Deschamps: I've got 99 problems and Karim is one

"Benzema is the problem. I have 99 problems, 99 choices to make every time we play," he told reporters on Saturday.

"Benzema may be in the area and it depends on who he has around him as to whether he scores.

"I encourage them to talk. Benzema complained about a lack of communication on the pitch. I'm not worried but if it is there then we need to improve.

"Benzema and Giroud can work but the two do not play in a 4-4-2 formation for their clubs so it will take time."

Deschamps refused to condemn his side as one of the worst Bleus sides ever, and though he says he is yet to find a "miracle solution" to France's five-game goalless streak, he remains hopeful that he can make changes to turn their form around.

"I could never say this is one of the worst teams in French history. I do not compare generations.

"Is it a problem of inefficiency or poor talent? Who can evaluate? Players score for their clubs when selected but not for us, though. We have players who lack experience

"I will make choices for the good of the team, not choices sanction. I still have some solutions but do not have a miracle cure.

"Spain had fewer opportunities than we did here in Georgia in May but they won 1-0 in the 86th minute."

"I have two eyes to see. I am in the analysis. I have not decided who will play in Belarus but I will make choices for the good of the team.

"We are lacking in efficiency. We need to improve this aspect."

http://www.goal.com/en/news/3790/world-cup-2014/2013/09/07/4245032/deschamps-i-have-11-problems?ICID=OP

How about it's a question of philosophy... or a lack thereof. You have to pick a tactic/style of play and nurture it. But in the past 15 France NT games there have been 15 different starting XIs... and only Lloris, Matuidi, Ribery, Valbuena and Benzema have started more than of the last 15 games.

Started out as a 433, then went to a 4231 and finally now a 442.... and the revolving door of players.

Some of it, i understand. You have injuries and suspensions. But the change in tactics is all on DD.

Also, when you pick a starting XI, it's not just about talent... it's a puzzle. You need to mix the profiles together.

For example, if you put Giroud in there... then at least put Clichy and Debuchy on as fullbacks. Georgia is not going to attack. These guys can cross. Evra and Sagna are retarded in that respect.

If you want to play Valbuena and Ribery together, then the 442 is awful. Valbuena is a 10. Put in a 4231 and stick a speedier striker on the opposite side of Ribery... i don't know, maybe call up Gameiro who just scored a double for Sevilla and use his pace out there?

I can go on and on... so much fail by DD.

So what? Benzema still a world class DM

sportsczy wrote:How about it's a question of philosophy... or a lack thereof.  You have to pick a tactic/style of play and nurture it.  But in the past 15 France NT games there have been 15 different starting XIs...  and only Lloris, Matuidi, Ribery, Valbuena and Benzema have started more than of the last 15 games.  

Started out as a 433, then went to a 4231 and finally now a 442.... and the revolving door of players.

Some of it, i understand.  You have injuries and suspensions.  But the change in tactics is all on DD.

Also, when you pick a starting XI, it's not just about talent... it's a puzzle.  You need to mix the profiles together.

For example, if you put Giroud in there...  then at least put Clichy and Debuchy on as fullbacks.  Georgia is not going to attack.  These guys can cross.  Evra and Sagna are retarded in that respect.

If you want to play Valbuena and Ribery together, then the 442 is awful.  Valbuena is a 10.  Put in a 4231 and stick a speedier striker on the opposite side of Ribery... i don't know, maybe call up Gameiro who just scored a double for Sevilla and use his pace out there?

I can go on and on... so much fail by DD.  

4-2-3-1

------B Sagna-Yanga-M'bwia-Sakho-Debuchy------
------------------Capoue-Grenier-----------------
-----------Ribery-Valbuena-Lacazette--------------
----------------------Benzema---------------------

-------Jallet-R Varane-Koscielny-Clichy--------
--------------Toulalan-Pogba-----------------
-----------------Gourcuff---------------------
-----------Menez-Gonalons-Nasri---------------

Regista wrote:So what? Benzema still a world class DM

Strong username to post correlation

Karim Benzema has been slammed by France's football association (FFF) president Noel Le Graet after surpassing 20 hours without a goal for his country following their 0-0 draw with Georgia on Friday.

The last time the Real Madrid striker scored for his country was June 5, 2012 against Estonia, when he netted a brace in a friendly leading up to that summer's European Championship.

It has since been 15 games without a goal for Benzema, and just three in the last 27 for les Bleus, prompting the French sporting chief to speak out against the forward.

"There is a problem," he told reporters. "He is very disappointing. A starter at Real Madrid can’t be as bad as people say. We expect more."

Benzema, who was subbed off in the 62nd minute against Georgia in favour for Andre-Pierre Gignac, jumped to his own defence after the match, suggesting he isn’t the only player failing to find the back of the net amidst France’s five-game goalless drought.

"I know when I am good or not," he told reporters. "Tonight I was not terrible. For me to do better in the next game, I will not dwell on my substitution.

"It’s complicated - we don’t win, we don’t score goals and we don’t do good things. It’s a difficult period. I wouldn’t say we doubt ourselves, but it’s becoming a long time since we scored a goal."

The scoreless draw essentially locks France into second place in their World Cup qualification group behind Spain, meaning they must advance through the play-offs, a fact Frank Ribery seems content with.

"It’s a shame. The opportunities are there," the Bayern Munich winger told reporters.

"We had a lot of chances in the second half. We just didn’t score. We are disappointed tonight. We will get back to work and we will recover well because play again on Tuesday.

