My Starting XI (and Substitutes)

Close, but no cigar. Abidal is too valuable as a squad player to be in the first 11. He could even serve as the stand-by player in case one of the defenders in the squad of 23 gets injured in the 11th hour – he’s that versatile.

As a general guideline, I like Man U players about as much as I enjoy hearing about my mother-in-law’s colonic enemas, but Evra could do a job for les Bleus, and if not him, then Gael Clichy – there’s not much to choose between those two.

Toulalan is another player who I’d keep in reserve. France should get away from two defensive midfielders in favor of two complete midfielders. I think this could be a bit of a problem area. Where are Petit and Deschamps when you need them?

In the spirit of hope, I put forward a midfield pairing of Flamini and L. Diarra. Don’t ask me how, but in the next few months, these two could become top-level international quality. Keep in mind that they could be coming off the back of a league and Champions league double campaign with Arsenal. Granted, it might more likely that Lassana will soon be wallowing in the Newcastle reserves and that Flamini’s bubble will have burst spectacularly, but with a healthy dose of fantastical optimism, I think I’ve found a solution for central midfield.

A fit Henry would have to be in the side ahead of Anelka, but Henry doesn’t ever look like being fit, so I can’t argue about your pairing up front, but I’d like to see Ben Arfa in there ahead of Malouda.

Re: Abidal vs. Evra. I went through this mental debate as well before deciding on Abidal. I actually prefer Evra and would choose him if Gallas and Thuram weren’t the only CD pair with real experience. Back in the Morocco(?) game France played Clerc at rightback and Evra at leftback and it was a disaster. Both were offensive-minded, and they’d make these beautiful overlapping runs, and then somebody would lose the ball and Gallas and Thuram would be scrambling alone in the back. Thuram especially doesn’t have that kind of speed anymore. That game nearly gave me heart failure.

Even if Thuram were to be replaced by Mexes or Escude or Squillaci, we’d have a duo back there that doesn’t have much experience together. I went with Abidal to make up for this.

Of course, it might be different with Sagnol as opposed to Clerc. It’s been so long since he’s been on the field I’ve actually forgotten what his strengths and weaknesses are.

And you see what I mean about defensive midfielders. We’re weak there. I agree with you about bringing in more complete players, but this team has gotten used to having somebody in the Makelele role, and I don’t think right before Euros is the time to change this!

Thanks for the input. I love this kind of discussion.

Oh, and I’d be happy with Ben Arfa instead of Malouda as well. I think eventually he’ll be a much stronger player, provided he doesn’t do something stupid like go to a team where he’s a high-paid bench player.

Can’t argue much with a lineup like that.However I’d like to see Henry & Anelka paired together up front. Benzema & Trezeguet would be my subs. The Morocco game gave me the chills defensively. I think you have to go with the old guard there (except Thuram). Sagnol,Gallas, Escude,& Abidal should work. Yes Abidal because he gets back on defense and neglects less his defensive role than Evra.

Lassana Diarra or Flamimi over Toulalan is a joke. Toulalan is a very complete midfielder, and calling him otherwise indicates that you haven’t seen him play often enough. He can also play a more attacking role quite well and should actually be classified as a CM as opposed to a pure DM (which he isn’t – he only started playing that role full time since coming to Lyon.

Oh, yeah, Toulalan was the other one I was going to insist on. I didn’t really appreciate him till I saw him play live. He was everywhere — incredible workrate. I’d pick him over any of our other DMs any day.

The last game vs. Ukraine would be a good Toulalan reference for those who do not know him. He was simply awesome.

Anelka in CHelsea!
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0,14-0,39-33867453@7-37,0.html

Doume, I saw! I dragged myself out of bed this morning and it was the first thing I checked. Color me happy for the entire day!!!

(Nico, please, please don’t let my faith in you be misguided. And stay healthy.)

Inara wrote, “Lassana Diarra or Flamimi over Toulalan is a joke.” I’m often telling jokes; mind you, they’re rarely funny.

The defense of Toulalan is reassuring. I have not seem him play often enough (Inara was very generous to omit the other option – that I’ve seen him play plenty, but that I’m quite simply a tool). I was only able to watch part of the last game versus Ukraine, but I respect the opinions of you lot, so I went to research the origin of my impression that Toulalan is more average than world class.

If I had any credibility to lose, it might be a fait accompli when I mention that one of the disappointing Toulalan performances that I had lowering his stock came in a 6-0 France Victory! Against Faroe Islands, I had it that he “could have been better; was not very elegant; was sloppy; gave Faroe Islands reason to hope; and was a good bet to be dropped.”

Coming on as a substitute in the nil draw away to Italy, I had it that Toulalan “looked slow and was in no way an improvement over Ribery whom he replaced.”

In short my devaluation of Toulalna’s prospects are mostly based on two appearances. Hopefully I have it all wrong and the better-informed trio of Inara, Laurie, and Jen-Michel have it right. It would be true to form for me to bollox things entirely.

call me crazy i think henry play allot more in the backfield i feel he would be a great behing ANELKA BENZEMA,here is my team that no one will like I guess i know how the french coach feels lol

COUPET
SAGNOL GALLAS ESCUDE ABIDAL

MAKELELE L DIARRA

RIBERY HENRY

ANELKA BENZEMA

THINK OF THE FIRE POWER HENTY STYLE HAS CHANGED SINCE HIS EARLY DAYS

VOILA

Relax, 433. I’m not attacking you but your opinion on Toulalan. In the Italy game, Toulalan came on in the last ten minutes. He wasn’t meant to be an improvement over Ribery since Ribery was told to attack. Toulalan was brought on for more defensive muscle. As for the Faroe Island game, yeah it wasn’t his best, but as I recall, neither did Makelele. They didn’t have anything much to do in that game, where most of the work was done on the wings by Rothen and Ribery.

Sadly, that was me in my relaxed state. I stay a good distance from keyboards when I’m not relaxed.

My notes on Makalele from the Faroe Islands game match yours, so your credibility, from where I sit, is impeccable, and I’m reassured that Toulalan is a safer bet than I had him on January 10th, 2008 at 7:11 pm.

I’ve really got to try to watch more Lyon games. My wife’s patience has been pushed to the limit by my insistence on watching every Arsenal game in every competition, but we do have TV5, so I can get the odd Lyon game.

Generally I’m a big supporter of Makalele, but I’m occasionally worried of late that he’s getting on. If Toulalan can produce his best form and get forward, and Makalele can be near his peak form, then maybe I don’t need to be so worried about central midfield.

Another issue is the tendency of managers to fall back on old war horses well past their sell by date, and I fear Domenech might try that with Vieira. Pat is one of my all-time favorites, but I don’t want to see him and Makalele together again unless it’s a testimonial match. One of those old war horses in holding midfield could bring stability, but both of them together is starting to look like the geriatric ward, and I mean that with all due respect to the elderly, among whom I count myself.