More chirping from the Citizen about France snub...good riddance?

One of the biggest snubs for the French national team is, of course, Nasri. The freshly minted EPL champion will be watching the World Cup from a television this summer - the second time this fate has struck. There has never been a question of his footballing talent. From a purely footballing skill perspective, the Marseille native has been looked upon as the potential "next one" for France. Yet it is what is between his ears that has always let him down. Whether it was the supposed disruption he created on the squad in 2008 as part of the "brat pack" or his actions on the pitch after scoring a goal against England in the 2012 Euros, there always seems to be some controversy that follows the mercurial player.

It has also been apparent that he had a difficult time accepting the fact he wasn't the focal point of the French attack. A role that has gone to Ribery and Valbuena. Yet it isn't as if DD has not given Nasri his opportunities to take over the midfield and earn the right to be the

next "#10" for Les Bleus. During a friendly against Australia he gave us a glimpse into what he could be, if he had his head screwed on straight. Alas those showings were few and far between for Les Bleus.

So now the player is threatening to quit the national side. Saying, in part, that what player likes being a substitute? Note to Mr Nasri, when you play for your country, especially one of the likes of France, there are going to be numerous players of world class levels. Therefore starting is never a given...this blogger freely admits making a case that Zidane shouldn't start for France after a poor group showing at the 2006 World Cup (oops). There are no sacred cows. In a way, I think if Nasri takes himself out of the mix for France it might be a blessing in disguise. Addition by subtraction. I had floated this notion a few months back when it looked like Nasri might have picked up an injury that would have kept him out. It is time to stop chasing the Nasri of our hopes and admit that the Nasri of our reality is more of a detriment than an asset for Les Bleus. There are other creative players in the wings, who may not possess the raw skill and talent of Samir but who are better equipped to help a team win.

Now, Nasri please stop spouting off...well maybe that should be directed at your girlfriend. Oh and a side note, before anyone points out that Pat Vieira commented that it was a huge mistake that DD left Nasri off the list...think about where Vieira works now and where Samir plays his club football.

Merci Pat...Vieira hangs up the boots

Not a surprise but Pat Vieira has announced his retirement today, how appropriate on Bastille day! What a remarkable career for one of the most elegant and powerful "box to box" midfielders the game has seen. Vieira will be most remembered for his days patrolling the midfield for the Gunners. He played 371 games for the Gunners, scored 32 goals, won 3 Premiership Titles, 3 FA Cups and was part of the invincibles. He will also be remembered for his battles with Manchester United's Keane.



One of my favorite pre-game tunnel bust up. Neither player would back down in these confrontations...too bad Arsenal do not have some of that bite anymore. Maybe Cesc can start yelling at Ferdinand next time Arsenal play Manchester United (assuming Cesc is still on Arsenal and Ferdinand is healthy...two BIG ifs).

To me Vieira was France's greatest holding/defensive midfielder. Not only was he a crunching tackler and enforcer in the middle of the park, but he could chip in big goals, was clinical with his passing and was a true "box to box" midfielder.

One aspect overlooked was his leadership at the 2006 Germany World Cup when he stepped in to carry the team when Zidane was suspended. He scored the opening goal versus Togo to get France on its way to the run to the finals. He also latched on to a Zidane free kick late in the Spain 1/4 match to give Les Bleus the lead, and sprung Ribery end of the first half to score the tying goal.



I will always contend that it was his injury and need to be substituted out of the finals that was the real turning point for the match - he would have been one of the penalty kickers and having a healthy Vieira finish out that game might have sprung the goal that France seemed destined to getting before the head butt! I am also certain that he was not in the planned substitutions and took away one of the substitution options late in the game. Alas his hamstrings had other ideas for Les Bleus.

Vieira has been one of my favorite players to watch. His combination of pace, power, skill and toughness were invaluable for both club and country.

Merci Pat. Too bad Arsenal could not have bottled some of that leadership to be used the past few seasons.

