After topping Group A unbeaten, France Euro 2016 progression appears to be in good stead. But their performances have not been entirely convincing. This is due to the late wins against Albania and Romania which both came after the 89th minute. The boring draw against Switzerland adds further concern to their campaign. To progress further, some changes need to be made.
Factors Affecting France Euro 2016 Progression
Starting Eleven
Thierry Henry pointed out France are yet to find their starting eleven. Across the three matches, they have fielded three different starting teams and a formation change. Whilst Didier Deschamps has now chosen to stick with the 4-3-3, he has a selection headache going into the round of 16. The one constant in his team is the defence. However, this is the only constant as the midfield and attack is open to change. This may suggest instability and cluelessness in Deschamp’s management due to this varying team. It is the quite the opposite as his experiments and willingness to rotate players gives the team more flexibility. Each team is unique and requires a unique strategy to overcome them.
The team is gaining an advantage as the manager is willing to give wholesale change to his midfield and attack to match the opposition. In addition, no team can possibly anticipate which players they will face. A defender could be facing Kingsley Coman or Dimitri Payet or Antoine Griezmann or even Moussa Sissoko. Each player is unique and brings a different threat. The fluid starting eleven is therefore a benefit, as it allows for adaptability and alteration when needed.
Individual Brilliance
Les Bleus rely on some key players for their progression. There needs to be something special from Payet, Griezmann, Coman or Paul Pogba. As Rio Ferdinand says, France have “individual brilliance” (Match of the Day, 19/06/2016). Whilst it’s excellent to have quality players capable of creating chances out of nothing, if certain individuals are in bad form, then the whole team suffers. This means that inferior teams may still threaten them. Further in the competition, teams like Germany have matching quality in defence to counter such threats. Therefore, they need to play more effective as a team to expose these defences. Relying on key players less should help them achieve this.
Set Pieces
The Swiss should be 1 up. Calamity for France from that set piece put in by Switzerland.
— Beyond 90 Minutes (@b90mins) June 19, 2016
A major weakness affecting France Euro 2016 progression has been set pieces. Despite the strength of Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami in the air, together with Pogba, Olivier Giroud or André-Pierre Gignac, they have been struggling to defend from free-kicks and corners. This is simply not good enough. There must be some extra work on the training ground to ensure set pieces are better dealt with. Against teams such as Germany, England or Italy, the quality of the set pieces will be much higher. This means that the threat of conceding is also higher. Very often, a tightly contested match will be decided by a free kick, lofted hopefully in the box. This is where the players must throw themselves at the ball and get it clear. Otherwise, it could be a very disappointing end to their chances of glory.
Paul Pogba
The form of Pogba is crucial to France. For the first two matches, he looked a shadow of himself and his team struggled, seizing late victories. Yet, in the final match against Switzerland, he was transformed. One highlight of his play is the shot which he slams off the bar from 25-30 yards. He then goes on to put in a wonderful cross to Gignac, who fails to convert. This young player’s ability to create chances is phenomenal. Not only is he comfortable in possession, he is physically dominant and can act as a ball-winner. This allows him to be a fantastic box to box midfielder. He is crucial to his team’s chances of progression, if not entirely relied on. As aforementioned earlier, the team must play as a team, not as Pogba’s little helpers.
France’s midfielder Paul Pogba (L), France’s forward Antoine Griezmann (C) and France’s forward Olivier Giroud smile during a training session at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on June 9, 2016, on the eve of the beginning of the Euro 2016 European football championships football match against Romania. / AFP / FRANCK FIFE (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
