Gignac or Toulalan...is Deschamps really thinking of these retreads?

Ahead of this Thursday's French list to face Georgia and Belarus, Deschamps was asked about some old names - Gignac and Toulalan.

The latter since France face the possibility of a shortage in the midfield - Cabaye, Pogba and Matuidi are all facing suspensions. Not sure why the Monaco midfielder is back in the conversation. One area that France is not thin is defensive/holding midfielder. With the likes of Mavuba, Capoue, Guilavogui, Kondogbia and Sissoko not sure that Deschamps needs to really consider bringing back Toulalan into the mix. End of the day I do not think that Deschamps will bring back one of the key players from the South African debacle.

Mentioning the former is really more of a reflection of the continued malaise for Les Bleus when it comes to scoring goals. Hey why not look at calling back Henry or Anelka or Cantona while we are at it...the 800 lb gorilla in all this is the fact France have had issues scoring goals and what is behind this issue is that their "#1" striker has done nothing to help solve this problem. The Real Madrid striker has not scored for France in over ... well it does not matter that is well over 1300 minutes...so is bringing back a retread striker the solution? How is Gignac's profile any different than Giroud? Both are pure #9 strikers, like to play on the last defender's shoulder and have some "fox in the box" characteristics. Their

France's answer for goals?

movements are good, but really confined to the attacking zone, which means you shouldn't expect either to pick up the ball deep and making mazey runs for goals. Maybe Gignac could give Deschamps another option off the bench...but I doubt he really is the answer. Figure that DD would start Benzema, because that is just what France does these days, and Giroud would be the first option off the bench. So Gignac would be the third option, when France rarely plays with more than one pure striker on the pitch at any time. Not sure that makes sense. Rather see a players of the profile of a Remy. Why - he can play center forward or on the wing. Makes more sense for a potential 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation.

The reality is that France and Deschamps are still struggling to find the right combination up front to score goals. As I had written in a prior post, maybe DD should think about leaning on the 4-3-3. Beef up the middle 3 and lean on the likes of Ribery, Valbuena, Nasri, Menez or Payet on the wings to provide the offense. Of course hope that Benezema realizes that he is center forward and does what he is suppose to do...score goals. Bringing back a Gignac is not going to magically solve this painful trend.

Toulalan closer to Siberia than to Clairefontaine?

As the French national team approaches their matches against Romania and Luxembourg they get hit with the injury bug again - Diaby still recovering from a tough tackle this weekend during the Arsenal v Chelsea match and ADiarra had to leave practice after picking up a knock to the leg. So who does Blanc call upon as cover for two of his defensive/holding midfielders? Toulalan? No instead his Lyon teammate Gonalons and Toulouse midfielder Sissoko. The latter is not a surprise he has been part of the set  up in the past, but the former is a bit of a surprise not because he is not talented. I have always been a fan of the Lyon midfielder, but it is a surprise that he gets a call up over his club mate who has much more experience at this level.

Indicative of how Blanc feels about Toulalan?

Zidane back for France!!!

Zidane back with Les Bleus - training under the eyes for other 98ers

Zidane is back for Les Bleus!!! Okay okay it was just a visit from the French legend to Clairefontaine to train with the squad as they prepare for the start of Euro qualifiers. His presence was a morale boost to the players and a chance for many of them to be on the pitch with one of the all time greatest footballers. What is encouraging to me is the fact that Blanc is not afraid to have someone of Zizou's stature come to his training. Granted, they were team mates and won trophies together. But other managers might not be comfortable enough to allow this to happen 48 hours before they start qualifiers. I highly doubt Domenech would have ever even considered let alone permitted this to occur.

From the sounds of it, the presence of another World Cup champion did nothing but give the team an added morale boost and motivation as they prepare for Belarus. Good for them, good for Blanc and happy to see Zizou wearing the blue strip again...even if it is only the practice kit.

On another note, Cabaye had to declare forfeit and was replaced by Saint-Etienne midfielder Matuidi. After the forfeit of LDiarra, Blanc has shown his pecking order for the holding midfielder slot, does this push Toulalan as I had written in an earlier post, even further into international Siberia?

