Allo allo
A crucial moment in the tournament – can I spend any length of time thinking about France's own Dad's Army without segueing into British airmen and the Fallen Madonna with ze Big Boobies? Let's hope so.
Anyway. Good moaning.
Raymond Domenech has clearly decided that Zinedine Zidane and the rest of the old guard can achieve more with their undoubted skill than the next generation of French players can with skill and fitness combined.
It's not an idea entirely without merit – but the suspicion remains that history has already proven him wrong in 2002 and 2004, when France meekly surrendered their twin titles with little resistance. I'm sure you can all see what I did there.
Perhaps the problem could be that many in this French squad feel that they have nothing to prove? Marcel Desailly certainly said as much when the roof came crashing down around Les Bleus in Seoul four years ago.
Then, as in 2004, France were moody, disjointed and barely a shadow of their former selves. Ominously, this time around, things are again far from harmonious.
Gregory Coupet is in the huff and David Trezeguet isn't far behind him. Thierry Henry, allegedly, doesn't enjoy Zidane's influence and standing in the squad.
Jean-Alain Boumsong is celebrating absolutely wretched seasons at Rangers and Newcastle by filling the berth you might reasonably have expected go to Phillipe Mexes. Ludovic Giuly, meanwhile, is on his holidays – passed over even as a stand-in in favour of the powerfully-average Sidney Govou.
As much as I hope everything I've just said means nothing and the French squad can cast aside their differences and egos to mount a healf-decent challenge (and I certainly wouldn't bet against it) it really is very much hope rather than expectation.
Anyway. Good moaning.
Raymond Domenech has clearly decided that Zinedine Zidane and the rest of the old guard can achieve more with their undoubted skill than the next generation of French players can with skill and fitness combined.
It's not an idea entirely without merit – but the suspicion remains that history has already proven him wrong in 2002 and 2004, when France meekly surrendered their twin titles with little resistance. I'm sure you can all see what I did there.
Perhaps the problem could be that many in this French squad feel that they have nothing to prove? Marcel Desailly certainly said as much when the roof came crashing down around Les Bleus in Seoul four years ago.
Then, as in 2004, France were moody, disjointed and barely a shadow of their former selves. Ominously, this time around, things are again far from harmonious.
Gregory Coupet is in the huff and David Trezeguet isn't far behind him. Thierry Henry, allegedly, doesn't enjoy Zidane's influence and standing in the squad.
Jean-Alain Boumsong is celebrating absolutely wretched seasons at Rangers and Newcastle by filling the berth you might reasonably have expected go to Phillipe Mexes. Ludovic Giuly, meanwhile, is on his holidays – passed over even as a stand-in in favour of the powerfully-average Sidney Govou.
As much as I hope everything I've just said means nothing and the French squad can cast aside their differences and egos to mount a healf-decent challenge (and I certainly wouldn't bet against it) it really is very much hope rather than expectation.
posted by colin at
2:55 pm
2 Comments:
A propos nothing, much, but the Grand Tetons mountains range in America translates as "Big Tits", and was reportedly named by French explorers who thought that, well, they looked like a big pair of tits.
Spot on about France, by the way. Dreadful. Just dreadful.
By
200percent, at 10:24 pm
Why oh why do they insist on leaving Henry up front on his own, and then CROSSING him the ball?
You're also right about the squad selections... and I thought Sven was bad.
By
dotmund, at 11:37 am
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