Vieira back to the Premiership

Pat Vieira is heading back to England...with the Citizens. Surprise surprise. The rumors of Pat leaving Inter have been rampant for the past 2 seasons, he clearly was not in the Special Ones' long term plans. Then again at 33, Vieira is a far cry from the #4 that ran rampant for Arsenal. He has been plagued by injuries for the past few seasons and can no longer be expected to play 90 minutes on a regular basis. He is also coming back to a league that is faster than the one he has been in for the past 3 seasons. So will he make an impact? I think so, as long as the expectations are grounded in realism.

He is still one of the toughest tacklers in the business. He remains a strong leader on the pitch and in the dressing room. If Vieira accepts, and he should not really have a choice, to be part of a rotation with Barry and De Jong in the holding/defensive midfielder role then Manchester City will have some great depth at that position. This is something a team such as Manchester City will need to achieve their high goals.

It will be good to see Vieira back in England. I have faith he will have something to say when it comes to Manchester City's fortunes. I wonder if Onuoha will give up his #4 ...

France v Ireland World Cup Qualifiers - Domenech makes his list

So the list for the 2nd place play off for the World Cup is out for Les Bleus...no major surprises but some interesting formations/situations may arise. First the list:

Gardiens de But

Cédric CARRASSO	Girondins Bordeaux
Hugo LLORIS	Olympique Lyonnais
Stève MANDANDA	Olympique de Marseille

Défenseurs

Eric ABIDAL	F.C. Barcelone
Aly CISSOKHO	Olympique Lyonnais
Julien ESCUDE	FC Seville
Patrice EVRA	Manchester United
Rod FANNI	Stade Rennais
William GALLAS	Arsenal F.C.
Bakary SAGNA	Arsenal F.C.
Sébastien SQUILLACI	F.C. Seville

Milieux de terrain

Abou DIABY	Arsenal F.C.
Alou DIARRA	Girondins Bordeaux
Lassana DIARRA	Real Madrid
Yoann GOURCUFF	Girondins de Bordeaux
Florent MALOUDA	Chelsea F.C.
Moussa SISSOKO	Toulouse F.C.
Jérémy TOULALAN	Olympique Lyonnais

Attaquants

Nicolas ANELKA	Chelsea F.C.
Karim BENZEMA	Real Madrid
André-Pierre GIGNAC	Toulouse F.C.
Sidney GOVOU	Olympique Lyonnais
Thierry HENRY	F.C. Barcelone
Loïc REMY	OGC Nice

There are really no major surprises with regards to who was included. Cissokho has been touted as the next French lateral defender to get his chance. With the injury to Clichy, clearly the door was open for the Lyon player. I am sure it did not hurt that his club has been doing very well in the Champions League, giving the defender great exposure at a high level. Clearly the defender has had a fairy tale story - a few seasons ago he was in Ligue 2, got picked up by a 2nd tier club in Portugal only to find himself at FC Porto...and last season he was the target for Milan only to find himself at Olympique Lyonnaise where he is clearly establishing himself as on the the best lateral defenders in France. The latest rumor is that some of the big fish in England may be interested in securing his services. And now he has received a deserved call up to the French national side...quit an interesting few months.



What is really glaring are the names that are missing.

Let us start with Vieira. Clearly Domenech is not convinced that the France captain is fit enough to include in his list. For once I am in agreement with the French manager. I am a huge Pat fan, as I had blogged about in the past he is the best holding midfielder France has ever had. However, he has become very injury prone, not something that easy to over come the way he plays either. At his best he was a true "box to box" midfielder, could level a bone crunching tackle, slot a surgical diagonal pass and score the crucial goal all in a days work. Many point to the Zizou head butt as what did France in during the 2006 World Cup finals...I say it was Vieira having to be substituted out due to a hamstring injury - this took out one of Frances PK shooters, forced Domenech to put in Diarra when I am sure he was not in the substitution plan and eliminated one of France's best players for the tournament. He was absolutely huge for Les Bleus during that run - scored the crucial goal against Togo and set up the second goal, scored the winner against Spain, and partnering with Makelele formed the defensive cover to allow Zizou to roam freely in the midfield.



Having said all that, I do believe his time with France has come to an end. It was a huge risk to take him to the Euros where he played 0 minutes. Domenech cannot and should not chance it during the home and away match up against Ireland. Will Pat be fit to play in South Africa if France make it...not sure. Maybe a full season with Inter will demonstrate how much more he has left in the tank. But I fear it will not be enough.