"We should not think we are already eliminated. If it is necessary to go through the play-offs, then we will. We will win and we will qualify for Brazil."

France will travel to Belarus on Tuesday, where a draw would secure at least a second place finish in the group.

He actually said that: "Tonight, i was pretty terrible. I know when i am good and when i am bad. I have to get better for the next game. I don't tend to dwell on past performances too much, whether good or bad."

I listened to the interview and it's available on several french websites.

Le Graet and the rest of the FFF like to always blame the players and never the coaching.... trend started back when Cantona/Ginola were blamed in the early 90s and it has continued. Pretty disgraceful tbh.

@OptaJean
0 - None of the 4 left-backs used by Deschamps with Les Bleus has registered a single successful cross (40 attempts). Ridiculous.

Surely that's gotta be one of the 99 problems, right?

I didn't know Abate was French.

Or playing on the left.

Bring Anelka out of retirement

Disgraceful by the FFF. Stand by your player - especially if he's not performing well.

McLewis wrote:

@OptaJean
0 - None of the 4 left-backs used by Deschamps with Les Bleus has registered a single successful cross (40 attempts). Ridiculous.

Surely that's gotta be one of the 99 problems, right?

Tbf,it's hard to reigster a cross when Benzema is chatting with Koscielny at the back.

vivabarca38 wrote:

McLewis wrote:

@OptaJean
0 - None of the 4 left-backs used by Deschamps with Les Bleus has registered a single successful cross (40 attempts). Ridiculous.

Surely that's gotta be one of the 99 problems, right?

Tbf,it's hard to reigster a cross when Benzema is chatting with Koscielny at the back.

Except that 30 of those 40 crosses were made with Giroud and/or Gomis playing... nice try though.

France just need a better manager and coaches.

Put an Italian in there, he will get the structure and the basics right at least. Changing players and formations every second game is chaotic and no wonder the players can't respond. Even Ribery in his current form is having a hard time ffs.

Deschamps is not a good coach. He is not tactically sound and his teams are not even interesting to watch. I remember his super-boring Marseille side and wonder how on earth he got the NT job after that.

How long is Griezman banned for?

FFF will not hire a non-French manager... and Wenger has told them "no" about 5 times now.  The 1998 WC players have too much influence.

I mean, Pierre Mankowski, who took theU20 to WC victory wasn't kept for the U23 squad... freakin Sagnol who has never managed in his life got the job.

FFF is a mess.  All politics.

sportsczy wrote:FFF will not hire a non-French manager... and Wenger has told them "no" about 5 times now.  The 1998 WC players have too much influence.

I mean, Pierre Mankowski, who took theU20 to WC victory wasn't kept for the U23 squad... freakin Sagnol who has never managed in his life got the job.

FFF is a mess.  All politics.

Disappointing, ruining a great generation imo

Is Jacquet still around? hahaha

My only hopes tbh are Montanier and Rudi Garcia.  If DD misses out on the WC, he's fired.  It's already set.  I've heard rumblings that Garcia is not exactly thrilled with the firesale going on at Roma, so there may be a window of opportunity.

Montanier would be the best choice as he's already starting to impact Rennes... they're playing good footy and winning.

Zidane is there too but i don't want him yet.  He needs to spend a couple of years under Carlo and learn from one of the best.  Carlo also needs him to have his back at Madrid.

They'll also make another run at Wenger and he'll say no again lol.

The only other guy i can think of would be Christian Gourcuff... he'd be great too.

http://www.whoscored.com/Blog/w9dh1hxj_02_wuxqdcr5la/Show/Player-Focus-What%E2%80%99s-wrong-with-Karim-Benzema

His problems with France, though, predate Deschamps’ arrival. The opening match of Euro 2012, against England, was a case in point. France dominated the match, a 1-1 draw, yet WhoScored’s Player Positions from the game show Benzema in a deep role, barley separable from Ribéry and Samir Nasri. Benzema had 6 shots on goal during the game, but 4 were from outside the penalty area, one from the edge of the box and the other from an acute angle. He was behaving more typically of the number ten on his back rather than the ‘nine’ that he was supposed to be. Laurent Blanc’s team had no attacking focal point, which probably cost them the win.

Benz has that problem not only with France but Madrid as well

if he wants to show his true capabilities he should play for a team that uses a number ten. maybe then france formation will change as well

Problem is the midfield.  You have 2 DMs playing most of these games...  Diarra, M'Villa, Matuidi, Capoue, Gonalons, Guilavogui, etc.

The thing with Benzema is he looks for players to make cuts past him when he has the ball.  These guys recover the ball and that's it.  Cabaye and Diaby were the only guys who had anything remotely resembling an attacking instinct in the midfielder.

What happened in the Euro was that Benz was dezoning to help the midfield creativity... but then the guys he was helping just stood there.  They wouldn't fill the space that Benz left open = disaster.  So it left Benz taking bad long rage shots as a last option.

What you have now is pretty much the same thing and a bit worse because the tactics change almost every other game...  so nobody know where they're supposed to be.

Once France can align Pogba/Matuidi/Grenier in the midfield and put speed + scoring ability on the right in either Griezmann or someone else, then a lot of the problems get solved.... assuming the manager isn't an idiot.

Benzema is benched finally should have happen long time now

chad4401 wrote:Benzema is benched finally should have happen long time now

yeah sure helping them atm lmfao!