France play a bland mid-November friendly versus Ecuador

Wait, what is that? This was a World cup game??? Really? Well that was 90 minutes of football watching I will never get back - a goalless draw - yuck. Not a huge surprise, France were clearly keeping an eye on the next round and clearly were more interested in getting through the game without hurting themselves. So off we go with the match break down:

The Good:

• France finish first in the group - The qualification for Les Bleus into the knock out rounds was all but a formality. Mathematically France was still at risk for not qualifying, but they would have had to lose by at least 5 goals. Clearly neither team thought 5 goals would be scored combined by both teams. I don't think it can be over emphasized how important it is that France not only qualify out of their group but finish first. After what this team did to itself 4 years ago, this can only be regarded as positive.
• All the French players are available - Phew...no one got hurt...and that was not a guarantee after some of the tackles the Ecuadorian players were dishing out. I got a real scare when Matuidi took a heavy tackle that did not look good on his knee or Digne who's leg was used as a scratching post for Valencia's studs. With Evra sitting and Pogba not picking up another yellow card they will be both be available for Monday's game against Nigeria.
• The Ecuadorian keeper Dominguez was absolutely huge. Granted France's players

  

  Big saves from the big man

  decided to see if they could all shoot right at him, but the keeper was still in the right place and made some strong saves. None bigger than on a Pogba header at the end of the first half. He was called upon to stand his ground in the second half, especially after Ecuador went down a man. He did so and earned himself a clean sheet.
• The only French player that kept his game at a high level - Matuidi. He is the engine for Les Bleus. Found himself on his favorite left foot early on in the game but could not find the back of the net as he had against Switzerland. His clash early on in the game was one that made me hold my breath, even more so when they replayed it in super slow motion. Otherwise he seemed to be the only player who showed up, well other than Lloris. The PSG midfielder is clearly the engine room for Les Bleus. 
• I have to give some good to Sagna as well. I have been critical of the former Arsenal back and the fact I think his crossing is putrid. However, in this game he defended well and had a few nice crosses that should have been better handled by the strikers. Then again maybe the strikers were shocked by the quality of service!

The Bad:

• The effort from France was bad....very bad. I realize that Les Bleus were all but qualified heading into the game. But the effort demonstrated was barely one you would expect from a late season friendly. Of course this is not a blanket statement for the entire team. By no means am I saying this looked  like some of the efforts the squad has shown in prior tournaments - see all matches in 2010 or some from the Euro 2012. I am not as concerned about this as I might have been in the past. Hey they didn't lose!
• I have to call out Deschamps here as well. There were some head scratching moves he made prior and then during the game. I am well aware that I am nitpicking. First I am curious as to why a player that came out of the last game due to injury, got a start in a game that wasn't vital to the cause. Sakho, had to leave the Switzerland game with a strain in his leg. Yet he started this game...and had to be taken out again in the

  

  All is well!

  second half. Maybe DD did not want to play Mangala and Kos together since they have had a great big zero minutes together on the field. But it just seemed a mighty big risk with a player France will rely on to anchor their defense. Second, I am curious as to why Sissoko in place of Valbuena. I certainly understand why DD wanted to sit Le Petit Velo, but why start a more deeper lying player when you had true right wing options on your bench? In particular Remy.  Why not start Remy? Let him get some run in since I have a feeling we might need him down the road. That would have also allowed Sissoko to get some rest, a player who might very well start, but back in the midfield trio. Finally I am not sure about the substitution patterns. Part of this goes back to starting Sakho. But having to bring in Varane, who was sick this week, in place of Sakho seemed to be a waste. I will admit I was harsher on DD when the move happened but I now recognize that he was trying to get Varane and Kos some time on the field together in case he needs to do so later in the tournament. But not sure if this would have been necessary had Sakho been rested. Remy did get on the field, but it felt like it was late. Why not get him a good 30 minutes of time? Just felt as if the substitutions could have been handled better. DD received a lot of accolades for having the courage to change his line up against Switzerland, he deserves some criticism for rolling out a team that just did not click tonight. 
• Schneiderlin looked a little overwhelmed. Understandable for someone getting his first start at a World Cup...he never seemed to get into the flow of the game. Then again there never seemed to be a flow to the game regardless. It is also a daunting task since he is in the slot usually held by Cabaye. I don't think we will see the Southampton midfielder again this World Cup, but someone to keep an eye on as France heads towards the Euros.

The Ugly:

• Benzema and his "finishing": After basking in the glow of his first two World Cup games, he clearly decided to take this one off. He was timid in the air, didn't attack the ball and his finishing touch was...well abysmal.  He looked like the striker that went over 1000 minutes without scoring a goal. Now I am not going to make too much out of this, much like the rest of the team it felt as if he was going through the motions. But it was UGLY.
• Ecuadorian thugs...clearly the South Americans thought they had to try and maul the

  

  How does my foot taste?

  French to get to the knock out round. It wasn't just the leg mauling that Valencia dispensed, but it felt like the entire team was thugging the French. 

Overall a very forgettable game, other than the fact France qualified in first place of their group. I do not believe in the "momentum" notion. All 16 teams that get to the knock outs start all over again. It is all about survive and move on. The silver lining, hopefully, is that this bad game is out of France's system. Every team usually has a not so good outing during these tournaments, better get them out of the way before serious business starts. For now we can enjoy the fact Les Bleus are back in the knock out round. But let's put this game behind us...now!

Allez les Bleus!

Deschamps turning over his starting line up again - 6 changes?

As it appeared earlier this week, it appears that DD will turn over more than 50% of his starting line up from the one that put up 5 1/2 goals against Switzerland (I give Benzema a 1/2 goal for the one he scored at the end of the game!).