Another ommission is Mexes. Unlike Vieira, Mexes is at the height of his prowess. He appears to have been completely banished from Les Bleus...which I think is absolutely insane. I have little faith in Escude. I realize that the Sevilla defender had some poor luck against Romania, however I just do not see it when he has played for France. Yes he is good in the air...but so is Mexes. I realize he plays his club football with Squillaci so there is some understanding there, but right now neither he nor Mexes have had great showings for France recently. However the upside for the Roma player is much higher in my opinion. I think Mexes-Gallas is the central pairing that could and should work, but only if they are given the time to develop - in practice and during matches. Granted the next two games are not the time to experiment, but since I doubt that Escude will see the field for either match, why not have Mexes at Clairfontaine?

Ribery is also absent. However since he is not 100% - probably out for another month. So clearly not an option. Gomis was left at home in favor of Remy. Not entirely surprising since the Nice striker might be a good option holding up the right channel, not something in Gomis' repetoire. No Nasri, again he has picked up full competition recently so probably not enough football in his legs to warrant a spot. No Boumsong...oh wait that is GREAT!

Without the Kaiser, the French formation almost sets itself - Henry should be on the left side (assuming he is 100% himself), allowing Gourcuff in the middle with either Gouvou/Anelka/Remy on the right. Benzema/Anelka at the point. Lass and Toulalan as the holding midfield. With the usual back line - Evra, Abidal, Gallas, Sagna. It will be interesting if reverting back to the 4-2-3-1 will slow down what appeared to be a more attacking minding French side with the 4-4-2...

Vieira in Chelsea Blue????

Wow, the latest from the Sun - Chelsea might be interested in Inter's Vieira! How strange would that be to see Pat wearing the Chelsea kit? Then again that would hearken back to the days of old at Stamford Bridge - when Chelsea was the retirement home for internationals!

Back before Chelsea became a spending machine due to the Siberian Money Bags - what I liked about Chelsea was the fact that players such as Deschamps, Petit (who also made the cross town switch from Arsenal to Chelsea), Zola, Gullit, Vialli and Desailly to name a few would end their careers in the Chelsea blue. If Vieira heads to Stamford Bridge that would just add to the retirement home concept. Maybe Chelsea can bring back the kits with "Coors" as the sponsor!

France's list for the upcoming World Cup matches

So Raymond releases his list of players for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Romania and Serbia, two matches that represent the key matches in France's World Cup campaign. So first the list:

Gardiens : C. Carrasso (Bordeaux), Lloris (Lyon), Mandanda (Marseille).
Défenseurs : Abidal (FC Barcelone, ESP), Clichy (Arsenal, ANG), Escudé (FC Séville, ESP), Evra (Manchester United, ANG), Fanni (Rennes), Gallas (Arsenal, ANG), Sagna (Arsenal, ANG), Squillaci (FC Séville, ANG).
Milieux : A. Diarra (Bordeaux), L. Diarra (Real Madrid, ESP), Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Malouda (Chelsea, ANG), Ribéry (Bayern Munich, ALL), Diaby (Arsenal, ANG), Toulalan (Lyon).
Attaquants : Anelka (Chelsea, ANG), Benzema (Real Madrid, ESP), Gignac (Toulouse), Henry (FC Barcelone, ESP), Rémy (Nice).

Nothing surprising, the main pseudo surprise is the absence once again of the captain - Vieira. However this makes sense, why? France will be playing 2 games in a week, both of which are crucial in determining if France qualify or at least keep their ability to qualify alive in Group 7. Vieira has started playing again for Inter Milan, but he is far from being 100%. He has not played the full 90 minutes in many months. He is really, at best, a super sub for Inter Milan and spot starter that cannot be relied up for more than 45 - 60 minutes. Domenech and Les Bleus cannot risk that what happened in Romania last year occurs again...Vieira gets hurt in warm ups and cannot play at all. This smells as if it is the end of Pat's international career, althought Domenech will not state this publically...which he cannot.

