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Raymond Is Contemplating Rotation. For Real This Time.

June 11th, 2008 | By: Inara | 29 Comments »

If you’re currently standing, find somewhere to sit down because this news will knock you off your feet.

Domenech - our dear, stubborn, complex, somewhat irrational manager - is considering making four changes to his lineup for Friday. That’s right. FOUR.

According to Domenech, he doesn’t want to destabilize his defense and that his primary objective is to make the team “collectively strong,” but he acknowledges that some of his backup players are individually stronger.

“For once, I will be honest and tell you that I’m hesitating over four positions. After every game I try to think of small modifications that might improve the team, so this is not a great change [in policy]. But I also think that stability is important in international football and won’t start chopping off the heads of my players because we ‘only’ got a draw against Romania.”

What that sounds like to me is an internal battle between Eric Abidal and Patrice Evra. So for those of you who’ve been wanting to see Evra get some minutes, this might be it.

Domenech was a bit more vague about the other three positions, but he did say that he wanted to improve efficiency in attack - France are creating chances but are unable to finish them off. That could mean any number of players since they all pretty much sucked against Romania.

Here are my guesses about the four:

Abidal —> Evra
Malouda —> Nasri or Govou
Anelka —> Henry
Sagnol —-> Clerc

Unfortunately, I don’t see Domenech dropping his two DMs. But if we’re lucky, hopefully Patrick Vieira will be not one of them.

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 29 comments.

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By Eoin | June 11th, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Two dms is an absolute disaster unless they can spread the ball like Xavi or Pirlo. Makelele cannot, and the play is rarely dispersed with any creativity into the channels. Part of the problem there is that Anelka is lazy. Get him off, let’s see Gomis if Henry isn’t fit. Get Diarra and Toulalan in the centre. Some energy at least, and have Nasri on hand to drop back and collect the ball, keeping Ribery and Govou on the flanks.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Michel-Olivier | June 11th, 2008 at 5:23 pm

4-2-3-1/4-5-1 only work for france when zidane is playing. “Ribery in the role of Zidane” is not going to work, zidane is zidane and ribery is ribery.

Posted from United States

By set | June 11th, 2008 at 5:23 pm

That’s how they beat Italy 3-1 though.

Posted from France

By Foreverzidane | June 11th, 2008 at 5:42 pm

Hooray Hooray! Everybody together now Go-Vou, Go-Vou! Oh yes I can hear that name echoing through out the stadium on Friday as he will be penetrating the Dutch defense and a feeding frenzy for who ever will be playing center forward. Are there any Flamini fans on this board?

By Michel-Olivier | June 11th, 2008 at 6:03 pm

@ set
next tuesday france face toni il Bomber, guess what’s going to happen? ill tell you 4-0 to the italians because toni is gonna go godfather in your frenchies ass.

Posted from United States

By lefutur | June 11th, 2008 at 6:15 pm

There’s more to the story, Inara. Eurosport.fr has been saying that Gallas has created a real buzz by stating repeatedly that the team was given “instructions” to play cautiously against Romania. Domenech had a press conference and was asked about it and he went into his usual theatrical mode and said that “Gallas makes me laugh” and made another comment about how Gallas never gets up before noon, in an apparent attempt to deflect his embarrassment at being called out by the veteran player.
This news about the 4 player changes seems to be in part, imo, a reaction to Gallas’ little outburst.

Don’t be surprised if Squillaci turns up in the starting 11 against Holland on friday with Gallas on the bench.

Posted from United States

By Jean-Michel | June 11th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

This is great news. The pressure is finally getting to Domenech and he can no longer lie to himself that the 4-4-2 is working. Testing out anyone in left midfield is welcome. Dunno about Diarra there though. I like the fact that Ribery could be right behind Henry. Govou or Nasri on the left. Govou or Nasri on the right. Malouda on the bench

Posted from United States

By Laurie | June 11th, 2008 at 6:18 pm

Squillaci starting, no Gallas? You’re kidding, right? Would Raymond really be that stupid?

Posted from United States

By Jean-Michel | June 11th, 2008 at 6:21 pm

coupet
clerc thuram gallas abidal
makelele

toulalan

govou ribery benzema/nasri
henry

Posted from United States

By Jan | June 11th, 2008 at 6:21 pm

Did he actually say: “For once, I’ll be honest…” ???

Interesting choice of words…

Posted from Australia

By Jan | June 11th, 2008 at 6:22 pm

Oh, and I asked this before but didn’t find the answer:

Did Domenech really leave Trezeguet out because his star sign is Libra???

I read that somewhere… On the Dutch KNVB site, actually.

