Coaching, choice of men, authority over the group… But where did Didier Deschamps sin?

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It is understood, Didier Deschamps remains a successful coach. The former captain of the Blues, world and European champions, returned his team to the roof of the world from the bench in 2018, after having touched the top of the continent two years earlier. But the technician in post for nine years seemed to lose his mojo during this Euro, ended up fishtail Monday night, from the round of 16 against Switzerland. 20 minutes dissects the facts which are reproached to the Basque more very leaping.

Call Benzema back, OK, but why just before the Euro?

When The Parisian announces the probable presence of Karim Benzema in the list of DD, a few hours before the announcement made by the coach on May 18, all football France is in turmoil. A month and a half later, the results are positive individually for KB (1) 9, irreproachable in the commitment even if he remained silent before experiencing the famous “ketchup effect”: two doubles in quick succession against the Portugal and Switzerland. But why did the coach wait until the last moment to recall the Real striker, after five and a half years of ban in Blue?

Deschamps rowed to integrate the former plague victim who became essential overnight at the forefront of his device. “Benz”, a zoning enthusiast, and Griezmann sometimes stepped on each other’s feet. A summons from the Madrilenian a few months earlier would have helped to oil the understanding between the three offensive stars of France, with Mbappé, only seen in dotted lines during this Euro (ah, these 20 minutes of happiness against Switzerland) …

The list of 26: players in poor shape and no equivalent to the Rummy ambianceur

Beyond the Benzema case, it is the construction of the list that raises questions. While at 26, you might think he would have room, he got tangled between regulars in poor shape and bad choices. It is always risky to take on novices at the time of the competition, but why take Dubois, whose coach is not a big fan, and not make him play? Why stack the wingers (Coman, Dembélé, Lemar, Thuram) called to polish the bench and take only five midfielders?

And above all, the most glaring case: why call Lenglet, who comes out of a catastrophic season with Barça? Not for group life anyway… The Catalan defender was not a Rami, loaded in Russia to plug a group with sometimes contrary affinities. Only the head in the air Dembélé was able to make everyone laugh, but he left in the morning from France-Portugal. And the replacements, even more numerous than usual, could not shake off during the 3rd group game to lower their level of frustration. Some would not have digested the intensive training in full dungeon concocted by the physical trainer Cyril Moine, while the holders were entitled to the rigorous scrub.

Tactical mistakes, from offensive animation to 3-5-2

Russia crowned their cautious, asymmetrical 4-2-3-1. For the past year, DD has been looking to add more strings to its tactical bow. Already in September, two defenses to three, with not very convincing victories against Sweden and Croatia. Then, regularly two-point systems to meet Mbappé’s desire to play in the axis, and even a very defensive 4-4-2 against Bosnia.

Not better since the start of the Euro. Struggling to get the most out of his attacking line, DD used three patterns in three group matches. Deprived of a left-back by profession, he gave in to the demand of the players by lining up a three-way defense against Switzerland. Everyone seemed lost, Pavard ceaselessly taken behind his back, Kimpembe passed the left piston after 40 minutes without knowing what was happening to Rabiot. Deschamps finally announced a 4-4-2 all star game at halftime. Three goals scored, but a team unable to lock the score at the end of the match.

A late reaction coaching against Switzerland

It was already too long to wait 35 minutes to go back to four. More generally, Deschamps has undergone all of its changes. At 3-1, 75th minute, spirits heat up between Pogba, Pavard and Rabiot. DD still has 4 possible changes, but he exclaims “Safe!” Safe! Rather than going to three in the middle to see it coming. At 3-2 it becomes obvious that France is no longer safe, so DD finally agrees to sacrifice an attacker to bring in Sissoko. It will be Griezmann, the one who made the most defensive efforts.

When he leaves Benzema, the latter is completely knocked out. More truly lucid, Mbappé misses two offerings. Coman will also remain in the game for several minutes despite an injury, forcing Thuram twice to return to the stands. And There you go. Four changes out of six possible, while his players had already recovered less than the Swiss, in a match that was going all over the place, with an army of substitutes who were impatient.

An unprecedented loss of authority

The scene called out on Monday at half-time in extra time. Coman converses sharply with Deschamps, who comes to speak to his attacker, taking him by the wrists. “It’s not all to want to continue, you have to be able, commented the coach after the fact. He realized two minutes later that this was not possible. It’s strange that DD didn’t get it right and pitch Marcus Thuram before the Bayern striker got his act together.

Since his arrival at the helm of the Blues in 2012, the Basque has never had the reputation of a dictator, but of a strong man who does not let his behavior dictate (Benzema has long been able to testify). During the Euro, he sometimes seemed to be a spectator of events, relying on his attacking trio for better or for worse, while certain tactical choices were “imposed” on him by the players according to theTeam and the Parisian. Failure from the round of 16
then the paternalistic projections of Noël Le Graët in the media, to the tune of “we have to talk to each other my little Didier” do not seem conducive to the reestablishment of a battered authority.

The Missing DD Cat

No, this is not an ad posted on Pet Alert or Pattes en cavale. But one simple observation: the insolent success often associated with the Bayonnais suddenly abandoned him. Until this resumption on the bar of Coman who, within a few centimeters, sent France in quarter without going through the extra time box against Switzerland … The Blues then already looked more like the Napoleonic army in full retreat from Russia than ‘ to a troop to conquer Europe.

Injuries have accumulated over the Euro (Dembélé, Digne, Koundé, Hernandez, Coman…). So certainly, the physical preparation may not have been at the top of hip-hop, but bad luck also played its part. The DD flanked by his lucky feline would never have inherited a hotel in Bucharest where students are thrilled to the sound of YMCA, to the detriment of the recuperation of the Blues …

The worst was however avoided just before the kickoff of the opening match against Germany: Deschamps and his deputy Guy Stéphan narrowly avoided the fall of the ULM of a Greenpeace activist, unbalanced by a cable of the Allianz Arena in Munich.





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