However I do not see how Vieira comes back. If France plays well over these two matches and puts themself back in the lead of Group 7 or at least secures their position as the runner up, can Domenech look to reshuffle a successful line up to make room for an aged and injury prone Vieira for the next games? And will Vieira regain a semblance of his old self over the next 10 months to get him to the World Cup? On the other hand, if France stumble over these next 2 matches, fall further behind Serbia and maybe back into a dog fight for the #2 spot, will Domench...or the new manager, want to rely on the same player for games that either will not matter or be of even greater importance? There will probably be a need for a major overhaul to attempt to either save the campaign or prepare for the Euros.

In both situations the likelihood of Vieira coming back and playing a crucial role for Les Bleus appear to diminish with every passing day. It is not as if you want to get Vieira back into the line up for Euro Qualifiers after the WC....I highly doubt that Pat even thinks he will continue to play internationally after South Africa next season one way or another.

I have never hidden my admiration and respect for Pat. He has been, in my opinion, the greatest defensive/holding midfielder France has ever had (my post on who the top 5 were)...but all great players move on. We will see the #4 strip grace the pitches for France again, but I fear it will not be Vieira carrying it on his shoulders.

Other observations on the selection:

The Good:

• Diaby - no surprise there. His two goal game against Portsmouth teased us again with regards to his worldly talent and potential, now if he can only stay healthy. What drives me crazy about Abou is that he could be a midfielder in the mold of Vieira - a box to box midfielder who can tackle, pass and score. Granted he is less talented defensively than Vieira but is more of an offensive force....but the injury bug visits him too often.
  
• Clichy - joins his fellow Gunner on the side, a deserved call up, too bad there is Evra and Abidal competing for his post. But never a bad thing to have such depth.
• Malouda - The Chelsea winger is back in form, he could be a valuable cog to Les Bleus just like he was during the last World Cup.

The Bad:

• Goalkeepers - Domenech must determine who is the #1 for Les Bleus. All three keepers are solid, granted the #1 should be Frey...but that boat has sailed. Mandanda? Lloris? Let us figure out who it is and stick with it. Granted none of the keepers has stepped up and earned the role. But if this is not resolved it will be very bad for Les Bleus.
  

The Ugly:

• Um no Mexes? Why oh why is he not being worked into the team? Granted when given the chances earlier during the campaign he did not shine. But he is too young and too talented not to be given another opportunity. Just having him work with the team in practice would be worth selecting him. I am not sure why Domenech teases us with calling him up and then not calling him, starting him then letting sit on the bench...ugh. What really drives me crazy is if any of the defenders need to drop out of the team guess who will get the call up???? The donkey Boumsong!
  

I will be very interested to see if Ribery starts, and if so where does he play? On the left side where he prefers? Or on the right to make room for Henry? Then what about Malouda? Here is how I think they should line up:

Mandanda
Abidal - Gallas - Escude -Sagna
Toulalan - LDiarra
Malouda - Gourcuff - Ribery
Henry

Let the Malouda - Abidal combination work on left side, they played very well together there for Lyon and for Les Bleus. Ribery might not start, so potential Gignac could slot in on the right side and Ribery be a late game sub. I opt for Henry over Benzema or Anelka because while he has not taken over big games in tournaments, Henry has stepped up in qualifiers - at Ireland against Lithuania...games where goals were needed he got them.

France's World Cup is going to be determined during these games. 4 points at the minimum must be earned, but really the full 6 are needed if they want to avoid having to play the runners' up play in game. It is going to be a long few days.....

Arsenal rumors abound!!!!

Oh my, Pat Vieira coming back to northern London??? Really? As every article mentions, and I will as well, the last time Pat kicked a ball wearing the #4 for Arsenal coincided with the last time Arsenal won silverware - the 2005 FA Cup finals, literally the last kick of the game when Vieira struck the winning PK against Manchester United.



What struck me from watching the video was the number of seasoned players Wenger had at the time on the squad - Ljunberg, Vieira, Pires, Edu, Lauren....granted not all of them needed to stay, but wonder if Arsenal would have fared better had Wenger kept some of his 30+ players.

