France NT News, Formations & Results

Thanks Arqi.  Yeah i figured.  Since i'm very passionate and sometimes over-passionate, i tend to get a lot of hate thrown my way.  Happens.  It's ok.

We've had a lot of Basque great with France NT... mostly in rugby, but also quite a few in footy.  Namely Lizerazu just to name one for those of you who wonder.

I hope DD sticks with this starting XI until he's forced to make a change... need some continuity.  We change stuff too much.

@mole. That's ok i would think. He'll sell for more money so... i don't know how that helps, but it's more money

Sports is Griezmann's suspension over? i ask because i read this morning that L'Equipe had him as one of the outside bets for the WC.

Would imagine he wouldn't be listed if he was still suspended for the national team.

It ends on Dec 31..; and yes, he will definitely get a look. Payet is not playing well and it's not even a difficult decision tbh. Thauvin will start knocking on the door soon too imo...

Remember that France's focus is the 2016 Euro in France. This is viewed as preparation. With Descamps already extended though 2016, i definitely expect him to bring along a few kids to get experience. Since France doesn't need to qualify for the Euro as the host country, there are no other official comps after the WC to test peeps...

Koscielny will most likely get a 2 match ban. The first two games at the WC.

I'd still say it's worth it to take him. He is the best French defender.

Depends on overall health of the squad and if there are players that blow up before the WC.

Will also heavily depend on the draw and if France is in group of death... if the group is crazy, Kos won't go for sure.

Going to come down to Abidal or Kos imo. Not both. DD is preparing for the Euro in France and he's going to take one of Zouma or Mangala to get the feel if one is on form...

Ok.... so Kos has already served 1 game of any ban coming down. Given that Rooney had a 3 game ban which was reduced to 2, the expectation is that Kos will get 2 games. Since he's already served 1 game, it means he would only miss 1 WC game.

If this scenario plays out, he would go to the WC for sure...

I think if Diaby gets fit in March and plays for 2 months. He is going as well. Deschamps loves him.

No that's done imo... he was asked about Diaby a month ago and said: "Diaby would need to play several months injury free at a high level and where he plays regularly before he's eligible to get called up for the national team." You know how likely that is... it's not.

Deschamps also said today that 20 of the 23+1 alternat players going to WC are clear for him today... I think the he has questions about Varane (health), Payet (form), one midfielder (Rio Mavuba being the last callup) and Grenier (form). The rest are set unless they drop their play.

The big issue other than health is that i don't see Diaby playing much even when healthy for Arsenal... He has Ramsey and Arteta ahead of him.

Hmm good point.

I am not sure about Payet. He is very much like Govou used to be. Good player but not someone who should be playing in the WC.

If only Lacazette was having a good season.

It's between Griezmann and Thauvin to replace Payet for me...  with Griezmann favored right now.  Thauvin is coming on really strong though.  He had benched Payet at OM before A Ayew got hurt; so i don't see why he wouldn't do it on NT lol.

still 2/3 of season to go
Koscielny can force his way back to XI

Koscielny's issue is that he has made just massive errors in WCQ. There was the PK that Lloris thankfully saved in the first game with Spain against Pedro... the goal + red card against Ukraine. Those are 2 of the 3 biggest defensive errors by France in the whole campaign (Evra had the other). Now, he does a whole lot of great things too... but he's like Pepe to me: He goes for these do or die plays at some strange times + loses his head on occasion.

That's why DD wants Varane-Sakho to take over, although Sakho has his hot headed issues too... thing Sakho has going is that he doesn't make those mistakes for NT.

We'll see though.

Personally, i think Varane-Kos is the best pairing regardless of Kos' few big mistakes. But as a OM fan, i know how DD thinks... he wants safety first with his defense...

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Koscielny-s-en-sort-bien/421774

Kos got only a 1 match ban... and he already served it in the return leg against Ukraine. So he misses none of the WC games.

   

France gets Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras. Can't ask for more          

Karim in for golden boot

Cabaye going to PSG is a great thing for NT. He's playing with Matuidi and he's learning now... not much he could learn at Newcastle anymore. Pogba, Koscielny, Ribery, Sagna, Griezmann, Benzema, Lacazette, etc are all playing well too. Now that Varane is back... if he can get his form and healthy back, the team will be as good as it can be with the player it has right now for the WC. Not world beaters by any stretch... but good enough to get past pool obviously and talented enough that anything can happen.

GK: Lloris, Mandanda, Ruffier

DF: Debuchy, Digne, Evra, Sagna, Managala, Sakho, Varane, Koscielny

MF: Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi, Grenier, Mavuba, Sissoko

FW: Benzema, Giroud, Ribery, Griezmann, Payet, Remy, Valbuena


great team .

A few complaints:

- Lacazette instead of Remy or Payet all day long
- Sissoko has no business being there. Too bad Capoue is injured. He's miles better.

Evra is the starting LB good luck with that in World cup.

Pros:

+Griezmann
+Lucas Digne

Cons:

-Evra
-Lacazete>Payet

Evra has been good with NT over the past year suprisingly... he has Ribery to help him and it works. Much better than Mata or Janu--- at Man U. Between Ribery/Evra, they're able to do well. Matuidi plays on that side too... so the defensive left is really a strong suit tbh. Don't even need Evra to defend

very curious to see what will do my " cousins" French   

on paper it's a great squad, but France is not a squad from 10 years ...in 2006 it was Zidane-centric and and the transition after Zidane was turbulent ... Blanc brought an incomplete job and now we'll se Deschamps ... he has a squad better than predecessor tbh ( Pogba and Greizmann are golden material to work) but he must minimize errors because it can 'be fatal in a national who is not yet a real Squad. I have in eyes the formation against Ukraine in first leg match , totally busted, it was absurd to leave on bench that Cabaye for example, or insisting on Nasri
We ' ll see

pogba and cabaye were injured/suspended a lot in the past year. As such, DD was forced to play a 4231 as opposed to a 433. He wanted to stay consistent with the 4231 he had been playing in the Ukraine first leg... mistake, but one i can understand.

Very thin in the CM area until a few kids step up.

@sportsczy

Is Sakho starter for NT or Verane and Koscielny are the first choice pair?

BeautifulGame wrote:@sportsczy

Is Sakho starter for NT or Verane and Koscielny are the first choice pair?

Varane/Koscielny are the starters. Only reason Sakho got called up, per the press conference by DD, was to show gratitude for his performance against Ukraine. Given that he hans't played due to injury and doesn't start for Liverpool, his situation will be precarious very soon... if Abidal gets physically fit and Rami keeps top form, there is going to be a battle. You have Sakho, Mangala, Abidal and Rami fighting for 2 spots.