go to the World Cup - bringing Henry, potentially costing a player like Malouda playing time and seeing if Domenech can get Henry into game shape on his own....hmmmm recipe for disaster.

Group play is over...now the real work begins for Les Bleus

France ended their World Cup qualifying group stage campaign, and are now awaiting to learn their fate with which of the following nations - Slovenia, Ireland, Bosnia or Ukraine - to play a tense home and away series to determine which nation will head to South Africa next year. The fact that Les Bleus need an extra 2 matches to reach South Africa is an indicator that the qualifying campaign was not a success. Not a massive failure...that would have been had France ended 3rd or lower. So let us first look at the match against Austria:

The Good:

• Once again, Benzema had a solid match. Maybe he continues to be motivated by his small verbal skirmish he had with his manager. Clearly he has demonstrated a willingness and desire to battle these last two games when wearing the blue kit. He scored a superb goal with the head early in the match, latching on to former Lyon teammate Malouda's cross. He was lethal making charging runs on the left wing (why does it seem all of France's offensive players gravitate to the left - Henry, Ribery, Malouda, Benzema...). He also razzled with his footwork, not hesitating in his one on one challenges of the Austrian defense. At times showing footwork that somewhat resembled another France #10 with Algerian roots. If Benzema can consistently demonstrate this drive and ability, it must make Domenech reconsider having him act as a substitute for Les Bleus.
• Speaking of strikers, Gignac also showed something in this match. The Toulouse striker scored a wonderful goal from outside the box, once again with his right foot, but the ability to strike from long distance is something that Les Bleus are missing.
  
• Malouda also impressed me. He was almost acting as the #10 for much of the match, drifting around the pitch, springing attacks, linking up the defense to the offense, and not being afraid to take his chances. He almost scored on a screamer in the second half only to see it go just wide of the far post, had a brilliant run end of the first half where he was able to deflected the ball from one foot off the other to ease around 2 Austrian defenders.
• The French defense was placed under too much pressure, however Fanni demonstrated that he has some strong talent in those boots. He tackled well, was very active offensively not afraid to fill in the space to support the offense and was not afraid to use his pace and dribbling to take on defenders. Even when he made mistakes, midway through the second half he lost a ball in his defensive 1/3 but used his pace to recover and smother the shot. I am not ready to say he should start ahead of Sagna, but I think there is talent and depth at that post.
• Ok this might be a first, but I will say that Domenech for once was good...barely. What do I mean by that? I am happy to see he did not simply run out the same team he has in the past. This match meant nothing in terms of the standings, but it was a great opportunity to see some players - the entire back line was different: Fanni, Squillaci, Escude, Clichy. The holding midfield - Sissoko and ADiarra. Offensively Malouda, Gouvou, Benzema and Henry. The playing of Henry and Benzema to me, signaled a test to see how the two could function together, could France head back to a 4-4-2 with Ribery and Gourcuff in the offensive roles in the midfield? Bringing in Gomis and Gignac was good, see what they can do offensively, because I am sure that during the playoffs you will need to, in at least one of the games, bring in some offensive substitutions late to try and get a goal.

The Bad:

• I hate to pick on him, but Escude looked terrible! The Austrian goal I place squarely on his shoulders. It was too easy for the Austrian striker to nudge him off the through ball which lead to an odd man attack on Lloris and Squillaci. He did not look at ease defending or positioning himself defensively. He did not inspire confidence in the center of the French defense.
• I praise Domenech, now I need to call out some bad! Why save his last substitution? Get another player out on the pitch. Maybe change your keeper, why wasn't Carrasso the back up? Get him in there to give him some experience, see how he plays for 45 minutes. What about Diaby? It would have been nice to see him on the left side, see if he and Clichy can carry over some of their work with Arsenal to Les Bleus. If you are selecting these players when you get the chance...play them! I would have been interested to seeing a diamond midfield with Sissoko the defensive base, Diaby on the left, Gouvou on the right and Malouda at the offensive tip - with Gomis and Gignac as the tandem strikers.
  

