France successfully navigate first day back in international season - defeat defending Euro champs

Feels like the World Cup finals were yesterday...and we are already back in the swing of the international football schedule. France and Spain headlined a decent roster of matches including Argentina v Germany and Italy v Holland. While the match ups, on paper, were mouth watering, the resulting games were, as expected, were a tad drab. So what to make of France's 1-0 win over Spain?

The Good:

• France continue their positive rebuilding. After falling 1-0 to the eventual World Cup Champions Germany at the 1/4 stage of the World Cup, France got back on the winning track. France will be hosting the Euros in 2 years. Due to this automatic qualification, France will not have real competitive games for the next two years. Match ups against the likes of Spain go a long way to keeping France's development on track.
• Pogba growing into the role as the boss of the midfield...and team. The Juventus midfielder has already captained the French U20 side to the U20 World Cup victory a few years back. He also became an integral part of DD's set up at the World Cup - even chipping in a crucial goal against Nigeria in the knock out stage. He is putting his stamp on the midfield as the box-to-box midfielder Les Bleus have been seeking since Vieira retired. M'Vila was seen as that player, but his career has taken a side step. Although with M'Vila back from exile in the East it might be an interesting combination if he rediscovers his form.
• Le Petit Velo - Valbuena - remains the metronome for Les Bleus. He is the creative fulcrum for France. It was his vision and play that was at the center of the goal from Remy. With Ribery's

  

  Remy benefits from Valbuena's creativity

  retirement from international football, the only truly creative player France have is Valbuena. Players of the likes of Cabella offer that creativity as well, but he is still a few games away from elevating his game to the international level. France's success over the next 2 years and how well they do at home in the Euros will hinge on how well Valbuena's creative play drives the midfield. Which calls into question why he was taken off the field in the 1/4 finals against Germany when France was chasing the game late on...
• Sissoko playing out on the right. The Newcastle man is more of a traditional box-to-box or deep lying midfielder. However since he was put out on the the right by DD in World Cup qualifiers...away to Spain...he seems to have found a role with the national team. He is not a traditional right winger like a Menez or even a Remy, but his power and pace bring something the French national team have not had out on that side. He also seems more willing to stay out on the right allowing for Les Bleus to keep their shape. Since he is more of a deep lying player, he doesn't shy away from his responsibilities to back track defensively. 

The Bad:

• For once the left side looked a little dodgy. Griezmann had a rather pedestrian game on the left side. This was a bit disappointing after his good showing at the World Cup. Of course one cannot judge the player from 60 minutes. Long term I am not concerned about the left side with regards to Griezmann. But there will clearly be some growing pains for the French left side after the international retirement from Ribery. It is to be expected when you lose a world class player like Ribery.
• I am a little concerned with the fact that some of DD's main cogs are not full time starters on their club sides - in particular Sakho and Varane. Neither has maintained regular starting roles for Liverpool and Real Madrid. Something to watch for in their club play. Reality is not sure what DD's other options at center backs since the likes of Mangala, Zouma and Yanga-Mbiwa are not regular starters for their clubs either. The one regular starter is Kos...and even his role looked a little tenuous with the start of Chambers recently for Arsenal! Something to watch for moving forward.

 The Ugly:

• Speaking of the left side - I think seeing Evra continue might get a tad ugly. Unlike the Gooner who is clearly "anti-Evra," I am not entirely negative on the Juventus left back. But I do

  

  Has his time passed?

  recognize that he is well past his prime. And that will not get any better in 2 years time. While the player doesn't seem to want to retire from international play, I question what DD gets from continuing to play him on French left. France have some options out on the left - Digne being first in line. There is also Kurzawa from AS Monaco as well as Mathieu from Barcelona who are options for that left side. I will be shocked if Evra is the starting left back in 2 years time for France...having said that, it might be time for Deschamps to start integrating a new starting left back now. Allow the new left back to integrate with the likes of Griezmann.

