Poll: Who Should France’s Coach be Going Into WC 2010?

The more I find out about Tigana, the more I like him. Different training methods, attacking style at Monaco, not to mention did well in developing players like Thierry Henry and Trezeguet there. Also, I can appreciate the difficulty in taking Fulham from the Championship to the Premiership and even grabbing a UEFA spot in England; it seems more difficult than keeping a stacked Juve team afloat after being relegated.

Arsene Wenger’s probably the best of the bunch, but a pipe dream all the same… and as an Arsenal fan, I won’t lie, I hope it stays that way.

Posted from  United States

Deschamps also led a Monaco team that was almost bankrupt to the finals of the Champions League, beating the likes of Real, as well as Chelsea, and with charming style. Tigana wasn’t exactly without resources at Fulham, and if there’s a bad mark on him, he bought Steve Marlet for about 11 million. I’d vote Deschamps over Tigana if it came to it. I rest my case.

zidane? LOL! haha anyway i choose deschamps too. actually, anyone but domenech will do fine.

Posted from  Australia

I think the people who voted for Domenech are Italy supporters.

Posted from  United States

if didi deschamps become coach i want zizou to be his #2 aka assistant coach.

Posted from  United States

Hard to believe, but Goal.com is reporting that French Football Federation President Jean-Pierre Escalettes has confirmed that Raymond Domenech will stay on as coach of Les bleus:

“Domenech has a contract with France until 2010, and the French Federation’s President Jean-Pierre Escalettes has somewhat surprisingly announced that the coach will stay on in his job.

“Domenech remains, provided some things change,” Escalates told Le Parisien.

“There are three conditions that Domenech will have to comply with, and they are an improved and more expansive style of play, better organization and improved communication.” The news of Domenech’s extended period in office will be announced officially on Thursday.

http://www.goal.com/en-india/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=756058

Posted from  Canada

Oh, no ….

Setanta Sports is reporting the same thing:

http://www.setantasports.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/06/29/Euro-Domenech-to-stay-put/?facets/sport-space/great-britain-locale/football/

Posted from  Canada

They don’t know what they’re talking about, actually.

While it’s not out of the question that Domenech stays, it appears it’ll likely be decided by the FFF, and there’s no way of knowing what they’ll decide.

On one hand, Domenech has the support of Escalettes, who is the President, as well as about 6 out of the 20 other members. However, there are a 6 who are strongly opposed to him, and will likely demand that Escalettes allows a vote (if these vocal anti-Domenech 6 didn’t exist, Escalettes would not have to conduct a vote). Thus, if Escalettes allows the vote, it’ll be the hands of the 8 undecided members, and among those 8, we have no idea whether they’ll listen to the public, which is definitely anti-Domenech, or whether they’ll go with Escalettes, who is decidedly a supporter of Domenech.

That’s what it comes down to.

It is a pity how uninformed the sources of goal.com are.

Oh, and I’m definitely in favor of Domenech’s removal in favor of Deschamps. Although it appears the FFF isn’t thrilled with Deschamps. But it’s also been said that if Laurent Blanc decides to become a candidate, he’d get the job tomorrow.

Thanks Seb,

I hope your right …

Any idea why Domenech would have any support at all among Escalettes and other board members? What qualities do you suppose they see in him? To an outsider like me it seems obvious that he has to go … and what do they have against Deschamps?

Is it possible Domenech gets a very temporary repreive and that they’re waiting on Blanc?

Posted from  Canada

Hey Steven,

It’s alright, I think that you see what all of us who are objective see, and it’s that Domenech is limited in his capabilities, added to the reality, that, after this showing, he really should resign on his own if he had any honor.

Domenech is a persona grata at the FFF as he, to use a mafia term, is a “made man” there. I don’t think there’s another way to put it. He was a U-21 coach for over a decade, and has been at the FFF even a bit longer. Escalettes is similar. He is also only known in France as a FFF guy. He wasn’t a Platini or a Kopa. So he’s always been a Domenech sympathizer, if you will, and there’s the also matter that he was behind Domenech’s getting an extension after the World Cup. As the President, it’d look bad if Domenech were to be removed and he was the one who was the reason why the FFF would have to give Domenech his “early termination” clause, which isn’t insubstantial, admittedly.

Anyway, not to bore everybody, but the Escalettes’ contingent’s dislike of Deschamps is similar. Didier earned all of his plaudits on the field, and didn’t go through the coaching training that Domenech, among others, did. After all, as soon as DD retired, he became a manager, whereas it’s been said the FFF prefers its coaches to have some training/service in advance of becoming the sélectionneur des Bleus.

I don’t think I can answer the last question that you posed. Although if Domenech does stay on and the early qualifiers don’t go well, both Domenech and Escalettes would be on the hook.

Sorry to bore everybody with this, I’ve actually gotten this info from a bunch of sources. I’ve actually only been following the team for a decade now, but well, my folks have been involved in this for a while, they know how these things go down. I’d much prefer to discuss all the exciting guys we have coming up at Clairefontaine than the idiosyncrasies of the FFF, although now kinda calls for it.

Oh, and I also thought that I should update that among those 8 undecided members, there are likely some vehemently opposed to Domenech. After all, Domenech has irked many in France in terms of the way he has put down the league (in terms of scheduling, which I have to admit, Domenech wasn’t completely wrong on) or the way he has aggrieved all of the media by making Les Bleus antisocial.