The expected line up -

L’équipe probable : Lloris -  Sagna, Koscielny, Sakho, Digne - Pogba, Schneiderlin, Matuidi - Sissoko, Benzema, Griezmann

• Both full backs will be swapped out with Digne and Sagna getting the nods.
• 2 changes in the middle three from the ones that started against Switzerland - Pogba back in as a starter and World Cup debut for Schneiderlin.
• Griezmann back up front...but not Sissoko on the right wing over Valbuena. Interesting. 

Deschamps has always implied that what he likes about Sissoko is the ability of the Newcastle midfielder to play multiple roles - defensive midfielder, wide player and even as a #10 on the pitch. Something to watch, I still see Sissoko as more of a defensive player. Could DD be trying this out to counter some of Ecuador's outside speed? I would have thought that Remy might have been given the start on the right side.

Deschamps is clearly tackling this match as a fait accompli with regards to France's

First taste of the World Cup

qualification to the next round. Which I would agree with. For France to NOT qualify they would have to lose to Ecuador by more than 4 goals and for Switzerland to blitz Honduras. Could happen...very unlikely it will not happen. And it is not as if Deschamps' second options to roll out are chopped liver. It is smart to get some of his bench players some time at the World Cup. I would not have been surprised if he had opted to have Ruffier in net over Lloris. But I have a feeling he wants to ensure his #1 keeper gets time behind the defensive rotation, in case he has to have them in front of him later in the tournament.

If this is the line up that comes onto the pitch tomorrow, it is almost a hybrid 4-4-2 with Sissoko dropping back to form a four man midfield while Griezmann and Benzema act as the two high players. This could be to allow France to absorb pressure from Ecuador and look to hit on the counter. France is almost assured to not only go through but also in the first position in the group, so they can sit back and absorb the pressure. Ecuador is going to look to win this game. They are ahead of Switzerland right now, but they need a result against Les Bleus and hope that Switzerland doesn't. With this potential formation, it appears that DD will roll out a team that can defensively sound, manage the pace of the game and look for Benzema or Griezmann to exploit any counters the French can launch.

I expect Ecuador to start out aggressively, look to find an early goal against the French. If they can somehow spring an early surprise they might be then content to sit back themselves and look to counter through their pacey players. If Les Bleus can weather a potential offensive push early from Ecuador, both teams might sit back and play cautiously until the second half. Depending on what is happening in the other game the pace of the second half might take on a much different look. I also think that Deschamps will want his side to look for a result, keep their positive momentum going. But what he certainly wants to avoid is to create a situation where his defensive gets exposed - and where questions start to arise.

Look for Remy, Mavuba and Giroud to get some time in the second half. Depending on the situation I could see Pogba being taken off for Remy who would slot to the right and allow Sissoko to drop back to the middle three. Mavuba could replace Matuidi and Giroud in for Benzema.

I look for a very cautious first half, but a much more open second (much like many of the other games this week). France keep their momentum going but Ecuador gives them a run for the their money.

France 3 - Ecuador 1

Allez Les Bleus!

The luxury of 6 points heading to last group game - Deschamps with more changes?

Now it appears that a starting central defender might be out for the Ecuador game for France...but it isn't Sakho. Instead it appears that the young Real Madrid central defender Varane might be out. From what appears to be a bad stomach bug, maybe drank some of the local water,Varane appears to be out for the last group match. Add this to the yellow card accumulations for Cabaye and there are two starters from the first two games that will not be present against Ecuador. From the reports coming out of the French camp, the line up for Wednesday might be very different.

• Back to Griezmann over Giroud? Appears this might be the case. If so, not a big fan of this move. In a way we know that this formation works, with Griezmann a natural left winger. But there is something intriguing about having both Giroud and Benzema on the pitch together. In addition, this match I expect Ecuador will pack the in back and look to hit on the counter. A perfect type of match for a player like Giroud who offers a good target man in the box.
• The first start for Schneiderlin? This would be very interesting. A player that the English press was at times falling over itself to find a way to have play for England. Would DD want to put in the Southampton midfielder in over Mavuba who appeared to be the like for like replacement for Cabaye? I like it. Let us see how the midfielder

  

  Ready to start in World Cup for Engla...err France

  would function in the role usually held by Cabaye. He would also bring some height to the line up - something Mavuba doesn't have. Morgan might be needed later in this tournament, if France progress, so get him some run.
• The fullbacks - seems like DD will go with his secondary options for right and left back. With Sagna and Digne starting over Debuchy and Evra. This would protect Evra and his yellow card, as well as getting Digne some World Cup action. Important considering that Evra's yellow card would still be hanging over his head in the first know out game...I do not have any concerns with either starting.
• Going back to a 4-4-2? It appears that Valbuena will sit, hmmm. I am okay resting Le Petit Velo, but doing so to go a very defensive midfield? Not sure about that. I would accept sitting Valbuena and having Remy or Cabella given the start out on the right wing, sticking with a 4-3-3, this might be the case since in another formation DD inserted Giroud and Remy in place of Benzema and Matuidi - that would most likely see Giroud as the center forward, with Remy on the right, Griezmann on the left.

The potential line up -

L’équipe probable : Lloris - Sagna, Koscielny, Sakho, Digne - Pogba, Schneiderlin, Matuidi - Sissoko, Benzema, Griezmann

We have another day of training so all this might change. But it appears that Les Bleus will roll out a very different line up and potentially formation on Wednesday.

Allez les bleus.

France v Paraguay: match #2 for Les Bleus, some questions remain

After the flattering 4-0 win over Norway, you would think that France are already in the 1/4 finals at the World Cup. Yes it was a very encouraging win. Coming on the heels of the remarkable 3-0 win against the Ukraine and then the 2-0 win against Holland, it appears that Les Bleus are moving in the right direction. They are. However there remain some questions with this squad.

