No surprise - third keeper for France v Poland this Thursday

Le President announced that his keeper from Bordeaux will get the nod this Thursday against Poland. Not a big surprise at all; however, after a poor goal given up against Ukraine, I am beginning to question whether or not the hierarchy in goal is written in stone. Mandanda has had a great season for OM, but I feel as if his latest showing for France puts him a bit on shaky ground. What about the likes of Landreau with LOSC? Or Ruffier at Monaco?

Lloris remains the #1 choice but I would not close the door on looking at picking 2 from the 4 keepers: Mandanda, Carrasso, Ruffier and Landreau for the other spots.

After a lackluster 1st half...a 5 goal second. What a debut for Martin

With many of these friendlies, the game between France and Ukraine was an exercise in playing pass around and keep away rather than really trying to get a result...that is until the second half. End of the 90+ minutes and Les Bleus leave the Ukraine with a 4-1 victory, scoring 4 straight goals and might have had more.

The Good:

Could we see both these men in Blue on Thursday?

• Let us start with the debutant - Marvin Martin - what can you say from a player who entered the game at the 79th minute and had quite the last 10+ minutes of the game. The leading assist man from Ligue 1 showed that he has a good goal scoring touch as well. Hitting a sneaky shot for distance that found is way just inside the inner post and then patiently latched on to a simple square ball from Benzema, and cooly finishing with a strike into the Ukrainian upper 90. Martin also came close to springing Benzema on a wonderfully weighted pass. Before we get ahead of ourselves and start comparing him to Zidane - and the fact Zizou also scored a brace on his debut for France will draw comparisons - we only saw about 12 minutes of Martin. He was also playing against a tired Ukrainian side; however, it is something to build on and it is positive.



A true poacher

• A number of France's other new starters did some good things. Cabaye gave Newcastle fans something to look forward to, he had a high motor and made some strong passes. Matuidi demonstrated an ability to play the midfield "destroyer" role, however at times I felt he was pushing a bit. Kaboul had a quiet, yet solid
  game, his goal was a great show for the Tottenham man, always good when you can get your central defender to be a threat in the air on set pieces. Finally Gameiro showed me something, an ability to turn what appears to be a lost cause near the 18 yard box and turn it into a goal scoring threat. His goal was a great example of a goal poachers goal - he latched onto a loose ball and, without hesitation, struck a thunderbolt into the Ukrainian goal. He had done the same end of the first half, turning what appeared to be a lost ball and forced a strong save from the Ukrainian keeper.
• Ribery is starting to look like his old self. He was devastating on the left flank when he entered the game, every time the ball game to him he had the chance to spring the Ukraine defense. The last France goal was a direct result of Ribery's high pressure causing the Ukrainian turn over. Let us hope that Der Kaiser has been humbled after last year's world cup and plays the way he did rather than spend time his time being a pain in the team's collect side!
• 4 Goals...can never complain when you can post 4 goals in any game.

The Bad:

• The goal against Mandanda was not good....one would think the shot would have been deflected, but on replay it was a simple pile-driver shot that Mandanda misread. Granted the ball did have some nasty movement, but when you are an international keeper you must make that save. Seems like French keepers have problems playing away to the Ukraine...remember Frey's gaff a few years back?
• Too Bad Les Bleus did not play like this last Friday! It was bad that France found its scoring touch during a friendly and not when the games counted. 

The Ugly:

• By no means a perfect match, but cannot really identify any truly ugly showing. I might come up with something over the next few days.

After defeating any team 4-1 you cannot leave unhappy.  Blanc will look toward Thursday's game again Poland to close out the season on another upside. I would expect to see the remaining players who have not showcased during the past 2 games - N'Zogbia, Hourau, Valbuena and Carrasso. I have a feeling Blanc will leverage a similar line up as against Ukraine. I do think he will go back to a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-4-2, with Martin pulling the stings, N'Zogbia on the left and either two strikers - Gameiro and Hourau, or the PSG striker alone up front. Valbuena should see time on the right side in either formation.

Will be interesting to see, I hope for another four goal game!

Allez les Bleus.

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.

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...