Toulalan finished as a French International...not as crazy as it sounds.

A few months ago the Lyon holding midfielder was seen as a potential future captain for France, today I might argue that his career in blue might be coming to an abrupt end. Why?

• Toulalan is slotting as a central defender for Lyon, a natural place for him to evolve. His defensive work rate is second to none, however he has not added an offensive dimension crucial in the holding midfield role. While there is still room for the "Makelele" role, that requires offensive midfielders of the likes of Zidane, Lampard, Ballack, Figo et al. With Toulalan moving more towards central defense, not sure he is a clear cut choice for France.
• The emergence of M'Vila. Granted he only has 1 senior game under his belt, but the U21 captain was pre-selected for the World Cup so there is something there. Unlike Toulalan, the young Rennes midfielder brings a little more offense to the table. He also appears very comfortable as the single holding midfielder in a midfield diamond.
• Speaking of the diamond formation, the potential usage of Mexes - Rami as the central defensive tandem is another road block for Toulalan. Mexes is very comfortable bringing the ball out from the defensive back and with M'Vila who acts as a high sweeper it allows Mexes that freedom of carrying the ball up the park.  Not sure Toulalan can play a similar role to Mexes and not sure he is a better defender than Rami.

With a 1 game suspension, which is really a 2 game penalty since Blanc did not call him to his squad since he could be played in the first game, will he find himself watching more games as the international season progresses? Maybe. Much depends on  how he does as a central defender, what Blanc wants with regards from his back pairing as well as holding midfielder. However, what might have appeared as outrageous a few months ago, might not be as crazy now - Toulalan not a regular for France.

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.

Toulalan: one of the "leaders" of the French mutiny?

In an other aftershock from the French team mutiny - a player we all thought was one of the "good guys" has now come out and spoken in depth about his participation. Clearly the malaise was no confined to a few players, according to Toulalan he was one of the catalysts behind the infamous letter that emerged from the bus. He has stepped up and said he is ready and willing to accept any punishment that might come down on him and his team mates. Of course current commentator and outspoken former French international, Lizarazu, had blasted the Lyon player. Saying the situation was even worse than once thought. Liza calls out Toulalan's judgment and had always thought of him as a smarter player who would have handled himself better. Ouch. So the soap opera continues to play itself out...how soon can August 11th come? Once France gets back on the pitch and we get a first glimpse of Laurent Blanc as the new manager we can finally put this fiasco behind us.

France v Ireland...the "second half"

We have had over 2 days now to chew on France's 1-0 victory at Croke Park, and now the hard part is at hand - the return leg in Paris' Stade de France. As we all know, France has also suffered some more injuries - Abidal, Diaby and Toulalan all officially out for the return leg. What is a little disconcerting is that France lose two of their options in the defensive midfield as well as their starting center back from the Dublin match. What is absolutely inexplicable is that Domenech has not called up any replacements - Vieira (maybe too awkward after slighting the former France captain from the get go), Flamini, Cheyrou, Matuidi and Mavuba - all available and most have already experienced wearing the French kit. Clearly Domenech and his staff have known about the potential for forfeit of Diaby and Toulalan well before the first game in Dublin....so why not think about having a plan b, get one of midfield options to Clairefontaine, just in case. As Sport24 stated, what if one of the Diarra's gets hurt? France only have the TFC player - Sissoko - as cover right now at holding midfielder. Funny how many were critical of Domenech taking too many holding players and now he might be short at the position! Add to this the loss of Abidal and it is shocking that no player had been brought in over the weekend to at least get 48 hours of preparation with the squad as cover. Equal surprising since most international managers would see the a player(s) having to sit out the match as a great chance to call up players they might want to take a closer look at...even if it is only for 48 - 72 hours. However, once again Domenech appears to be going the unconventional way and feels as if he has enough to navigate the return match. I really hope he is right.

