Last Updated: 06th June 2012
ROY HODGSON would not have enjoyed this.
Know your enemy: France
BOSS
LAURENT BLANC’S future depends on what happens at the tournament.
Les Bleus’ ex-skipper is after a new deal and the French FA want to wait.
Blanc has done well to rebuild the squad following their nightmare at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
KEEPER
HUGO LLORIS is the captain and was solid last night against Estonia.
But there are huge doubts about whether the 25-year-old Lyon stopper is the right man to lead France, especially when you look back to classic skippers like Blanc, Platini and Desailly.
DEFENCE
FRANCE’S backline is their weak spot and Blanc has some selection problems to sort out.
Gael Clichy impressed against Serbia after Patrice Evra struggled in the Iceland clash, though Evra got the nod last night.
Arsenal star Laurent Koscielny was a sub.
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If he did not know before this emphatic display, the England boss must now realise he is in for one hell of a major tournament baptism of fire on Monday.
French boss Laurent Blanc saw his men easily extend their unbeaten run to 21 games thanks to a solid, professional display sprinkled with class.
Yes, their backline may be suspect. Yet with a front three of Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema, Les Bleus have a classy, world-class attacking trio ready to really hurt teams at Euro 2012.
Ribery bagged one and Benzema two while Nasri floated around with typical intent.
They will be licking their lips at the prospect of taking on England’s patched-up back four next week.
Blanc admitted: “England will be more difficult, a more rigorous test and we must play it in simpler fashion.”
But then he warned: “Collectively we are moving forward for the moment of truth on June 11.”
The French fans, like us, are fretting about their defence with Philippe Mexes enduring a dodgy season at AC Milan.
And the stopper looked shaky early on, a piece of dithering on the edge of the box almost allowing Estonia hitman Henrik Ojamaa to bag the lead.
Konstantin Vassiljev then sent a 20-yarder whizzing past Hugo Lloris’ post as France wobbled.
But then Ribery produced the kind of magic which can really frighten any defence.
Lille’s Mathieu Debuchy floated the ball to Benzema and his sweet back-flick fell to the Bayern Munich ace, who controlled on his chest before rifling home.
It was just what Blanc’s boys needed and Newcastle ace Yohan Cabaye almost made it two soon after from 25 yards.
The goal gave them confidence to start spraying the ball around. And 10 minutes before the break, Benzema made it two.
The ball fell to the Real Madrid star on the edge of the box and he blasted a beauty in off the post.
Benzema made it three just seconds after the restart from Ribery’s centre before Jeremy Menez made it four at the death.
Nine players in this squad were in South Africa two years ago when Raymond Domenech’s men threatened to strike and heaped shame on the game.
But the mood is very different now. They actually resemble something close to a team.
Good luck, Roy. You’re going to need it.
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