PSG's lost opportunity...sigh

Ok I have finally recovered...sort of....from a difficult sport watching weekend. France got trounced by England in the six nations tourney, the Bruins got mauled by the Penguins, and of course PSG lost to hated rival Marseilles. Well at least Arsenal won and Manchester United lost, then again that might too little too late...ok so lets try to revisit the PSG game.

The Good:

• Both teams looked to carry the game to the other, both teams allowed their offenses to attack. Guily and Hourau looked good as the up front tandem for PSG with Luyindula and Rothen roaming the flanks. The defense looked fairly solid, until they lost Camara to a red card. Marseilles' Zenden looked a completely different player and Brandao looked dangerous up front, the first goal being a great piece of work between both players.
• The fans appeared fairly restrained. This derby match usual leads to numerous arrests, violence, and overall fan mayhem. This match seemed to be much more tame, which is good for the security in Paris.
• The keepers, both Landreau and Mandanda are at the top of their games and both played well. Granted Landreau gave up 3 goals, but none were his fault they were all superbly taken chances by OM. Mandanda looked solid and showed more confidence in taking on the balls lobbed into the penalty area. What pains me, is that based on this showing, and more importantly his season so far, it is clear that Landreau should still be in the mix for France's #1 slot, too bad Domenech is a bit clueless when it comes to managing his keepers.

The Bad:

• Giving up 3 goals...ugh....how can that be anything but bad!!!
  
• Missed opportunity for PSG, with Lyon losing at home to Auxerre, Paris had a great opportunity to at least draw even with the leaders in France. With a win, PSG would have been 2 points clear of Lyon and leader of Ligue 1. What a lost opportunity. First of all, there was no need for additional motivation for PSG in this game, anytime PSG plays OM there is no need for either team to be motivated to play hard. But what really kills me is that PSG had a fantastic chance to take the lead of the title chase...this from a team that was battling relegation last season. Granted Marseilles was also highly motivated, with a win they would draw even with PSG in second place, and 1 point behind Lyon. Additionally they would want to avenge the 4-2 loss at the velodrome.

The Ugly:

• Missing Sessegnon, it was clear that the one element that Paris missed was their talented #10. Sessegnon has become the intrigal part of PSG, controlling the center of the park being supported by Makelele, Chantome and Clement with the above mentioned on the flanks. Without the Benin international, PSG was not able to control the middle of the pitch as well as the pace of the game well enough to slow down the Marseilles counters. For PSG to have a real chance to win the Ligue 1 title, Sessegnon will need to stay out of suspension trouble and stay on the pitch. The next few weeks will be crucial, leading up to the April 25th match at Gerland against Lyon. Sessegnon will be vital in allowing the PSG offense to continue to click.

This was not a devastating lose for PSG. They remain 1 point behind Lyon and still have a match against the leader. The upcoming stretch will be crucial - Toulouse, Nice, Lille, Le Havre and then Lyon. Other than Le Havre, all these teams are in the top half of the table. Marseilles and Lyon have an easier stretch but their final part of the season is brutal, including a head to head between OM and OL. If PSG can be in first place by the last month of the season, they stand a good chance to some how winning the title. Not bad for a team that seemed destined for Ligue 2 last season.

Some low lights of the game....from a PSG's fans perspective -

France limp into next month's WC qualifiers

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

The Good:

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

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

The Bad:

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

The Ugly:

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

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

Les Bleus - Le Terrible

OMG the unthinkable happened today, France got slapped around in Vienna 3-1 against an Austrian team that had nothing to lose and played France physically and took their chances. Ok first a caveat, I did not get to see the game...for some reason TV5 did not carry the feed, but I "watched" it on line, saw the "highlights" and have been reading the post game commentary.