So moving on to the match. The next fear, which we all knew could be a reality, is that the Stade de France resembles a green cauldron with close to 20,000 Irish descending on Paris. This would not be ideal, but everyone knows that the fans from the UK travel extremely well...look at the Parc des Princes during the Scotland - France Euro qualifier...you would think you were in Glasgow! Just a reminder of what could happen -



The strike was a thunder bolt, but pay attention to all the Scottish flags that were ringing the stadium! Get ready to see the Irish green white and orange flags in place of Scotland's blue and white!

I think this will help the Irish cause more than hurt the French cause, but it something not to be taken lightly, allowing the Irish to have a strong fan base to rely on to stir up the emotions. I am not sure if that will have enough of an impact. Can Ireland win? Of course, they are a solid squad and very well coached...plus they are making this a match for the respect of the Irish people.

I think that Trapattoni and his Irish team will start very much as they did over the weekend in Dublin - cautiously. They will let the French take the game and dictate the pace, always looking to counter and secure set pieces. As they showed in Dublin any set piece is license to drive a high ball into the French 18 yard box, the fact that Given was taking any kick in the Ireland defense 1/3 was an indication that we are going to drive high balls from anywhere on the pitch into the French 18 yard box (clearly having your keeper take "goal kicks" from your defense side means you are not looking for precision but rather high driven balls that will force your defenders to deal with this mortar shots). Trap and the Irish will look to leverage the "bend don't break" defense and see if they cannot steal an early goal on a set piece or a French mistake. If they can go into half time up 1-0, they may look to continue this play and try to get to penalty kicks...where everything is a crap shoot. If they go into the half time even 0-0 then Trapattoni will have the next 45 minutes to seek the precious goal, he might decide to go another 20 minutes with a similar strategy and then start bringing in additional attacking options for the final 25 minutes - hoping that the pressure to hold the lead will be increasingly heavy on the French shoulders. I am not sure Ireland can score 2 goals against Les Bleus, not that Irish do not have the talent, but that Trapattoni's style coupled with Les Bleus' defensive posture should not allow for 2 goals from Ireland.

Ireland's hopes should be bolstered by the fact they had at least 3 clear chances against France in Ireland only to suffer poor finishing. If they can just convert one of those chances in Paris, then it is anyone's game.

As for Domenech and Les Bleus, I think they need to go for the coup de grace early, try to get another goal in the first half, make it close to impossible for Ireland. This will depend much on how Gourcuff plays and if he and Anelka can "coexist" running the offense. There have been some grumblings this week that Anelka was wandering into Gourcuff's central area making it difficult for the Bordeaux man to make himself heard during the match. I do not think this is as much of a problem as is reported. I do think that Les Bleus will need to defend better on set pieces, reduce the sloppy passes and take more chances in front of the Irish goal. If they can do all three, they will succeed.

Prediction - France 1 Ireland 1 - Anelka scores in the 38th minute. Keane equalizes in the 76th minute, making for a nerve wracking final 15 minutes.

Hmmmm the solution to France's central defense?

Anyone who watched the Lyon game yesterday in the Champions League noticed something was slightly out of place - Jeremy Toulalan playing central defense with Cris. This was a last minute change when Bodmer had to withdraw at the last minute forcing the holding midfielder to slot back in central defense. Could this be an option for Les Bleus??? It is not out of the realm of possibility, let us not over look the fact Domenech slotted Lassana Diarra at right back for a few matches during Euro qualifying, including a tough match at the San Siro against Italy. Or even, not directly related, but how Wenger used Flamini on the defensive wing at Arsenal. If go further back...Marcel Desailly started as the holding midfielder for Marseilles and Milan, but as his career matured he slotted back to central defense and with Laurent Blanc, created the central defensive pairing that guided Les Bleus to the World Cup and European Cup glory. Could this be the direction for Toulalan??? Why not? Here is why -

• High work rate - one of Toulalan's great strengths is his high engine. His work rate is phenomenal. He would be able to pinch up the field when need be but his energy would never be placed in doubt late in the match if he needed to track down a striker or break down an offensive attack.
  
