IT’S ILL WILL
Deschamps’ dig at Saliba at odds with Arsenal vibe
ANYONE who has seen William Saliba’s table-topping performances for Arsenal this season will be staggered by Didier Deschamps’ latest remarks.
The France manager has claimed Saliba’s displays for his country “haven’t necessarily gone well” and he “does things I don’t like”.
It is not the first time that Deschamps has been critical of the 23-year-old, either.
Last November, he suggested Saliba has suffered because the team have rotated a lot and when he has had a chance, he feels under a level of pressure to perform that he does not get at club level.
It feels strange that Benjamin Pavard and Dayot Upamecano started ahead of him against Germany on Saturday while Saliba watched the full 90 minutes from the bench.
Saliba did start against Chile last night but was one of nine changes to the team that began at the weekend. Deschamps made it clear there are reservations about the Arsenal centre-half ahead of Euro 2024.
He said: “The hierarchy doesn’t favour him at the moment, but he is here. Dayot has had game time and perhaps William has had less. With certain players, I make sure to persevere, because it can be confidence or little blockages that can shift. Some don’t have any concerns, some need game time.
“William has had less game time, so that doesn’t allow him to be very calm. He is having a good season, but he also does things that I don’t like so much. For France, he has limited game time, but when he plays, that hasn’t necessarily gone well.”
Saliba does benefit at Arsenal from knowing he will start every game and that he has a rock-solid partnership with Gabriel in central defence.
Arsenal watchers will say that Saliba has the talent, strength and understanding of the game to be one of the best defenders in Europe for the next decade.
Who is above him in Premier League terms? Virgil van Dijk, possibly. That is certainly the player he most resembles in physical terms. Or John Stones and Ruben Dias.
The wheels came off Arsenal’s title bid last season when Saliba got injured. That is his level of importance.
Maybe there is a method to Deschamps’ madness. Maybe it is man management to try to gee him up or take the pressure off his shoulders. Perhaps there might be a touch of arrogance in Saliba’s play which Deschamps wants to remove.
Either way, those comments stand out a mile and suggest he is not loved as much with France as he is at Arsenal. For anyone who has seen him for his club this season, that is the hardest thing to understand.