• Injuries - Benzema reassured everyone that he is fine and will be ready to go. Fingers crossed. Varane seems to be taking normal precautions and I don't think there is anything to worry about. The real question, or fear, is how De Kaiser's back is doing. I am speaking of Ribery. His back remains a real concern, one that Deschamps has not been able to calm fears over. Per World Cup regulations, France have until 24 hours before their kick off against Honduras to replace the Bayern Munich winger from the roster. The fact we are even discussing that rule is concerning. This makes

  

  Let's hope it is a thumbs up with your back

  Griezmann's play that much more important to observe. How does he handle the left side of the attack? Based on what we saw last week against Norway it is positive...but one cannot assume a pattern based on one data point! Let us hope that the Real Sociedad winger continues to improve on his form and that De Kaiser's back allows him to go to Brazil.
• The right side of the formation. I alluded to this in my last post, and it is something I have harped on for a long time - France leans to the left (on the pitch but I guess also in politics...). Even without Ribery on the pitch, the French seem to launch most of their attacks down that flank and even the right sided players, like Valbuena, tend to drift over there. While I like Debuchy as the right back since he brings a legitimate offensive threat from his right side, I have to agree with the Gooner, his defense is a little suspect at times. And without his right winger there to help with the defensive and tracking duties, it leaves that side vulnerable. Norway exposed some of that early on in the game but did not have the talent to really exploit it. For this reason I think the door remains somewhat open for Sagna. Why? While his crossing ability drives me crazy...due to his lack of success...I cannot argue that defensively he is a beast. Does DD sacrifice offense to shore up the right side of his defense? But in doing so he makes France even more left leaning. Alternatively he could also instruct the likes of Cabaye to cheat to that side of the pitch, giving more cover for the likes of a Debuchy.
• Can the offense continue to show some bite? France's last few matches have shown some good snap with the offense. Can this continue? Much will depend on how Valbuena runs the creative side of the formation. As well as how the 3 holding midfielders continue to be able to jump up offensively. I also think we will need to see some distance shooting from Cabaye, which would really open up the game - forcing opposing defenses to extent themselves, thereby opening space for Giroud or Benzema. 

 Look for Les Bleus to come out with a similar formation as they had against Norway. One change will be Lloris in goal as the captain. We might see Sagna in place of Debuchy, but not sure. Giroud up front again unless DD wants to get some more time for Remy in that slot. Paraguay should be  slightly tougher opponent than Norway, clearly DD wants to get some run against a South American opponent, no surprise that the three friendlies are against a nation from Europe, South America and CONCACAF. See France's group opponents.

As with the last match, first priority - no injuries (see what happened to Italy yesterday) Second is to continue the good run of form from the last matches. Finally get plenty of players run during the game. As DD did last match, use all of your subs, get as many players some game time as possible.

France draw 0-0 against Paraguay. Yes bland, but I think France come back down to earth and we see classic friendly match between a team that doesn't really want to be there and one working through preparation.

Allez les Bleus

France - Belgium a goalless blah game

After a decent day of friendlies, where every game say some goals...except for Wales v Ireland and France v Belgium. Yuck. Granted the France game had plenty of opportunities for some goals. Watching the game just got me more frustrated with Les Bleus and scratching my head with regards to any solutions...but let me try to extract something from the friendly:

The Good:

• Difficult to extract much good. Not losing their 4th straight game is one silver lining. France was on a terrible run of 3 straight lost matches losing to Spain, Uruguay and Brazil. Getting a draw is not the worst thing, especially on the road to the 10th best nation in the world (yes Belgium is 15 spots ahead of France!) Of course this is the 4th straight game France has failed to score a goal, more on this later.
• Belgium...looked solid. I do like the fact Les Diables Rouge are relevant again in world football. They have some talent on this side. A midfield with Fallaini and Hazard, an up and coming world striker in Lukaku and a solid defensive back 4 anchored by giants

  

  Reason for Belgium's optimism

  Kompany and Van Buyten. Their remains a question in goal, although Courtois did the necessary to maintain his clean sheet. However it is far from certain this is the next JM Pfaff. There is some rumblings out of Bruxelles that this side could actually challenge in a year for a World Cup title...not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Based on how they are currently built I might see them as a dark horse and could seriously make a run to the semi finals of the World Cup (assuming they qualify and get a decent draw).
• I have to said Abidal looked decent at center back. I am not ready to put him in the conversation for French center back, but he did not seem to miss a step. Good first step, but I rather see him on the flanks.

The Bad:

• France might as well start all center or left sided players...because the right side is useless. I realize this is nothing new. But even I was shocked at seeing how much the French game leaned left. It was so ridiculous that there were a few times when Ribery found himself standing right next to either Benzema or Valbuena. At one point it felt like Payet, who had also drifted in that direction, realized that he was suppose to be the right winger and scampered back to the right side. It is as if there is some invisible force that pulls the ball and then all the offensive players for France to the left. There were a number of times where I saw Sagna, all alone, on the right flank, flapping his arms like a wild turkey...yet getting zero service. It got so bad that Belgium just overloaded that side, forcing the likes of Ribery to dribble at 2-3 defenders. Or at times he would run into his player...who was also on that left side. Bad bad bad.
• Once again France gave up too many opportunities to Belgium, that fortunately they could not capitalize on. Kos makes a huge gaff in the middle of the penalty area where De Bruyne completely missed the frame, otherwise he seemed to have a goal sitting on his boot. Lukaku missed a couple of close range goals as well. France also gave up a 5 v 2 on the 25th minute...all terrible terrible gaffs. Belgium should have capitalized on at least one of these opportunities. These were correctable defensive problems for France...but they seem to have been the same issues Les Bleus have suffered for seasons. Unless France can somehow recover from these issues they will a)not go to Brazil b)if they do get there...wouldn't do much.