I digress, back to Vieira, on the surface I like the idea. I am a huge Pat Vieira fan. He was at the core of the success of those Arsenal teams in the 90s. He was a "box to box" midfielder a player that could win the ball on his end with a hard tackle and then carry it into the other side of the pitch with ease. He would even chip in a number of goals on his own. More importantly he was the steel of the Arsenal teams, all one has to do is look back to his encounters with the other hard man of the EPL during those days - Manchester United's Roy Keane. However the Vieira of today is pales in comparison to that combative Gunner. Age and the rigorous of his position have taken a toll on him. So what would he bring were he to return? Clearly he is no longer the galloping force he once was, and he really needs to be managed in order for him not to break down. Could he play a similar role Makelele did during the last few seasons for Chelsea - playing in the big games, being rested as much as possible? To me that is the best for Vieira. Wenger would have to manage his appearances very cautiously, and really look to Vieira to be a manager on the training ground to be a leader in all facets of the game for his young Gunners. If Vieira is expected back in Arsenal to once again control and dominate the middle of the park, I fear that we will all be disappointed. If Wenger looks to Pat to play 50% to 70% of Arsenal's games and use his experience with the team in the dressing room and training pitch, then it might work.

On another note, interesting that the rumors around Wenger signing De Rossi. While the Italian has pledged his future to AS Roma, sometimes those are the signal that the player is on his way out. Glad to see Wenger read one of my earlier posts about players he needed to sign! I hope that Wenger is serious in the pursuit of the Italian. I also think that should not preclude him from pursuing St Etienne's Matuidi nor Vieira. De Rossi could be used higher up the pitch, shouldering Cesc, allowing a rotation of Vieira, Matuidi and Denilson in front of the back 4. When Arsenal want to milk away a lead or play more defensive, De Rossi could slot back and becoming a second holding midfielder. With a De Rossi and Vieira on your side, you do not have to concern yourself with where does the "toughness" come for your team...again maybe too much to hope for, but one can always dream!

Question is....if Vieira comes back to Arsenal will Cesc give him back the #4 kit???

Domenech announces his list for the Argentina match

Domenech finally announced his list for the upcoming match up against the Albicelestes. Here is who we will be seeing on the Marseilles pitch -

GARDIENS : Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Cédric Carrasso (Toulouse)

DÉFENSEURS : Eric Abidal (FC Barcelone/ESP), Gaël Clichy (Arsenal/ANG), Julien Escudé (FC Séville/ESP), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal/ANG), Philippe Mexès (AS Roma/ITA), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal/ANG), Sébastien Squillaci (FC Séville/ESP).

MILIEUX DE TERRAIN : Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid/ESP), Jérémy Toulalan (Lyon), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Samir Nasri (Arsenal/ANG), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich/ALL).

ATTAQUANTS : Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea/ANG), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Thierry Henry (Barcelone/ESP).

At first pass I like this list...primarily because no Boumsong! Thank goodness. But I know what will happen, one of the defenders will bow out because of injury and Domenech will decide call up the Lyon defender as a replacement and then will play him the full 90 minutes. Ugh.

The Good:

• No Boumsong.
• Carrasso is the only fresh face on the team, but a deserved call up. He has been playing very well for French side TFC. Having looked at Pele from LeMans during the last go around, I will give Domenech credit for using these opportunities to look at different keepers. He clearly will give the keys to the team to either Lloris or Mandanda, but is covering all his bases. As he demonstrated during the Euros, he is not afraid to use the third keeper slot on an up and coming talent.
• Strength at central defense while that is usually not something I will say is the case for Les Bleus recently, having Gallas, Mexes, Squillaci and Escude all together is good. Why? I see the natural pairings of Gallas and Mexes, Squillaci and Escude (both at seville now). Hopefully Domenech will have enough time during the training sessions to see if these two pairings work well. Again no Boumsong makes this a possibility.
• I like the fact Nasri is back in the fold. He has been playing well for the Gunners and deserves the chance to make a case for him to be on one of the wings for Les Bleus.

The Bad:

• No Savidan, while this is not completely unexpected, after his first appearance for Les Bleus you would think he deserved another look. I am not sure that Briand is a better option up front.
• No Vieira, this is not really bad, since Pat has just started training again with Inter. What might be bad is that we may never see Pat again playing for Les Bleus.
• Abidal, I am not sure where he will slot for the team. I have lost faith in his ability to play central defense let alone on the flanks of the defense. I realize that with Clichy, Fanni and Sagna, Domenech goes 2 deep for both the left and right side of the defense. However since this is a friendly and in a pinch he can slot Diarra on the right or left of the defense why not take this as a chance to look at another defender, maybe Adil Rami from Lille.
  