Posted from Australia

By Jean-Michel | June 11th, 2008 at 6:34 pm

Officially he has never ruled out Trezeguet. He has always claimed that Trez is part of the elite French strikers. He explained his non selection on several occasions by stating “France has so many attacking options, that I have to make the best choice for the team”. Trez never meshed well with Domenech and the 4-4-2 mainly because he was getting no service from the midfield. Kinda what we saw against Romania. Someone had to be the scapegoat.

Posted from United States

By julien | June 11th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

I can’t take it anymore. Why can’t we just get rid of Domenech!? I hate this guy.

Posted from United States

By Nicolas | June 11th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

I’ve also read that about the zodiac signs. According to the article, Domenech worries more about the signs than about the players’ qualities! He actually plans his squad based on the compatibility of the signs, and not the players themselves. It’s really unbeleivable, I can tell you that!

By jeff | June 11th, 2008 at 7:24 pm

There are a lot of Flamini fans on this board.

By jeff | June 11th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

Jan - Welcome. Very nice observation: “For ONCE, I’ll be honest.”

By Oliver | June 11th, 2008 at 9:15 pm

I don’t know why some of you dislike Malouda. He brings some speed and acceleration into the game, kind of like Ribery does. I’m also glad to see govou coming in. This would be my line up, tell me what you think!
Coupet
Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal
Makelele, Toulalan
Govou, Ribery, Malouda
Henry (replaced by Benzema or Gomis)

Posted from United States

By Jean-Michel | June 11th, 2008 at 9:25 pm

If he was so great Domenech wouldn’t be tinkering with his place in the starting squad.

Posted from United States

By Foreverzidane | June 11th, 2008 at 9:35 pm

How about no Willie Sagnol and Clerc instead.
Fresh ideas, atleast if go out we could say we tried
everything. An energetic Flamini would do wonders
for the team. Out the Toul in with the FLAME!!!!!!!!
I say OUT with TOUL and in with the FLAME
who’s in?

By Inara | June 11th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

Another little gem from Domenech:

“The Netherlands won against Italy but the team who have impressed me so far [at the Euros] are Romania. One reason for this is because they are the only team I’ve seen in person. I can not speak about the teams that we have not yet played.”

That’s insulting to Holland, Italy, and Romania. But it’s all sincere on the surface.

By Foreverzidane | June 11th, 2008 at 9:53 pm

I’m rewriting this one as first attempt didn’t go thru.
I say out with the TOUL and in with the FLAME !
Out with Willie Sagnol and in comes in the “Clerc”
to stamp out any Dutch attacks and push the troops
ahead.”Combats avec tes défenseurs”.
For the love of God we almost
won the last world cup let’s have some much needed
confidence going into the Fridays do or die!
This team can do it, and that is to attack with a lot of
quick short passes through the middle. Yes no one has ever
mentioned that how successful they were attacking through the
belly of the opposition. Ribery with ball right through the
defense.

By julian | June 11th, 2008 at 11:45 pm

I think you’re all underestimating the risks that a first game represented being played against a team like Romania. 11 defenders 80 % of the time , and 4-5 times in the game a counter strike with a couple of super fast players that don’t run that much since they just stay as a block. It was a FIRST game, they could have won sure, but they could have lost just like they did against Scotland in the qualifiers (remember that ONE shot they took, BANG!). RD may have some hesitations but so do all the other coaches except those who don’t have as many good players as we do. He will put Evra and Govou on, for Abidal and Malouda, and we’ll win against the Netherlands becaus ethey are an offensive team that will play, unlike Romania.

Posted from Thailand

By Jan | June 12th, 2008 at 3:02 am

Thanks Jeff. Good to be here. I was wondering, with Domenech as a choice for team manager…who would most fans have seen in his place, you think?

I do believe Romania is the toughest to play against. They don’t give you a chance to play football. Very hard to break down. If Holland would draw against Romania, I wouldn’t be too disappointed to be honest.

Posted from Australia

By frenchnetherlandsfan | June 12th, 2008 at 6:01 am

yeah that’s the best news for dutch !
rotation but malouda’s still in
i really think france’ll qualify for quarters, beating italy in the last game.
i hope netherlands won’t play with the previous 3-0 in head, cause france’ll be really different, u got some players able to hold the ball, making long run with it (ribery, benzema, henry), and unlike italy u got real good defenssive midfield (pirlo and gattuso were invisible, i can’t see maké or toulalan as weak)
dutch even if we’ll attack, we’ll have to deal with our first game,
so 2-2 won’t be so bad (with our attaking line hurt: robben, huntelaar, babel, and van persie still shy after his one).
nasri would be a great man to titularized as n°10, with ribery left and govou right, but i don’t think domenech’ll do.

Posted from France

By Eric | June 12th, 2008 at 8:17 pm

I still think Flamini should be in instead of Diara, surprised no one else thinks so. Anyways if Holland thinks they are going to do to France what they did to Italy they are mistaken. All I can say is this will be the transition for France(i hope) France will be impressive and should win.

Posted from United States

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