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Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

As World Cup Champions, France is a heavy favourite to win this year.

The squad:

Keepers:
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Mike Maignan (Lille)

No surprises here - Lloris is the captain and Mandanda's been his #2 for pretty much every tournament for the last ten years except for World Cup 2014, when he was forced out by injury. Mike Maignan was the #1 for Ligue 1's surprise champions this season, Lille, and is on his way to replace Donnarumma at AC Milan. Hopefully he at least gets a start, he's very good and likely to be France's next #1 in a few years when Lloris and Mandanda are too old.

Defenders:
Benjamin Pavard (Bayern)
Presnel Kimpembe (PSG)
Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Clement Lenglet (Barcelona)
Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
Lucas Digne (Everton)
Lucas Hernandez (Bayern)

The main story for France's defenders was probably Aymeric Laporte going to the Spanish team, which seemed to be a surprise. They probably could have called up Bayern's third French defender, Dayot Upamecano, in addition to who's here. The big chance from 2018 is that they have called up Barcelona's other French centre-back, Clement Lenglet, instead of Samuel Umtiti who seems to have sold out the future of his career to be able to be World Cup champion. Hernandez and Pavard are back, presumably to resume their full-back roles from 2018.

Midfielders:
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid)
Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Adrien Rabiot (Juventus)
Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham)
Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)

I think Bayern has more French starters than Paris Saint-Germain.
This midfield is very similar to the one in 2018 - no Matuidi this year, and Rabiot (or his mom) appears to be satisfied his talent will be properly used, as he's been called up which is a bit of a surprise. The biggest surprise, however, is...

Forwards:
Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)
Olivier Giroud (Chelsea)
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco)
Marcus Thuram (Gladbach)

Karim Benzema is back. After five years in exile following some kind of sextape blackmail stunt with Mathieu Valbuena, Deschamps has called back Benzema after he's been having some very good seasons for Madrid without Ronaldo. Giroud has returned because despite not playing a whole lot at Chelsea, he always performs for Les Bleus, Wissam Ben Yedder has been scoring a lot of goals for Monaco, tying with Mbappe fairly recently, and Marcus Thuram so far is mostly known for his name as his dad is France's all-time caps leader, Lilian Thuram.

It's unclear what kind of formation the French team will use; in 2018 they used some kind of lopsided 4-4-2 which won't make sense without Matuidi, and in the friendlies leading up to the tournament they experimented with a 4-4-2 diamond, which could work and is an interesting throwback to the 1984 Euro team.

One thing's for sure: when France is a heavy favourite, the most likely outcome seems to be that they'll lose all their group stage games, which is what I expect here, especially since there's already trouble brewing with Giroud and Mbappe.

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Vegetable
Oct 22, 2010

Do they literally only have two fullbacks and no backups?

Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

Lucas Digne also plays as full-back, and some of the other centre-backs can fill in as required I think but I can't think off the top of my head who else would do it. I think Kurt Zouma can play as right back sometimes, but Hernandez/Pavard are likely expected to start.

France has ridiculous depth at every position except full-back, basically.

Tokyo Sexwale fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Jun 12, 2021

Jose
Jul 24, 2007

Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer
lol every single tournament

https://twitter.com/GFFN/status/1404078184463835140?s=20

the sex ghost
Sep 6, 2009
drat I had Netherlands down as my favourites to have a massive internal bust up

Gigi Galli
Sep 19, 2003

and then the car turned in to fire

the sex ghost posted:

drat I had Netherlands down as my favourites to have a massive internal bust up

Tournaments barely begun op. Plenty of time.

Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

the sex ghost posted:

drat I had Netherlands down as my favourites to have a massive internal bust up

They can both be OP

Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

I was shocked and unnerved to hear that Barcelona's famous iron man, Ousmane Dembele, picked up an injury and will be out for 3 weeks and therefore for the rest of the tournament. It seemed so far-fetched to consider that Dembele might get hurt.

Shrapnig
Jan 21, 2005

Tokyo Sexwale posted:

I was shocked and unnerved to hear that Barcelona's famous iron man, Ousmane Dembele, picked up an injury and will be out for 3 weeks and therefore for the rest of the tournament. It seemed so far-fetched to consider that Dembele might get hurt.