• Strong defensive positioning - Toulalan has very good instincts at destroying offensive plays and threats. Being a solid central defender requires a great anticipation and vision of the team in front of you. His experience at midfield would translate well into a position where he would be set back further on the pitch so see more of the field.
  
• Tackling ability -Toulalan is a strong tackler of the ball, granted sometimes this gets him in trouble, however he does not shy away from physical contact. Les Bleus do not have that style of play on defense currently.
• Lack of offense - Much like a Makelele, Jeremy is very limited in his ability to add much to the offensive end of the pitch. At times this becomes a negative for the team when opponents do not need to fear any offensive threats coming from his position. Being back in the central defense this need would become inconsequential.
  

Another reason why this might work for Les Bleus, assuming he can make the switch, is that there is strong depth in the holding/defensive - LDiarra, ADiarra, Flamini, MSissoko, Matuidi, to name a few. Slotting back at central defense (again I am assuming Toulalan can do this at a high level on the international and club levels) would strength a current weakness on Les Bleus - central defense while allowing more of France's talented midfielders to get on the pitch.

Why not try it, or at least explore moving Toulalan back one level.

Olympique Lyonnais, let the rebuilding truly begin

So this has been quite the season for OL, they did not win the French League title for the first time since 2001 and they might have finally sold off one too many players in seeing their 21 year old star striker, Benzema heading off to Real Madrid. I was reflecting on the team that Lyon had become and was during the amazing run of 7 straight League 1 titles.

Lyon were at their peak the middle of the decade when the teams made 3 straight Champions League 1/4 finals, losing once to eventual champs Porto, cruelly falling to PSV Eindoven when they should have advanced, and finally being 15 minutes from the 1/2 only to see Milan score a flury of goals to advance to the 1/2 finals. Lyon deserved better in Europe, and based on the players they had and lost should have been a bigger force in Europe. Alas, that team is now history, and the rebuilding truly begins. While Lyon have brought in some large sums of money via selling of players, I just do not see players on the roster or rumored to be heading there that will allow them to find the dominance they so enjoyed.

First, they have one striker - Piquionne - currently, not exactly sure where the goals will come from. Second, their midfield has no more "conductor" with Juninho leaving (granted he was done) and Lyon have no natural replacement. Pjanic and Mounier are expected to one day be the offensive midfielders to carry the game, but they are still young, plus Mounier is rumored on his way out as well! Defensively is where there is the most "stability." Cris, Reveillere, Clerc and yes Boumsong remain, Grosso most likely on his way out. With Lloris in goal, this is the one area that Lyon can build from. The question becomes, how will Lyon compete next season with a revitalized Marseilles, defending champs Bordeaux, as well as others such as Lille, Rennes, TFC and even PSG.

I am not sure that Gignac is the answer for Lyon, while the striker had a fantastic season for TFC, I am not convinced he will fill the boots of a Benzema. Another rumored move is Remy from Nice, a nice player indeed, but they had someone as talented even more so, granted more of a head case, in Ben Afra who they allowed to walk last season. They are also supposedly on the trail of one David Trezeguet, which would be a nice addition, however not sure who would get him the ball since the midfield remains a bit light with no one on the horizon. I think a lot will be expected of the likes of Kallstrom, but not sure he can carry the creative burden of the side. I think Lyon will look very different next season, what a bold prediction that is! They will play a much more defensive style of game, looking to beat teams on the counter. With workman Toulalan and a veteran defense they should be able to defend well, depending on which offensive options they can find - Remy, Gignac, Trezeguet, or unknown - they could be a solid club, but challenging for the title might be, for the first time in a long time, not realistic.

Just for fun, here is a team that you could assemble from the players OL have lost recently, I will play a 4-2-3-1:

Goal - Coupet
Defense - Grosso, Squillaci, Abidal, Essien (playing at left back)
Holding Midfield - MDiarra, Tiago
Offensive midfield - Malouda, Juninho, Ben Afra
Striker - Benzema

Bench - Fred, Kanoute, Baros, Carew, Wiltord, Luyindula, ADiarra, Clement (very offensive minded I realize)

Not a bad side to line up....

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 - 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.