Here is Didier Deschamps entangled in the most perilous sequence of his last ten years in office. Not because Kylian Mbappé does absolutely everything a captain shouldn’t do. The coach’s concerns go beyond the case of the Madrilenian, they are broader and have potentially much more dangerous consequences for the Blues. Deschamps must manage a generational renewal which is accelerating at an unexpected speed and weakening his team. He only has 5 of the 23 world champions from 2018 left: Alphonse Aréola, N’Golo Kanté, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez and Kylian Mbappé, when he considers the France team with the respect it deserves.
Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud have retired, Paul Pogba is far from the Blues
Credit: Getty Images
Therefore, the forced renewal since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is not taking place in all lines with the same efficiency. It all depends, of course, on the reservoir and the anticipation of a coach who was able to prepare with more or less time depending on the case. Today, the strengths and weaknesses of the French team reflect the successes and failures of a project on which the future of the Blues depends in the short and medium term.
Lloris, a succession as obvious
Mike Maignan had been waiting in the waiting room for three years, exerting increasingly constant pressure on the Hugo Lloris totem. The succession of the former captain was not obvious because he had been essential for more than twelve years, extinguishing all forms of competition thanks to an exceptional level during the moments that matter. Maignan took advantage of Lloris’ last years to emerge among the potential successors, he slipped into his clothes with disconcerting ease until becoming, with William Saliba, the most reliable Blue of the last Euro. Lloris left because he knew the house would be well guarded and if all the successions had gone as planned, France would have nothing to worry about.
Mbappé seen in Stockholm: “He has the right but a captain should not do that”
Varane, an unexpected succession
Varane’s retirement was more unexpected but Didier Deschamps took advantage of the depth of talent in the strong sector of the French team. Behind Varane and alongside Upamecano, William Saliba, Ibrahima Konaté, Wesley Fofana and many others waited in the shadows. We still had to rise to the occasion. Konaté initially seemed to win the fight but, in Germany, Saliba completely revealed himself. He took the destiny of the Blues into his own hands and, in a few months, was included in the standard teams of the Premier League, the Euro and among those nominated for the Ballon d’Or. A French defender nominated for the Ballon d’Or has not happened since 2018 and a certain… Varane. The succession is assured.
William Saliba, Dani Olmo
Credit: AFP
Pogba, a pending succession
He has not yet retired internationally, his suspension for doping has been reduced but seeing Pogba again in Blue today remains a distant hypothesis. The Blues have been without him for two and a half years. They have still not found the man capable of filling what is missing in his absence and the last Euro made it possible to measure the gigantic contribution of the Pickaxe in international tournaments. His absence deprived the French team of a large dose of creativity behind which it is still running. Aurélien Tchouaméni was too quickly presented as the perfect clone of Pogba but today, if the Madrilenian is essential, he does not yet have the weight of his elder in the Blues’ game.
Aurélien Tchouaméni and Paul Pogba during the victory in the Nations League
Credit: Getty Images
Neither Rabiot, nor Camavinga, nor Fofana, nor Zaire-Emery nor any midfielder present today in the list have the facilities of Pogba to create play. The difficulties of the attack in general and of Mbappé in particular are also explained by the distance from Pogba who was the ideal launching pad for so many years. “A lot of people refer to the game we had when I arrived in the selection. But we had different players, explained Mbappé on July 4 in the heart of a terribly boring and gloomy Euro. For example, in the middle we had Paul Pogba. With him, you just have to put your head down, run, make a call and you know the ball is going to come to your foot. The succession therefore remains open (and urgent).
Giroud, a succession more difficult than expected
This is the succession that Deschamps had most anticipated. From the Euro, Marcus Thuram (2 goals in 26 caps) and Randal Kolo Muani (6 goals in 24 caps) stuck him on the sidelines. Except that it is not enough to promote successors so that they have the same effectiveness. Center forward of the France team is a heavy load, taking over from the top scorer in the history of the selection even more. One solution would be to move the problem to make Mbappé the starting center forward for the Blues. But the offensive sector suffers from the comparison and it is urgent to find a reliable scorer to support the Madrilenian.
Olivier Giroud and Randal Kolo Muani are competing for the number 9 position with the Blues.
Credit: Getty Images
Griezmann, an impossible succession
The most delicate succession. Firstly because it remains the most unexpected. Then because no player has been more important than Antoine Griezmann in the last ten years. Finally, because his profile and his role have made him a unique individuality in the blue landscape. “It is not possible to replace him position for position, that is a certainty, warned Deschamps last week. Because he had such a great influence through his technical quality and the ability he had in the volume of play to repeat efforts.” Michael Olise, whose emergence in the French team coincides with the disappearance of Grizou, is the most obvious successor but his failed match against Israel (1-4) allows us to measure the road that remains to be covered. Replacing Griezmann is like replacing Zidane. And 18 years later, France is still looking for the new Zizou…
