France List for Faroes and Lithuania

October 4th, 2007 | by: Laurie |

How do you like our new look? Kudos to Bob and the tech guys at The Offside and World Cup Blog for all their efforts to update the site. I had to take a short break from the blog while they were upgrading, but I’m back now. And just in time for news about the upcoming Euro qualifiers.

Yes, the list is out. The big news is that Louis Saha is back and David Trezeguet is out. Is anybody surprised? Sadly, watching Trezeguet in the Scotland game just kept making me think that France is not Juventus. The styles just don’t mesh.

But now the big question: Who plays up front? I would personally argue that Nicolas Anelka and Karim Benzema are more in form than Thierry Henry and Louis Saha. (And I’m not saying that because they’re my favorites. Or not just because they’re my favorites.) Benzema leads Ligue 1 with nine goals so far this year, and Anelka is singlehandedly fighting a losing battle to keep Bolton from utter humiliation. And we also have Sidney Govou, Franck Ribéry (who’s playing extremely well for Munich) and Florent Malouda (who’s struggling a bit at Chelsea. More on that tomorrow.)

Defense also looks interesting. No real changes on the left or in the middle, but what about the rightback position? Still no Willy Sagnol, and Francois Clerc wasn’t even called up. This means that at rightback we have Arsenal’s Bakary Sagna, and then the possibility of Lassana Diarra (who is on the list as a midfielder, and who was impressive at rightback against Italy but not against Scotland.) And can’t Julien Escude play on the right as well as left and center? Who do you think will start? (Also, Arsenal fan Sandra said that Gael Clichy has been called up? He’s not showing up on my fff list — can you give me a link?)

The midfield is packed with newer and less experienced names, several from Arsenal — Lassana Diarra, Mathieu Flamini and Abou Diaby. (Interestingly, Arsenal now has more players called up than Lyon.) Jérôme Rothen from PSG is also on the list. Bigger news, though, is that Patrick Vieira was not called up. I know he’s been injured, but the latest news coming out of Inter is that he’s expected to play this weekend. I think leaving him off is best for the team — Jérémy Toulalan can perform better right now, and Inter wasn’t happy that Vieira played for France in September — but it has to sting a little.

Give me your thoughts on who should start.

Liste des joueurs sélectionnés

Gardiens de But
Sébastien FREY A.C.F. Fiorentina
Mickaël LANDREAU Paris SG
Ulrich RAME F.C.G. Bordeaux

Défenseurs

Eric ABIDAL F.C. Barcelone
Julien ESCUDE F.C. Séville
Patrice EVRA Manchester United
William GALLAS Arsenal F.C.
Philippe MEXES A.S. Roma
Bakary SAGNA Arsenal F.C.
Lilian THURAM F.C. Barcelone

Milieux de Terrain

Abou DIABYArsenal F.C.
Lassana DIARRA Arsenal F.C.
Mathieu FLAMINI Arsenal F.C.
Claude MAKELELE Chelsea F.C.
Jérôme ROTHEN Paris-SG
Jérémy TOULALAN Olympique Lyonnais

Attaquants

Nicolas ANELKA Bolton Wanderers
Karim BENZEMA Olympique Lyonnais
Sidney GOVOU Olympique Lyonnais
Thierry HENRY F.C. Barcelone
Florent MALOUDA Chelsea F.C.
Franck RIBERY F.C. Bayern Münich
Louis SAHA Manchester United

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sandrahn

Hi Laurie,

Here’s the page on the official club site arsenal.com that lists all the players called up for internationals in the coming weeks:

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=482489&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Internationals:+Arsenal+stars+called+up+for+duty

You have to scroll down to get to the French players.

I agree with you about Benzema and Anelka up front but I’d prefer a lone striker up front, with one behind. Also, I don’t know why Domenech keeps calling up Thuram. I love the guy but he’s just not what he used to be.
http://lequipemoustache.blogspot.com L’Américain

Laurie,

I like the idea of Benzema and Anelka teaming up as they have both been in great form. I’d also like to see Saha given a run out, he seems to be catching no breaks at Man U, but I feel he is a powerful addition esp if one of the two aren’t playing up to par. I hope that all of the lists forgot to add Clichy, I have been championing his call up for the last year, he’s fast as hell.

I’m a little scared for our midfield, we have two attacking playmakers that you can count on, but two holding midfielders seems likely with all the names listed. I think I’d like to see the following Frey, Abidal, Evra, Thuram, Clichy,Diarra, Makélélé, Ribéry, Malouda, Anelka, Benzema, in sort of 4-2-3-1 with Benzema the lone striker.

Maybe that will get a chance if Henry isn’t making the grade.

@+,
L’Américain
Patrick

Saha shouldn’t be selected. He just came back from injury and hasn’t proved that he’s returned to full fitness. With Anelka, Henry, Benzema, and Saha, we have four of the exact same type of player.
http://lequipemoustache.blogspot.com L’Américain

..he scored in his first game back for Man U (one month ago) in the EPL has 2 goals in 112 mins played (4 consecutive game weeks) and started against Roma midweek in CL.

