France National Team callups ** SPOILERS **

[TheLionLyon]

Originally Posted by drac78

That's right, and that's why I think Lloris should've been tested in the friendly against Sweden but wait,Domenech didn't make any subs apart from bringing in a 3rd defensive midfielder... Tbh, I'm surprised Lloris isn't the 1st choice gk especially knowing Domenech's bias towards Lyon players.

You may add Sessegnon to that list he seems to be doing well at PSG. Personally, I'd add Bakar from Monaco, he looked really promising when I saw him play, not sure he's French though.

Though everyone knows of his bias towards Lyon, he probably would have made it clearer if he would of made Lloris the out-right starter and thus pissing off the Marseille supporters and followers (that's you, UNFP)

Sessegnon is going to be a star. He's going to stay at PSG for maybe 1 more year before heading to, sadly, the Premier League.

[postalemirates]

Originally Posted by TheLionLyon

As for a French player making a splash. With Cisse leaving, Grandin will play alot. Gourcuff, if he stays in France. And Damien Le Tallec. I hear so much about him, I want to see how good he is.

Yeah i've hard a bit about Grandin. How about Jimmy Briand? he looks a fantastic talent and i've been waiting for him to make a big splash. Moreover, i was surprised Batafemi Gomis was included in France's euro squad - don't get me wrong, Gomis is good but he's not quite ready for the big stage quite yet. Hatem Ben Arfa should be superb at Marseille - i think too much pressure was put on him at Lyon with his mate Benzema being fantastic so often but at Marseille, he should flourish into the talent we all think he is.

Bordeaux's Gabriel Obertan is one to keep tabs on - he's got fantastic ball control.

[drac78]

Squad for the games against Austria and Serbia:

Hugo LLORIS (Lyon) - 21 ans - 0 sélection
Steve MANDANDA (Marseille) - 23 ans - 2 sélections

Eric ABIDAL (Barcelone) - 28 ans - 37 sélections
Gaël CLICHY (Arsenal) - 22 ans - 0 sélection
Patrice EVRA (Manchester United) - 27 ans - 14 sélections
Rod FANNI (Rennes) - 26 ans - 0 sélection
William GALLAS (Arsenal) - 30 ans - 66 sélections
Philippe MEXES (AS Rome) - 26 ans - 9 sélections
Bakary SAGNA (Arsenal) - 25 ans - 3 sélections
Sébastien SQUILLACI (FC Séville) - 28 ans - 13 sélections

Alou DIARRA (Bordeaux) - 27 ans - 14 sélections
Lassana DIARRA (Portsmouth) - 23 ans - 14 sélections
Mathieu FLAMINI (Milan AC) - 24 ans - 2 sélections
Yoann GOURCUFF (Bordeaux) - 22 ans - 1 sélection
Florent MALOUDA (Chelsea) - 28 ans - 42 sélections
Samir NASRI (Arsenal) - 21 ans - 12 sélections
Jérémy TOULALAN (Lyon) - 24 ans - 17 sélections

Nicolas ANELKA (Chelsea) - 29 ans - 51 sélections
Hatem BEN ARFA (Marseille) - 21 ans - 6 sélections
Karim BENZEMA (Lyon) - 20 ans - 14 sélections
Sidney GOVOU (Lyon) - 29 ans - 35 sélections
Thierry HENRY (Barcelone) - 30 ans - 103 sélections

Decent squad, we finally got rid of Boumsong, but I still see 4 defensive midfielders there... Also, I'd have picked Bonnart instead of Fanni but I guess I'm just biased here.

The best line-up imo would be:
-----Mandanda
Sagna- Mexes - Gallas - Clichy
Ben Arfa- Gourcuff - Flamini- Nasri
-----Benzema-Henry

We'll never see this team though as it's too attack-minded for Domenech....

[postalemirates]

Originally Posted by drac78

Squad for the games against Austria and Serbia:

Hugo LLORIS (Lyon) - 21 ans - 0 sélection
Steve MANDANDA (Marseille) - 23 ans - 2 sélections

Eric ABIDAL (Barcelone) - 28 ans - 37 sélections
Gaël CLICHY (Arsenal) - 22 ans - 0 sélection
Patrice EVRA (Manchester United) - 27 ans - 14 sélections
Rod FANNI (Rennes) - 26 ans - 0 sélection
William GALLAS (Arsenal) - 30 ans - 66 sélections
Philippe MEXES (AS Rome) - 26 ans - 9 sélections
Bakary SAGNA (Arsenal) - 25 ans - 3 sélections
Sébastien SQUILLACI (FC Séville) - 28 ans - 13 sélections

