France NT News, Formations & Results

Myesyats wrote:How tf is France so packed with talent and still got Rabiot starting for them?? I can't wrap my head around that

Incredible year for him. He is finally playing like his mom always thought he did

Absolute world class season from him.

I don't know why Rabiot coming through surprises so many as bar Sports its obvious to me many haven't seen him since his Paris days.

He always had a very high footballing IQ and some interesting skills problem is he has such a poor attitude and is such a momma's boy being coddled at her bosom that it prevented from from responding well to any adversity.

His world cup was fantastic as well.

But his overall season has been beyond ridiculous.

The relationship between him and Max is very strong similar to Pjanic and Max and it's brought out a lot in Adrien.

Yes i suggest looking back at Rabiot's whole career, to realize we are currently witnessing a one season wonder. A season to forget for Juve by the way.

At PSG and Juve we've only seen glimpses of potential before that, he never was a difference maker like this season. While bad attitude and entitlement don't help him, lack of efficiency has been an even worse problem. High IQ in positioning perhaps but decision making is not really a main strength of his game.

I think Max and Deschamps like his versatility in midfield above all. Maybe coaches trusting him + need to get a big contract explains his current form. Will be interesting to see if he can maintain that level next season.

btw France U21 team was slapped 4-0 by England's...

U21 Euros will be this June to July

France's U21 team never does anything FYI. In our entire history, we've won exactly one U21 euro and that was in 1988. Same with U20... i think we've basically almost never qualified for the U20 WC and won one time (pogba team).

Just means very little to the system. The best guys on the U20 & U21 teams are too far along in their careers and dont' want to get injured/don't care. I pay more attention to U18 and below... because those guys have something to prove by being on those NT teams.

@sport keep an eye on my cousin, 16 year old, star of the u17 PSG Team.. he’s gotten call ups from both France and Algeria youth Nt

So interestingly, midfield looks very strong now.  Griezmann has settled into the creator role and Nkunku (waiting to see how this works) as his backup as a pure 10.

The regular CMs are Rabiot and Tchouameni with Camavinga and Fofana right behind them.

On the attack, you have Mbappe, Giroud and Coman with Nkunku (he backs up Mbappe as well), Kolo Muani and Dembele as the backups.

Fullbacks are Pavard/Kounde and the Hernandez brothers (with Mendy as the 3rd).

CBs are stacked.

Keepers are Maignan, Brice Samba and Areola.

Very stacked team with youth.  Kids are going to come up too in next couple of years like Cherki and Zaire-Emery (whom City wants as part of Bernardo Silva deal).

I think the best front 3 are Mbappe, Kolo Muani and Nkunku personally... but Nkunku would need to play on the right.

France had the pleasure of being the last game for Lahoz in UEFA. For his retirement... it was a complete shitshow by Lahoz. Good riddance.

rest in retirement to a GOAT ref son couldn't help himself to be the centre of attention every time, no idea how he wasn't sacked before

Some notes on the team:
-  Absolutely stacked at GK, CB, DM, LB and RW.  We're literally 3 deep at these positions.
-  Griezmann is amazing.  Playing CM both ways (defends like crazy) as if he's done it all his life.
-  Clauss was great... but RB is the biggest area of weakness along with CF if you consider Clauss, Kounde and Pavard a weak trio.
-  Mbappe and Coman were amazing.
-  Kolo Muani worries me.  He's just awkward.  Needs to clean it up in a big way.  If not, we need Tel at Bayern to take the next step.  Nkunku coming back is very necessary too (Dec or Jan).
-  Tchou is the man
-  Rabiot runs hot and cold.

My ideal lineup for Euro:

Maignan
Clauss - Konate - Upamecano - Lucas Henandez
Tchouameni - Rabiot - Griezmann
Coman - Nkunku - Mbappe

Thing is even if some players drop form or get hurt in CM and forwards, we have Camavinga, Zaire Emery, Barcola, Tel, Kephren Thuram, etc. all ready to come up or add depth.   I'm not even talking about CBs because we have 10 lol. It's very very deep all the way (other than RB).

Maignan has hand issues in this game... but he's been so amazing other than this game that I'll give him a pass.  Made a couple of nice saves too.