Alright, I know now this post is incredibly elongated already, though there is also the DTN, and Houllier, who is its leader. It’s no secret that Houllier and Domenech don’t get along, which is significant as the DTN holds a good amount of influence.

Anyway, I’m hoping that Domenech gets the sack, but objectively, it’s about 50/50 at best. Escalettes and his cronies sit higher on the food chain, although if the undecided voters go against Domenech, they’ll have no choice. But there will be clarity on July 3rd.

>in terms of scheduling, which I have to admit, Domenech wasn’t completely wrong on<

Yes, that really was a terrible disservice to everybody – a shame really.

Now, Govou is coming out in favor of Domenech:
http://foot2008.lequipe.fr/breves2008/20080630_135528_govou-dedouane-domenech_Dev.html
“For me, he should stay. He has nothing to feel guilty about. The guilty ones are the players. We weren’t able to do what was needed to get through. I regret that some former players are casting him the stone. They should know that, sometimes, even with a spirit beyond reproach and with motivation, we find ourselves without solutions on the field. You have to ask yourself the right questions”

how funny italy makes it further than france and the coach get’s fired we were the laugh of europe and we keep the coach i need to move to france were i can work and screw up all day and never get fired, if that idiots stays i will not support france for i will be dissapointed again, enough is enough, what is he going to do ? keep coupet and henry till they 50 lol give me a break what a waste of new talent

Posted from  United States

govou, ribery, vieira, diara, and sagnol want domenech to stay.

Posted from  United States

who cares about sagnol he should NEVER play i am so mad i went on a few sites and yes that idiot is staying under condition that he plays more offense i am FRENCH and AMRICAN as french person i feel insulted and ashamed well the bright side i am 41 so i will probably see france win the world cup in my 50’s what a long wait…..

Posted from  United States

Come on, Doumé, my friend, you thought Govou would think differently? If it wasn’t for Domenech, Govou wouldn’t have close to the 30+(!) international appearances he has. I could say the same about Diarra, except of course, he doesn’t have 30, though if Domenech stays on, he could in a short while.

I’m half-thinking about calling in Guy Roux to pick a fight with Domenech, you know he’d do it.

I heard Guy Roux told Mexes (as soon as he wasn’t kept on the team, so still before the 1st game): “On June 19, you’ll be selectable”

Yes, I saw that on the video section of the L’Equipe website, I think. Here’s the link:

http://video.lequipe.fr/video/iLyROoafYkrk.html#

If the FFF does retain Domenech, Sebs’ insightful comments and “made man” analysis would go some way towards explaining Domenech’s own dubious selections and their seeming inability to do no wrong (at least until it was too late).

Perhaps I’m mistaken but it is many of those same selections who are now showing him the same “loyalty”–if that is indeed the right word here–that he showed to them. It looks as if many owe their spots on the NT to him alone. Is Ribery the only future obvious selection who has come out in favour of his retention? But then wasn’t he a Domenech “discovery,” so perhaps he feels he owes him something.

All this is quite fascinating to someone like me reared on the mercenary, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sporting culture of North America. It’s almost admirable, in a way …

Seb, thanks for your detailed and thoughtful remarks–but I’m left a little confused by Escalates’ position. Does he or does he not have to allow a free vote? Sounds like there will be “no free vote” … but as you say, we will know on July 3.

Posted from  Canada

if deschamps become coach say bye bye to anelka, diara, vieira, govou, gomis, sagnol, henry, malouda, boumsong, and coupet.

prediction starting 11 against austria in 06/09/08

frey
clerc/sagna-mexes-squillaci-evra/clichy
benarfa/ribrey-flamini-toulalan-nasri/menez
benzema-trezeguet/briand

Posted from  United States

Hmmm, it’s a good question you ask on Escalettes, and also, thank you for all the nice comments. I think Escalettes will first propose a quick motion to keep Domenech. If it goes through, then nothing else has to be done, but if there’s a lot of dissent (which we can definitely hope there would be, except if everyone is too afraid about being on the wrong side of Escalettes as elections are coming soon), then they will likely take a vote on it.

The other big rumor that’s been heard out of the FFF is that Domenech will have a co-manager or an assistant who has almost the same powers as he does. To appease the Zidane/Desailly/Lizarazu World Champion camp, Alain Boghossian is someone whom it’s been rumored could fit that role.

Oh, and Michel-Olivier, I doubt Henry is going anywhere. The others, perhaps, and with the majority of them, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

I think if domenech stays he will change the way he coaches…i hope. Who knows maybe he won’t be so stubborn and so predictable when it comes to who he chooses to play. If not then this guy has no business being our coach. I am not quite sure about the other candidates ability as coach but based upon your opinions i would like to see where deschamps can take us. I was a fan of his when he played so hopefully he won’t disappoint. I hope he will bring on flamini and Mexes but sorry guys I don’t want to see trezeguet back. I doubt he will do anything for France. If he does play I hope he proves me wrong. I want Anelka to stay. I still remeber what he did during the qualifiers and am not one to throw him under a rug never to be remembered. As for other changes I am up for it. Oh and nasri needs to be played more.

Posted from  United States

It’s official now. Domenech and his ugly soccer will stay. Be prepared for another humiliation, French fans!

Posted from  United States