Gegenpressing

                After a disastrous week for Italian clubs in Europe decided to write about one among many things calcio clubs have lagged behind – Pressing / counter-pressing .

Gegenpressing 

                Gegenpressing is winning the ball back from the opposition as quickly as possible with well choreographed movements or by setting up traps . In modern day football you see sides making an attacking transition with no more than 3 passes . Which is where counter-pressing serves the double purpose – a) prevents opponents attacking transition b) Helps you win the ball higher up the pitch .

                The difference between a normal “pressing” and counter pressing is – with counter-pressing you try to win the ball back as early as possible , many a times higher up the pitch in a direct way .

                Player positioning  before when a team tries to press is the key to the success of winning the ball back . It requires all 10 outfield players to work as a unit and to think as one . And if a side cant recover the ball with the initial press then the whole pressing fails and have to work back covering their zones . Even if one player switches off after losing possession the whole pressing fails . Which is why it requires highly optimized  player positioning and drills to make the intial press work . Extremely wide formations with overloads may not be suitable to counter press . 

Red Bull Salzburg 

                Among many styles of counter-pressing one side which excelled and surprised many was Roger Schmidt’s Red Bull Salzburg . People are getting to see his work recognized in a larger scale after his move to Leverkusen .this summer .  Which is leeway oriented pressing variation . 

         

                First and foremost target is not to let your opponent play through the middle . In the centre  a player can have many passing angles and its improbable to cut them all or let a single channel open in order to press .

                Most of the times the pressing is based on a trigger – the trigger can be of the opponents choosing a passing lane to weak link in the opposition eleven . Salzburg tend to press in the final third of the pitch which heavily involves immense workrate from the two strikers Alan and Soriano and also immensely gifted wingers in the form of Sadio Mane ( now at Southampton ) and Kevin Kampl  .

                These four work in tandem to set up traps , cut down passing lanes , press the opponent on the ball – which in most cases result in Salzburg winning the 2^nd ball high up the pitch . Which is where Ilsanker’s role in the side is crucial . Yes it’s a whole team effort – when you press a side like Salzburg does you are in theory vulnerable to counters . Ilsanker is the key to the defensive stability of the side – which comes by winning the ball back . 

                When Salzburg lose the ball in most cases he is the first person to press the ball carrier . You will very rarely notice him keeping the ball for more than 3 seconds after winning it , a vertical pass towards more technically gifted team mates will always be made  . He is certainly not he quickest player on the pitch , which he compensates with his positioning . His outstanding offensive and defensive outputs makes him the best in the league . 

                Salzburg create immense pressure on the ball right after losing it makes them one of the most dangerous sides on the counter . Because of such strong counter-pressing they even use them as a offensive ploy to lose balls at certain zones ( depending on the opponent ) to immediately win it back to counter . When they leave a passing lane open for the opponent  – its for the their central mid to win the ball back . When you see them not competing for a header in the final third – its usually to win the 2^nd ball of the opponent . 

                Its humanly impossible to maintain this style of pressing throughout the 90 minutes . There were games where they just let limited passing lanes open and maintain a higher defensive block closer to opponents – to counter exhaustion . Which you can also term it as a plan B , which they rarely use . No matter what the scoreline is or whoever the opponent is their motto is to press and score goals . 

                Their dynamism in their game what attracts so much interest . Direct short / risky passes by keeping their front four close and forming spectacular combination plays to open up defenses is mind boggling . Due to this same factor you wont find them having higher passing accuracy .

Conclusion 

                Roger Schmidt has taken the same style and tempo to his new club and so far has managed to do well with a point behind CL qualification and 5 point behind league leaders . Bayer have also done well in champions league group stages and are currently leading their group table . With Dortmund’s success in recent years with leeway oriented pressing it should not come as a surprise to see Schmidt having a good start 

Bayer Leverkusen pressing against Zenit 

                Its one of those cases where a system/style has multiplier effect on the playing eleven . How often do we see sides having a real go at Juventus ? most of them are content to get anything out of the game by setting up a deep defensive block . It’s a lot easier to hide behind lack of financial wealth than to see the real issue , Likes of  Borrusia Dortmund have shown otherwise .  We can either open up ourselves to new ideas / current trends  or just watch the game move ahead and live in the past

Last Minute Build up to "El Clasico"

•Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu 

•October 25, 2014

•Referee: Jesús Gil 

The Main Man

Recent Form

REAL MADRID - W,W,W,W,W

BARCELONA - W,W,W,L,W

Recent Clasico Results

La Liga (LIGA) 17-04-14 Barcelona 1 - 2 Real Madrid 

La Liga (LIGA) 24-03-14 Real Madrid 3 - 4 Barcelona 

La Liga (LIGA) 26-10-13 Barcelona 2 - 1 Real Madrid 

La Liga (LIGA) 02-03-13 Real Madrid 2 - 1 Barcelona 

La Liga (LIGA) 27-02-13 Barcelona 1 - 3 Real Madrid

Amazing Fact - Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have scored in each of the last 16 clasicos, the longest run in history

Some Quotes on build up to Clasico:

Ancelotti - On his remark on substituting CR7 without asking him "I have a lot of respect for the work done by Luis Enrique and all of my fellow coaches. If anyone took what I said as a provocation, they are mistaken. I didn't mean to provoke anyone."

Ancelotti - “I don’t know why the game is kicking off at 6pm and not 9pm but I don’t think it will affect us too much – we’re in great shape physically."

Luis Enrique - "Complaints Madrid about kick-off time? I agree there should be more games at the same time. I'd also prefer to play later."

Mathieu - "There was a lot of criticism because of my age and transfer fee, but I feel I'm changing people's opinion bit by bit."

Mendieta - “Unfortunately that is Madrid. It happened with Raúl, Guti and Morientes, now it is happening with Casillas."

Laudrup - “The Messi of the early years was a phenomenon, but he always wanted to finish the action. Now, he goes past one, two or three players and then gives a pass to a team mate. That makes him more dangerous and harder to stop than before”

Cristiano - During presentation of his new Nike Mercurial Superfly boots - “I don’t change boots for Clásicos or derbies. I’ve always liked to try out new boots, new collections, new colors. What I like the most is playing with boots that feel comfortable. It will be a special match. I hope people will enjoy it, and that I’ll be able to score goals.”

Schuster - “I think that Madrid will win. That’s my feeling. I have a feeling in my stomach that they’ll win, because of their style and high morale, and with Cristiano in a very good form. And thanks to a better midfield."

Iniesta - “We have to go with a winning mentality, not think that we’ll stay ahead of them whatever happens. I think that thinking like that would be a mistake."


Suarez has been one of the major talk in this past week ahead of his debut in Clasico.

Suarez - "The Suarez on the pitch is not the same as the Suarez off it. Off the pitch I am a calm person, a father and a husband"

Luis Enrique - "Luis Suarez will certainly play some minutes tomorrow, but I don't know how many."

Zidane - “Suárez is obviously a very good player, but he was not a player we felt we needed to add to the squad at any time. The targets we acquired in the summer were the ones who we wanted all along.”

Ancelotti - "Suarez' return is good news for football, he's a fantastic player. But him playing or not won't change our plans"


Squad List:

Real Madrid -

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, Keylor Navas and Dani Pacheco.

Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Raphael Varane, Nacho, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Arbeloa.

Midfielders: Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, James, Luka Modric, Asier Illarramendi, Isco.

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Chicharito.


Barcelona -

Goalkeepers: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Claudio Bravo.

Defenders: Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra, Jeremy Mathieu, Jordi Alba.

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergi Roberto, Ivan Rakitic.

Forwards: Neymar, Munir, Pedro, Leo Messi, Luis Suárez.


Key Players -

Real Madrid - Ronaldo, Isco and Ramos

Barcelona - Messi, Neymar and Mathieu


Strength -

Real Madrid - Amazing Attacking Front

Barcelona - Telepathic connection between Messi and Neymar


Weakness -

Real Madrid - No Proper CDM, hence even the likes of Sociedad and Villareal walked past their midfield easily.

Barcelona - Pique losing concentration at times, Right flank might expose lots of space for Isco and Ronaldo to exploit during counters and Defending Set pieces

Who will come out on top?

Expected Lineup:

AS

l'esportiu

The Covers Today

Let us all hope for a wonderful Clasico

Liverpool - Season preview 2014/15

                It was a successful 2013/14 campaign for Brendan Rodgers & co . Exceeded expectations and you can hardly argue against the perception of pulling over their weight . So close to glory yet they can only blame themselves for not completing the marathon as winners . A brief insight on what their objectives and probabilities of completing those objectives for the coming season .

Post Suarez Era

                The 80 million dollar question is how much of an impact Suarez’s departure will have on Liverpool . Will Liverpool will endure a similar “ RVP effect ” like Arsenal did ? maybe the right question to ask is were Liverpool as a team bigger than sum of its parts ? .

