France starting 11.

[schafer]

What type of player is he (position, playing style, etc. ) ? Comparisons would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

[SMSM]

well if you you watch chelsea ...i want tell you he like joe cole style..and he play wenger or playmaker or SH ..he can play in left or right ..

and he better ..because he can scored and assest and have fast speed and classic driblle ..if you watch he goal this years you can know what we talk abaute ..

[Andre v2.0]

Just to add what SMSM has said, Ribery is tied for second in total goals (all competitions) at Marseille. Yes, the team doesn't have many stars at the moment, but it certainly says alot that Ribery can have such an impact on the team all the while being not even 23 yet.

He is a bit short, 170cm, but wing players don't need to be over 180cm - It does help though.

[sl7vk]

http://www.youtube.com/player.swf?video_id=tg8j0Z-omdc

A quick clip of Ribery against Nantes... It should say it all.

[Nikogfrog]

mine would be:

Coupet

clerc-thuram-mexes-gallas

makelele - viera
Wiltord Zidane


Ribery - Henry

[navid90]

since we dont have the best winger in the world why dont and domenech is reluctant to pick ribery i dont see how this could fail?- two defensive mids and two attacking mids like a box midfield
Barthez/Coupet

Sagnol Thuram Gallas Abidal/Evra

Makalele-------Vieira


Zidane----------------Henry

Trezeguet ---Cisse/Anelka

[awmhamodat]

since we dont have the best winger in the world why dont and domenech is reluctant to pick ribery i dont see how this could fail?- two defensive mids and two attacking mids like a box midfield
Barthez/Coupet

Sagnol Thuram Gallas Abidal/Evra

Makalele-------Vieira


Zidane----------------Henry

Trezeguet ---Cisse/Anelka

there is no mid support in that.Domensch has aa very hard decision to make here.

If I was the coach ,I wouldn't start both viera and makele as d mid.I don't like that , and takes alot out of the team.I would love to play henry on the left, and ribery on the right and makele as def mid.And for trez and cisse up front.

BTW , cisse can play on the right as he does good with liverpool in that position.

[Metropolitan]

I'm personally hesitating between this :

Sagnol -- Thuram -- Gallas -- Evra
Makelele
Zidane - Pirès
Wiltord ---------------- Malouda
Henry


And this :

Sagnol -- Thuram -- Gallas -- Evra
Makelele - Vieira
Zidane
Wiltord ---------------- Malouda
Henry

In both case, Giuly replacing Wiltord in second half. Personally, I like Giuly better than Ribery.

In the first case, as I know Pirès has few chances to play the World Cup, he could be replaced by Dhorasoo, however, I don't believe Vikash is enough physical to play a World Cup.

[Suss]

there is no mid support in that.Domensch has aa very hard decision to make here.

If I was the coach ,I wouldn't start both viera and makele as d mid.I don't like that , and takes alot out of the team.I would love to play henry on the left, and ribery on the right and makele as def mid.And for trez and cisse up front.



You can compare the Viera/Makalele pairing to the way Juventus plays with Emerson/Viera. Juve doesn't have any problems. Zidane will play a similar role to that of Nedved, while the right side seems to be up for grabs. With Henry up front, France has an even stronger strike force.

[awmhamodat]

You can compare the Viera/Makalele pairing to the way Juventus plays with Emerson/Viera. Juve doesn't have any problems. Zidane will play a similar role to that of Nedved, while the right side seems to be up for grabs. With Henry up front, France has an even stronger strike force.
juve isn't as good team as u think man. If we go against a tough and fast team we will lose.Im really afraid.I think we won't make passed 1st round if we play with this kind of formation.

[Metropolitan]

I've heard Europe 1 today and apparently Barthez has 90% of chances to be picked. If we believe the journalists, it was already sure for them. Obviously, it's the veterans of the team which wanted Barthez to be qualified.

I'm not sure this is such a great choice. Barthez haven't seduced me at all during this full year. And the fact he's been suspended doesn't matter to me. People talk about experience, but sincerly Barthez wasn't especially brilliant during the final of the Coupe de France. Granted he couldn't do anything on the two goals, and those goals, especially the first one, have been scored on defensive mistake... but still. If experience was so important, maybe we would have seen it more in that game.

Actually, that's a bit sad because I know what France has done thanks to him, it's obvious he played a major part in the World Cup 1998 and the Euro 2000 titles, but the thing is simply that I don't know why but I'm less confident when he's keeping French goals than when it is Coupet. Clearly, Coupet has made a much better season than Barthez. And Coupet's frustration in Champions league quaterfinals make me have very few doubts on Coupet's motivation.

[Metropolitan]

After having thought about it again, here's another display which may work well as the starting 11 :

Coupet
Sagnol - Thuram - Gallas - Abidal
Makelele
Wiltord -- Zidane -- Malouda
Saha --- Henry

With this configuration, you get the wings of Lyon, that could be good for the fluidity of game.

Outside those 11. I guess I would pick as the other 12 players of the team

Keepers :
Barthez, Landreau

Backwards :
Reveillère, Mexès, Evra.

Midfields :
Giuly, Rothen, Pirès, Diarra, Dhorasoo.

Forwards :
Trezeguet, Anelka.