I think you'll find he's actually out for three months.

Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

Shrapnig posted:

I think you'll find he's actually out for three months.

now there's the Dembele we all remember. At least he'll get plenty of FIFA time.

vyelkin
Jan 2, 2011
mcrappe

Carrier
May 12, 2009


420...69...9001...

biglads
Feb 21, 2007

I could've gone to Blatherwycke



He's the new Carl Leaburn

Alctel
Jan 16, 2004

I love snails


Casual Encountess
Dec 14, 2005

"You can see how they go from being so sweet to tearing your face off,
just like that,
and it's amazing to have that range."


Thunderdome Exclusive

ZeeBoi
Jan 17, 2001

de curry GOAT
Oct 23, 2005

Grillfiend
Nov 29, 2015

Belgians ITT
(ie Me)


paddyboat
Feb 20, 2013

Maxi, Maxi Rodriguez
Run down the wing for me
https://twitter.com/nocontextfooty/status/1409629643330756615?s=21

shut up blegum
Dec 17, 2008


--->Plastic Lawn<---

Alctel
Jan 16, 2004

I love snails


Things that age well

Bourricot
Aug 7, 2016



Now in smiley form :mcrappe:

lilljonas
May 6, 2007

We got crabs? We got crabs!

Alctel posted:

Things that age well



Cursed image

CyberPingu
Sep 15, 2013


If you're not striving to improve, you'll end up going backwards.

lilljonas posted:

Cursed club

frankenfreak
Feb 16, 2007

I SCORED 85% ON A QUIZ ABOUT MONDAY NIGHT RAW AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY TEXT

#bastionboogerbrigade

Alctel posted:

Things that age well


lmao

Jose
Jul 24, 2007

Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer
Lmao

https://twitter.com/GFFN/status/1409960171527446529?s=19

Great meltdowns all round

https://twitter.com/GFFN/status/1410003266394595334?s=19

Jose fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Jun 30, 2021

Vegetable
Oct 22, 2010

https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2021/kingsley-coman-played-with-an-injury-to-try-to-change-his-public-image-of-always-being-injured/

"L’Équipe report that Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman refused to be substituted despite suffering a knock in the 1st half of extra time vs Switzerland, despite being injured, because he wanted to reverse the image that the French public have of him as being a player who frequently suffers from fitness issues.

Marcus Thuram eventually replaced the Bayern man in the 2nd half, after Didier Deschamps had a major talk with Coman, saying: “But you are not going to be playing Kingsley…”

This attitude underscores a larger frustration on the part of Coman, who did a very quick back and forth between Sweden and Budapest on the 17th and 18th June to see his baby girl who had just been born, because he felt like he was in strong form and ready to start vs Portugal.

The French staff agreed based on his performances – in the end, Deschamps put Tolisso on the right-wing, with Deschamps explaining to Coman that his reasoning behind this was that the ex-Lyon man was simply a better defensive option."

the sex ghost
Sep 6, 2009
Lol at dads and mams fighting on the sideline like it's an under 12s game at the park

McFlurry Fan #1
Dec 31, 2005

He can't kill me. I'm indestructible. Everybody knows that

French now much better than the Dutch at tournament meltdowns

CyberPingu
Sep 15, 2013


If you're not striving to improve, you'll end up going backwards.

McFlurry Fan #1 posted:

French now much better than the Dutch at tournament meltdowns

At least the French have won something

NinpoEspiritoSanto
Oct 22, 2013




Catching up on podcasts this morning, first in the queue is Auclair on FW

Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

McFlurry Fan #1 posted:

French now much better than the Dutch at tournament meltdowns

my friend can I interest you in World Cup 2002 and 2010? The French have always had top-notch tournament meltdowns

Wengy
Feb 6, 2008

Can someone explain why Lenglet started/starts over Zouma?

nutri_void
Apr 18, 2015

I shall devour your soul.
Grimey Drawer
the French can always calm themselves down by the knowledge that they are not managed by Raymond Domenech

Tokyo Sexwale
Jul 30, 2003

Wengy posted:

Can someone explain why Lenglet started/starts over Zouma?

Deschamps is the man with the plan

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Bape Culture
Sep 13, 2006

gently caress france. All my homies hate france

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