France starting 11.

[blackjack]

This team is perfectly suited to a box midfield.

Sagnol-Thuram-Gallas-Abidal
-------Maka-------Vieira
----------Ribery------Zidane
-------Trezeguet------Henry

Not much width is provided, but not a lot is needed either. Henry is at his best when the ball is played on the ground most of the time. Trezeguet has great timing to run onto balls from Zidane. Ribery can drift out to the right wing and create space for Zidane to work his magic. Maka and Vieira are the type of midfielders who can bulldoze people, allowing Ribery and Zidane to do pretty much whatever the heck they want.

[ForeverRed]

Sorry to burst in here just like that but I recently read Vieira's plea for Pires to be called up again despite his difference with Domenech.

I'm a big fan of Pires, would he still figure into France's plans at the WC...with Ribery's emergence, what are the odds that he'll make the final 23 or even get playing time in the finals this summer?

He isn't getting too much playing time at Arsenal becuase he isn't getting any younger but when he has played he has been very good and his chemistry with Vieira and Henry is incredible. I suppose for him to play, it would have to be with his former Arsenal buddies in the line up as well, no?

[sl7vk]

I think Pires isn't going to Germany this summer. Better chance of having Bernard Diomede recalled at this stage.

[navid90]

honestly though pires has almost no pace and he's almost the same as ribery excpet ribery has more mileage left in him and this german experience can help him france austria/switzerland and in africa

[devinnaru]

viera and makalele are both defensive mids, they should not play together. france need offensive punch, and lots of width.

[Stivie_J]

viera and makalele are both defensive mids, they should not play together. france need offensive punch, and lots of width.

may be they can lay together. then u formation 3-2-3-2

coupet

sagnol thuram gallas

vieira makelele


govou zidane wiltord


trezegoal henry

[lefutur]

viera and makalele are both defensive mids, they should not play together. france need offensive punch, and lots of width.

I agree with this. France has been too defensive with Domenech. And our style is predictably up the middle.

[Neo¹]

.............Henry.........trez
........Zidane.......................Giuly
...............................Vieira
............Makalele
Sagnol---Thuram---Gallas----Evra
......................Barthez :p

[sl7vk]

viera and makalele are both defensive mids, they should not play together. france need offensive punch, and lots of width.
Deschamps and Vieira managed to coexist together pretty well!

http://euro2000.nrk.no/bilder/207/franske_vinnere.jpg

[lefutur]

Deschamps and Vieira managed to coexist together pretty well!

http://euro2000.nrk.no/bilder/207/franske_vinnere.jpg

yeah but after that not so good. the world figured out how to play France and the team (and coach) never adapted a new style of play. France needs more creativity going forward. I think Ribery would add a nice spark but I think using a defensive formation with 2 defensive mids is making is more dificult for France to score in today's game.

[navid90]

yeah but after that not so good. the world figured out how to play France and the team (and coach) never adapted a new style of play. France needs more creativity going forward. I think Ribery would add a nice spark but I think using a defensive formation with 2 defensive mids is making is more dificult for France to score in today's game.

you make a very good point. what aobut putting out unexpected line ups with only Zidane being the player that stays but instead of lets say 4 defenders have 3 and more mids or forwards? our attack is very predictable and coaches set up there team to stop that so instead of tez and henry we could have henry and cisse or anelka or w/e the people wouldnt expect like and element of suprise

[lefutur]

you make a very good point. what aobut putting out unexpected line ups with only Zidane being the player that stays but instead of lets say 4 defenders have 3 and more mids or forwards? our attack is very predictable and coaches set up there team to stop that so instead of tez and henry we could have henry and cisse or anelka or w/e the people wouldnt expect like and element of suprise

I'd like to see anelka and henry play together more. that element of surprise was there the last time out.

[sl7vk]

Trez scored a hatrick on the weekend. Not too bad at all....