The Ugly:

• The idiot fans that invaded the pitch late. Not good people, come on let's grow up. That cannot be good either for France as they bid for an upcoming Euro tournament.
• The fact Les Bleus need to play 2 more matches. Let us face it, this qualifying campaign has not been a thing of beauty. Starting with the ugly 3-1 loss to this same Austrian team, followed by lackluster draws against Romania and the brave but wasted effort in Belgrade. Throw in there 2 difficult victories against Lithuania and you have were France is today - heading to the 2nd place playoff. France might still make it to South Africa next year, Zidane thinks so, they might even do something other than site seeing while there...France have the talent as well as the depth - how many nations can leave a Mexes off your squad? I am still not convinced...no surprise...that Domenech knows what he is doing, what system really works for his talent pool and how to ensure he gets the most out of this collection of players. Making the World Cup or European Cup is no longer the goal for France, they need to contend at this tournaments, nations like Germany and Brazil, even when they are "down" know that getting to a 1/4 final or 1/2 final is the least of their expectations. Les Bleus are getting to that level, but with that comes the mentality that such success is the rule not the exception. The campaign was ugly and is far from over, however sometimes the ugliest qualifying campaigns lead to the best results - similar to Euro 2000 when France struggled mightily to qualify, doing so by the narrowest of margins - and we all know how the Euro 2000 ended.

So France lives another day...we will see next week who they will get in the November 2nd place play off. For now we can ponder what could have and should have been, but more importantly think about what might be with Les Bleus. Do you think it will be good or bad???

France qualify!!!!! for the second place play offs.....

Well what we all have accepted is now official - Les Bleus have qualified for the second place play off for the World Cup, with a rather easy 5-0 victory over the 185th ranked team according to FIFA. Sigh. What could have, should have, might have been...so let us look at the last match from Les Bleus:

The Good:

• The win - ok the result should never have been in question, but the fact that Les Bleus have not been shining during these qualifiers - only getting a simple 1-0 win away to the Faroe's - and the fact the Faroe Islands just secured their first win of the campaign over Lithuania 2-1. There was a undertone of nervousness heading into the game, even some of the French players were questioning if they could some how find a victory having to play on the smaller pitch at Guingamp. So France secured the essential, getting the 3 points, scoring goals, and assuring themselves that the game against Austria is a friendly...albeit an important one with the 2nd place playoffs looming.
• Titi Henry once again demonstrated that he will lead this side. His work rate in the second half was outstanding, he was basically playing the role of the #10 for Les Bleus. He was not afraid to use his pace to take on defenders but was also clearly seeking his teammates out with a number of clinical passes. His free kick at the end of the first half should have resulted in a goal from Gallas, who tried to make his attempt too perfect only to see his header skim off the cross bar. He did find Gallas again later for the third goal. In the second half, the Barcelona man was at the center of most of the offensive action. While he still attacked mostly from his preferred left side, he drifted to the middle truly looking like a #10.
• Scoring a brace means that you did something well...Gignac clearly likes playing this nation, since he opened his account with Les Bleus when France first met the Faroe Islands in August. The first goal today was a true predator's goal, getting a nice square pass from Anelka, he pivoted and fired a shot that caught the Mikkelsen wrong footed. The second goal was a pure individual effort, after a long distribution from Mandanda, Gignac took on, what appeared to be, the entire defensive back line, raced to the 18 yard box and hit an unstoppable right footed shot that nestled right inside the far post. He had a few opportunities to get his hat trick only to have the Faroe keeper make some solid saves. Has the Toulouse man solidified his place in the hierarchy? I think that to Domenech he has...meaning Benzema is condemned to being a super sub. Does he deserve this? To me Gignac is a solid stiker but I am not sure he has the ability of a Benzema. Gignac has a deadly right foot...but not sure he trusts his left foot or has enough of an aerial game. I read a statistic that all but one of his league leading goals he scored last season for Toulouse was with his right foot! I do like him playing for Les Bleus, but I have to see him doing this against more formidable opposition. But for this match...very good.
• Speaking of Gignac and Benzema, the young Real Madrid striker responded well to the clouds that were gathering in the press between himself and Domenech. Once again coming in late in the match, to replace the above mentioned Gignac, Benzema played with pace and power that we have come to expect from him when he plays for club. In the last quarter hour he played he had an assist and a goal. However more than these statistics, Benzema was very active on the offensive end, clearly wanting to show his desire and ability. Maybe wanting to give Domenech something to think about!
  
