Comments on: France: Identity crisis deepens?

By: david balamaze

david balamaze — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:44:22 +0000

I totally disagree with Oniemola's comment. French football needed to take a step forward. There's no way i would accept Anelka back to the national team with the talent that's coming through. Look at all the top footballing countries; Menezes is quietly building a young Brazilian team, Germany doesn't want to look back on the days of Ballack, Schneider and the others, Italy's also doing the same. Whatever went wrong in SA is all in the past, we should be clearing our minds and cast out the past. This is a new french team that, maybe is still short on confidence and still yet to gel but you can't question the quality. France lost the Belarus game and am sure they won't win in Bosnia either but those are all short-term issues which won't have impact on Blanc's or say, France's long term plans for the National Team. Just look at the U-19 side that just won the European championships; Kakuta, Sunnu, Lacazatte and others are some of the players that set for a great future with the national side.
And remember the 1998 squad, France didn't play in the 94 tournament in the US yet they had people like Papin, Cantona, Deschamps. They managed to make it to the last 4 of the '96 European Cup in England and won the big one 2 years later. Its all done to belief and I've known Blanc to have a cool head. He"ll do it.

By: Oniemola

Oniemola — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:26:36 +0000

France got what they bargained for by miserably losing 0 – 1 to Belarus last Friday. In fact, it's going to get worse as the qualifier progresses. The new coach failed to address the real problem of the national team because he's not capable of doing so – he can't sack the incompetent FA that appointed him! The FA had allowed things to deteriorate under Domenech. How do you allow a coach who can't get a team as talented as the Les Blues of these past years to play a decent game and win convicingly to remain in his post? Was his tenure cast in stone?

It was Zidane, Makelele and co. that came out of retirement to rescue France from the jaws of elimination during the 2006 world cup qualifiers, and they went on to put on a real good show. It had nothing to do with coaching, but the sheer brilliance, experience and leadership of those senior players. Since their departure, France have struggled and everyone knew it was down to incompetent coaching, except theFA; perhaps they just pretended because they didn't care. It's a shame it has come to all this now.

The post-world cup suspension of key players who knew the truth and were not afraid to speak out and who went further to reiterate their stand when Anelka was cowardly decamped by the FA instead taking the blame for retaining a failing coach, is one of the most audacious coverup decisions in football at that level.

France should retrace their step by apologising to Anelka, Evra and others, and recall them and get a new coach who can earn their trust, not the already biased Blanc, to build an inspired Les Blues.

By: Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:58:38 +0000

Big deal, it is only a game.
Tomorrow's victories will heal.

By: George F Mohn

George F Mohn — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:49:11 +0000

The French must learn that It really is about:

For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name,
He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the Game."
(Grantland Rice)

In the end, all teams and all players lose, and "how you played the Game" is all that's left.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:56:07 +0000

Not one mention of Hnery cheating against Ireland?Come on let's call a spade a spade here,they've no integrity now that's why they've doing as bad as they are.When they fail to qualify for this maybe they can concentrate on qualifying for 2014.

By: Frederic

Frederic — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:45:39 +0000

Sorry to give you some "History Lessons" but there is nothing new : despite a good track record in world cup (1 victory, 2 finals, 4 semi finals), France has been at top only 3 times : always with players of exception : Kopa, Platini and Zidane.

Between each of them, France is a very commun socker country waiting for the "Miracle Man".

Nothing new, all expected ! He will arrives certainly but not before 10 or 15 years.

By: ocuinn

ocuinn — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:03:39 +0000

Serves 'em right after what they did to Ireland...what goes around comes around. Bye Bye France

By: Yater

Yater — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:29:04 +0000

Serves them right....they cheated to get into the Cup, only fitting they fall apart....fate certainly works in mysterious ways.

By: Yasser

Yasser — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:53:20 +0000

This is not the lowest point in French football, we have seen worst (remember Bulgaria??).

This team will improve but not in time to qualify for the Euro 2012 and that is normal – the objective should be long term and specifically the world cup. We have had enough with shortcuts. Laurent Blanc will succeed but we have to give him time.

By: Obasi Ogonnaya

Obasi Ogonnaya — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:38:12 +0000

Pedro, You are right my dear. I believe France, Italy & Portugal really need to do something before things gets out of hand. Thanks.