nothing racist ment with this. I was just wandering wich team would be better. An all time white french team (Zidane, kopa, Platini, barthez, cantona, leblanc, deschamps, lizerazu, amoros, bossis, six, rocheteau, just to name a few) Or an all time french black team. (Henry, tigana, Tresor, desailly, thuram, vieira, etc etc) Personally i am not quite sure who beats who i think its to close a call to say with certainty
I'd think it would be an interesting game indeed, in theory (like with all these all-time matches obviously it can't be tested), as a two-legged game or 'test match' series even. I'd think the 'Black' team would probably inevitably be playing on the counter attack quite a bit. They could go more 'solid' with a back 5, or a bit more open with a 4-3-3 including a free roaming front 3, but I guess Tigana and Vieira would both be called upon to make things happen in transition (switching from tracking back and closing down which they'd be doing plenty of I think). So like this maybe (possible super subs in brackets) --------------------------------Lama----------------------------- -----------Thuram--------Tresor------Desailly------------ Angloma--------------------------------------------Evra -------------Tigana-------Vieira------BenBarek(Matuidi or Pogba) -----------------Mbappe----------Henry------------------ Or this -------------------------Lama------------------------------ Thuram----------Tresor------Desailly-------------Abidal ------------------------Makelele (Kante)------------------------ -------------Tigana---------------Vieira------------------ ----------Mbappe-----Toure(Trezeguet)----Henry------ The 'White' team would be left with a few holes, compared to an All-Time French team, which could make them a bit more susceptible in defence and a bit less smooth in midfield. I think they'd be favourites, but maybe those factors could make things interesting. Team could be this, in iconic 'Magic Square' ---------------------------------Bats--------------------------------------- Amoros(Battiston)---Blanc-----Jonquet(Bosquier)-----Lizarazu(Bossis) ---------------------Giresse------Deschamps-------------------- --------------------Platini---------Zidane--------------------------- -------------------Kopa-----------Fontaine--------------------- Or could try to exploit the width of the pitch more -------------------------------Bats(Barthez)---------------------- Amoros-----------Blanc------------Bossis----------Lizarazu ------------------------------Deschamps-------------------------- --------------------Platini-------------Zidane------------------- --------Rocheteau------------------------------Pires(Cantona) ------------------------------Papin-------------------------------- Allowing the 'Black' team to instead be 'African origin' would see Zidane switch teams I guess, and obviously add star quality to their line-up. Perhaps Piantoni (although Kopa could drop deeper or Giresse move forward) would become an AM alongside Platini, and he might get a place in both versions (him and Cantona could switch between AM and wing forward, but Ginola could be an option on the left too; again Kopa could even be more likely to get a place though as an AM or from the right - I showed Rocheteau in the alternative line-up to emphasise the idea of wingplay and speedy supporting attackers even if Cantona would divert from that in a false left wing role anyway!).
I like the second team best of the white Squad. Allthough i put kopa in rocheteau his place. Kopa played rightwing of a sort at real Madrid. And the put rocheteau in place of papin. I think rocheteau had Some bad luck with his injuries. But a peak rocheteau i rate higher then papin. Maybe its personal preference
Yeah, I understand where you are coming from. I think I was getting as many options in as I could (and not over-doing it with 'super subs' in any line-ups ideally), but surely Kopa is an option for the first choice team in whatever system. I know he did well as a winger too, albeit his preferred position would be more central/free roaming I think ideally. Yeah, Rocheteau seems the better pure footballer compared to Papin I think, and better individualist in some ways. Papin I suppose would be a focal point for crosses and through balls etc in such a line-up (and better as a volley specialist in terms of individualism at least), more of an outright striker, but just as with Kopa I guess Fontaine is also an option in that kind of line-up still (although thinking about it he also has some African heritage of a sort I think doesn't he, so could arguably switch sides if Zidane did...but that wouldn't follow Tom's original idea anyway even if most/all of the black players might be African origin).
Equally, I guess Rocheteau/Cantona could work for the Magic Square attacking pair too, but again that'd mean no place for Kopa/Fontaine (Kopa perhaps fitting in the team deeper with a tweek in system or with either Platini or Zidane operating as deep-lying playmaker). Rocheteau did play in such a system in 82 for example, and the way the French did it was to have attackers like him who could go wide. I guess either way, if the 'White' team got ahead then their own counter attacking possibilities might increase, either with Cantona's passes and Rocheteau's speed and fluency, or with the Kopa/Fontaine connection (with Platini behind able to pass well over distance to players in space). How long they can be kept out for might be the deciding factor quite likely I think, but the team can forge chances from limited space so it would take great and concentrated defending to have a chance to stop them scoring for a long time I'd think in theory. Maybe it'd have seemed more 'super sub' like to put Cantona/Rocheteau in brackets rather than 3 defenders (which were more just like alternative options maybe)!
------------Henry-----Mbappe ------------------Pogba -----------Vieira-----Tigana -----------------Desailly Evra---Tresor----Thuram---Angloma --------------Mandanda ------------Griezmann ---Zidane---Platini---Kopa --Fernandez-Deschamps Lizarazu-Blanc-Bossis-Amoros ------------------Lloris
Not even close The French Africans turned the France national team into an international powerhouse, there was a time when Brazil Spain Germany Italy are scared to play against them, cant say the same thing for oldest generations. The new ones could have overrun the previous teams with their physically and mental strength. France 80's all fun but fell short, a great team nothing more. That is, like, the complete opposite France right now a GOAT and champions of the world. France soccer were great only for such a short amount of time throughout its entire history but for the first time become acknowledged by the world as footballing powerhouse around the turn of the millennium and beyond. Go figure
And without being sarcastic but Zidane isn't white. There are thousands of American children here and young people tend to believe this sort of thing, we have to be careful. North Africa, North India, Iran, Israel, latinos, et cetera they all look like white but we consider them as members of different ethnic groups. People should stop comparing white north african for example with white european tho, they are not the same thing. Such a term doesn't exist.