The Ugly:

• Goals...or a lack thereof for Les Bleus. We are pushing 1200 minutes since the last time our #1 striker has put a ball in the goal. That is UGLY...not how a team wins anything. And it is not just him. France have not scored since they put 3 past Georgia, let's not get too excited. It isn't even that they are not scoring, but they do not seem to even get any real opportunities to scoring a goal! Listening to the game yesterday on ESPN 3, you would have thought that France had made themselves a handful of chances. Not sure. The one real "chance" I saw was late in the game when Giroud tried to one time a left footed volley from inside the penalty spot...only to kick it into row Z. Otherwise the few other "opportunities" came when Ribery, Valbuena or Benzema took on the entire Belgium defense to take a difficult shot on goal. But France never really threatened Belgium's goal...ugly.
• Speaking of lack of goals...the offensive flow for France was ugly. Like what I mentioned earlier about the left side of the French offense this was just a small part of a greater lack of offensive flow. France seems to be looking for some consistency to their offense. Ribery is France's only real world class attacking player. But he is a left winger. There has to be a balance - someone to either bring more offense on the right side and or a true central midfielder. Someone who can pull the strings, hold the ball up or play faster...not sure Valbuena is that player. I think he would be better served on the right wing with a more classical central midfielder pulling the strings in the middle

  

  Probably missed this 1v1 as well...

  of the park. Not sure France have that player...Nasri? Martin? Gourcuff? None give me a huge amount of confidence. Grenier could be the next in line...to be determined. France gave us a slight glimpse of a decent balance of attack when they had Ribery on the left, Nasri in the center and Valbuena on the right. But that only seemed to work for a game or two...not really a wonderful sample size. 
• Okay this is an easy one, and is a continuation of the above but Benzema and his lack of goals is getting to be beyond ugly.  It has become so painful to watch and I think more than just for the player. Why? His teammates clearly know he is on a major scoring drought. There were situations where the ball should have been switched to the opposite field but instead it was forced to Benzema, to try and get him a goal. Of course it did not work. I feel as if the Benzema era is sliding into failure territory. No team can hope for success if their #1 striker cannot score goals! It might be time to sit him and give Giroud or a youngster their chance. 
• Sagna and his crosses...once again left much to be desired. He had the space in his channel, but as usual his crosses were awful. Granted he didn't always have great options. But if there is no one there, don't cross it!!! Hold it and wait for options. Ugh.

So Les Bleus leave Bruxelles with a drab 0-0 draw and once again could not score a goal. Ugh. One take away from the match is France cannot function in a 4-2-3-1. Why? They do not have the discipline to stay in the channels - too often with the game leaning left you saw Valbuena drifting too far left, or even Payet finding himself there. This took out the entire right side as well as drawing the defenders to that channel. Benzema drifts back too much as well, adding more congestion. Because of this clustering, when the ball gets lost it tends to go back the other way in space. When your central midfielder, left winger and striker are all within 5 feet of one another there is space behind them that gets exploited. Not good. Add to this the strength France has in the holding/defensive midfield position and I believe Les Bleus should think about the 4-3-3 as the formation of choice.

The formation can also evolve into a 4-3-2-1. With the likes of Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi, Capoue to name a few, you have a wealth of options of midfielders who can offer a strong defensive line in the midfield, but one that can also carry the ball up the pitch. It would also allow the three high line players more space. A line of Ribery on the left, Benzema in the middle (even thought I am calling him a failure he might do better in this formation) and Valbuena on the right would have the space to do their thing - meaning float around the pitch. Players like Cabaye, Matuidi and Pogba, to name a few, have the ability to jump up into the offensive end and contribute goals and opportunities. Now if France goes with this formation, it will also force the left and right fullbacks to be more offensively savvy - not sure Sagna gives you that on the right not does Clichy on the left.

Let's go Deschamps, muscle up your midfield, play counter attack football. That is the talent you have available, play to your strengths and stop trying to find different results from the same formation that is not working.
 

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!!

Sagna out at RB for Les Bleus - Debuchy #1

After this weekend's Arsenal clash, France right back Sagna suffered a broken leg which will keep him out of the Euros for sure. This paves the way or at least makes it easier, for Lille's right back Debuchy to get the starting nod for Les Bleus. Lauren Blanc will be announcing his short list of players over the next few days, look for the Frog's thought on that in a later post, but the right back slot looks certain. Without Sagna in the picture, Blanc will most likely take Debuchy and Reveillere as his two options to man the post. The question becomes who will start, my vote is for the more offensive minded Debuchy. Sagna's injury could have another result, the Arsenal man might lose his spot as France's #1 right back if Debuchy has a good tournament as well as boost the Lille players value on the transfer market.

Blanc plays it safe - 1 nil to Les Bleus?

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

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

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

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

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

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

France 2 - Albania 0
Goals from Ribery and Benzema

Allez Les Bleus!!!

France v Croatia - back to the future?

After a successful, albeit bland, win last week versus Luxembourg, France will play a friendly versus Croatia tomorrow at Stade de France. There are many questions as to what line up Blanc will roll out? He has declared that he will make some changes to the team that walked out last Friday, but what changes?

On defense, Blanc has already stated Lloris in goal and Mexes/Rami as central pairing. Wise move. While Mexes and Rami have developed a successful partnership, quickly, it never hurts to give them more games together - the partnership has only been in place since last Fall, not a long time by international standards. Other than these three positions, the other roles seem wide open.