Alou DIARRA (Bordeaux) - 27 ans - 14 sélections
Lassana DIARRA (Portsmouth) - 23 ans - 14 sélections
Mathieu FLAMINI (Milan AC) - 24 ans - 2 sélections
Yoann GOURCUFF (Bordeaux) - 22 ans - 1 sélection
Florent MALOUDA (Chelsea) - 28 ans - 42 sélections
Samir NASRI (Arsenal) - 21 ans - 12 sélections
Jérémy TOULALAN (Lyon) - 24 ans - 17 sélections

Nicolas ANELKA (Chelsea) - 29 ans - 51 sélections
Hatem BEN ARFA (Marseille) - 21 ans - 6 sélections
Karim BENZEMA (Lyon) - 20 ans - 14 sélections
Sidney GOVOU (Lyon) - 29 ans - 35 sélections
Thierry HENRY (Barcelone) - 30 ans - 103 sélections

Wow... not a bad team but then again i'm sure no one is surprised by the selection. But why do u need 4 bloody defensive midfielders in that team. Come on, Toulalan and Flamini are great.. you don't need to add the 2 Diarra's. Also, I guess Bodmer got overlooked once again. Shudders!!!

[drac78]

LOL @ Mexes, I didn't know he was that crap.... Domenech's loverboy Lassana Diarra played the whole game, he was even moved to the right back position in the 2nd half...as if he was better than Sagna Henry was useless as usual with the NT...

Now, I hope we lose against Serbia too so that Domenech gets sacked

[talk2smc]

Originally Posted by drac78

LOL @ Mexes,

horrible game for him, but he is most certainly not crap. perhaps Domenech should have played him a bit more to get comfortable with the team/tactics, international matches etc before yesterday. in addition, respect to the man for coming out immediately and saying- hey look, i fucked up twice and costs us the game. but my heads up and it wont happen again. how often does a player have the balls to do that?

[TheLionLyon]

Originally Posted by drac78

LOL @ Mexes, I didn't know he was that crap.... Domenech's loverboy Lassana Diarra played the whole game, he was even moved to the right back position in the 2nd half...as if he was better than Sagna Henry was useless as usual with the NT...

Now, I hope we lose against Serbia too so that Domenech gets sacked

We can't even win with Domenech being controlled by the FFF. Seriously, this isn't a squad Domenech would pick (not enough Lyon players ). Henry is done on the international stage either after the World Cup or maybe in between the WCQ's. We need to a striker to step up, earn a callup, and run with it.

Mexes messed up big time. Though Domenech practically through him into the fire, he should of played better and like talk2smc says, Mexes knows it. However, Domenech may have proved his point (not to me, drac and other supporters maybe) for not calling Mexes up during the height of his tenure. I don't want us to lose to Serbia. I pray for a 1-1 boring draw with Serbia scoring early and we get an equaliser late in the match so the supporters can send Domenech on his way.

[Warya]

Originally Posted by TheLionLyon

We can't even win with Domenech being controlled by the FFF. Seriously, this isn't a squad Domenech would pick (not enough Lyon players ). Henry is done on the international stage either after the World Cup or maybe in between the WCQ's. We need to a striker to step up, earn a callup, and run with it.

Mexes messed up big time. Though Domenech practically through him into the fire, he should of played better and like talk2smc says, Mexes knows it. However, Domenech may have proved his point (not to me, drac and other supporters maybe) for not calling Mexes up during the height of his tenure. I don't want us to lose to Serbia. I pray for a 1-1 boring draw with Serbia scoring early and we get an equaliser late in the match so the supporters can send Domenech on his way.

true but mexes shouldnt be blamed for the whole fiasco. gallas was caught ball watching in every attack and since mexes wanted to prove his start, he was all the running and defending as gallas sat and watched. i certainly hope he starts again as he is by far our best defender in terms of talent since well... thuram. ray needs to go and soon!! god speed!!

[talk2smc]

i think that Gallas and Mexes could have been the best CB partnership in the world had Dom given them time to play together and meld as defenders. sloppy performances like yesterday's are a result of poor managing and ignoring Mexes. how can Mexes partner Chivu, Panucci, and Juan and cant work well with Gallas...oh, probably cuz its the 3rd time theyve played together.

[postalemirates]

Originally Posted by talk2smc

i think that Gallas and Mexes could have been the best CB partnership in the world had Dom given them time to play together and meld as defenders. sloppy performances like yesterday's are a result of poor managing and ignoring Mexes. how can Mexes partner Chivu, Panucci, and Juan and cant work well with Gallas...oh, probably cuz its the 3rd time theyve played together.

spot on mate... i would have loved it if Roma had kept Chivu - he and Mexes would gave had an even better partnership for Roma... tres mal