Basically France should be dominating football for the next decade in addition to the last, the amount of talent is just insane While most other NTs struggle to produce for some reason...

Against Scotland, Mbappe continues to develop patience and playmaking... as he stated he would during the summer. Instead of just getting the ball and attacking 1 or 3 defenders, he picks his spots and really is showing improvement in his vision/passing accuracy.

The other big development for Mbappe is the power and accuracy of his shot from distance with little to no wind up. Literally pings the ball now.

Becoming more and more complete.

As far as France generally, not much to take from a game like this since Scotland is so much weaker. However, I will say that I love Konate and Coman is definitely the number 1 option on the right wing.

Also, Mbappe and Giroud cannot play together against top teams unfortunately for Giroud. Cannot afford to have 2 players who do not defend. So to me, it's going to be Nkunku or Muani for this coming Euro unless Tel really takes off for Bayern as a second striker next to Kane (if he gets a chance).

Great to know Mbappe continues to improve his game

As for Coman, Im not sure about him, like why is he still mainly a sub for Bayern after all these yrs n for NT, hes still inconsistent? Dembele needs to do well at PSG to cement his place but it doesnt look too good atm, so that and the striker problem is a weakness. Nkunku is good but not a 9 right? But apart from that, as good as it gets for any team

Coman is an undisputed starter for Bayern and has been for several years. Considered one of the best wingers in the world. He used to have a lot of injury problems though. Seems like he turned a corner towards the end of the last year.

Per usual, France decides not to play a friendly.  Nobody wants to get injured at this stage of the year since all the players basically have big games coming up with their clubs.

Doesn't excuse a 0/10 performance...  but it's just a waste of time.

I'll say that Deschamps not creating competition in the team is a cause too.  Everyone feels secure that they will make the Euro.  With nothing to gain or to prove other than a couple of players... here you are.

Only players that weren't horrible were Rabiot, Tchou and Dembele (1st half). Samba was good too.

Especially absent: Thuram, Kounde, Lucas H, Pavard, Zaire Emery, and Mbappe.

To me, Thuram, Lucas H, Kounde, and Lucas H are not at the right level. Nkunku and Coman need to have a great last 2 months (both coming back this coming week from injury). Ferland Mendy needs to replace Lucas H, Konate needs to stay healthy, and Kolo Muani needs to find form again.

Just overall, no intensity.

What Kroos did to France today... The definition of a sublime player. Will be missed.

Dont think France were all that bad or didnt try... but Germany were surprisingly good. Those Leverkusen players were pretty impressive like Wirtz...

Why Theo doesnt start n also Konate still warming the bench? I thought they were absolutely great for their clubs? In Thuram at least France hopefully has found a better 9 than Muani n old Giroud? Not sure though still Oh n the first game without Griezmann in 7 yrs prolly showed when trying to create up front n relied mostly on Mbappe, Dembele n the FBs...

France don't care about friendlies... never have unless there was something to play for.  The only possible way that they would bring intensity is with players that have something to play for (solidify spot on NT).  None of the players had that pressure and here you are.

Germany and then Chile, on the other hand, have been atrocious lately and both needed to prove something even in friendlies.  They played more aggressively.

If you watch France, you know that they destroy people physically.  When they are walking around and don't overcome athletically, you know they're not trying.

Both Tchou and Camavinga were the biggest culprits... they barely ran. Mbappe and Dembele, who both had been dominant at club, barely ran too.

The goalkeepers got a good look lol. About it.

Lucas Hernandez will be out due to ACL... huge blow also for PSG's CL...

So his brother Theo will replace him for LB prolly?

Watching bit of the game vs San Marino atm... wow do France look poor.... I dont understand Muani... hes a complete donkey with no technique or passing ability? So France dont have anything on the right bar Dembele? Left side is amazing of cos... but what about midfield? Is Thuram the new no.9 or still use be Giroud?

This is likely a controversial opinion, but here it goes:

To me, football is first and foremost entertainment.  I wasn't inspired by football in 1982 at the age of 10 years old by France winning the world cup... they didn't.  They lost in the semis just like the current team in the Euros.  But the style of play that France played with Platini was exciting.  All the games were dramatic.  France lost but it was an amazing experience watching the competition.  Besides France, the team that I remember most from 1982?  Brazil.  The team that i remember least?  Italy who won it because they played catenaccio which was horrible.  

