This should ease the pressure, at least for a few weeks, around the French team. The latter, disappointing at the Euro despite its run to the semi-finals, unrecognizable against Italy for its return match (1-3), Friday, had suffered in recent weeks from the comparison with the performances of the French athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, including Thierry Henry’s Bleuets, silver medalists.
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Thanks to a victory against Belgium (2-0), Monday September 9 in Décines-Charpieu (Rhône), the Blues regained credibility in front of the Groupama Stadium crowd. The match had not yet started and the crowd seemed exhausted: when the team line-ups were announced, several players were whistled, as was Didier Deschamps. A rare occurrence – almost unheard of – in the coach’s twelve years in office.
“Honestly, I didn’t hear. I have no problem with that even though I knew I didn’t have many die-hard supporters in Lyon, for various reasons.”the Basque put things into perspective after the match. In March, before the friendly match lost against Germany (0-2) in this same Groupama Stadium, his name had not been booed and this development reveals the deterioration of the bond between the French team and its public, the former not managing to make the latter exult for several months.
Despite the growing revolt, Didier Deschamps “has not changed course” for this second match of the new season against Belgium. At kick-off, the coach had changed almost his entire starting eleven, left Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann on the bench, offered playing time to a newcomer (Manu Koné) and to returning players (Lucas Digne, Mattéo Guendouzi). The “reoxygenation”acts II.
The Blues react as a team
Against Italy, this plan had failed and France had been outclassed. After the first twenty minutes against the Red Devils, the public could fear a similar outcome. “It was perhaps linked to a bit of nervousness among us, perhaps in relation to the context”explained Didier Deschamps. Once the legs were no longer wobbly, it was collectively that the Blues dominated Belgium, like this new midfield, with N’Golo Kanté and Mattéo Guendouzi, associated with Koné.
“We were keen to make up for our poor performance. After Italy, we weren’t necessarily worried, but frustrated. We had to do some self-criticism.”Jules Koundé stressed after the victory. Attractive in several offensive sequences – as at the start of the Euro –, the French team then had to succeed in converting its opportunities, the main criticism made of it during the continental competition.
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