How is this performance possible ?

[Ballon d'or Identity]

Perhaps I was a bit premature with the "downhill slide" in 02. They did come through their Euro 04 qualifying on a tremendous unbeaten run. Somewhere in and around there though things started to break down.

We had the easiest group a french team ever had, still we managed to struggle at times.
Nobody said a thing at the time, but i've seen all those qualifying matches and it wasn't always pretty to see.

[Nanbawan]

Just curious....you don't agree with me about what part of Euro '04? You didn't think that team was for the most part pathetic?

If you read the beginning of my post, it's clear I think it was far from perfect. So, yes it was pathetic but not only. That's why I wouldn't bag this performance with '02 (strictly). That's all...

Somewhere in and around there though things started to break down.

Well, after Euro04, we knew we'd have some problems with Zidane1co brutally leaving. That's one of the main issue, it was then impossible to gradually bring youth to the team and let them acquire experience since the WC qualification campaign was already looming. Domenech tried to experiment some stuff but we know the end of the story now...



We had the easiest group a french team ever had, still we managed to struggle at times.
Nobody said a thing at the time, but i've seen all those qualifying matches and it wasn't always pretty to see.


OK, but winning all qualification matches was still a performance. But like in '92, it's true it never helps spotting the real flaws prior to the serious things. When the Euro04 started, I was amazed that so many fundamental aspects weren't settled yet in the team and that Santini was still experimentating...Wait, now that I think about it...:eek:

At least, we have the defense line...:o

[Nanbawan]

the dream match was in 2003 in gelsenkirchen when we beat germany 0-3. les bleus rocked. i have lots of corresponents in germany, and they'd call me saying things like germany is a good solid team, but what chance does anyone have against artists like that?

We should have locked Ray on a seat and forced him to watch this game over and over just like in 'Clockwork Orange' ! :D

[Nikogfrog]

Malouda was the one missing against Switzerland. Abidal + Malouda is awesome because they are the only one giving pace to les Bleus.
People are so in despair here that they fell into the Ribérymania plague, but Franky is to be used as a sub for 2 or 3 games,.
Vieira, poor Vieira where are you man ? The only way you get noticed is when you commit stupid fouls.

Hopefully for us Makélélé is in good shape…

Henry alone up front will not work (i am not one of those Arsenal onanists that can be seen thoughout the media) - why ?
Simply because you have to choose between building the team around Henry and giving Zidane the playmaker role. The first choice isn't one as long as Zidane is in the team.
If you want Zidane to be the heart of the team Henry cannot play alone: you have to pair him with Trezeguet (or Saha).

The real choice is: either 1 defensive midfield or 2 ? 4-1-3-2 or 4-2-3-1 ?
The answer is simple: Makélélé should be the one playing.

Barthez
Sagnol Thuram Gallas Abidal
Makélélé
X Zidane Malouda
Trézeguet Henry


X could be Dhorasoo, Govou, Wiltord, Ribéry but not Vieira

Now with that system Vieira is benched and comes in when France is leading, replacing Zidane

Please, Domenech not Henry alone upfront, that'll screw us…

I had the very same thought this morning. Raymondo must drop Vieira (Makelele is in superb shape and can hold the job by himself !!!) who must play as a sub + drop thuram as he is definitely too old. Put in Sylvestre and a triangular midfield composed of Malouda, Zidane and Ribery + Henry and trezeguet up front : That will make a younger, fitter, more affensive team. But I am afraid some players are not ready to give up thieir privileges...and Domenech won't be bold anough to make this kind of choice...

[guignol]

i say leave the same team in place (except malouda on the left) and if it's still 0-0 at half it's diarra and ribery on, viera and zidane off.

and if zizou throws a tizzy, just tell him, yeah, you scored in the WC... but that was EIGHT YEARS AGO!

[Ballon d'or Identity]

i say leave the same team in place (except malouda on the left) and if it's still 0-0 at half it's diarra and ribery on, viera and zidane off.

and if zizou throws a tizzy, just tell him, yeah, you scored in the WC... but that was EIGHT YEARS AGO!

Who gives a sh** if some of the big names don't like being substituted.
I think Domenech hasn't got a choice if he really wants to win this.
The Koreans are going to run until their four lungs run out of order, and with our grand pa side we're going to aganise the way it is now.
Domenech doesn't have to fear to put a big nameon the bench cause if he France goes out early he'll be fired anyway.
He might as well make some changes and be bold for a change.

[Douai]

I still don't get why Trezeguet wasn't playing.We really could have used him.The ESPN commentators were saying that Domenech said Trezeguet wasn't a team player.Is that true that Domenech said that?

[BenP]

Who gives a sh** if some of the big names don't like being substituted.
I think Domenech hasn't got a choice if he really wants to win this.
The Koreans are going to run until their four lungs run out of order, and with our grand pa side we're going to aganise the way it is now.
Domenech doesn't have to fear to put a big nameon the bench cause if he France goes out early he'll be fired anyway.
He might as well make some changes and be bold for a change.

Ribery would be a perfect sub for Zidane around the 60th min.. I doubt Domenech does it that early, though. Or if he substitutes Zidane at all.

[BenP]

i say leave the same team in place (except malouda on the left) and if it's still 0-0 at half it's diarra and ribery on, viera and zidane off.

and if zizou throws a tizzy, just tell him, yeah, you scored in the WC... but that was EIGHT YEARS AGO!

