French team – Blues – Before Belgium – France – Marcus Thuram, 26 caps, 2 goals but unlimited credit?

Marcus Thuram is not unhappy. This Monday, he will undoubtedly be offered his 27th selection for the French team. So far, his history is very poor with the Blues. Poor in goals first and foremost since in 1112 minutes spent on the pitch, he only scored twice. One achievement every 556 minutes but it is always there: that is almost a miracle. If Didier Deschamps is right to point out that Thuram has not started all of his matches for the national team, the goal per minute ratio is the fairest statistic to judge his performance, but it places him among the least prolific attackers in Blue since 12 years old.

Since taking office in 2012, Didier Deschamps has given a chance to 35 offensive players. Ten of them, all of whom have less than 8 caps under his command, have not scored. Among the 25 others, only Anthony Martial has a ratio lower than that of Thuram (1 goal every 672 minutes in Blue). Even Wissam Ben Yedder (1 goal every 311 minutes) or Alexandre Lacazette (one goal every 211 minutes), whose international careers are far from famous, have a more honorable performance.

Randal Kolo Muani, the other candidate to succeed Olivier Giroud, had approximately the same playing time (1217 minutes) as Thuram but scored three times as much. Martial was entitled to 30 selections before disappearing from the radar. Inter is at 26 and will undoubtedly start against Belgium. Why does Didier Deschamps maintain his confidence in him? Firstly because the tank is empty at the center forward position. Then because Thuram is completely essential in Milan (7 goals in as many Serie A days this season).

“He is very effective with his club, in a very particular system too… He has a step to take hereexplained Deschamps at a press conference this Sunday. But when the new generation players arrive, we must neither propel them nor condemn them. Like Michael (editor’s note: Olise), his potential is enormous, but for offensive players, the gap is higher. They almost have an obligation to be decisive. It requires tranquility to make the gesture as calmly as possible.” The coach, always very protective of his players, is particularly so with Thuram.

Because the Milanese is not really a player of the new generation and his case is difficult to compare to that of Olise who arrived in Clairefontaine in September. Thuram is 27 years old, 26 caps and already three international tournaments under his belt, the last of which started as a starter. “Potentially, because of what he is capable of doing, it remains very interestingcontinued DD. Materializing it at the highest international level also takes time.“Thuram has been trying to break into the national team for four years. He has had much more time than many others.

What he is missing today is no longer time but a trigger, a benchmark match which would give him momentum and stop his gamberge. “Marcus had quite a few chances but unfortunately, they didn’t materialize into goals. You need confidence“, Deschamps rightly noted. Belgium must be a turning point in this international career which is just waiting to take off. Four years later, it is time.