• Clichy back on the left? The Gunner could find himself back in the starting line up after apparently been pushed to third in the peeking order, alternatively I could see Blanc slotting Evra back at left back. Why? Inevitably there will be some strong reaction from the fans geared towards Evra and Ribery for their roles in the South African debacle, better to get it out of the way in a friendly than allow it to linger. Or maybe Clichy gets the start and have Evra come on as a substitute to suffer his slings and arrows.
• Sagna on the right or give Reveillere some time? This one is interesting because the Lyon player is 31, so why does this matter? Not sure if he is in the long term plans for Les Bleus, while Sagna is 3 years younger and should be the French right back for a while to come. Does Blanc want to give a fringe bench player time or allow his starter more time to work with his defensive partners?
• Midfield mixer - I will assume that Blanc will opt again for a 4-2-3-1 type formation, in which case the midfield might see the most change. Will Diarra find his place back in the starting line up? How about the Ribery - Malouda debate? And Gourcuff? I think that we will see the likes of Menez and Diarra out on the pitch. I would not be surprised if Blanc slotted Diarra and Gourcuff together as the deep lying midfielders, maybe playing along side his former Bordeaux team mate
  will be just the formula Gourcuff needs to get back on track. In addition, I think Blanc will slot Ribery on the left with Menez on the right and Nasri in the middle. Allow his team to function with a player who prefers the right (Menez) and one that excels on the left (Ribery). This would push M'Vila and Malouda to the bench.
• Stay with the hot hand up front? Will Blanc start Benzema? The Real Madrid striker has had a great run of late, and could have added to his goal scoring tally against Luxembourg were it not for a slightly better effort 1v1 on the keeper. What about the other strikers? I think that Blanc will want to run Benzema out there for part of the game, see how he does with the likes of Menez, Nasri and Ribery behind him. However I would not be surprised if the other strikers did not get some run in the second half.

I think Blanc will go with a 4-2-3-1, but a more offensive line up than the formation would otherwise indicate.

LLoris
Clichy, Mexes, Rami,Sagna
Gourcuff, Diarra
Ribery, Nasri, Menez
Benzema

I see Evra coming on for Clichy in the second half, Remy in for Menez and Gameiro for Benzema.

Allez les Bleus!!!

Breath of fresh air for Les Bleus - France can truly begin the healing

Le President can finally smile

France scored a famous victory today in Sarajevo defeating Bosnia 2-0 in a game that could have easily been 3 or a 4 goal victory. The win gives Blanc and France a huge oxygen boost. After two consecutive losses under Blanc, and 4 straight losses for France...the first time this has happened to Les Bleus in 73 years! SEVENTY THREE years!!!! If you go back further France have lost 5 of their last 6 games - against the football powers such as China, Mexico, South Africa, Norway and Belarus. France did draw against eventual World Cup 4th place team Uruguay 0-0!!!

So we can start rethinking that Les Bleus might be slowly turning the ship back to the proper direction. Such a victory could not come at a more crucial time for France. Heading into the hostile environment of Sarajevo and coming out with a dominate 2-0 victory can only be seen as an important victory and giant morale boost. As I stated in my previous post, I felt this match was going to be the most difficult on France's qualifying calendar and after dropping all 3 points against Belarus it only became that much more difficult. Bravo for Les Bleus to attacking this match with a level of concentration and urgency that it called for. So what to take from the game:

The Good:

• The full 3 points - I cannot reiterate this enough. France headed into this match desperate to not lose the game, the draw and 1 point would have been seen as a moral victory. Due to the other results of the day Albania and Belarus are leading the group with 4 points - no team was able to grab 2 victories from the first 2 days. This places France right back in the chase to win the group. The next match for France will at home against old friend Romania - a vital match for Les Bleus to continue building on this success with Luxembourg as the second match, France head into these next 2 games with a great opportunity to take a commanding position in the group. Something I could not imagine 24 hours ago.
• The 4-3-3 and the French pressing - After playing with a 4-4-2 against Belarus, Blanc demonstrated what the former French manager could never do...strategic flexibility. Blanc knew he could not afford to drop any points and due to his shortage in the offensive sector he decided to "beef" up his midfield and to defend first and foremost. With a defensive midfield of Diaby, ADiarra and M'Vila, Blanc clearly sought to snuff out any oxygen and space for the Bosnian midfield. France came out from the first minute looking to pursue every 50-50 ball, shut down passing lanes and pressure the Bosnian team into mistakes. With Malouda and Valbuena doing their defensive work back tracking and latching on to Bosnian lost balls, France showed a gear that we have been waiting to see for a few years. Blanc gave us a glimpse of what he brings to the table - tactical flexibility and an understanding that has been lacking for the past 6 years.
• Rami and to some extent Mexes - the central defensive pairing was very strong in this match. In particular Rami demonstrated once again his quality. His personal battle with Dzeko was one sided, in favor of the French central defender, as one article noted he put Dzeko in his pocket. Not a simple victory when you realize that Dzeko is probably one of the best strikers in Europe that no one knows about - let us not forget that the Special One has been in hot pursuit of the German based striker. I have heard some French pundits criticizing both players for their showing against Belarus. However I would caution that these two have played 3 games together, and they will need more time to develop a working relationship which is crucial as a central defensive pairing. What I have seen so far is very promising in my eyes, but they still need time to continue to develop. Aside from Mexes' aggressive play sometimes giving away silly free kicks I am much more encouraged by this pairing than what Domenech had always rolled out on the pitch.
• Le Petit Velo - Valbuena brought a tremendous amount of energy and creativity to the right side of the pitch. Hmmmm too bad Domenech never allowed Valbuena to showcase during the World Cup. The OM play-maker was very active on the pitch. He made sure the French attack was well balanced but also allowed himself to come back to the center of the park and at times to the left allowing Malouda to drift back to the middle as well. He created himself a wonderful chance to score in the second half forcing a save from Hasagic in the 78th minute.
• Benzema - the much maligned Real Madrid striker came to play today against Bosnia. Basically slotted up front as the lone striker, Valbuena and Malouda were more offensive midfielder/wingers. His goal was a glimpse of his talent - controlling a pass in the penalty box surrounded by 3 Bosnian defender, a nice drag back with a quick release from his left foot - not the most perfect shot but the pure goal scorer's strike. He
  