One cannot take too much from this game, granted the win was nice. Deschamps started out in a 4-2-3-1 but it was really more of a 4-3-2-1 with Sissoko on the right but more in line with Pogba and Matuidi, Valbuena given more free reign with Griezmann and Benzema as the high line striker. Similar to the World Cup, this is Deschamps' best formation - allowing him to put as many of his best midfielders on the pitch. It will be interesting to watch how this evolves especially when it comes to Cabaye and how he fits in the midfield. He has had a difficult time securing regular first team action with PSG (wonder if he wishes he was still at Newcastle...or maybe Arsenal) but he was a vital part of DD's set up in Brazil. Moving forward will he regain this role with France? Or become a super sub? Not necessarily a bad problem for DD to have - but probably not the role Cabaye desires.

France will not embark on a number of friendlies as they act as the 6th team in Group I - they will play a schedule as if they were in the qualification process but obviously the results will not count for either France or the team they play. I think this is one of the smarter ideas from UEFA - guarantees the host some games, and pits them against a qualification group guaranteeing they get matches against top nations such as Portugal.

What to watch moving forward:

• Who asserts themselves as the left fullback for Les Bleus?
• Is there a viable back up to Benzema up front?
• Will Griezmann put his stamp on the left winger role?
• How will DD manage his apparent log jam in the midfield, especially if someone of the likes of M'Vila regains his form?

Should make for an interesting 2 years of preparation for the Euros.
Allez les Bleus!

France head into Nigeria game with serious question marks

Surprise surprise, Sakho might not be ready to go for the Nigeria match. Again...I call into question DD's decision to play the Liverpool man against Ecuador. Maybe he would still have been out for this match, but I have a feeling more rest would have been helpful. Now Deschamps approaches the knock out stage without his first choice central defender.

It would appear that Koscielny will partner with Varane in central defense. I will admit this pairing makes me a tad nervous. Not sure Kos has the athletic ability to keep up with some of the Super Eagles' strikers. Just look at Musa carving up the Argentine defense in their final group game. This will be something to watch for in the match.

Second thing to look for is how does the midfield do, especially Pogba who has been receiving some scrutiny lately about his temperament. The Juventus man is also victim to lofty expectations that were set from having such a wonderful domestic season. Latest report is that Pogba is in the starting line. I am not sure the criticism of Pogba have been fair. Other than a silly gesture against Honduras, Pogba has been playing well. To his lofty level? No. But that talent is hard not to have on the pitch.

Cause for celebration?

Finally what to do up front? Griezmann or Giroud? Clearly Valbuena and Benzema will start, but who to play that left wing?? Seems like it might be Giroud in the middle with Benzema on the left. I do like this formation, much more offensive and as we saw against Switzerland, lethal on the counter. Does DD hope he can catch lightening in a bottle again and see this
formation strike early?

There are some questions heading into the Nigeria game. I will be very curious to see what the actual team sheet looks like. The Super Eagles have every right to believe they can beat Les Bleus. They already did so last time they played...in France! They have some pacey players that can cause the French defense some serious problems. On the flip side the Nigerian defense can be leaky as well. However, they do have the x-factor - their keeper, Enyeama. Who had an amazing 1,062 minutes without conceding a goal in Ligue 1 for Lille this season. Much like Ochoa for Mexico, this quality of a back stop can be a real difference maker. Something to watch for.

Regardless I am not ready to look past the Super Eagles. Was France's victory against Switzerland fools gold? Let us see who DD rolls out tomorrow!

Allez les bleus!

Sakho out for France vs Ecuador...no surprise

Not a major surprise that the Liverpool central defender is out with a knock to his leg. This will most likely see the pairing of Koscielny and Varane in the center of the French defense. There are some who point out that France gave up two goals once this pairing was on the pitch Friday. I find this criticism a tad unfair to the Arsenal defender. The first goal given up on Friday was because a free kick taken from distance was allowed to easily pass through the three man wall...that was the wall's fault not Kos. And the second goal, while it came off Kos' back, was really more on Debuchy who did not hold the line with the defense, otherwise the play would have been off sides.

So we know of two players who started the first two games - Sakho and Cabaye - who will not play on Wednesday. Does this give Deschamps the opportunity to change some other personnel? As I wrote in my last post I think the situation with both Evra and Pogba remain something to watch.