I think he’s ready
Patrick

Good point But seriously, we don’t need four players who play the exact same style. And Trezeguet has 7 goals in 6 games in Serie A. I know I’m kind of a Trezeguet fanatic but I think his numbers are more impressive.
Doumé

re: Vieira,I’m translating what Domenech said:

“Maybe one can stop thinking that I am a total idiot. The French Team, just as the Inter Milan, wants him back as soon as possible. Against Italy and Scotland, he was ready to go. This time, he was hesitating more. I listen to arguments from all sides. But my priority is the player’s impressions. Sometimes we go along with the club, sometimes not. This time, the interests on both sides are the same. Patrick would have liked to come but he didn’t feel ready to play.”

Also, Gallas might be doubtful.

It seems Henry ended the draft and scored a triple recently. I still like his work when he steps out of center and makes things happen (just like Anelka), because he is not as static as Trezeguet.

This list is both a child’s dream and a headache for a coach. So many wonderful players, so many possibilities on how to combine them together. I think we need to look for spontaneity, creativity, and speed. I would put Anelka/Benzema for a start, with Henry as a luxury sub for the one who doesn’t make things happen.
glatisant

I love Raymond’s reaction when he feels his intelligence is being insulted (which he seems to find is often…)

Agree with everyone on the Anelka-Benzema combination.
http://france.worldcupblog.org Laurie

Doumé, I was going to go in and translate your article this morning — now I don’t have to. Thanks.

I also saw that Henry scored a hat trick. (Is the French phrase “triplé”? Is that what I saw?) I agree with Doumé — Anelka and Benzema to start, with Henry substituting for the nonperformer. Which is why Raymond will probably go with Henry and Saha.

And Patrick, I hear you about Trezeguet. You have no idea how much I wish he’d been able to come through against Scotland. He still breaks my heart.

I am glad that the Faroes game is first — time to work out a good rotation for Lituania and Ukraine, maybe?
sandrahn

I just wonder how much we can judge a player’s form for the NT from his current club form. Trezeguet is on fire at Juve right now but he’s not performing for France. Anelka’s carrying Bolton singlehandedly but how much can we expect from him for the NT? Same with Benzema, who’s scoring for Lyon like wildfire. Henry has had only a few games with Barca and before his hattrick against Levante (probably the poorest team in the Spanish league), he’d scored only once but had provided several good assists. Saha, well, he’s back from injury and has only played a few games.

I liked Domenech’s comment, “Maybe one can stop thinking that I am a total idiot.” LOL!! Domenech can often be very funny and witty, like when he wondered if there’s something physically wrong with Materazzi (after a game in which Materazzi was headbutted again by an Italian player) that he can’t seem to stop from falling down.
Doumé

Yes, Laurie, “triplé” means hat-trick. Sometimes we use also the “coup du chapeau” (litteral translation of hat-trick).
Well, basically there’s a little more in that article that I haven’t translated, but I thought this part was something to share. It’s so Domenech. Of course he’s under so much pressure, every one of his decisions is discussed to no end in the French press and the cafés (and not always as respectfully and gracefully as here on this blog!). Which explains some of his outbursts…

Domenech was also saying that age wasn’t a problem for Wiltord, but that there are just so many people competing for that spot. Sylvain brought good stuff at times. I think he’s at the origin of this beauty which I call the Goal of the King, when he let Zidane loose to do his thing and score his last goal in the course of play, the 3-1 against Spain.
Saha produced what is called a “caviar ball”, a lovely assist onto Dhorassoo which could have given a 1-0 edge over Switzerland in the WC06. These guys are definitely good, and could make some difference if they were in shape – but then how can you bench Ribéry or Anelka to let them play? “total idiot” wouldn’t quite suffice then!

I remember the times (well, I was a kid!) when basically no French players were playing in other leagues. Platini’s move to the Juve was a big deal. Boy, how different now! That list is just amazingly diverse. That speaks tons about the quality of these guys. But how do you make all these very different styles gel together in such a short time?
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[...] France List for Faroes and LithuaniaHow do you like our new look? Kudos to Bob and the tech guys at The Offside and World Cup Blog for all their efforts to update the site. I had to take a short break from the blog while they were upgrading, but I’m back now. … [...]
http://www.my-news.biz/headlines/Lithuania/2007/10/18/nightlife-in-vilnius-part-ii-clubs/ Lithuania » Blog Archives » Nightlife in Vilnius. Part II: clubs

[...] France List for Faroes and LithuaniaHow do you like our new look? Kudos to Bob and the tech guys at The Offside and World Cup Blog for all their efforts to update the site. I had to take a short break from the blog while they were upgrading, but I’m back now. … [...]