  
  could have had a brace off a cheeky chip from Matuidi that forced a point blank save from Hasagic. Overall the Real striker had 6 shots on goal - including a sizzler in the 11th minute where he beat two defenders forcing a strong save and a free kick that beat the wall but could not dip in time. His showing was exactly what we have been waiting for from the former Lyon prodigy. The only question is can he string a few of these together for France? If so the question of who will take over the offensive duties for Les Bleus has found its answer. I am cautiously optimistic. His talent has never been questioned, just his desire and will. Maybe Blanc and Mourinho can get this type of effort out of Benzema on a regular basis, now that would be something truly special.
• Speaking of maligned players, Diaby also showed very well for himself. In the 4-3-3 he was given the freedom and space to show off his talents. He was sharp on his passing and dribbling. He even gave us a little school ground trickery on the second goal with a deft little back heel to Valbuena. Were his touch a bit on the softer side could have scored a goal on a text book give and go with Malouda putting the Arsenal #2 thru alone on the keeper, only to have his first touch let him down. After a maddeningly quiet match against Belarus it was good to see the Arsenal man shine in this match. Much like Benzema, I hope that he too can string more of these together for France!
• France's ability to finish strong. I do not take this lightly, that Les Bleus kept a clean sheet and finished strong after going up by 2 goals. They kept their composure and the insertion of Matuidi (his first cap, good for him) in place of Malouda was a clear signal from Blanc that he meant to preserve the clean sheet and that even up 2-0 with 10 minutes to go, the game was not over. The Saint-Etienne midfielder showed well for himself with a cheeky chip to Benzema that could have made it 3-0 as well as a diagonal cross to Diarra that the Bordeaux man could not tap in...his play was an example of the team concentrated on properly closing out the game. In past matches...Serbia in Paris during WC qualifiers in particular, France went up 2-0 only to give away a silly goal when they clearly thought the game was over. Or even the match against Romania during the same campaign at Stade de France - after going up 1-0 they seemed to take their foot off the accelerator only to see the Romanians come back and get the equalizer off an Escude own goal. If history is any indicator, every point counts, ever goal for and against is crucial, therefore nothing should be given away cheaply during qualifiers.

The Bad:

• French finishing in front of goal, okay I realize they did score 2 goals which away to Bosnia should be seen as a positive however Benzema should have had a brace, Diaby's heavy touch let him down, Valbuena tested but should have done better with his effort in the second half...Every goal is vital in qualifiers and there were at least 1-3 clear chances for another goal that France should have capitalized on. Against strong quality opponents, Benzema will not get 6 good looks at goal, so he must be more clinical on those he gets, same goes for the rest of the team.
• Sagna's crosses - I realize this is a pet peeve of mine, but for all his ability I constantly get frustrated with Sagna's poor service on crosses. Clearly he is a world class defender and does get up well into the offense but that does no good when his crosses fall sheepishly into the keeper's Nike clad mitts or fly harmlessly into touch. He must improve this part of his game for both club and country.

The Ugly:

• Dropping the full 3 points to Belarus! I realize that match was last Friday, but after this victory those lost points loom large for France. Had they just drawn that game...then again maybe losing that match was what they needed to give us this performance.
• Fans throwing fire crackers onto the pitch. At least Mexes could laugh about it, but it could have caused some serious injury...stupid. For a second there I thought I was watching a PSG game!

A great win for France. Of course I cannot get too far ahead of myself. While Bosnia is a very solid squad, especially playing at home, France did not just go into San Paulo and defeat Brazil 2-0. But a victory and a full 3 points on the road is crucial for France. There remains a lot of work ahead for the squad and Blanc. But France can head into their next match at home against Romania with much needed confidence, they will also have the return of Gourcuff and most likely Nasri.

As I stated before the healing from the disaster that was Domenech would not start in earnest until France won on the field. Les Bleus final have the breath of oxygen so desperately needed. France can leave this international break with a positive view and hope for the matches in September. Something that seemed like a futile wish only 24 hours ago.

The match highlights:



See you in September against Romania! Allez les Bleus!!!

A double dip bottom for France? Les Bleus lose 4th straight match

Sigh...Les Bleus have not won a meaningful game since they defeated Ireland 1-0...that was last year - November 14 2009. The defeat of Costa Rica was a friendly. Otherwise France is on their 4th straight loss - Mexico, South Africa, Norway and now Belarus. Not exactly Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Germany in terms of powerful international sides....alas. So after a day to mull over what I watched here are some thoughts.

The Good:

• Um not much good....but the play of M'Vila once again impressed. The young holding midfielder clearly earned more points and impressed with his pace, defensive presence, passing, intelligent positioning and overall game. As I wrote in an earlier post, this might be the tipping point with regards to Toulalan as an international. M'Vila's game could allow Blanc, once he has his full roster, to play a much more offensive midfield and rely on the young Rennes player to be the primary protection for the back 4. He was impressive starting the second half when he jumped a pass and unleashed a powerful shot, something you would not see from Toulalan.
• Day 1 of qualifying. You have to point to the positives! As much as it is grasping for straws. However we must remember that the qualifiers just started, there are many many more matches to go. France got trounced 3-1 against Austria when they started World Cup 2010 qualification. If France cannot end second in this group then we have bigger problems...sad that finishing second might be the ultimate goal....
• Blanc is running the team not Domenech. I realize that Le President is 0-2 as manager of France. However I still have much more faith in his ability to turn this around. Let us  not forget this was his second match in charge with important players missing. Granted the honeymoon is over or close to over, but at least the person pulling the strings is capable of getting France back on track.

The Bad:

• Goals anyone? France's poor showing in front of goal remains a concern. We cannot forget first, that we are without the services of some important offensive players - Anelka, Henry, Ben Arfa, Nasri, Gignac, Ribery and Cisse. When it comes to the first two mentioned they have retired by choice or due to FFF. But even a nation with as much talent as France does not have a bottomless pit of players. In addition, the players leveraged by Blanc up front had 21 caps total amongst them and 4 goals....Saha 18(4), Gameiro 0, Hourau 1(0) and Remy 2 (0)....a far cry from the likes of the players mentioned.
• The early strategy of playing short corners. Not really sure what the thinking was behind this. With the likes of Diaby, Hourau, Mexes and Rami in the offensive zone why not send crosses in directly from the corner kick?