Let us see how the week unfolds.

Les Bleus kick off World Cup preparation with classy showing

Well I guess my prediction of a drab 1-1 draw was slightly off...France kick off their World Cup preparation with a thrilling 4-0 win over Norway. And the score line could have been worse for the Scandinavians.

The Good:

• Four goals...nothing to sneeze at. Les Bleus have struggled with scoring goals in the past, but seems that they found a key to unlock their goal scoring account, at least for 90 minutes today. Something to build on. It was encouraging to see the goals coming on some solid crosses from the flanks as well as some pacey play by the likes of Remy. It was also encouraging to seeing France's #2 striker, Giroud, score a brace. His second was from a wonder strike from the edge of the penalty box. He could have had a hat trick had his powerful header in the opening minutes gone in. Remy showed why he is on the team and could play a valuable role being used as a substitute where he can leverage his pace to break down a tired defense. He was a terrific reflex save away from getting his own brace. Scoring the 4 goals and having the offensive flow they had bodes well for the French offense confidence.
• Le Petit Velo - Valbuena, has taken the role as the #10 and run with it. The Marseilles midfielder was at the center of the action against Norway. Acting as the creative fulcrum for the French. His high work rate, dribbling, passing and willingness to take chances on the offensive end really kept Norway off balance. His 3 assists are a reflection of his value to the offense for Les Bleus. With the likes of Pogba, Matuidi and Cabaye acting as the muscle in the midfield, it allows Valbuena to roam freely in the midfield. What will be interesting is to see how he continues to interact with Ribery. Giroud's style usually has him on the last defenders' shoulder, while Griezmann added pace on the left but didn't roam too much. This gave the space that Valbuena enjoys on the right, center and left of the park. Served the team well...but might be an issue...more on that later.
• The midfield trident of Pogba, Matuidi and Cabaye. This is clearly the strength for Les Bleus. And the driving motivation for DD to lean on a 4-3-3 formation to ensure you get these three players on the pitch at the same time. Pogba is an absolute beast. It is amazing to remember that he is only 21. He scored a cheeky goal and controlled the midfield with his pace and size. Partnered with Matuidi, who seems to have a very high motor, and you have a powerful engine room for Les Bleus. With Cabaye doing a lot of the dirty work, and who can also bring a threat from distance, you have a powerful trident in the midfield. One that will determine how far Les Bleus can go in Brazil. 
• Getting one of the reservists onto the pitch. Giving Cabella his first international cap was a shrewd move for DD. The 7, now 6, reserve players should view this as added motivation (Ruffier was part of the 7 and due to Mandanda's injury is now the #2 keeper). They all know that short of injury they will not be heading to Brazil. But there is 2016 to think about and this clearly gives them a taste of what they could work for post World Cup. And for DD, it gives him some time to blood some of his prospects and heaven forbid one of his 23 get injured, he already has vetted some of his prospects. Look for DD to do this again the next two matches, as he should.

The Bad:

• Balance...even without Ribery on the pitch, France leaned heavily on the left side of the pitch. Yes Valbuena is on the right side of the pitch. But his tendency to roam, and he does a lot of that, means he sometimes vacates that right channel. And sometimes seems to be too often! It felt as if too much of France's offense was left dominant. This will only become more apparent with Ribery on that side. DD has to figure out a way to make sure that with Ribery and Valbuena on the pitch, that Le Petit Velo keeps in mind his role to support the right side of the attack. It is fine and recommended that the wingers switch sides from time to time, or even drop deeper. But, the right channel remains something that needs to be addressed.
• The central defensive pairing. After keeping a clean sheet it is difficult to criticize the defense. But I am a little nervous at what Sakho showed. I am not saying he was bad, but there were some glimpses at his bad habits. Losing the ball in dangerous areas, making some rash challenges and some risk taking. In a way with Kos he can do that, since the Arsenal man is a good stay at home defender who can clean up such errors. But if Sakho makes some of these errors against the likes of Shaqiri or Valencia it could prove very costly.