The Ugly:

• Surprisingly I do not see any real ugliness with this selection. Of course this will change if anyone drops out and Domenech decides to call up his binky - Boumsong.

Overall there are no real surprises on this roster. I think the team will have a very familiar feel, with a 4-2-3-1 formation -

Keeper: Mandanda (or Lloris) - both are solid, neither has solidified his role as #1.
Defenders: Clichy, Gallas, Mexes, Sagna - I think it makes sense to play 3/4 of the Arsenal defense. It will be important to see if Mexes and Gallas can work together in the middle.
Holding midfielders: LDiarra, Toulalan - this should be the holding duo for the next few years for Les Bleus. ADiarra, Flamini and eventually Blaise Matuidi will be capable second in commands.
Attacking midfielders: Nasri, Gourcuff, Ribery - I would like to see these three on the pitch together, althought I can also see Henry slot back on the left wing.
Striker: Benzema - This might be a tough call, Anelka could easily slot in this spot or Henry, depending on whether or not Titi will slot back to the left side. However I think that the young french star should be given the chance to lead the attack.

This will be a very difficult game, Argentina is bringing their big guns - Messi, Tevez, Aguero, Gago, Mascherano, Zanetti to name a few. The test for Les Bleus will be how will the defense hold up against the dangerous Argentine attack. This will start with Toulalan and Diarra, if they can hold the midfield and slow down the attacks through the midfield the back 4, which is shaky, will have less pressure. I also think this will hinge on how well Gourcuff can hold the ball up front and control the tempo of the game, I am sure he will be matched up against a Mascherano, this will be a stern test for the young Girodin.

I think this is a good test for both sides. Unfortunately for Les Bleus I still think there are too many questions of the defense. Facing such South American fire power will see a similar result as last time they faced off - Argentina 2 France 1 - Messi and Tevez for Argentina, Nasri for France.

The inigma that is Pat Vieira....

On one of the many web feeds I get, I saw a headline about Pat Vieira and the fact his career with Les Bleus might have come to an end. That got me thinking about the future of Pat, at least with regards to international football. Bottom line...I think we have seen the last of #4 for Les Bleus. Why? A couple of factors -

• When you play for your nation, you really need to look at the viability of a player being able to play at a high level in 2 year increments. Simple math - World Cup and European Cups - these major events give nations a two year window for players. In my opinion, if your player may not be able to play in the tournament, do you really want to rely on them for qualifying? Maybe for a game here or there, but you need to ensure that not only do you qualify, but that you develop the team that will carry you in the tournament.
• Injuries, Pat has not been the model of health for the past few seasons. Every since he left North London he has be fraught with nagging injuries, even having to opt out of the Romania game minutes before kick off due to a knock he picked up during warm ups. The fact that Pat was selected for France during the Euros and played exactly zero minutes is indicative of the injury bug he has been cursed with at this stage of his career. It is suicidal to go into a major tournament with a member of your squad that might not even play due to injury, let alone a player you want to build your midfield around.
  
• Other strong options at the holding midfield role - Toulalan, LDiarra, ADiarra, Flamini just to name a few. One cannot overlook the rise of Blaise Matuidi with St Eteinne. A player that is seen as the next generation of strong holding midfielders in the mold of Makelele. Didier Deschamps has been harping on the midfielders ability and talents, saying he is one of the best players in Ligue 1. When it comes to holding midfielders, I think Deschamps has some first hand knowledge of what it takes to succeed a that position. With all this talent at the holding midfield position, shouldn't France opt to build around one of these pairings rather than hope that somehow Pat regains the form of his glory years?

I think the writing is on the wall for Pat. I pray that Domenech learns from the mistakes Lemerre made during the 2002 world cup...and....Domenech made during the German Euros, holding on to the older generation. Vieira has been one of the greatest players France has played. When it comes to greatest holding midfielders for Les Bleus, I might have him planted at #1. My rankings -

1. Vieira - intimidating tackler and defender. Gets the #1 slot because he was also a goal scoring threat, see game versus Spain in the World Cup as well as the last group game against Togo. During his glory days there was non better a true "box to box" midfielder.
   