Unfortunately the defense has conceded 5 goals in their last two games, if we include the Euros they have given up 11 goals in 5 games ... including a 0-0 draw with the Romanians...this is completely unacceptable for a nation that is ranked 11th in the world. France lost to a nation, that prior to the Euros, their own fans put together a petition to pull out of their own tournament! What frightens me is the central defensive pairing, it appears that Mexes is not taking his high level of play from AS Roma to the French team, maybe he is pushing too much, nervous that Domenech has never really been a fan of the Roman defender. Mexes might be constantly looking over his shoulder, afraid to play his game always concerned about his place on the squad. Frankly on the first and last goal Mexes is directly to blame. The opening goal, Mexes allowed the Austrian striker to back him down rather than aggressively attacking the ball. Mexes then inexplicably tackled an Austrian player on a corner kick. Plus he pulled down the player at the PK spot when the corner was a tight inswinger and the player fouled would most likely not have been in the play!!! Gallas has not taken the reigns of the defense. With Thuram retired, I thought this would be the opportunity for Gallas to step up and become the "patron" for the French defense. Maybe the Gunner, while a top notch defender, needs a Desailly, Terry or Thuram to take the leadership of the defense, for he is not comfortable leading the back 4. Maybe all the rumors that were coming out of the Emirates locker room last year that Gallas was letting his teammates down with his lack of leadership, is rearing its ugly head under the blue shirt of France. Mandanda is also not to escape some blame. On the second goal he should have attacked the ball while in the air, the long indirect kick was floated into the top of this 5 yard box where France messed up the clearance allowing the Austrians to smash home the goal from point blank range. The French keeper really should have attacked the first ball in the air.

It also sounds as if Diarra and Toulalan were not the defensive forces they need to be for this system to work, maybe Les Bleus miss Vieira more than they thought. What really drives me crazy is the fact France gave up all goals off set pieces, once again Les Bleus could not defend two 40 yard indirect kicks that, by all accord, were just dumped into the French 18 yard box. Ugh.

This does not bode well, at all. France now hosts Serbia next week. Which will not be a walk in the park. Serbia will play more physically than Austria, and will be tighter defensively than the Austrians. France have no choice but to win on Wednesday....if they come out of these two games with 1 or 0 points, it would be disastrous. They would then have to go to Roumania who would be on 3 points, having played the Faroe Islands next. Serbia would be clearly in the driver seat, with surprise Austria and Lithuania either one at 6 points or both at 4 (they play each other next round). France could conceivable find themselves in last, behind the Faroe Islands.

Of course all is not lost, this is but one game. France lost twice to the Scots in the last qualifiers, and still squeaked in. But the road does not get any easier. The only good thing is that the other group favorite, Romania lost, and they lost at home. But if that is the one straw I get to grasp...it is a pretty sad day in French football.

Hopefully Deschamps has his list of players, he might find himself as France manager very shortly.

Les Bleus start off with a 3-2 victory

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

The Good -

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

The Bad -

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

The Ugly -

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

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

Les Bleus - the starting XI

Domenech announced his starting XI -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Domenech's first list post Euro disaster

So France has announced the list of 20 for their upcoming friendly against Sweden. This match will prove crucial for Les Bleus. After a disastrous European campaign, and with the World Cup qualifiers right around the corner this match will be the first time the French are back together on the pitch. There will clearly be some changes - Thuram, Makelele and Sagnol have announced their international retirements. With Vieira and Ribery sidelined, the French midfield will look very different than what we have grown accustomed to seeing. So let us dive into the lucky 20:

Keepers: Lloris, Mandanda
Defenders: Boumsong, Clichy, Evra, Fanni, Gallas, Mexès, Sagna
Midfielders: A. Diarra, L. Diarra, Flamini, Toulalan
Strikers: Anelka, Ben Arfa, Benzema, Gourcuff, Govou, Henry, Malouda

Looking over this list, no Coupet, no Frey and no Landreau. Is Domenech making a statement about the future of the keeper role for Les Bleus? I can see Coupet being left out, he might not be the French #1 choice keeper anymore especially looking forward 2 years. The sad part is he should have been France's #1 during the World Cup in Germany, but for some idiotic reason Domenech went with an aging Barthez. However Lloris and Mandanda are without a doubt the future for the French national team and their keeper position. Okay so let us dive into the list:

The Good:

• Lloris and Mandanda - this is the future for France at goalkeeper. I think that getting these two into the squad early and often will pay dividends. It appears that Landreau, the one time shining star for France, has been dropped to second tier. I think that there remains a window for Frey to come in and assume the mantel as France's #1. There will be tough competition however, but in the long term there is solid talent at that position.
• Clichy - The Arsenal left back has long deserved his place in the national team, now will he be the #1 option ahead of Evra? Not sure, I think that Evra still gets the nod. However, as long as Domenech understands that the future left back for France should be one of these two talented players, then it will all be good.
• Gourcuff - The one time "next Zidane" lost a lot of luster when he made a big move to AC Milan only to find himself relegated to the substitutes' bench and could barely get on the pitch. Granted he had some tough competition at midfield - Pirlo, Kaka, to name a few. But he now has a real chance to continue to grow and develop to his full potential playing for Bordeaux, in the Micoud role. Under the eye of Laurent Blanc, one of France's up and coming managers, I think you will see Gourcuff live up to his potential. It might be a bit early for Domenech to integrate him into the French squad, but since the French league has already been under way since last weekend, the young midfielder will have more game action in his legs than other options. So why not take a look at him.

The Bad:

• Malouda - I have to question this selection. It is a bad choice purely based on the fact he is not doing much with Chelsea and has not done much in over a year! This is an example of a player that chased the money and found himself on a team that had no real place for him. This shows in his play for Les Bleus. He had a few flashes during the Euros, okay maybe one when he ran through the entire Romanian defense but sent his shot screaming just wide of the top corner.....but that is it. Maybe Domenech took him for cover and will give the left side of the midfield to Ben Afra, who is the player that should be there. We shall see.
• Govou - Ugh, I cannot understand the love affair between Domenech and Govou....I know he had a brace against Italy in the first European Qualifier ages ago, but still....please....he is a nice player, but not at the international level! Why not give a youngster like OM's Valbuena a chance to see what he can do on the international level?
  

The Ugly:

• Boumsong - Um you all knew this was coming....how how how how in god's name can this player be constantly selected for the French national team? Does he have some pictures of Domenech that ensure he will always be on the squad? It just baffles me when he gets the call up. What happened to Escude? Squillaci? Givet? Ugh...anyone of these would be a better option than Boumsong. Maybe even take a chance on one of the youngsters - Sakho from PSG or Dabo from St Etienne. I really cannot understand why Domenech calls up Lyon's 4th choice central defender....he is slow, has terrible positioning, cannot defend...ugh. And if his inclusion precludes having Mexes partner with Gallas in the middle of the defense I will scream. He gives France nothinig in the back. Domenech should be playing the following - Sagna on the right, Mexes and Gallas in the middle, and Evra on the left (maybe Clichy, but I think Evra has a little more offensive talent), Boumsong should not be any where near the pitch, substitutes bench, team bus, etc.....
• French strikers - Hmmm what was once a strength, now appears to be a potential weakness. Based on my conversation with Sam yesterday it is clear that France could have a shortage of strikers. Trezeguet has retired so he is out. Saha is always hurt. Cisse is coming back to form with Marseilles but has not translated this form to the national team. Briand remains a work in progress. Gomis has talent but might have shown everything he had in the one game against Ecuador. So it remains Anelka, Henry and Benzema. Henry is getting a long in the tooth and Anelka is hot and cold. Benzema is the rising star, but at times gets sacrificed for the veterans. I think Domenech needs to figure out who (Benzema) will be his point man, the player France will lean on the next 4 - 5 years for goal scoring. He can then figure out how to use the veterans (Anelka and Henry) to support and add to this formation. However, Domenech will have a very small window to figure out who is the complimentary striker to Benzema - Gomis? Briand? Gouffran? Remy? Menez?

I am looking forward to this match. Part of me wants France to come out and play some good flowing football, allowing players like Ben Afra and Gourcuff to shine, another part of me wants Domenech to fall on his face so we can get rid of him. I fear that the French Federation will stick with their philosophising manager too long and we will lose and opportunity and lose a generation of footballers. France no longer has the luxury of "building for the next tournament," they are now firmly entrenched as a nation that should be qualifying for and contending for every major international tournament.