The Ugly:

• Nothing ugly about this match...maybe ugly for Norway.

So DD and France get their first preparatory match out of the way.  The 4-0 win will do the team a lot of good, they need to continue to build on this and will face a much more stern test against Paraguay. It will be interesting to see how things change if we see Ribery and Benzema find their way back into the starting line up, especially with the interactions with Valbuena.

First test for Les Bleus - midfield dry run

Now that we have dispensed with the formalities of ending the domestic seasons and deciding the European title, we can focus in on this small event called the World Cup. Many of the national sides will start to run through some of their friendly matches ahead of the June kick off for the World Cup. France will face their first test tomorrow against Norway.

According to some reports we may already know the starting eleven for Les Bleus:

Ruffier - Debuchy, Koscielny, Sakho, Evra - Cabaye, Matuidi, Pogba - Valbuena, Giroud, Griezmann

No surprises in this line up. Lloris will most likely get one start, but after a long season with Spurs deserves some down time. Ribery has a slight knock on his back and Benzema just finished up with Real Madrid, and has a slight groin injury.  Otherwise the the starting 11 that DD is rolling out might be the one you will see to open against Honduras on June 15 (with a healthy Ribery and Benzema in place of Griezmann and Giroud). A few things to watch for:

• Center backs - is the is the pairing we should expect for the tournament? DD has tinkered with this for many matches. Mangala showed well in the last friendly against Holland and the young Real Madrid center back Varane has also showcased for DD. The former has a slight knock and the later is late to camp due to the Champion League finals so the pairing of Kos - Sakho might have been more out of necessity. But the former PSG and current Liverpool player will also carry the armband for France. Might be an indicator of what DD thinks of Sakho.
• Midfield trident - no surprise to see the starting three of Cabaye, Matuidi and Pogba. The question becomes, who is behind them in the pecking order? It will be interesting to see which players come on for those spots later on during the game. Look for

  

  Second showing for the youngster

  Mavuba and Sissoko to get some time tomorrow as well.
• How will Griezmann do with his second match for Les Bleus? He was okay against Holland, appeared a little timid at times. With his second go around, and now that he knows he is on the plane to Brazil, will he be more at ease and allow his talents to take over? It will also be interesting to see if during one of the other friendly matches if DD tries to play both Griezmann and Ribery on the pitch together. Giving them some time on the field in case the situation arises that DD needs to have them both out there to chase a goal.

I am not sure how much we will be able to read from this game. Norway tends to be a solid defensive unit, but not much attacking creativity. As with many of these friendlies I would not expect much. Teams, especially the ones heading to Brazil, are going to want to test some pairings and formations. See how players work together. But the most important will be avoid injuries! Certainly want to avoid what happened to Cisse prior to the 2006 World Cup (sad to say but his pace off the bench might have a made a difference in that tournament).

I expect a drab 1-1 draw. Goal from Giroud.

Allez Les Bleus!!!

INCROYABLE...Les Bleus head to Brazil

What else is there to say? France do what seemed impossible and get the 3-0 victory to get past the pesky Ukrainians and head to Brazil next summer for the World Cup. Incroyable.

The Good:

• Heading to the World Cup. What else is there to say? France have not missed a major tournament since the 1994 World Cup in the United States. They were able to come back after being down 0-2 after the first leg. Something that no European team had ever been able to achieve. The drama that would have swept over the nation had the failed to qualify, while good in a way, would have been a circus.
• Sakho. What a beast. He only started because of the red card Koscielny picked up away in Kiev. The former PSG central defender put together the game of his life. He was a rock on defense and scoring a brace was something no one could have ever predicted. Did we get a glimpse of the future center back pairing for France? Varane and Sakho have the potential of

  