[ForeverRed]

From an outside POV I'm wonder just what are Pires's chances of making the team this summer, seeing as how he has been a contributor to Arsenal's great run in the CL and has had a nice end to the season for Arsenal in the league.

[Nanbawan]

From an outside POV I'm wonder just what are Pires's chances of making the team this summer,


Henry&co pressure on Domenech might give him a late chance. It might be the surprise : giuly and Pires back in the group due to good showing in the CL. Unless Ray wants to further stamp his authority on the selection...

[roxbury]

After having thought about it again, here's another display which may work well as the starting 11 :

Coupet
Sagnol - Thuram - Gallas - Abidal
Makelele
Wiltord -- Zidane -- Malouda
Saha --- Henry

With this configuration, you get the wings of Lyon, that could be good for the fluidity of game.

Outside those 11. I guess I would pick as the other 12 players of the team

Keepers :
Barthez, Landreau

Backwards :
Reveillère, Mexès, Evra.

Midfields :
Giuly, Rothen, Pirès, Diarra, Dhorasoo.

Forwards :
Trezeguet, Anelka.

Riberry,Anelka&Saha will gonna call for squad??

[navid90]

After having thought about it again, here's another display which may work well as the starting 11 :

Coupet
Sagnol - Thuram - Gallas - Abidal
Makelele
Wiltord -- Zidane -- Malouda
Saha --- Henry

With this configuration, you get the wings of Lyon, that could be good for the fluidity of game.

Outside those 11. I guess I would pick as the other 12 players of the team

Keepers :
Barthez, Landreau

Backwards :
Reveillère, Mexès, Evra.

Midfields :
Giuly, Rothen, Pirès, Diarra, Dhorasoo.

Forwards :
Trezeguet, Anelka.

louis saha over the likes of Trezegeut?! anelka and cisse are better than louis saha! hes not bad but come on better than Trez??!

[Metropolitan]

louis saha over the likes of Trezegeut?! anelka and cisse are better than louis saha! hes not bad but come on better than Trez??!It's not a matter of who's the best individually, we are not in a video game, it's a matter of who plays the best together. Henry has a very anglo-saxon kind of play while Trezeguet is a lot more latin. Be careful, Henry is a great technician, that's not what I meant, but it's simply that it has never really worked with both Trezeguet and Henry together in front.

Louis Saha has taken the place of Van Nistelrooy in Manchester United, that's not such a lousy striker. I have the feeling it could be a better complement to Henry. I could be wrong of course, but that's my current feeling.

[lefutur]

It's not a matter of who's the best individually, we are not in a video game, it's a matter of who plays the best together. Henry has a very anglo-saxon kind of play while Trezeguet is a lot more latin. Be careful, Henry is a great technician, that's not what I meant, but it's simply that it has never really worked with both Trezeguet and Henry together in front.

Louis Saha has taken the place of Van Nistelrooy in Manchester United, that's not such a lousy striker. I have the feeling it could be a better complement to Henry. I could be wrong of course, but that's my current feeling.

you make a good point. complimentary styles is everything. you can have a team made up of mediocre players that have a lot of chemistry that can beat a team of all-stars if the stars can't play togther well as a team.

that said, Trez and Henry played together at Monoco and were best friends at age 17. by now they should know each other very well and be able to play well together.

there's an interview that shows how close they are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg5iJ--WTW4&search=trezeguet

[Metropolitan]

you make a good point. complimentary styles is everything. you can have a team made up of mediocre players that have a lot of chemistry that can beat a team of all-stars if the stars can't play togther well as a team.

that said, Trez and Henry played together at Monoco and were best friends at age 17. by now they should know each other very well and be able to play well together.

there's an interview that shows how close they are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg5iJ--WTW4&search=trezeguetIt's funny you mention Monaco as I was thinking just about half an hour ago about that great team Tigana had put in place in the mid 1990's. :)

Yeah Trezeguet and Henry are good friends, but it's not as if they've never played together. We've seen several times on the pitch both strikers completely neutralized by the opponents backwards. I fail to see why this wouldn't be the case in here.

The thing is that I believe it wouldn't be that bad if all the focus on the team would be on Zidane and Henry. We have great wingers with Giuly, Malouda and a very under-rated offensive midfielder with Wiltord. Saha or Anelka could become the secret weapon of France as they aren't expected yet. If those players play well, they could surprize everyone and be the offensive solution France is still looking for. Of course, that's a risky bet as they may be tempted to always give the ball to Zidane and Henry which will both have always three guys on them.

Anyway, I told once again that I don't pretend to have the solution, it's nothing else than my personal feeling, but I could of course be totally wrong.

[Nanbawan]

The thing is that I believe it wouldn't be that bad if all the focus on the team would be on Zidane and Henry. We have great wingers with Giuly, Malouda and a very under-rated offensive midfielder with Wiltord. Saha or Anelka could become the secret weapon of France as they aren't expected yet.

Once again, good point there. I think we have some similar sources and I heard on Europe 1 that Henry particularly liked being teamed up with Anelka. This French squad has some ingredients of real quality. Up to the chef to cook something palatable or even delicious if possible. Well, here lies the whole problem in fact. Will the recipe and the execution be up to our hungry expectations...

PS : I realise I could also have done a maestro and musicians metaphore there...:D