If he's gonna take Viera off, he should bring on Saha or Trezeguet - at least in the situation you mention.

[kakaboypuf redded]

The French players are too overconfident of themselves. You can just see by the way they are moving over the pitch they expect one of them will pull of a moment of magic.

Or maybe they are just exhausted from the long seasons they had. Dont forget they play at the best clubs in the world, with the toughest schedules. Compare it a bit with Brazil. If Kaka didnt have that moment of brilliance and the game stayed 0-0 people in Brazil would also be questioning the team. Other way around, if Henry or Zidane would have had that moment of brilliance, a 1-0 would have satisfied most people.

[Nanbawan]

The French players are too overconfident of themselves. You can just see by the way they are moving over the pitch they expect one of them will pull of a moment of magic.


On the contrary. We're clearly lacking confidence and play with the now proverbial psychological handbrake on...

[sl7vk]

On the contrary. We're clearly lacking confidence and play with the now proverbial psychological handbrake on...

Exactly! Yes, our total lack of confidence is what concerns me. I remember watching the Euro in 2000, and thinking, even in the 90th minute, it's only a matter of time before we get our goal..... Now I just think...... I wonder if we'll score a goal... all tournament? The players seem to be of the same mentality.

I still stand firm in saying that if we don't concede a single goal, we'll go far in this tournament. Our lack of ideas going forward are less of a concern to me then a leaky defense at this point.

[juanca]

hello!

my 1st and probably last post here;)

like the comentator said:

"too many generals and not enough soldiers"

the constant bickering and arguements between players seemed very unprofessional. it seemed like france was NOT ready for this match and truthfully, from a football fans perspective, was really dissapointing to watch.

i mean, im a huge gunners fan but henry looked an amateur and zizou is a legend but his legs are gone, and i even style my own play behind that of viera in his glory days with arsenal, but man, those guys really stunk it up and i think some of them shouldve stayed in retirement.


anyway, france will probably still make it to the 2nd round thanxs to a very easy group. if they dont, well then WOW, suicide never seemed more apropriate.

[Grell]

I too thought France started to lose it in Euro 2004. Against the Swiss we saw one of the worst performances of the World Cup. I just hope France plays better from this point onwards. I too have lost some faith in France, they are no longer packing the killer instict of 98 and 00.

Regards,

Grell

[Gnafron]

Robert Duverne the physical coach from Lyon is known for exhausting players in the beginning but they should all be in very good shape for the 1/8…

Henry alone upfront is a suicide, when you have Trezeguet playing for your nation it's a crime not to use him… For any reasonable person choosing between Trezeguet and Vieira is a joke…
Do we need 2 defensive midfield ? Nope especially if the second one lost his best skills somewhere in Piemonte.

«Il n'y a pas de pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir…»


We should win 2-1 over Korea with a lousy lucky second goal 3 minutes before the end of the game…

We should all write the name of Domenech on a little stone and throw it at him in order to ban our star crossed strategus 10 years out of France…The good old ἐξοστρακίζω from the antique Athens was a clever political institution… :D

[Nanbawan]

[/I] «Il n'y a pas de pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir…»




Thanks. Now, there's no need to define furthermore what Domenech just did with putting the same formation on the pitch tomorrow. i'm coming to a point where I mainly follow France just because it's my country...Merci Raymond !

[mister_dpl]

Why is Henry so inneficient in front of the goal when in blue. He has clear chances at almost every game. Shall we allow him to play with an Arsenal Jersey ?

You know Michael Jordan always played with his North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls shorts....who knows; you might be onto something.

[Pierre-Henri]

The main culprit is not Domenech, but people who put him in charge instead of Paul Le Guen or Didier Deschamps. The federation is guilty of everything here. This is not team France anymore, this is the Adidas-Canal Plus-Carrefour-SFR-Coca Cola-Toyota-RTL* team. The warm-up schedule, for example, was set to please the sponsors, and not to benefit the player's shape. And don't tell me Barthez, Wiltord, Vieira or even Zidane are here thanks to the quality of their play. They are here because big contracts were signed.

Of course, Le Guen or Deschamps would have enough guts to bench infatuated dead-to-soccer millionnaires has-been superstars. While Raymondo is a nice little servant, who does everything the sponsors ask him to do.

Now is the time to burn the FFF. Enough is enough.

* http://www.fff.fr/partbleu/index.shtml

[Ballon d'or Identity]

Why is Henry so inneficient in front of the goal when in blue. He has clear chances at almost every game. Shall we allow him to play with an Arsenal Jersey ?

You know Michael Jordan always played with his North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls shorts....who knows; you might be onto something.

If only we knew why. It's been like that for years. Actually what you saw in the final against Barcelona is what we've been getting all those years from Henry when playing in Bleu.
But i blame the way he always tries to score, with his foot opened, trying to slide the ball the goal keeper's left side.
That's what he always does, everyone knows it and apparently even in Korea they know it from the korean's keeper save yesterday.

[Nanbawan]

The main culprit is not Domenech, but people who put him in charge instead of Paul Le Guen or Didier Deschamps. The federation is guilty of everything here.

I agree with this part, the rest is your theory. Nobody cried that Zidane was in the final selection or even Wiltord. Yet, the fact that Cissé was in the adidas commercial prior to the official selection did not bode well for Anelka I have to recognise. Anyway, beyond which players are selected or not, the way Domenech uses them is an aberration.