  Not a bad time to score your 1st...and 2nd goals for France

  being the bed rock for Les Bleus moving forward. Speaking of the Real Madrid center back, Varane demonstrated his silky smooth play. He demonstrated a level of calmness usually reserved for veteran players. 
• Speaking of playing at a level beyond their age, Pogba, has quickly established himself as one of the core players for France. The captain of the U20 World Cup champions showed why he should be the foundation of the French midfield for years to come. Between his ability to break up any offensive threats coming through the midfield coupled with the offensive threat he offers, dare I say he resembles Pat Vieira? Other players have been given that moniker but the Juventus man seems to be the real deal. Couple that with his recent play for the Old Lady and one can only get a tad excited about his prospects.
• The top 3 of the formation. The line of Ribery - Benzema -Valbuena were outstanding. Ribery looked completely different than the player that was bottled up in Kiev. Benzema looked like the striker he is supposed to be. And Valbuena was deadly on set pieces.
• The formation: 4-3-3...as the Frog has been calling for, looked like a success for France. Especially since it allows Deschamps to field three of his better assets - Cabaye, Matuidi and Pogba at the same time. The key was to get Cabaye on the field. His defending and distribution were clinical. His presence also allows Pogba to jump up into the offensive end as well as, to a lesser extent, Matuidi. With the likes of Mavuba, Sissoko, Capoue to name a few, in the wings, I think that Deschamps should look at staying with this formation moving forward.

The Bad:

• Tough loss for Ukraine. After doing the essential at home they seemed odds on favorite for going through. Has to be seen as a bad loss for the former Soviet state.
• Offsides calls...so things balanced out in the end a Benzema goal disallowed for an offside call that didn't exist and then a goal granted when he was clearly off side. However, on the goal the side line official was screened by the Ukrainian defender and the ball does appear to come off a defender in which case there would be no off side as the defender played the last ball. But unlike what happened 4 years ago against Ireland, the "hand of Gaul" will not dominate the head lines...

 The Ugly:

• France's consistency...where has this team been for the past few years? Is this the direction where the team is trending? Games like last night are why being a French fan is maddening. They can lay an egg like they did in Kiev and then turn around an look like a world class side last night in Paris. The French malaise in terms of consistent play continues to haunt this side. If they cannot remedy this they will continue to have nights like last night. Nights of unbelievable jubilation, but nights that were the product of their own maddening inconsistency. Les Bleus need to find a way to bottle the way they played last night, maybe not at that intensity since that cannot be maintained, but use it as a template for how they should approach their play moving forward. It is this inconsistency that could make France a 3 games and out next summer or one that surprises and goes deep in the tournament. 

And we celebrate...

 So I will enjoy this victory, one I did not expect to see. I fully expected the French to give up a late goal and to endure another Bulgarian fiasco.  Thankfully I was spared that fate. Now on to December 6th where we will see which group France get placed in. Since they will not be a head of series they could easily find themselves in a group with the likes of Brazil, Germany or Spain...but that rant is for another day. For now we celebrate!

Allez les Bleus!!!!

Deschamps faces same dilemna as Blanc - central defensive pairing

Similar to his predecessor, one of the first issues that needs to be settled is which central defensive pairing he can lean on. Blanc found success in pairing Mexes with Rami, although by the end of his tenure the Mexes half of the equation started to show some cracks. Unlike Blanc, Deschamps does not have a pair of veteran defenders to pick from but he does have a number of options that could hold on to the role for years to come. Question is which pairing gets the call Friday and beyond.

Getting the band back together on Friday?

The players that Deschamps can call on - Varane, Koscielny, Sakho and Yanga-Mbiwa. The wrinkle for the game on Friday is that if Kos picks up an other yellow card he is out for the Spain match. Makes the game against Spain play a role in Deschamps' thinking. Of course DD and the team cannot look beyond the match Friday. Look at what happened in prior qualifiers when teams...like Belarus...are taken too lightly.

• Koscielny - I do not think he will play Friday. DD will want his full compliment of defenders for hosting the defending World Cup champions Spain next week. He will not risk another yellow card for his Arsenal defender.
• Varane - The Real Madrid defender has a legitimate chance to start, with his play of late for Real Madrid there is not question of his talent as well as his confidence. I just do not see him getting a start in such a game - getting his first cap. 
• So the central pairing will be...Sakho and Yanga-Mbiwa. This pairing makes the most sense for me. Sakho has established himself as a starter for Les Bleus and he and Mbiwa have some games under their belts together for France. Games where they both played well, actually the Newcastle man played very well during those matches. Deschamps will want to lean on a pairing that has some understanding playing next to one another and who will be able to seamlessly handle the qualifier.

