FWC-France
France:-
Oui, the French (two of three…)! “Les Bleus” have got all the ELEMENTS to go a long way into this WC; how they’ll do it is the question everyone is asking back in France.
Coach Didier Deschamps’ first task is to pick a formation with which he will stick through-out the entirety of the WC campaign. He has been constantly switching between different lay-outs many times; but he seems to be heading towards a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation (the only difference is that the 2 wide players get pushed up-front).
At the back, a bold decision has to be made as to who France’s 2 main CBs will be. All 4 candidates are extremely talented at the back but they lack genuine experience at major international competitions and are also error-prone in high intensity games (think Koscielny at Arsenal and Sakho at Liverpool). Deschamps must make sure that, whoever ends up at the center of defense, they form a quick understanding and that they are covered from the front backwards in cases of high pressure.
France’s playing strategy emphasizes playing with the ball in mind more often than not. Their midfield diamond will be running the show and looking to push opposition players back into their own halves. They are very versatile and own an immense amount of strength and power going forward; which makes that area of the field their most dangerous one.
A big factor in their attacking lay-out will also be wing play; as their wide players are extremely fast and own a very good understanding of running the channels and delivering all sorts of crosses. In the case of Ribéry and Valbuena, they both possess world-class technique and vision when attacking, and tend to penetrate opposition defenses from either sides of the goal, constantly looking to catch defenders napping with a low cross or a shot; so it will be a huge task for most teams’ SBs to deal with them.
France’s aggressive style under Deschamps also emphasizes a reliance on shots from distance. Most of their attacking players have an amazing shot accuracy, speed and power. Consequently, opposition defenders will be trying to close them down every time they are on the ball close to the goal.
It is evident that France possess a wide range of choices going forward; but it’s still early-doors to confidently say how effective they’ll be.
Main men: Franck Ribéry and Yohan Cabaye: Ribéry’s usual dominance on the flanks, coupled with his dazzling speed and technique, will surely be France’s biggest asset going forward; Cabaye’s vision, tactical awareness and never-say-die spirit will offer France higher dimensions in their all-round play (sorry Samir Nasri)!
Odds (average from top 24 betting firms): 23.125
Oui, the French (two of three…)! “Les Bleus” have got all the ELEMENTS to go a long way into this WC; how they’ll do it is the question everyone is asking back in France.
Coach Didier Deschamps’ first task is to pick a formation with which he will stick through-out the entirety of the WC campaign. He has been constantly switching between different lay-outs many times; but he seems to be heading towards a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation (the only difference is that the 2 wide players get pushed up-front).
At the back, a bold decision has to be made as to who France’s 2 main CBs will be. All 4 candidates are extremely talented at the back but they lack genuine experience at major international competitions and are also error-prone in high intensity games (think Koscielny at Arsenal and Sakho at Liverpool). Deschamps must make sure that, whoever ends up at the center of defense, they form a quick understanding and that they are covered from the front backwards in cases of high pressure.
France’s playing strategy emphasizes playing with the ball in mind more often than not. Their midfield diamond will be running the show and looking to push opposition players back into their own halves. They are very versatile and own an immense amount of strength and power going forward; which makes that area of the field their most dangerous one.
A big factor in their attacking lay-out will also be wing play; as their wide players are extremely fast and own a very good understanding of running the channels and delivering all sorts of crosses. In the case of Ribéry and Valbuena, they both possess world-class technique and vision when attacking, and tend to penetrate opposition defenses from either sides of the goal, constantly looking to catch defenders napping with a low cross or a shot; so it will be a huge task for most teams’ SBs to deal with them.
France’s aggressive style under Deschamps also emphasizes a reliance on shots from distance. Most of their attacking players have an amazing shot accuracy, speed and power. Consequently, opposition defenders will be trying to close them down every time they are on the ball close to the goal.
It is evident that France possess a wide range of choices going forward; but it’s still early-doors to confidently say how effective they’ll be.
Main men: Franck Ribéry and Yohan Cabaye: Ribéry’s usual dominance on the flanks, coupled with his dazzling speed and technique, will surely be France’s biggest asset going forward; Cabaye’s vision, tactical awareness and never-say-die spirit will offer France higher dimensions in their all-round play (sorry Samir Nasri)!
Odds (average from top 24 betting firms): 23.125
Ahmad Al-Omar - 24. May, 05:07
