The reason France is failing and won't go far at WC...

[Ballon d'or]

if things remain that way :

When you have so many chances you don't score, then it starts to get to the team's spirit and gives strenght to the opponent that thinks "hey, they seem to struggle, let's hang on and take our chance on every little break we can have".
And that's how you end up with two guys throwing missiles in our nets...twice...out of two chances...in the whole match.

The problem is not Domenech, it would be if we didn't create chances, but remember all the matches we played in our qualifiers and the number of chances we missed against Cyprus, Swizterland, Israel and so on and on.
I mean we could make a best of compilation DVD of all our "greatest chances we blew" with the qualifiers alone.
Had we scored one third of the chances we had yesterday we would have won and we wouldn't have waited the last match to qualify.

Henry had three clear chances with a one on one with the keeper.
And did you see the header at the end ? I mean what does he need to score ?
A red Jersey ?

[lefutur]

I guess the good news is that once a team starts getting a few goals in the rest seems to fall into place. If they keep creating opportunities eventually something has to start going in....I mean its not like these guys arent good at scoring, normally.

[sl7vk]

Listen, the key to winning a World Cup is (for a European nation anyways) is not CONCEDING goals. I'm not too worried about this team scoring, I'm worried about clowns like Boumsong, Silvestre and Barthez botching this thing up for us.

[Ballon d'or]

I guess the good news is that once a team starts getting a few goals in the rest seems to fall into place. If they keep creating opportunities eventually something has to start going in....I mean its not like these guys arent good at scoring, normally.
But it's been more than a year they've been creating chances.
We always end up with a poor chances/goal ratio.
And we can't say we have played real world class teams so far...and we want to win the cup ?
How if we don't score.

[Pierre-Henri]

France is failing ? That's not what Domenech said : good spirit.... blablabla, everything is OK..... blablablabla....... i feel something great going on ..... blablablabla ..... I have all confidence ...... blabla blabla blabla .... I'm glad the defence could not stop slovakian strikers in Stade the France, it just proves how good we are.... blablablablabla .....

As a famous french general said : "nous vaincrons parce que nous sommes les plus forts" (we can only win because we are the best).

It was general Gamelin, and it was in 1939.

[Andre v2.0]

My pet theory for France's continual mediocrity vis-a-vis talent is that Domenech relies too much on a midfield replete with defensively minded midfielders. I have nothing against Makalele, Vieira, Dhorasoo(not necessarily an explicit DM) etc, but I do have a problem if all three are playing at the same time. Or even two. How does Domenech expect to provide decent service for his strikers if only 4 out of his 11 players are responsible for scoring goals?

Also, I think he relies too much on his workhorse vets, who may not have it in the tank anymore, at least not enough to sustain a high level of play throughout the WC. He needs to bring in some in-form young players, Mexes and Ribery come to mind, in order to strike a balance between vets and youth.

[Ballon d'or]

My pet theory for France's continual mediocrity vis-a-vis talent is that Domenech relies too much on a midfield replete with defensively minded midfielders. I have nothing against Makalele, Vieira, Dhorasoo(not necessarily an explicit DM) etc, but I do have a problem if all three are playing at the same time. Or even two. How does Domenech expect to provide decent service for his strikers if only 4 out of his 11 players are responsible for scoring goals?

Also, I think he relies too much on his workhorse vets, who may not have it in the tank anymore, at least not enough to sustain a high level of play throughout the WC. He needs to bring in some in-form young players, Mexes and Ribery come to mind, in order to strike a balance between vets and youth.

You know without the vets we wouldn't be at the WC, plus the vets were pretty good on wednesday.
Our forwards are the problem. When i see Trézeguet's goals in the calcio from any position, and when i see what he misses with the french jersey on ( the swiss chance at the Stade de France comes to my mind ), i simply can't understand.
Same with Henry.

[Andre v2.0]

You know without the vets we wouldn't be at the WC, plus the vets were pretty good on wednesday.
Our forwards are the problem. When i see Trézeguet's goals in the calcio from any position, and when i see what he misses with the french jersey on ( the swiss chance at the Stade de France comes to my mind ), i simply can't understand.
Same with Henry.

Yeah, you're right. I've wondered why Henry seems unable to dominate for France. I remember the last qualifier match, and Cisse had so many chances, but couldn't bury a single one. Cisse has pace, but I think his confidence may be a bit shot since he's moved to Liverpool.

[ilv2]

The problem is not Domenech, it would be if we didn't create chances, but remember all the matches we played in our qualifiers and the number of chances we missed against Cyprus, Swizterland, Israel and so on and on.