What will be interesting to see is, which ever pairing Deschamps leans on, if they play well on Friday - what will he do against Spain? To be determined!!

Allez les Bleus.

Deschamps back to the 4-2-3-1 with some surprises

DD will head into tomorrow's match against Germany with an "old fashion" 4-2-3-1. According to reports look for the Arsenal right back Sagna back on the starting sheet as well as Newcastle midfielder Sissoko lining up for a start. Interesting.

Lloris
Sagna, Koscielny, Sakho, Evra
Cabaye, Matuidi
Sissoko, Valbuena, Ribery
Benzema

Can he run the midfield?

I am a little surprised that we are not seeing a more "muscular" midfield, as I had suggested in my blog post.  Much will be expected of Cabaye and Matuidi to check Ozil in particular. Much like what France did in Spain, look for the PSG midfielder to be asked to do the yeoman's work in the midfield and try to shut down any creativity from the Mannschaft. Cabaye will be the link, but will need to ensure he keeps his defensive responsibilities top of mind. Three things to look for:

• Can Valbuena handle the #10 role? I am not sure he is disciplined enough to hold that spot and with Ribery on the left will he fight his urge to roam a bit on the pitch? Valbuena's showing against Italy was top shelf and he deserves getting the start, but not sure if in the middle of the midfield is best.
• How will the right side function? With Sagna back in the starting line up and Sissoko getting a start...on the right...not really where I envision him long term. Deschamps will be looking at a brand new right side of his formation. How will this work? With Menez and Debuchy sitting on the bench, it will be interesting to see if DD goes to those two if things are stale on the right.
• Is Dechamps settling on Kos-Sakho as his central defense pairing? At the beginning of his tenure, DD leaned on Yanga-Mbiwa/Sakho defensive pairing, which showed much promise. Due to circumstances, DD inserted the Arsenal defender in the back. Without Yanga-Mbiwa on the initial list from Deschamps, is the Kos-Sakho pairing becoming cemented as the #1 choice pairing? Let us see how this works out tomorrow.

It will be interesting to see how France answers these three questions. Of course a fourth question is - can Benzema find his scoring touch for France??

We will know tomorrow!

Allez les Bleus!!

Good win for Les Bleus - sit atop group I with the full 6 points

So Les Bleus sit atop of Group I after day 2 of qualification...mind you Spain only played one game! More on that later. After getting a deserved 1-0 victory away to Finland, France returned to Paris to secure the full 6 points from 2 matches with a 3-1 victory. As always there were some moments of nerviness from Les Bleus, but they secured a much deserved victory over Belarus.

The Good:

Jallet gave France some much needed width on the right

• I realize I might sound like a broken record, but the victory and full 3 points is good. France clearly was the better of the two nations, but you still need to finish and get one more goal than the other side! Les Bleus were able to put 3 past the Belarus keeper. Had Sakho been more clinical on two clean headers from the 5 yard box the score line could have been more flattering. But in the end, maximum points secured.
• The play of the Kaiser Ribery dictated the flow of the match. He scored the final goal to boot, but was very active on his left flank as well as drifting to center of the pitch. His pace and passing put the Belarus defense on its heels much of the game. The French game tends to lean heavily on the left side and no surprise why. Of course for Les Bleus to take the next step there must be a balance...
• Which brings me to another good mark from today the play of Benzema on the right and Jallet. I was skeptical of having the Real Madrid striker align himself to the right of the formation. However what I saw was positive. He actually did keep himself fairly tight to the right wing, allowing space for Giroud and attacking off that flank. More encouraging was the fact that when he cut into the middle, Jallet was making his runs down the right side to support the attack and provide additional width to the attack. He also scored what was a fantastic strike, but really appeared to be a cross gone wrong. But who cares! The result was a goal. While I think Debuchy remains the #1 choice right back, the play from Jallet and the return to health from Sagna as well as the steadiness of Reveillere allow Deschamps some choices for that role.
• Another solid game from the central defense of Mbiwa and Sakho. I realize that the Montpellier captain gave up a penalty, but overall both players demonstrated why Deschamps is entrusting them with securing those spots. Both players seemed to always be perfectly placed on the pitch, anticipate well and are strong in the air and in challenges. Now if only Sakho could learn to finish better! Add to this the play of Lloris, who made a brilliant save at the start of the second half and was unlucky after stopping the PK not to keep the ball out of his net. This trio is a solid back foundation from which Deschamps should be able to build upon.