Luis Suarez

                Even in modern day football we see players constantly cover up systemic / psychological flaws within a side ,  with their individual brilliance. An RVP less Arsenal , Lille post Hazard even Spurs after Bale’s departure have struggled to cope up . Lille were the worst of the lot , Hazard literally carried them single handedly - his departure and Lille’s board investing heavily on development of infrastructure meant they were in complete shambles the next season . Arsenal brought in players who would eventually settle in,  but you can never hide away from the impact of losing such pivotal players  .

                Was Suarez the Hazard of Liverpool ? probably not . He was more so in 2012/13 season than he was in 13/14 , with the arrival Sturridge the team balance and the flag bearer of the side slightly shifted . So did Liverpool’s style of play - started to counter press more . As a team were very much "gegen pressing" side than "tiki taka" .  Rodgers tried various shapes , from a back three to 4312 diamond midfield to fit both his flag bearers . They were collectively working as a unit as the season went by they grew more in confidence and the results were there for everyone to be seen . Statistically Sturridge has been more decisive when Liverpool were trailing than Suarez . 

           

Via @basstunedRed

               Top 5 combo play in chance creation involves Suarez .  He equaled  Premier League record of 31 goals in a season , which was 30% of Liverpool’s goals last season and managed to assist 12 times – meaning he was involved in nearly 40 % of Liverpool’s goals last season  .  Liverpool were not a one man team – but Suarez had a phenomenal year . 

              Rodgers will be there on the sidelines - in a sense he is more important for Liverpool than anyone on their rooster . 

New Arrivals 

                Likes of Emre Can , Lazar Markovic , Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have already arrived . Loic Remy , Dejan Lovren and Alberto Moreno are the names constantly linked with .

Lazar Markovic

                Lazar Markovic ‘s move to premier league wouldn’t surprise many , another Partizan product . My favorite Partizan export is currently having pre-season with city . You have to be patient with him , there were times last season I thought “ Why Jorge Jesus is still persisting with him “ when he had a poor run of games , but he eventually made me eat my words . Benfica have been completely torn apart – Markovic , Oblak , Siquiera , Garay  , Andre Gomes already gone with Enzo Perez , Nico gaitan , Rodrigo are on the verge of a move . They were brilliant to watch last season . Markovic has the vision to pick a pass , which often gets overlooked by his dribbling skills . As he settles into Premier League I would love to see him more in central areas - which was not possible with Jorge Jesus 's 442 .

                Emre Can – physical defensive midfielder who can play anywhere in the midfield . If Liverpool are to continue with a 4141 or a 4312 diamond midfield ( like they did in the later part of last season ) they needed someone who is defensively solid – to be more useful in possession playing as the pivot and young ( understudy to Steven Gerrard ) . The player who ticks all those boxes – Matteo Kovacic . Unfortunately Inter closed the door for any move away from San siro for their most prized asset .  Can’s strength is his versatility – but surely can improve certain aspects of his game - passing and concentration levels for instance .

                Loic remy , Adam Lallana – there is a trend to Brendan Rodgers signings , from Borini to Loic Remy ( almost done )  Versatility . Those who watch PL don’t need any introduction to Loic Remy , Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert . Dejan Lovren will be a upgrade to Kolo Toure’s imminent departure and increase the squad depth  . Need a quality full back to complete the puzzle .

Champions league at Anfield 

                It is very clear what Brendan Rodgers is trying to build for next season , a versatile front 4 who can interchange positions constantly / press the opponents / work hard on and off the ball / break quickly . But does he have a player on the front axis to create chances ? answer is no . You can say Coutinho – in my opinion he just tries too much to make something happen , something he has to improve upon . Which is why Isco to Liverpool will make sense - may or maynot happen . Problem with having such a dynamic attacking quartet  is your game becomes one paced and when your pressing diminishes , your midfield gets overrun .

                We didn’t see that from Liverpool last season  – mostly due to the fact that they had time to physically prepare for game . With Champions League football back at Anfield the task for Brendan Rodgers is not only prepare them psychologically but also physically for a game every three days . Dortmund struggled to do that when they came back to Europe – got heavily criticized by the German Press for their Champions league performances . When they did get that right Bayern ran away with the domestic title .  Not saying Liverpool will suffer the same fate , Klopp had a relatively thinner squad ( than what Rodgers will have next season ) .

                That brings us to the next issue , how much changes can Rodgers make without disrupting the core ? Arsene Wenger talked about more than three first team signings can be unhealthy . Now that Liverpool  will be playing 50 odd games next season they certainly need the squad strength . It has to be more about quality than quantity – so far it has been that case . But now its Rodgers turn to incorporate them .

