Euro 2024: woozy attack, tactic that raises eyebrows or bench that has no impact… the French team has no shortage of problems

Ousmane Dembélé symbolise le manque de réussite des Bleus. MAXPPP – FRIEDEMANN VOGEL

S’ils vont disputer les huitièmes de finale, lundi 1er juillet face à la Belgique, les Bleus n’ont pas dissipé une impression très floue, lors du premier tour achevé mardi 25 juin.

Since Wednesday, time seems less long for the French team. The families have arrived and the air at the Bad Lippspringe base camp will inevitably be much lighter until this Thursday noon. Tuesday evening, with this draw conceded against a small Poland (1-1) under the dodger of Dortmund, did nothing to dispel the weight of the doubts surrounding these Blues. They will also have to live with them until Monday and the round of 16 against Belgium.

A woozy attack

Fourteen shots (including three on target) against Austria, for an own goal; 15 attempts (three on target) against the Netherlands, without shaking the net; and finally 19 shots (eight on target), without the penalty scored, in front of Poland: in three matches, the Blues have sometimes been pounded, if we trust the statistics. Without much result. "I would be much more worried if we didn’have no chances", repeats Didier Deschamps over and over again .

Despite the penalty caused by Dayot Upamecano, the only goal conceded in the Euro, the rearguard and an impeccable Mike Maignan reassured the coach. But there remains this offensive taste of unfinished business and this persistent impression of a worrying lack of confidence.

Beyond the numbers, Antoine Griezmann, against the Dutch, Ousmane Dembélé, even if he has never been the most skillful in finishing, and Kylian Mbappé have not done everything well either in the last gesture.

Certainly, on Tuesday, there was this Polish goalkeeper who suddenly became a reference in the position. But, diminished by this broken nose and the protection it implies, the French captain also appeared clumsy and much less “killer”. With him, the whole attack seems shaky. Far from the six goals in three group matches at the 2022 World Cup or the four at Euro 2021. "There is nothing alarming" , had said “Grizou” after Holland. Really ?

A tactic that raises eyebrows

Dembélé-Barcola-Mbappé. In terms of the chances, the plan based on the trio's speed and automatisms should have worked against Poland, with the ever-worrying exception of set pieces. But if the tactics are the most controversial, it is in the construction of the midfield.

Adrien Rabiot, less prominent than in the first two matches, Aurélien Tchouaméni and N’Golo Kanté, whose projection power was not as high as against the Netherlands, are not creative profiles. But they need to play, to string together, the first two after a long period of injury, the last after a year in a Saudi championship that is not really rhythmic.

This management, strategy of “at the same time” with a view to the second round, reached its limits on Tuesday. Like building everything around Kylian Mbappé. The injury impacted the undisputed leader of the Blues. Added to a season of intermittency at PSG, the whole blue building seems less formidable and ultra-dependence returns to the table. For the moment, without a fallback solution, since Griezmann also sticks out his tongue.

A bench that doesn't rise

The French team does not benefit from the contribution of the bench either. If we except the very good performance of Barcola, replacing in the first two matches and starting on Tuesday, or the good contribution of Eduardo Camavinga against Austria, the other entrants only have very little input, like an Olivier Giroud without impact.

Because she did not know how to do what was necessary before, the third match did not benefit the “hairdressers”. Their entries did not shake the holders and the Poles either. "It could have been better", admitted Deschamps. The construction of a group, a true trademark of the coach, will inevitably come up against the question of social life and a predictable frustration among the replacements.

A path strewn with pitfalls

Switzerland, Italy, England ? Or Germany, Spain, Portugal ? The Blues were masters of their destiny. Not to force it, they opted for the second hypothesis, the most complicated part of the table.

"There will be big ones, obviously that's all that's left, that's the lot of competitions", Deschamps played down. If it goes through to the end, which is always a possibility, the French team will have overturned a host of doubts but also mountains.

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