France faces tactics query

IF Didier Deschamps was looking for answers to his tactical headaches, he certainly didn’t find any during France’s World Cup opener.

One thing, however, was clear to the French coach: having three top-class strikers assembled does not solve all problems.

The most optimistic fans of Les Bleus will remember that France started its campaign in Russia with a 2-1 win over Australia. But given the quality packed in the squad, the result was just disappointing.

Coming into the game with a three-pronged attack made of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele, France created very little and needed a controversial penalty and a lucky goal to prevail.

The European championship runner-up played well during the opening 10 minutes at Kazan Arena but then faded. The three forwards didn’t link up properly and failed to create movement and space up front.

Ball transmission was also a problem as Paul Pogba and Corentin Tolisso never set up a quick tempo in midfield, letting their rivals slow down play.

And that’s quite worrying for a team with ambitions of winning the World Cup. “We have not played a great game,” Deschamps admitted. “I think we lacked some speed in the passes, and we did not push forward or move backward very quickly.”

Deschamps has been tinkering with his tactics and has yet to find the most suitable system for his talented team.

France, however, improved after Deschamps brought in Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi after the break. Giroud made the decisive pass that led to Pogba’s late winner, and Matuidi helped France recover the ball higher on the pitch and accelerate play with his neat one-touch football.