The Bad:

• I realize it might be a head scratcher, but the poor French finishing remains bad. You might say, but Frog they scored 3 goals! They should have had more. Sakho missed two wide open headers from inside the 6 yard box. Not only that, but too often I felt the French looked to make a pass rather than take a shot on net when they got into the 18 yard box. They have to, especially against a team such as Belarus, test the keeper, look for rebounds or a keeper mistake to score more goals. Against a higher quality side you will not be afforded as many chances, so when you are presented with a clear shooting chance, take it.

The Ugly:

• France's drop in concentration was a tad concerning. After going up 2-0 on a wonder goal by Jallet....okay it was really a cross gone bad...but still was a great goal, Les Bleus seemed to just ease off the accelerator and drop in concentration. This led to the PK and subsequent Belarus goal. Unacceptable! Against any team, once you go up 2-0 you need to look for the 3-0. Or if you are going to play defense, then lock things down. You cannot let a player just make a run within the 18 yard box causing a foul which leads to a PK. Again, against better opponents this will not be allow to go unpunished!

So France end the first round of qualifiers with a full complement of 6 points. Next stop...Spain on the 16th of October. A big match for France to say the least. Could have had even greater implications had Spain not found a last moment winner away to Georgia. Spain could have even lost that match, Georgia hit a post late in the first half! France will have to look to come out of Spain with any type of result - a draw would do them just fine. While many, including myself, think that France will still have to get through a play off to go to World Cup 2014, there is a chance...albeit a small one. Spain cannot feel great after struggling against lowly Georgia, might France be able to take advantage of this? To be determined in 5 weeks.

Allez les Bleus!

Sakho - Kaboul tandem for France v Chile

Looks likely that this, Kaboul and Sakho, will be the defensive central pairing for the match against Chile and might very well be for the Albania match as well. I forgot that Rami was suspended for a game...so Blanc will have to leverage this match to test out his central pairing.

Jumped to #3 in the queue?

Some might say that Abidal should slot back in the center, while he always stated he did not want to do so, he has spotted Barcelona this past season at central defense and done so with great aplomb. However as Blanc points out, his offensive skill on the left flank is something to be taken advantage of. The Chile match takes on even greater importance for the PSG center back as his last matches under the France flag have not been 100% reassuring. Granted it was the end of the season, playing in what amounts to exhibition matches. However, the player that was once seen as the clear "next in line" at central defense, no longer is afforded that luxury. With the likes of Koscielny returning from injury and Varane making the big move to Real Madrid, there appears to be some competition that might be emerging.

I think Blanc will allow Sakho and Kaboul to play the entire game against Chile, similar to what he did with Mexes and Rami from day 1 of his tenure. As a former international central defender, Blanc is well aware of the need for the pairing to develop a level of understanding vital to successfully navigating those waters. Something obviously lost on his predecessor - Dumbenech.

Mexes injury - set back for Les Bleus

Such is life in professional sports...well all sports for that matter. Injuries. There is never a good time for an injury. The latest one suffered for Les Bleus is the torn ACL from France's sweeper - Mexes. He will miss the remainder of the AS Roma season, which means he could have also played his last game for the Rome squad (he is out of a contract and rumored to be heading to England or Milan). Mexes will also miss the upcoming matches for France. Will this be detrimental to Les Bleus? The one match of significance will be the visit to Belarus on June 3rd, otherwise he will miss 2 friendlies. Blanc and Les Bleus should be able to navigate these upcoming games without Mexes, but it is a set back. Why? It has been clear that Blanc is leaning on and building his squad around Lloris - Mexes - Rami. While this trio has looked very solid the past few games, their time together is still under 1 year. With the Euros coming up next year every game and every opportunity for this trio to work together is crucial to the long term success of Les Bleus.