[guignol]

I would line up like this

-------------Coupet

Sagnol---Thuram---Gallas----Abidal

---------Maka------Vieira

Ribery------------------------Ribery

--------------Zidane

-------Trez--------------Henry

I put Ribery on the right and left because he would be allowed to float to either side of the field with Abidal or Sagnol filling the vacated corridor. replace ribery with wiltord and you're in biznez.

[Nanbawan]

replace ribery with wiltord and you're in biznez.

That's actually France XII...:o ;)


***************************************


I play this line up in PES4 ( yeah, I know but I won't buy a new one every year !) and it works pretty well (even in 6 ✰ mode).

-------------Coupet/Barthez

Sagnol---Thuram---Gallas----Abidal/Evra

---------------Maka/Vieira

Wiltord*------------------------Malouda

----------------Zidane

-------------------------------Henry
--------------Trez/Anelka


*Or Dhorasoo or Giuly or Ribéry if you want.

Pros : lots of scoring opportunities, the team remains balanced and versatile though.

Cons : tiring for the mids, especially Zidane who is almost systematically replaced by Pires (the odd man out) at the end. A system in which you'd better hold the ball and dictate the game anyway.

I've tried Ganu 2 DM solution, safer but less offensive initiatives also. Big advantage : Zidane ends the game fresh as a daisy (I think the programmers of this edition burried Zizou a little bit early).

Let's imagine now a coach who justifies his choices because of a video game. well, that or astrology ! :D

[lefutur]

Trez scored a hatrick on the weekend. Not too bad at all....

"The 28-year-old is just six goals away from equalling the scoring record for a foreigner at the club. Danish striker John Hansen scored 124 goals in the six seasons he played for Juve during the late forties and early fifties.

Trezeguet, in his sixth season at Juve, is ninth in Juve's all-time list of scorers, one place behind Hansen and former FIFA World Footballer of the Year Roberto Baggio, who are joint seventh.

His strike partner Alessandro Del Piero tops the list on 188, having surpassed Giampiero Boniperti's previous record of 182 earlier this month.

Trezeguet said his immediate objective was to repeat his personal triumph of 2001-02, when he finished top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals in 34 games.

His current total of 18 goals in 20 appearances makes him the second most prolific scorer in the division this season, three goals behind Fiorentina's Luca Toni."

[SMSM]

Coupet

Sagnol---Thuram-Squallaci--Gallas---

-------------------Makelele----------
-------Vieira-------------------------
------------------Zizou--------------
---govou---------------------Ribery-
------------------Henry-------------

i hope henry play like what he play with arsenal ..he play great alone in striker and with some help with 2 play like leo and ryes in arsenal ..now gouvo and Ribery can be great with henry ..



but i know french coach he not great ..he want play like what franc fan and news want ..

he play sick like this ..

-------------Coupet

Sagnol---Thuram---Gallas----Abidal

---------Maka------Vieira

wiltord or doraso ------------------------zizo


-------Trez or wiltord--------------Henry

[Andre v2.0]

If I were coach, I'd play:

------------Coupet------

-Sagnol---Thuram--Mexes---Gallas-- (Please, no Boumsong)

-------------Makalele-------
--Ribery-------------Vieira--
-----------Zidane-----------

----Trezeguet----
--------------------Henry---


A 4-4-2 diamond midfield. Having Vieira on the left wouldn't be such a big deal, as You can have Gallas advance the ball up the left flank. Really, with a diamond 4 you can give your fullbacks more of a chance to roam.

As for Mexes, he's really turned his game around ALOT. Probably one of the top 10 defenders in Serie A. A monster on headers. He and Thuram would make Coupet's job alot easier.

[schafer]

Is Ribery (I've seen next to nothing of him) actually that good that he's pushing for a place in France's starting lineup, ahead of Pires, Giuly, Govou, Dhorasoo?

[sl7vk]

Is Ribery (I've seen next to nothing of him) actually that good that he's pushing for a place in France's starting lineup, ahead of Pires, Giuly, Govou, Dhorasoo?

Yes.