2. Deschamps - hard not to give him the #1 slot, but the "water carrier" as Cantona called him, was a hard tackler, controlled the midfield and was a solid captain. Look at how he completely outplayed Dunga in the 1998 world cup finals. He was the cornerstone for the great run Les Bleus enjoyed from 1998 - 2000.
3. Tigana - hero from my youth. I remember watching him play during the 1984 European Cup, it was his incredible work rate that allowed Platini and Giresse to free lance and add their touch in the midfield. His sheer will power won him the ball and set up the cross that allowed Platini to score the winner against Portugal in the 1984 semi finals.
4. Makelele - he did not achieve the lofty levels he did whilst at Real Madrid or Chelsea. Scary that he was left off some sides because of the incredible talent ahead of him - Deschamps, Karembeu, Petit...but was the tackling force for Les Bleus in the World Cup in Germany.
5. Petit - Petit was a forgotten man during France's run in the 1998 World Cup as well as the qualifying campaign for the 2000 European Cup. Manu was perfect shouldering Karembeu and Deschamps in the midfield for Les Bleus. With the amazing talent of Zidane, France was able to play with 3 holding midfielders, but made the system work was that both Petit and Karembeu had more offensive ability than traditional holding midfielders. The one added element for Petit was his threat to score goals and take free kicks.

I hope we see Pat one more time in Blue with the #4 emblazon on his back. I realize seeing him play on the South African pitches might be a long shot, and actually highly unlikely. We may have seen one of France's greatest players step down from the big stage, but what a run he had for Les Bleus.

Si tu quite, merci Pat!

Arsenal down and out?

Bad news from North London with Cesc suffering a ligament injury causing him to potentially miss up to 4 months. Ugh. Does this spell the end for Arsenal's quest for silverware this season? The Gunners were already desperately thin in the midfield and losing their best midfielder will not rectify that situation. Will Wenger go out and buy a replacement? I am sure he will look for one but who is out there that is an equal replacement? Here are some ideas...some are off the wall I will admit:

• Sessegnon from PSG. The Benin midfielder is very versatile he can play the #10 role or lie deeper to sit just in front of the defenders. PSG just bought him over the summer transfer window so not sure they will want to see him go especially since he is a key to PSG's turn around this season However PSG is under a tight financial situation so if the price is right, they might decide to allow him to leave. It was rumored that Wenger was looking at the player this summer before he left for PSG so it is clear the interest is there. Could the Cesc injury be the motivating force behind going out and purchasing the player?
• Toure...Yaya that is. Arsenal has always been linked to the international midfielder. Would Wenger go out and pay the money necessary to secure his services? Barca is leading the league in Spain and has a chance to capture another Champions League title so they might be hard pressed to allow their midfielder to leave, plus he would be unable to play the Champions League for Arsenal.
• Here is a crazy idea - Vieira ... Pat has never been the same since he left the Gunners. Rumor is he is breaking down under the difficult training tactics by the Italians. He is also being forced to play out of position - wide and not in the central role he excels at. Could he be had for short money? Allowed to come back to the club that made him a star? Crazier things have happened, but he could be a good stop gap for the rest of the season.

Wenger seems to believe he has the necessary resources within his own club already, but I doubt that since he was thin with Cesc...without him it is almost disastrous. Come on Wenger show your genius talent assessment again this transfer window!

Another friendly or a chance for a change?

