Les Bleus VS the Tartan Army

[Allez.les.bleus]

so France goes to Scotland on saturday to take on the 1st place team in the group and their loyal supporters!

France strikers Louis Saha (groin) and Sidney Govou (ankle) are doubtful for Saturday's trip to Scotland, according to Les Bleus coach Raymond Domenech. "We'll see how it goes," he said. "We've still got a bit of time." France then entertain the Faroe Islands the following Wednesday.

and I just heard that Viera got hurt in training!
Gallas and Sagnol were also not at 100% but hopefully they will be ready for a great game!

[cavenaghi]

Should be an interesting game indeed.
And there is no doubt, we have more chances to win on the pitch than in the stands. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) Scotland is improving and the game should be more balanced than it would have been only few years ago. A victory for France would allow them to take the lead of the group.
In the scottish team, Nigel Quashie, Kevin McNaughton and Graeme Murty won't be able to play.

[Allez.les.bleus]

Govou is out and Anelka is back for the first time since the 2-1 loss to Slovakia (the only game France has officially lost under Domenech)!

Squillaci is in as well in case Gallas is hurt.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/EURO/news/Kind=1/newsId=464274.html

[Butterfly]

This is definitely going to be a good game! I hope someone will be able to cap in english it's worth it! :)

Here is the Domenech's Franch squad :

Goal Keepers: Grégory Coupet (Lyon), Mickaël Landreau (Paris-SG)
Defenders: Eric Abidal (Lyon), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Juventus Turin), François Clerc (Lyon), Julien Escudé (FC Séville), William Gallas (Arsenal), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Lilian Thuram (FC Barcelone), Squillaci (Lyon)
Midfilders: Alou Diarra (Lyon), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Florent Malouda (Lyon), Jérémy Toulalan (Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan), Franck Ribéry (Marseille)
Strikers: Anelka (Bolton), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Louis Saha (Manchester United), David Trezeguet (Juventus Turin), Sylvain Wiltord (Lyon)
Injured : Sydney Govou (Lyon), ?Gallas?

Here is the Walter Smith's Scotland squad :

N Alexander (Cardiff), Gallacher (Norwich), Gordon (Hearts); G Alexander (Preston), Anderson (Aberdeen), Caldwell (Celtic), Dailly (West Ham), McManus (Celtic), McNaughton (Cardiff), Murty (Reading), Neilson (Hearts), Pressley (Hearts), Weir (Everton); Brown (Hibernian), Ferguson (Rangers), Fletcher (Manchester United), Hartley (Hearts), McCulloch (Wigan), Quashie (West Brom), Severin (Aberdeen), Teale (Wigan); Boyd (Rangers), McFadden (Everton), Miller (Celtic), O'Connor (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Injured: Kevin McNaughton (Cardiff City FC-defender), Graeme Murty(Reading FC right-back), Gary Naysmith (Everton FC left-back)

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/9577/20061006105309de3.jpg

[Fenianbhoy]

Comment vous dites le vol de jour en français ;)

[cavenaghi]

Comment vous dites le vol de jour en français ;)
We say: "un Hold-up"! :D
This was not an interesting match. French players didn't know how to put the ball in the net although they had the ball almost 70% of the time (before becoming invisible during the second half). Scots were not willing to play football obviously. And finaly the referee just forgot to send off some people dressed in blue.
It only demonstrates once more, how difficult it is for France to win when they have to take the control of the game.
And I was thinking that Henry finaly knew how to use his head but obviously he still doesn't know :rolleyes: Still, he was far from being the worst french player on the pitch. And Trezeguet can worry a little bit more about his place in this team. He was invisible, because he never had the ball. But when noboby gives you the ball you have to take it by yourself. And Saha or Govou do that. So, as much as I love Trez', I can't see how he could play more often. He's now fourth on the strikers list (and with Anelka coming back...). Sad but true.

[Fenianbhoy]

I typed daylight robbery into Babelfish :D ,obviously its still a work in progress, Trezeguet was invisible as was ribery who i expected to be holding the right wing whole match, Henry was doing all the work in the 1st half ,but did tire in the 2nd ,no excuses for missing that late header tho was weak.