In the near term, Blanc will need to figure out who to pair with Rami as central defender, both options are talented...but young: Sakho and Koscielny. Based on what Blanc did earlier I would see Sakho as the first option. Let us hope for a rapid recovery for Mexes, in the mean time Blanc will need to figure out who is the obvious second lieutenant at central back.

Arsenal making a move for a central defender...too bad the transfer window is closed

Coming to the EPL

Reports coming out of L'Equipe points to Arsenal putting together a bid for PSG defender Sakho. Not a huge surprise that the Gunners are looking to add the young France central defender to their roster. Unfortunately they should have tried to add him this winter if they think they have a legitimate chance at the EPL title. Maybe their lack of movement during the winter transfer is an indication that they do not think they can win the title...or more of Wenger's stubbornness.

Adding Sakho will be a solid move for Arsenal, although I would be torn since he would be leaving PSG - however I always knew that his time in Paris was not going to be a long term situation. Yet will the move be a season too late? Having him for the second half of this season would have bolstered the Arsenal central defense and added depth to a position ravaged by injury - giving Arsenal a chance to challenge for the title. Instead we are left in a lurch, excited at the prospect of adding a young talent, but frustrated that we are penny wise and pound foolish.

I guess in the end that is our lot these days as Arsenal fans.

What formation and who walks out onto the Wembley pitch for France?

Both France and England head into tomorrow's friendly dealing with injuries to their defensive core - Terry and Cole for England and Mexes for France. This might be unfortunate for Blanc and Les Bleus since it would have been a good test for Rami-Mexes to go up against the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard et al. Instead Blanc will have to decide which of his center backs he wants to give some time to against England - Sakho would appear to have the club house lead to start tomorrow. The young PSG defender has all the signs of being a great central defender for club and country for many years to come....maybe that club will be Arsenal soon...

Kaboul has been called up for cover but not sure the Tottenham man will get his chance to earn his first French cap in the town he plays his club football. Or could Abidal find himself back at central defense? That would be the irony of ironies. However I think we will see Sakho - Rami pairing in central defense. Other intrigue - who will start on the right and left of the defense? Reveillere scored some points last match when Sagna had to withdraw and Clichy has not cemented his spot on the left side of the defense. Could we see Reveillere on the right and Abidal on the left? Too be determined.

The midfield will also be interesting - diamond formation or 2 holding players with 3 offensive players? If Blanc goes with the former I could see M'Vila or ADiarra as the holding player with Nasri/Valbuena out on the right, Malouda on the left with Gourcuff/Nasri at the top of the diamond. Blanc goes with the former and M'Vila-ADiarra as the holding tandem with a offensive 3 of Malouda - Gourcuff - Nasri.

As for the striker(s) - Benzema will most likely feature and if he has a strike partner look for Hourau to get another chance to start based on his recent club form. Although I could also see Blanc look to Remy to add another element of pace to the French front line, especially with ACole injured.

I think Blanc will go with the 4-2-3-1

Lloris
Clichy - Sakho - Rami - Sagna
M'Vila - ADiarra
Malouda - Gourcuff - Nasri
Benzema

Blanc will then insert Reveillere and Abidal as his wide defenders for the second half giving the Arsenal tandem just one half of action. Blanc will look to M'Vila/ADiarra tandem to snuff out any offense and attacks that might come from the likes of Gerrard - Lampard. The question will be can the offensive midfield create the space and offense necessary for Benzema to get his goal chances?

I hope we have a good match, but with this "break" being short I fear that both sides will be cautious - although the English might role out a young and inexperienced side, so they may want to make an impression on Capello so that could give the game a spark.

Prediction -  France 0 England 0

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