Sometimes I feel as if Spain's golden generation which won so much between 2008 and 2012 was something of an accident. Nothing leading up to those three consecutive major titles suggested that La Roja was poised to become an international footballing juggernaut. Mind you, players like David Villa and Xavi were absolutely world-class. It's always hard for new, younger players to attempt to emulate the exploits of an outrageously successful generation. It's interesting to note how many European nations have taken to naturalizing foreign-born players in an effort to remain relevant in the global football fraternity.
Credit needs to be given to Deschamps for the way he managed these 2 games. He played everyone in the group except for the 3rd string goalkeeper and was able to get credible performances out of nearly everyone. The "b-team" versus Denmark was actually pretty well thought out. Martial was pivitol to the attack with his blazing speed and good linkup play with Giroud. Even the often criticized Sissoko turned out to be a good choice in midfield. Deschamps was also rewarded for trusting Digne on the left flank. And Schneiderlin was effective as both a holding midfielder and a more advanced mid in the Armenia game. Its even starting to make sense why DD has been so adamantly supporting Benzema this whole time since he looked like different player when he was getting close support from Griezmann. DD was smart to switch Valbuena to the left and Griezman to the right so that they would have a tendency to play more centrally to be on the dominant foot and thus play closer to Benz. And lastly he gambled on Lass Diarra and that was also a huge win for DD. What's even better is that Deschamps still hasnt even tried other combinations in attack such as Martial-Benzema-Griezmann or Martial-Griezmann-Valbuena
Sometimes players are more appreciated in a foreign league than in their home country. I remember how Sebastien Frey had a lot of Italian admirers when he played for Parma and Fiorentina, yet he could not break into the French national team. There was a rumor that Griezmann considered playing for Spain before eventually opting for Les Bleus. I think this stemmed from the fact that he made a very quick adaptation to Spanish life, learning the language, and even having a Spanish girlfriend.
Yes, he was only 14 when he left France for Spain. Not too many players are prepared to leave their friends and family at such a young age to maybe become a professional footballer in a foreign land. I think his success in Spain is a testament to hard work, determination, and having a good head on his shoulders. Speaking of rejection, David Villa was initially denied opportunities in Spain due to concerns about his relatively small size. I think it's fair to say that that spurred him on to become a truly world class striker, the kind of serial goalscorer I'd like to see France start producing.
Well that's all well and good, but why does that matter? This is supposed to be international football, where you represent your country, your homeland. Frey couldn't break in to the team because he was rubbish whenever he played, and there was fierce competition for the #1 shirt. Should Ryan Giggs have played for England? I'm sure the Mancs loved him 1000x more than any Welshman did. You play hard, play well, and bide your time. As long as the manager at the helm is smart enough, you will get your call up. I doubt Deschamps has any bias against La Liga, it's one of the best, if not, the best league in the world.
It's not even about Laporte being patient; it's about Euro 2016 being a few months away and none of our CBs (other than Varane) have looked more impressive than him. Sure, he might get called up next season or something, but we could use him now. I mean, it says a lot that he is actively pursued by both Madrid and Barcelona. There are quite a few rumors about Barcelona considering to activate his 50 mil release clause. I'm willing to bet they wouldn't pay that much for the likes of Koscielny and Mangala.
I mean, I like Koscielny, but if we're being honest, his age is not the primary reason that his value is nowhere near Laporte's. Obviously I'm not saying Laporte is worth 50mil nor am I saying that the other CBs are all garbage. I just think that most of them have done nothing to warrant a spot over him. But anyway, there's no use in me complaining about this any longer (or at least not until the next list he's omitted from comes out).
my prayers go out to everyone... https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/8E...p4?versionId=Rd2YshuNZXCtMsD2iWaK228qWwY7fuXP