Thought Sagnol was 1 of your better players & Vieri was good , nearly fainted when i seen him chip that pass late on ,what a touch for a big guy.

I do hope Boumsong plays in the 2nd match in Paris tho hes real Class.

[cavenaghi]

Ribéry hasn't been great during the last weeks. A little bit tired without a doubt.
For sure, Vieri ;) would have had the level to play in the team we saw today. Vieira and Makelele were good, the problem was in fact the last pass. Malouda, Ribéry or Henry haven't been able to deliver a good service. Abidal doesn't really know how to make a great pass (like Sagnol can do) and was guilty on the scottish goal. Boumsong was maybe the best defender but there was only one player to watch over. I still don't trust him.

[Butterfly]

First it would be useful to add a "Spoilers" in the title of that thread.
About the game :
- We were playing against a wall of ten "defenders"
- Good 1st half for France and the 2nd was not...
- we had many chances but none were in...
- Henry should have scored on his last action with his head
- Ribéry was a ghost
- The scotish striker should have been sent out!
- Last but not least, we definitely suck on free kick or corner kick :mad: :mad: :mad: and this is what bothering me the most!
- Bravo anyway to Scotland

[cavenaghi]

First it would be useful to add a "Spoilers" in the title of that thread.
No need for that. The "World Football Leagues" section is a spoilers zone. It would be difficult to talk about the clubs and the national teams without mentioning the results of the games ;)

[a_scone]

Il est ou Zidane?

Ribery n'est certainment pas le 'nouveau Zidane'.

Pis 4-4-2 avec trezeguet la....mouarf.

Bon, entk ils ont battus l'Italy alors la, c'est assez.

Ils sont qualifier :)

[Butterfly]

No need for that. The "World Football Leagues" section is a spoilers zone. It would be difficult to talk about the clubs and the national teams without mentioning the results of the games ;)

Indeed :o

@a_scone : Ribéry didn't play his best and we missed many opportunities... but I think we should have played with a 4-2-3-1 without Trézéguet.

Let's wait october 11th and the results of France-Fareo Islands, Ukraine-Scotland and Georgia-Italy.

[a_scone]

yeah, I just don't like the way the team looked without Zidane. It seemed like when he played it inspired the younger players like Ribery to play their best.

It's too bad. Like you said, many missed opportunities, should have been 3 points, au moins 1.

[cavenaghi]

Il est ou Zidane?
Ribery n'est certainment pas le 'nouveau Zidane'.
Forget about Zizou. Once again, France has problems against little teams (especialy want they don't want to play football ;) ). It was the same when Zidane was there. Just remember the last World Cup against Switzerland or Corea. Or Greece in 2004 (and we were not the only ones to have difficulties to play against them).
All the teams have one bad game where nothing is working. This one was ours, it doesn't mean we have to change everything. And it doesn't mean the players suck. It's very difficult to judge them on this type of game.
Ribéry was out of shape, like Zidane has been most of the time during the last two years. So, considering that, Ribéry IS in fact the new Zidane :D
But really, he doesn't play the same way, or in the same position. He can only be compared to Zizou on the fact that he brings the sparkle to a team and makes moves not expected by the opposite players. But I think he brings more to a team than Zidane at the same age. Now we only expect he will progress each year like Zizou did :rolleyes:

[Allez.les.bleus]

Or Greece in 2004 (and we were not the only ones to have difficulties to play against them).

i agree completely!

The Greece Euro 2004 game is a perfect example.

11-man defense and they scored on a corner kick... what are you gonna do about it?

As Wenger says anytime this happens to him (and it did OFTEN at the start of the season) "we are not going to change our tactics and play boring football"

Zidane wasn't missing... the only person who MIGHT have made a difference was Gallas, but I am only saying that because of this statistic:

The only games France have lost under Domenech are when Gallas is not playing!