The Ugly:

• I have stated this before, but now it is getting a little much but Sagna and to some extent Clichy and their crosses. The Arsenal fullback duo are excellent when it comes to their defensive responsibilities - granted Sagna allowed a Belarus break early in the second half because he allowed a player on sides. However what has gotten a little ugly is their inability to provide consist quality in their crosses. Both Clichy and Sagna have the pace and
  
  
  
  
  desire to jump into the offense and get themselves into good positions, but the end result - the cross - leaves much to desired. I don't expect either to become Maicon or Ramos, but being able to provide at least 50% of crosses into a real danger zone would be a huge improvement.
• Dropping 3 points at home. Qualifiers are always a long and grueling marathon, any time you drop any points at home it is not a good thing. Especially when it is against a side like Belarus. A draw would have been a disappointment but at least it would have been a point, but dropping all the points is very UGLY.
• Still looking for a leader. It was clear to me that Les Bleus had more individual talent on the pitch, but there was a clear lack of leader. Not surprising. When Malouda is your most capped player with 57 and the next are all in the 20s for caps you have a very young and inexperienced team - average age 25. It will be interesting to see what changes when players like Ribery, Cisse, Nasri, Gourcuff and Evra are available to return. However Les Bleus must allow a leader to emerge, I think that Mexes and Rami are starting to show that they can provide leadership at the back, but the team will need the Zidane, Platini, Deschamps or Vieira style player that will take the reigns of the team as a whole.

Sigh, so France continues to have problems. Cannot score, lack a leader, still seem to be finding their style to name a few. After 6 years of Domenech we all knew that the rebuilding would be difficult. Inspector Clouseau left the squad in such upheaval that the work needed to bring things back to the proper level was always going to be a challenge. I am sure that none of us thought it would be easy, but clearly not this difficult either.

Big match in a few days against Bosnia. After Tuesday we will now whether or not Blanc and Les Bleus have Mt Blanc to to climb or something more reasonable.

Blanc moving towards a 4-4-2: Menez on the right?

Without the services of his 3 "natural" play-makers - Gourcuff, Ribery and Nasri - it would appear that Blanc is moving towards leveraging a normal 4-4-2 with a flat middle 4. Opposed to the 4-4-2 diamond that was leveraged during the Norway game where M'Vila sat at the base of the diamond as the solo holding midfielder and Nasri at the top of the diamond as the play-maker. 

Blanc will apparently lean on his wide players to carry the play making role, with Malouda on the left and Menez potentially on the right. The other option for the right would be Valbuena. Remains to be seen how Blanc goes with the

right side of the midfield. ADiarra and Diaby will hold the middle 2 slots in the midfield providing cover for the back 4,  wonder if M'Vila will slot in rather than Diarra? Up front, it appears that Hourau and Remy will once again get the nod to start, partially due to Benzema picking up a knock and I am sure Blanc wants to see the tandem on the pitch again.

Finally the back will have the same center back partnership (Mexes - Rami) with the return of World Cup players on the wings and in goal: Sagna, Clichy and Lloris.

It will be interesting to see if the two wide midfielders can carry on the play making for France. The formation might make Clichy and Sagna less free to push high up the pitch. With a striker like Hourau the crosses from the wings will be crucial to unlocking the opposition allowing Remy to play off his position. If Malouda and Menez can carry the game and allow the wide channels to be opened at appropriate times permitting the fullbacks to push higher and send in crosses, this might create the necessary offensive push to bag a few goals.

Probably line up:
Lloris - Sagna, Rami, Mexès, Clichy - A. Diarra, Diaby - Ménez, Malouda - Rémy, Hoarau.

France v Ireland...Yellow cards

Another twist to watch, which will have a bearing on the return match in Paris are the French players under "yellow card" peril - meaning if they pick up a yellow card during the match tomorrow they will miss the Paris match. Those players:

Evra, Gallas, Abidal, Sagna and Gourcuff...um yeah that is the entire, probable, starting back 4 and France's play maker. This could make the return match even more interesting.

France 1 - Serbia 1....mixed emotions in Belgrade

France's best game under the Domenech era? Might be a bit of a stretch since France beat Spain, Brazil and Portugal to get to the World Cup finals in Germany. However it might come close based on all that has happened over the past 72 hours with Les Bleus. France had chances to snatch the full 3 points, but so did the home team. End of the day France will have to qualify via the 2nd place play off, something we all knew was highly likely after drawing with Romania. So let us jump into the game:

The Good:

• The French team will to fight, I was pleasantly surprised that Les Bleus weathered the storm and showed a lot of backbone and resolve after being down 1-0 and down to 10 players. The penalty was questionable...more on this later, but Les Bleus could have easily rolled over and allowed the Serbian crowd and team to complete squash any hope. Rather Les Bleus showed heart and kept attacking, after equalizing they keep attacking looking the more dangerous of the two nations. Les Bleus obviously took chances and realized that 1 point or 0 points were not very different, but getting the fill 3 would have changed the situation. Chapeau au Bleus for this effort.
• France's two veteran strikers - Henry and Anelka - both strikers expended bags of energy and at times tried to take on the entire Serbian defense to try and get the vital goal for the draw and the victory. It was an Anelka long distance shot that led to France's tying goal from ... Henry who pounced on a bobbled handling by the Serbian keeper to gift the Frenchman his 50th goal in Blue. The attacking duo continued their personal assaults against the Serbian goal for the remainder of the match. Anelka in particular was not afraid to try and dribble the defense, in an other game this might be seen as selfish, however under the circumstances the veteran French striker knew he needed to hold the ball, try to make something happen, and not be afraid to attempt long distance attempts at the Serbian goal. Henry did the same from his left side, at the end of the match even slotting deeper to provide some cover for the French defense.
• Speak of which, the French defense needs to be commended. While they appeared a little overwhelmed to start the game, and had to make some desperation defensive plays. Gallas and Abidal worked well together, Abidal making a solid cover late in the first half when Serbia seemed to have sliced through the French defense. Evra and Sagna once again showed their worth on the wings, defending well and adding some punch on offense. Evra in particular was very active on the offensive end. Finally, Mandanda was thrust into a difficult situation and shown a glimpse of what has pundits raving about his ability. The penalty was, clearly, not on him and a well struck kick. After that he settled down nicely, played the ball well with his feet, made a courageous challenge on a through ball into the box towards the end of the 1st half, was more decisive in the air than in previous occasions, and did the necessary on a laser from Branislav Invanovic to keep it from finding the back of the net.
  
