Despite a laboured 2-0 win away in Luxembourg in their latest Euro 2012 qualifier, the mood across the English channel could not be more different from that which gripped the country in the immediate aftermath of France’s World Cup debacle. All is forgiven; and even Patrice Evra has been recalled following his prolonged ban from the national side. Friday’s Le Monde humorously depicted Franck Ribery, another of Les Bleus primary transgressors last summer in South Africa, as being wanted dead or alive in the aftermath of the tournament’s close. Yet now, come spring, Ribery is loved again. And so is the France team.
Well, almost all have forgiven the duo. Sports minister Chantal Jouanno still believes neither should play for their country again, but manager Laurent Blanc has skilfully and diplomatically rehabilitated a squad tarnished by the shame of their performances just over six months ago.
And whilst Evra and Ribery have finally been forgiven, Blanc has turned around French fortunes in a more fundamental and simple way: The former Bordeaux coach simply stopped picking those whose international careers had come to an end. The last of the 1998 generation, the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, have said ‘au revoir’, and the only remaining member of that World Cup winning squad of 13 years ago is Blanc himself.
Of course, Blanc was greatly helped by the fact that even during Raymond Domenech’s disastrous reign, the France squad remained blessed with an abundance of natural talent. Even able to omit Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema from the group which went to South Africa, Domenech may have made the wrong choices, but choices he had aplenty.
It seems ridiculous to suggest so soon after such a comprehensive failure at the World Cup, but France possess arguably one of world football’s strongest squads. Most countries in the world can only dream of being able to call upon so many quality players for each position. At left back, Gael Clichy, Patrice Evra and Eric Abidal give Blanc a real dilemma, while in central defence, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexes, Mamadou Sakho, William Gallas, Laurent Koscielny and Rod Fanni provide numerous top level options. The middle of the park too looks blessed with talent with Nasri, Yoann Gourcuff, Ribery and Florent Malouda standing out, not forgetting the precocious skills of Jeremy Menez or Mathieu Valbuena.
This France squad should be competing for the game’s biggest prizes, and Blanc is beginning to mould a coherent unit out of the remains of the mess Domenech bequeathed. The 45-year-old has injected some semblance of tactical organisation and a fluidity which has allowed him to switch between a 4-2-3-1 in most of Les Bleus’ games so far with a slight adjustment of the traditional 4-4-2.
It was the latter Blanc used in his first competitive game (after a 2-1 loss to Norway in a friendly for which he did not pick any of the World Cup squad, cunningly allowing himself the comfort of not facing scrutiny for the defeat) against Belarus, and it looked as though the country’s problems had not gone away as they lost 1-0. At home. Belarus, like many smaller nations, are improving, but should still be no match for this French team.
Since that mini-disaster, Blanc has fielded one striker with three attacking midfielders behind either Benzema or Paris Saint-Germain’s prolific frontman Guillame Hoarau, bar their encounter with Luxembourg in October, in which the duo played as a pair.
In Benzema, possibly the most talented of this generation, France are benefiting enormously from the guidance of Jose Mourinho, whose clever psychology has enabled him to both criticise the former Lyon forward and get the best out of him at the same time. The Portuguese’s wonderful quote suggesting that you “don’t go hunting with a kitten”, or in football speak, “you don’t play with Benzema as a lone forward in a 4-2-3-1” has inspired the former Lyon player, who has been scoring with relish for Los Blancos in recent weeks. The ex-Lyon man’s personal renaissance was evidenced in the win over Brazil last month, where his power and clever movement bamboozled the Brazilian defence.
In the big games, such as the side’s previous two encounters with England and Brazil respectively, playing with just Benzema up front seems to be Blanc’s preferred system. The Brazil encounter showed the range of options and flexibility of the new system. And though the South Americans were down to 10 men for much of the match after a ridiculous tackle from Hernanes, Menez tormented the Brazilian defence in the absence of Marseille midfielder Valbuena and Nasri.
Defensively, and much to Blanc’s pleasure as a former defender himself, France look solid again, mainly due to the coach settling on a regular back four in front of the reliable Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, with the partnership of Mexes – who had long been overlooked by Domenech despite his quality, reliability and sure touch – and Rami looking robust, and combining youth and experience, pace, strength and control.
Just in front of the defence, combative Yann M’Vila has been given the chance to make the defensive midfield position his own, and has demonstrated just why he is rated so highly. The powerful and technical Rennes midfielder is only 20, yet has been the driving force behind his team’s unlikely Ligue 1 title push; his rise should be no surprise however, with the player’s case for inclusion in the World Cup squad being pushed throughout France last summer. Alou Diarra or Abou Diaby have been the first choices to partner M’Vila, and give the midfield the required substance and control to supply the prime creative talents of Nasri, Menez and Gourcuff behind Benzema.
In many ways, France’s turnaround is a reflection of just how poorly the country have been coached in recent years. Since the World Cup and the various punishments handed out to members of the squad, everyone (bar Nicolas Anelka) has been given a clean slate. Blanc has already shown what made him so successful with Bordeaux, and his leadership has brought back the traditional French style of technical, quick football built on a solid foundation. Now, few would bet against this squad going on to win Euro 2012 next summer, which would cap a remarkable turnaround from the dark clouds that permanently hung over a World Cup campaign which became a national disgrace.