[cavenaghi]

You know, to defend themselves, the little teams tell you that they have no other choice cause they're just small countries with not many players... and therefore they have to play this way (the "no-football" way). And of course the greek example has converted a lot of teams to this way of thinking.
But what they forget is that Denmark won the European Championship in 1992 by playing a great football. So you can be little and try to play ambitious football.
What Scotland did on saturday is just pathetic. Away, you can act like that but certainly not at home. And even though we have a lot of respect in France for the scots in general, I just hope now that we will be able to punish them during the second leg. But if I understand what you're saying, we better pray for Gallas to be on the pitch at that moment :rolleyes:

[Allez.les.bleus]

But if I understand what you're saying, we better pray for Gallas to be on the pitch at that moment :rolleyes:

he trained today and Gallas should be fit for wednesday!! :)

[Nelly]

But what they forget is that Denmark won the European Championship in 1992 by playing a great football. So you can be little and try to play ambitious football.Denmark had a lot of good players and the opposition wasn't that great.Football and football players have changed enormously since then.Not many teams back then have the physical players and the speed the current French team have.
What Scotland did on saturday is just pathetic.What,win? Play to our strengths? Or would you prefer we held a 4 man defensive line high up the pitch and let David Weir try and chase Thierry Henry into the wide open spaces behind the line.We would have been hammered if that happened.
Sure it wasn't pretty but you must remember that Scotland are recovering from the worst period in their international history when that arsehole Bertie Vogts almost ruined the team for good.Approximately 2 years ago we were being beaten at home 3-0 by Hungary and looking a total shambles.Getting fucked by Wales and destroyed by Holland etc.
Walter Smith is starting at the back and getting us organized again so that we don't get embarrased at home anymore.That has been done with some success and now he must look at taking the game to the opposition when we play at home a bit more than what we did on Saturday.It wont happen overnight as we simply do not have the choice of players to do that against the very best teams like France.

[cavenaghi]

Denmark had a lot of good players and the opposition wasn't that great.Football and football players have changed enormously since then.Not many teams back then have the physical players and the speed the current French team have.
Look at the world cup 2002, little teams against the mighty France. They weren't that ambitious but at least they play a little bit. And France didn't win any of these games. And I remember Wales against Italy 2 years ago. I don't think they won by playing that way. But once again they had, like Denmark, a world class team....
About 1992, Denmark beat France (our best team since 1986 at that moment, Papin, Cantona, Boli, Sauzée...), then Holland (Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Koeman, Berkamp....) and finally Germany (Klinsmann, Voeller, Mattheaus, Brehme... Hope I get the names right). Just the recent World Champion, the winner of the previous Euro and the best team in the qualifications (8 wins in 8 games). Looks like the opposition wasn't so bad, was it? :D
You don't have to find excuses for your behaviour. You won that game, we lost. That's what everybody will read in the books. You made a choice (and it was not the only choice you had) and it was succesfull. I regret this type of play but once again all we have to do is to crush these poor little scots in the second leg. No quarter! :D

[Nelly]

Yes and I remember that Scotland qualified for WC90 at the expense of France after defeating France 2-0 in Glasgow.We certainly attacked France then because we had the team to do so and the threat from the French was easily containable.
In Euro92 we completely outplayed Germany but lost and almost got a draw with Holland.We did that because we had better players available and the threat of those teams wasn't all about the lightning speed of their attackers.
It's about choosing the best tactics for each game with the players at your disposal.It's been said already that France struggle to play and be creative when they are given lots of midfield possesion and there is no space for the forwards/wide players to run into.

Already in this group we have went away to Lithuania and attacked and won the game.The manager obviously saw that we were on the same level as them and that the game was winnable for his chose team.I've no doubts we'll play the same way against Italy home and away and France in Paris.We must otherwise we risk a severe beating.

[cavenaghi]

I will agree with you on the fact that there is a lot of cynicism in this world. So why not in football? And it's been a long time since we have forgotten our "french touch", our "romanticism". So, if we are cynical, why should we expect from they others not to be so?
But that's also the reason why I'm not a big fan of this french team. Unfortunately I'm too much a chauvinist to let them down :D

[emma_my_girl]

My congrats to the Scots :(