• As much as I criticised his regular appearance on the starting sheet, I will have to save Toulalan was good during this game. As Petit said during the commentary of the match, the game actually became perfect for his style of play. Being down a player his responsibility shifted to purely destroying any semblance of offense from the Serbs. Something he is very capable of doing. His work rate is to be applauded. He ran out of steam late in the game when he attempted to dribble out of difficulty being trapped by 3 Serbians. But overall his work rate and defensive ability were vital for France holding on to the draw. Granted, not sure what the French were doing on a late corner passing it to the Lyon player at the top of the 18 yard box where he promptly ballooned a shot over the goal.
• The atmosphere in the 'Marakana' was electric, granted it was slightly ugly the whistling of the Marseillaise, but that is another story. Clearly from the start the Serbian team was feeding off this energy. The camera pans of the crowd was fantastic, the communist built stadium gave the feel of a massive crowd, cheering in unison for a common cause....very socialist! It must something special playing in such a stadium with that type of crowd.
  

The Bad:

• French finishing...yes they go the vital equalizer but they had other chances to actually go up by a goal or even 2! Anelka, always the stiker, had a few chances, especially in the second half to give a simple lay off pass to a wide open Gourcuff in the penalty box, but instead tried for goal. Granted he also put the Serbian keeper in difficulty with his long range shooting but sometimes the pass is more important. Henry had the ball for a 2-1 lead and a brace but smashed it harmlessly into an on rushing keeper. Gourcuff tried shots from distance again, with out much success...other than a surprising direct kick from 35 meters out that forced a scrambling save from Vladimir Stojkovic to put the ball into corner.
• Speaking of Serbian keepers, Vladimir Stojkovic needs to be called out on a shaky game. The Henry goal, falls squarely on the shoulders of the former Nantes keeper. Anelka's shot was powerful, not a screamer, but had some venom. It skipped in front of the keeper, but hit him right in the chest/hands. It was a ball any high level amateur, let alone professional keeper handles with ease (granted I am sure I have mishandled my fair share of similar shots, but I meet neither of the above criteria). There was no screen, no deflection, a clear view of the shot that came from at least 20 meters out. He should have know Henry was pressing on him and if he really had fear of handling the shot, could have easily boxed if to safety. The direct kick from Gourcuff forced a scrambling and desperate save on a ball that should have been a simple catch or deflection. He made a meal of another scramble in the second half, and thankfully 9 of the Serbian players were in the box otherwise France might have added a second.

The Ugly:

• The referee's decision on the penalty and red card against Lloris was TERRIBLE. An absolute awful and ugly call, completely changed the game. Even at game speed it seems that Lloris gets a finger on the ball and the Zigic let his right leg lag behind and then completely flopped. At first I thought the card might go against him for diving! I realize that the referee was enacting the rules of the game as they are written, as the last defender with a clear scoring chance, Lloris' foul was justified for a red card and penalty. It did remind me of the red card Lehman took against Barcelona in the Champions League finals, although that one was CLEAR!! See below.
  
  
  
  
  

• Late game substitutions from Domenech...once again. I understand that Domenech was looking to protect the draw and point when he brought in Diarra for Gourcuff. However I must agree with Petit, why not insert another offensive option? The Serbians were also clearly happy with the 1 point, and as was stated even had France lost it would not change much - they still need results from the last 2 games to secure the 2nd place and get into the 2nd place playoff. So why not go for the second goal the last 15 minutes of the game? I understand the Ribery for Henry substitution, Titi was cooked and you are bringing in another offense player. However why not Benzema for Gourcuff...or even Malouda?? At least Malouda has played as a fullback so you are adding a player with some defensive instincts, but much offensive ability than Diarra. With 9 players, Les Bleus were "setting fire" to the Serbian penalty box, what if they had added a fresh offensive player to the mix late in the game?? Once again I am not sure how Domenech manages late in the game.
  

The result gave me mixed emotions, I was very proud and happy to see Les Bleus fight back in a hostile environment, down a goal and a man early on in the match. I was frustrated that they did not score the 2nd goal that was well within their reach. I was also frustrated that this gave Domenech a life line that he did not deserve. It appears we are headed to the playoffs. It appears that we must live with Domenech for at least another 2 if not 4 games....and if France make it to South Africa, deal with him through next summer. Sigh.

Sagnol retires...merci

Willy Sagnol has announced his retirement from professional football, for the most part this was not by his choice. A nagging injury has caused the Bayern man to leave the scene. A converted winger, Sagnol always gave Les Bleus an extra element when he would come up the right wing supporting the offense. I also think during France's run in 2006 in the Germany World Cup, he was the best crosser of the ball France had. He almost got the assist when his cross to Zidane forced a terrific save from Buffon late in the finals.



Sagnol was an important part of France's success during that run. Unfortunately we might remember him more for staying longer with Les Bleus. During the 2008 European Cup, it was evident that Sagnol and the rest of the old guard could not keep up with speed from teams such as Holland. That should not be his legacy.

Sagnol was a solid international defender. You could always see the influence he carried over from his early days as a winger. He will be missed, but I think that his retirement will allow Domenech to move on, go with Sagna as France's right back.

Merci Willy

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.