Alarms are ringing and there must be quite a hangover for the followers of French national side. How can it be otherwise when Les Bleus lost 2-0 at the hands of Ukraine in Kiev, a result that makes circumstances for them to qualify for the World Cup, very unfavourable.
A ticket to the World Cup in Brazil appears highly hypothetical and it would take nothing short than a miracle for the team to make it happen on Tuesday night at Stade de France. However, as we all know it, France have been able to turn the tide in the past which means that miring in pessimism is not the right way to go about things. Last time out when Les Bleus were on the verge of getting out of a ticket to the World Cup was back in 2009. At that time, it took a dubious and scandalous Thierry Henry goal to send the Republic of Ireland packing as France secured a ticket to South Africa.
Regardless, if they are keen on missing out on the trauma of not being in South America, Didier Deschamps’ side should do a few things that could help them a lot at Stade de France.
Move on from the Kiev fiasco
The French team which showed up in the first leg was very different from the team we saw in the group stages. That side was more or less toothless and a lot of it goes down to the overall mentality. The whole team needs to move on from the debacle that was the first leg. Les Bleus took a slap but the coming game should be considered an opportunity to turn the tide.
France do have a herculean task at hand to turn the tide into their favour, but it is important that they remain committed and focused. It is for all to see that the players have a lot of quality and it will only take an extra bit of effort for the individuals to translate their abilities into a memorable performance which could seal France’s place in the last 32.
Start with Karim Benzema
After what happened a few days back, it is clear that a few changes are there to be made. Most of the players failed splendidly in Kiev and Didier Deschamps must make changes. Olivier Giroud has been in great form for Arsenal but the former Montpellier man was simply chasing shadows throughout the game before he was replaced by Karim Benzema. Giving the Real Madrid striker another chance is definitely going to be a good decision even though he has not been able to score as freely as he should.
Using Mathieu Valbuena
Over the years, Matheiu Valbuena has been a valuable servant for both club and country. However, Le Petit Velo was not used in time during the game. The Olympique de Marseille midfielder’s presence adds a spark to the team and this should be the kind of change Deschamps has to make if he is aspiring to turn the tide. The dynamic midfielder should be given a chance ahead of Loic Remy or Samir Nasri in order to boost offensive animation.
Hope for a fit Varane
The young centre-back missed the first game through injury but could be available to replace Laurent Koscielny who was sent off in the first leg. The Real Madrid man has shown intelligence beyond his age and could be vital as he partners Abidal in the heart of the defence. France can certainly not afford to concede another goal and Varane’s presence could serve to be very useful.
Change of tactics
Inevitably, as often happens in such circumstances, the management is blamed. Indeed there were a lot of mistakes committed by Didier Deschamps, peppered with debatable choices.
The starting eleven to begin with was quite puzzling. Given the inability of Les Bleus to create chances and respond to their physically imposing opponents, it would have been better to go for a 4-3-3 formation with Yohan Cabaye in order to have more control in the midfield. Indeed this midfield conundrum is something that Deschamps has not been able to address and this has to be defined soon if the team stands a chance against a well-drilled Ukraine side that will be looking to defend at Stade de France on Tuesday.
In short, there are many questions and many issues that have to be addressed. With just a few hours left till the second leg, Deschamps knows that he has quite a lot of rethinking to do if he is to avoid becoming the first French World Cup winning player unable to guide his team to the World Cup.