We already have another Domenech thread open, but to bring up a more specific discussion: a good manager also serves as inspiration for a team. Be it pre-match planning, half-time team talks, he adds the extra element that should spur the team on drive forward. Mourinho for example, has that ability - in every interview, both porto and chelsea players display a sort of awe and trust towards him that translates onto the pitch. In a sense, they play for him. Domenech is severly lacking in this respect as well as in many others. That's partially why I feel the team plays as a disorganized mess rather than a unified squad.

[Ballon d'or]

Yeah, you're right. I've wondered why Henry seems unable to dominate for France. I remember the last qualifier match, and Cisse had so many chances, but couldn't bury a single one. Cisse has pace, but I think his confidence may be a bit shot since he's moved to Liverpool.

Yes and remember than we only scored four against Cyprus when five were needed, meaning if the Swiss had won in Ireland, we wouldn't have been qualified directly because our forwards no matter who, have to have ten chances to score.

On est mal.

[Ballon d'or]

We already have another Domenech thread open, but to bring up a more specific discussion: a good manager also serves as inspiration for a team. Be it pre-match planning, half-time team talks, he adds the extra element that should spur the team on drive forward. Mourinho for example, has that ability - in every interview, both porto and chelsea players display a sort of awe and trust towards him that translates onto the pitch. In a sense, they play for him. Domenech is severly lacking in this respect as well as in many others. That's partially why I feel the team plays as a disorganized mess rather than a unified squad.

It's true a manager's aura is important, but he's not the one in charge to score. I mean in none of our recent matches have we been outpaced or dominated ( maybe the Czechs ) wether at home or away.
We've always had our fair share of chances per match, and what i know is if only one third ofthose chances had gone in, we'd all be like "Domenech, president" lol.
Wednesday was a proof of that, if Trézéguet, Henry, Vieira, Malouda and co had score at least one third of their chances, Slovakia would have crumble.
Instead of that, we didn't and it gave them confidence.

The manager's job is to do everything in his power to be stable at the back and create chances, which he did.
After that, it's not up to him anymore.

[lefutur]

if things remain that way :

When you have so many chances you don't score, then it starts to get to the team's spirit and gives strenght to the opponent that thinks "hey, they seem to struggle, let's hang on and take our chance on every little break we can have".
And that's how you end up with two guys throwing missiles in our nets...twice...out of two chances...in the whole match.

The problem is not Domenech, it would be if we didn't create chances, but remember all the matches we played in our qualifiers and the number of chances we missed against Cyprus, Swizterland, Israel and so on and on.
I mean we could make a best of compilation DVD of all our "greatest chances we blew" with the qualifiers alone.
Had we scored one third of the chances we had yesterday we would have won and we wouldn't have waited the last match to qualify.

Henry had three clear chances with a one on one with the keeper.
And did you see the header at the end ? I mean what does he need to score ?
A red Jersey ?

Its very easy to panic but we have to remember that Slovakia was very lucky to score on the very few opportunities that they had. Their substutute comes in and on practically his first touch scores with a long shot on his weaker left foot? I mean that is luck!

France were unlucky not to score more goals but it doesnt mean every game will be this way.

[navid90]

lol mayb they dont practice finishing at clairefontaine? i think that if we sit out henry and trez for a few matches and put on for example Ribery/Cisse/Saha up front. this would make henry and trez feel like they need to raise there game up and play more tenaciously because a bunch of "kids" has taken their place.

[KUBI_nu11]

I'm not too worried about this team scoring, I'm worried about clowns like Boumsong, Silvestre and Barthez botching this thing up for us.

You have a really good point here.

[Nanbawan]

Even if i wouldn't qualify barthez as a clown (on the pitch anyway). Maybe he's doing us an Oli Kahn 2.0 though...

[thepundit]

does henry drop as deep for France as for Arsenal? i never see Les Bleus games but that came to mind because i'm not sure that every coach would allow his strikers to drop so deep as Thierry often does in London. also, i think that this deep style doesn't play to Trez very well because he's such a fox in the box type of striker that with Henry playing so deep he wouldn't really have a strike partner at all. it seems like a lose-lose situation. please enlighten me as to how thierry plays for france.

[lefutur]

please enlighten me as to how thierry plays for france.

not as well

but that goal against Ireland was a beaut!

[sl7vk]

not as well

but that goal against Ireland was a beaut!

That beautfull curling goal around Given is why France is going to Germany. Great strike!

[gaijin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5r86ClXkOM

[sl7vk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5r86ClXkOM

That is the one. What a piece of class that was.....