  
  
  

• One Faroe player to point out was Mikkelsen, the keeper. Yes he gave up 5 goals, but made a number of outstanding saves to keep the score line where it was. He made emergency saves on Gignac on a first half break away, against Anelka one on one in the second half, on a point blank effort from Henry in the second half, just to name a few. Without his heroics the game might have ended 7-0 or worse.
• It was good to see Malouda and Sissoko getting time on the pitch. The former used to play for En Avant Guingamp, so being able to play for Les Bleus on his old pitch was a well deserved honor. The latter made his first appearance for the A side. A much deserved honor. He did not have much to do, so was not able to show of his skill set, but I hope this match is the first of many for him under the Blue kit.
  

The Bad:

• From France's point of view nothing bad...other than this offensive punch should have been seen earlier in the World Cup qualifiers!

The Ugly:

• Even when Les Bleus win by 5 goals...I must point out Domenech's lack of managerial ability. What do I mean by this? I realize without a true #10 (no Gourcuff, no Nasri, no Ribery) that the team went back to a 4-4-2 formation...but why have TWO holding midfielders in that formation? I realize that Toulalan played a solid game, but neither he nor Lass were really needed to "stem the tide" of Faroe attacks! What was telling was watching Gallas dribble at the Faroe defense, in their own 1/3 of the field on more than one occasion...if one of you center backs is pretending to be Messi, then do you need 2 holding midfielders??? France were basically playing a 4-3-3 at the end of the match, with Henry-Benzema-Anelka up front, being supported by Gouvou-Diarra-Sissoko, clearly the Faroe Islands had no answers to that formation. One might argue that it was the 70 minutes of defending they were forced to do that allowed this formation to have success, to which I would say...BS....if France had employed this formation it might have been 5-0 at half time...there is no way this team could have defended against those three French strikers up front. However, once again Domenech demonstrates a complete lack of vision. I am sure some might say - they did win 5-0 so he was doing something right. But to me this is a reflection of what is wrong with the French manager, and inflexibility and unwillingness to change his style even though the players at his disposal may warrant such a change.

Anyways, Les Bleus head to the playoffs, and based on what could happen, it would appear they will face Bosnia, Ukraine, Slovenia, or Ireland (as of right now and having not looked at the latest FIFA rankings) Of which either Ireland or Ukraine would be the most difficult, heading to play in those nations would not be a cup of tea. An expected win by Les Bleus, now need to get ready for the play offs.

Now things get interesting - Ribery out for Les Bleus

Aie Aie Aie...what else can you say. Ribery is the last, after Gourcuff, that will sit out the next two matches for Les Bleus. Without Gourcuff and Ribery, France is at a loss for who will assume the #10 role, who will be the one to carry the game?

Domenech did call up Gomis from Lyon, who we have not seen since the European Cup. I find that interesting since Gomis is a traditional high striker. He is more in the mold of a Trezegeut, so very different than Ribery. He certainly cannot slot back into the midfield. This seems to me that France will need to switch to a 4-4-2. Similar back line - Sagna, Gallas, Abidal, Evra. I think the midfield will switch to a flat 4, but really 2 deeper holding midfielders with two wide wings - Malouda/Henry on the left, Lass, Toulalan, Gouvou in the midfield. With Henry and Anelka up front - allowing Henry to slot left and drift back to the middle.

There is not necessarily a true #10 on this team so the creativity will need to come from the wings - Gouvou and Malouda, as well as the individuals up front - Henry and Anelka. The question becomes, can Les Bleus bridge the gap between the defensive back line and the attacking half of the pitch? Can Malouda, Gouvou or even a Diaby hold the midfield together and link the offense and defense? This will be the key to France's success...no surprise there. Again, France should have no problems with the Faroe Islands and really should be able to at least get a draw against Austria. However without either #10 option, France may find it more difficult to make a push to get the full 6 points and goal difference to over take Serbia.

Then again maybe Domenech will go with a 4-3-3!!! Put Henry - Anelka - Gignac up front. Have a midfield of Diaby on the left, Lass in the middle and Sissoko on the right. He did state he wanted to "cartonner" against the Faroe's - meaning get a pile of goals! Stranger things have happened.