France Qualified For The World Cup Easily But Their Attack Needs Work

It was a “heavy and oppressive” night, said Didier Deschamps. The “joy” of beating Ukraine 4-0 successful Paris and qualifying for nan World Cup was “contained” by nan discourse of nan match, taking spot 10 years to nan time aft the attacks of 13 November, which began astatine nan Stade de France. “It would person been bully if we could person avoided playing connected this day,” said nan France head earlier nan match.

It was a poignant nighttime for nan city, nan country, for those successful nan stadium, and besides for Deschamps, for much reasons than one. He will measurement down arsenic head aft adjacent summer’s World Cup, bringing an extremity to what will person been a historical 14-year spell, sloppy of what happens successful North America.

This was his past competitory crippled connected French ungraded arsenic manager. “I’m not nostalgic. I don’t look to nan past,” he said. But his action choices successful caller months contradict him; pinch 1 past situation to hole for, he is stuck betwixt looking to nan past and towards nan future.

It is possibly spot alternatively than nostalgia that is guiding Deschamps. Old names person returned successful caller times; N’Golo Kanté, contempt his move to Saudi Arabia, was brought successful from nan acold for Euro 2024 and started connected Thursday night; Kingsley Coman remains connected nan edges of nan squad, contempt his ain move to nan Gulf State; Florian Thauvin had not been picked for six years earlier nan October world break; Clément Lenglet was a daze inclusion for past summer’s Nations League campaign; and Lucas Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani, contempt unconvincing performances astatine nine level, proceed to beryllium selected.

N’Golo Kanté moved to Al-Ittihad successful 2023 but has kept his spot successful nan France team. Photograph: Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

“If he’s fit, it seems logical that [Kolo Muani] is here,” said Deschamps. What guides that logic is simply a different question, 1 cardinal to nan building of Deschamps’ last oeuvre, arsenic acquisition and spot are balanced pinch renewal. The starting XI against Ukraine had a mixed 397 caps, pinch nan skipper Kylian Mbappé (93) nan astir knowledgeable subordinate successful nan side. Injuries to Ousmane Dembélé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Marcus Thuram and Adrien Rabiot do not help.

In contrast, nan broadside that started against Argentina successful the past World Cup final had a mixed 664 caps, pinch Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann accounting for 471 of those. All 4 person since retired, nan second 2 doing truthful successful nan aftermath of Les Bleus’ run to nan Euro 2024 semi-finals.

There is an acquisition shortage successful nan team, 1 that Deschamps is acutely alert of and is trying to mitigate earlier into his last World Cup. But nan France head has besides insisted connected a strategy of “oxygenisation”, arsenic he calls it, bringing successful a caller generation. Michael Olise has been a activity of caller aerial and Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitiké, and Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche person each made nan breakthrough successful caller months.

Making nan puzzle fresh is nan difficult part. France qualified for nan World Cup without losing a crippled successful their qualifying group but nan squad has looked disjointed, particularly successful attack. That was evident during nan first half against Ukraine. “We were a spot awkward successful nan first half,” admitted Deschamps. Mbappé described France’s first 45 minutes arsenic “laborious”. It is not an isolated incident.

The functioning of this guardant statement looks unresolved. Giroud was specified a cardinal constituent for Deschamps, bringing others, chiefly Mbappé, into nan game. The Real Madrid guardant has replaced him positionally but not successful profile. Mbappé’s positioning arsenic a No 9 is nary longer successful question, fixed that he now fulfils nan domiciled permanently for nine and country. It is telling that erstwhile Marcus Thuram – a much physical, much accepted striker – has featured for nan nationalist team, he has done truthful from retired wide.

Olivier Giroud was nan cleanable foil for Kylian Mbappé successful nan France side. Photograph: Michael Regan/Fifa/Getty Images

But location is an rumor of beingness successful nan container and successful cardinal areas much mostly astatine times, pinch crosses from Olise and Cherki uncovering a deserts of abstraction successful nan first half. Deschamps said astir a “lack of combinations”, pinch large gaps betwixt Mbappé, Olise and Cherki successful nan first half. The head “said things” astatine half-time, but he besides changed things, pinch nan aforementioned attacking trio playing overmuch person together.

The consequence was 4 goals successful 33 second-half minutes. Mbappé scored two, taking his tally for Les Bleus to 55 goals, conscionable 2 short of Giroud’s record. Olise and Ekitiké were besides connected nan scoresheet. “Akliouche and Ekitiké coming connected really helped us,” said Deschamps. Ekitiké’s capacity successful peculiar is nutrient for thought, fixed his beingness successful nan container and expertise to beryllium much of a focal point, moreover if they are not his awesome strengths.

Cherki was heavy progressive earlier he was substituted successful nan 68th infinitesimal (Kanté and Lucas Digne were nan only players who saw much of nan ball) but he did small pinch his possession. Perhaps it is teething problems for nan Manchester City playmaker, who does not yet person nan knowing pinch Mbappé he has built truthful quickly pinch Erling Haaland.

Whoever starts successful nan World Cup will person to harvester good pinch Mbappé. The Real Madrid guardant is intelligibly nan taxable successful Deschamps’ last masterpiece, but his surroundings are yet to beryllium painted. “He has rediscovered his champion level,” said Deschamps of his skipper aft nan match. “I’ve ever said that nan nationalist squad will beryllium stronger pinch Kylian and, pinch Kylian astatine this level, it will beryllium difficult for opponents.”

But if France are to go only nan 3rd squad to scope 3 consecutive World Cup finals – aft West Germany and Brazil – nan parts astir Mbappé must fresh and amplify his strengths. It represents a displacement successful modus operandi for Deschamps, who antecedently relied connected a No 9 whose spot was improving nan capacity of nan forwards astir him.

With nan World Cup accelerated approaching, Deschamps’ past activity feels incomplete. Maybe it will ne'er beryllium complete. Perhaps this existent France squad will beryllium to Deschamps what nan Adoration of nan Magi was to Leonardo da Vinci – everlastingly unfinished.

This is an article by Get French Football News