Les Bleus will head into a difficult friendly today versus South American nation - Uruguay in Paris. Domenech, as usual has announced an interesting list of players for the match (the original list):

La sélection française :
Gardiens :
Hugo Lloris (Lyon)
Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Yohann Pelé (Le Mans)

Defenseurs :
Gaël Clichy (Arsenal)
Julien Escudé (FC Séville)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United)
Rod Fanni (Rennes)
William Gallas (Arsenal)
Philippe Mexès (AS Roma)
Bakary Sagna (Arsenal)
Mikaël Silvestre (Arsenal)

Milieux de terrain :
Alou Diarra (Bordeaux)
Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth)
Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux)
Samir Nasri (Arsenal)
Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon)
Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan)

Attaquants :
Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)
Karim Benzema (Lyon)
Jimmy Briand (Rennes)
Thierry Henry (Barcelone)
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Steve Savidan (Caen)

Escude, Sagna and LDiarra are already out due to injuries...of course Boumsong was called back into the squad...why I am not sure. But some thoughts:

The Good:

• I like seeing Fanni back in the roster, he will most likely start for Les Bleus on the right side of the defense. He has shown some talent for both his club Rennes and for France when he has had the opportunity. Many have compared him to Thuram, not a minor comparison to make, while this is a lofty stature to live up to I think that Fanni can do so. Does this mean that Sagna is out? No. But I think France should be in good shape on the right side of the defense for years to come.
• Speaking of the defense, the left side is in good shape as well. Evra and Clichy are both world class wide defenders. Clichy final opened his goal account a few matches ago for Arsenal so should be full of confidence. Evra remains a constant for Manchester United. I would like to see Clichy starting on the left side for France, but either player would be a valid option. I think that Clichy has shown he works very well with Nasri and that would be a good combination to develop for Les Bleus...more on this later in the posting.
• Speaking of Nasri, I have been reading some comments about how Gourcuff has done better in two matches for France than Nasri, even thought the young Gunner has been more hyped. I would beg to differ on that statement. While I am an unabashed fan of Gourcuff, I am also a fan of Nasri, but not in the middle of the pitch. I think that France needs to leverage Nasri much as Arsenal does, on the flank leveraging his pace and talent to widen the pitch. I realize Henry appears to be the favorite on the left but is he really the long term solution? While he should still be effective in South Africa, if France makes it, he will be on the back half of his career.
• Vieira, I like seeing Pat back in the squad. Now let us hope that he actually gets on the pitch. I think it he is the true leader of the squad, but same as Henry he might be getting close to the end. So while a good thing for this match, not sure a long term solution.

The Bad:

• Um Jean Alain Boumsong ....what is Domenech doing???? Why? What is going on...I am not sure what to make of this. I am without words. Boumsong is terrible. He should never see a France kit unless it is when he is on the Champs D'Elysee at the Adidas store. There are other players that should get a chance to show their wares in the middle of the France defense. If he gets on the pitch rather than Mexes I will go bananas.

The Ugly:

• Boumsong...he is just terrible. I'm sorry I just cannot believe that he still has a place on the French team.
  
• The keepers, This is not a criticism of Pele, Mandanda or Lloris, they are all solid keepers and I think they are the future of the French national team. But what is ugly is the situation with Frey. Frey is clearly one of the top 2 keepers in the Serie A, it is really between him and Buffon. Yet, Domenech treats him as if he is a second string keeper for the LA Galaxy, forcing Frey to renounce on the French national team and then during a press conference Domenech goes on to say that Frey is always selectable....um....ok. Hey Domenech learn some personal skills and give us some reasons with your rhyme. Frey should be France's #1, Mandanda and Lloris the back ups. Landreau should also still be in the mix. Once again Domenech is showing his questionable strategy/tactics/tact when it comes to his team and players. I am sure that Deschamps would have brought back France's best keeper into the mix.
  

France should go out with the following squad:

Lloris/Mandanda

Clichy, Mexes, Gallas, Fanni

Vieira, Toulalan

Nasri, Gourcuff, Ribery

Benzema

Let us see if we can get the old guard - Vieira - back into the mix. Let us try out, what I think is the attacking future for France, Nasri - Gourcuff - Ribery - Benzema. I think the second half we can test Anelka up front with Henry on the wing. I think the real area to be tested is the defense, and more specifically the middle of the defense. The wide defenders are fine, there is talent and depth there, it is really the middle of the defense. Who will be the one to partner with Gallas? And who will be the long term option? Mexes is the clear option, he is one of Italy's best defenders and should be a main stay for the French defense. I think the Uruguay team will be a good test for France, they are not a top tier nation but will offer a stern test for France.

Prediction - France 3 Uruguay 1: Benzema 2, Anelka 1.