The 1998 team also played defensive... but there was a clear offensive philosophy on top of the defense.  Zidane, Djorkaeff, Henry, etc played beautiful football when they got the ball back despite playing a low block.  They took that a step further by playing absolutely beautiful football in Euro 2020.

Football was an art all the way through 2006 and then it changed.  What happened?  Football mirrored how the world changed generally.  The ends justify the means.  You can do everything as horribly and shitty as you want as long as you "win".  The journey is irrelevant... it's the finish line that counts.

I hate that.

Don't get me wrong, i'm a results-driven person.  However, if I don't like the journey that I'm embarking on, i just won't begin regardless of the potential results.  Life is too short to waste it.

Brings me to Deschamps... all he cares about is the result.  He will play the ugliest and most boring style of play possible if that gives France, in his opinion, the highest likelihood of success.  That's just narrow thinking imo.  I understand having a solid base, as in 1998, but not at the expense of boring people to death.  The talent is too good in France to reduce the spectacle to something like this past Euro.

Look at Real Madrid.  Yes, Carlo plays conservatively... but there's still a very clear offensive philosophy.  For France, everyone defends and they rely on moments of brilliance by the strikers.  There is no coherent plan of attack.

There is balance to be struck between pragmatism and entertainment. My point is that you can't completely disregard one of the other. There is a minimum for each.

Why am I ranting? Because DD and the players kept saying after every game this Euro: "We don't care what people think. We're getting results. If you're bored, nobody is forcing you to watch." Well guys, if i were 10 years old today, i would stop watching football after this.

Thats why Deschamps has to go... am just waiting for that news now... otherwise France NT will continue to suffer That WC win has long passed... cant live off that anymore...

Apart from that, it will be interesting how Mbappe evolves in positioning... if France cant find a new 9, n likes of Barcola come through n Dembele keeps playing, Mbappe will need to be in the middle which hes shown hes isnt that good at... dont think Deschamps is at all capable of figuring things like this out...

Pragmatism in football to me, is just caution and lack of imagination. I get the old adage of as long as we win for I respect that but it's done at the cost of so many other factors.

For me defensive football and the reactivity that comes with it is a very minor form of cowardice akin to waiting at a date for the person to say something so you can latch onto the conversation, rather than creating one of your own. Awkward analogy, I know.

But with France's talent, Deschamps style just isn't justified for France have failed to evolve since the WC final in which they should have blasted back with revenge.

His style is barely tailored to anyone bar Kante and players of his ilk and its just dire to watch.

But I disagree football has changed in that sense just for the result. Serie A barely has defensive teams and we are still fresh off proactive possession football. France just need a change.

&Arq, have you noticed this diversion by Sports while ignoring the other thread entirely,

I have indeed Señor.

Sports, time to address the defeat amigo

Arquitecto wrote:Pragmatism in football to me, is just caution and lack of imagination. I get the old adage of as long as we win for I respect that but it's done at the cost of so many other factors.

For me defensive football and the reactivity that comes with it is a very minor form of cowardice akin to waiting at a date for the person to say something so you can latch onto the conversation, rather than creating one of your own. Awkward analogy, I know.

But with France's talent, Deschamps style just isn't justified for France have failed to evolve since the WC final in which they should have blasted back with revenge.

His style is barely tailored to anyone bar Kante and players of his ilk and its just dire to watch.

But I disagree football has changed in that sense just for the result. Serie A barely has defensive teams and we are still fresh off proactive possession football. France just need a change.

In my opinion the problem is a bit deeper than Deschamps. France simply doesn't produce the type of player that is conducive to expansive and fluid football. The focus in youth development is on physicality, wining duels, tackling, acceleration etc...technique and vision are seen as a bonus, not a requirement.  There is a reason France has a surplus in center backs and defensive / box to box midfielders..it's because these are the positions that leverage these qualities the most.

The contrast in philosophy between Spain and France can be seen in the areas where both teams are lacking. Defenders who aren't good enough to be considered by France at any NT level can easily start for Spain (Laporte + Le Normand) while even the midfielder sitting at the edge of Spain's bench is still more technical than France's starters.