Objectives

                The main objective for the coming season should be to consolidate their position at top – a top four finish . Considering it’s a whole new challenge , possibly the toughest challenge aswell .  Manchester City have brought in Fernando and Mangala / Chelsea with Cesc Fabregas , Diego Costa and Luis / Arsenal with Alexis Sanchez and still in for some big names /  Manchester United with Louis van Gaal – the competition has got even more tougher .Along with a decent Champions League run , a top four finish should be considered successful . With so many young talents in the squad the aim must be to build a title challenging side in two to three seasons .

Player Profile - Salih Uçan

                Sometimes I wonder what makes football tick – then I saw Brasil vs USSR game .  A long ball was played to Mane Garrincha , Kuznetsov ran in to close him down – Garrincha showed him the left and went past Kuznetsov on the right . Kuznetsov fell on the ground – Garrincha waited for him and then went past him again to hit the near post .  That audacious confidence in his ability – that flair what keeps the game going . Which is why anywhere around the world is a home ground for Brasil ( eventhough they have never replicated the 1970 brand of football again or no one ever can ) . Thhis player profile involves someone who  has the same flair when he steps onto the turf  , no he is not a winger nor beaten a player twice like Garrincha . 

Salih Uçan

                Strange thing about all of this is – 18 months back I got to know about this prodigious talent through a Galatasaray fan .

How it started 

                He joined Bucaspor at the age of 14 , he was starter by 2011/12 . Bucaspor have a renowned academy . His genius was visible for everyone to see – it was only a matter of time one of the Turkish giants came calling . Eventually they did – Fenerbahce paid 1.5 million to Bucaspor for his signature - one of the most lucrative contract ever for a teenager . 

Time at Fenerbahçe 

                Salih Ucan joined san kanarya the same season they bought Mehmet Topal and Raul Meireles . He was sparingly used in the league  , more frequently in cup games and Europa league . He managed to score 4 goals and snatch 3 assist to his name .  He was among the eight youngsters in Europa League's rising stars .

                Ucan was part of the Turkey Under 20 world cup squad last summer . Unlike Pogba he didn’t have a Kondogbia or Thauvin around him . He was the stand out performer for Turkey in that competition who got knocked out by eventual winners France . He made it to the IBWM 100 to watchout for list along with Hakan Calhanoglu . 

“ Everyone’s happiness is in different things , mine is football “ - Salih Uçan

                This season he found it hard to break into the starting eleven with Ersun Yanal preferring the experienced trio of Emre  , Meireles and Mehmet Topal . They won the Turkish league with games to spare . He is one of those players where stats wont justify his quality - sometimes you just cant equate your joy watching someone play with numbers .  

Playing Style 

                 His Idols are Frank Lampard and Sergio Busquets – and that sums up him as a player ( not saying he is as good as both ) . He can play anywhere in midfield from a defensive midfielder to a attacking playmaker .  Though he is more suited to a central midfield role or a box to box role .

                He is a smart footballer - has the vision to pick a pass in the final third and also finish off the chances inside the box .  And then he can win back possession too – his versatility is his strength .  He is 6ft tall and has got the physique and technique to manage in a bigger league . He has improved a lot since coming to fener , he is more assured of his gameplay and his positioning has improved massively .

                Video compilation of his 1^st season at fenerbahce from Scoutnation .

What's next 

                There has been a lot of interest – from Dortmund to Manchester city . According to reports in Italian media – Salih Ucan is expected to join Roma in coming weeks . As a fan of calico im very excited to see one of my favorite youngsters joining Roma . He is certainly the best young talent Turkey has to offer – will have to wait and see how things pan out . Hope he fulfills his potential and becomes a world class footballer .  

Azzurri - A look ahead

                “ A casa con vergogna “ was the headline in Gazzetta dello Sport after the Slovakian game in 2010 World Cup – meaning “ going home with shame “ . Azzurri never failed to make it out of the group stages since 1974 World cup . They lacked a style of play and  ideas . It was worse than “ Korean Nightmare “ where a certain Mr.Moreno had a shocker of a game . Even before the world cup began Cesare Prandelli taking over the mantle from Lippi was made public , Italy were not expected to repeat their 2006 feat in South Africa but getting out as early as group stages was unexpected . The onus was on Prandelli to salvage the pride and drive them back to the force they were at International tournaments . 

In steps Prandelli 

                The  soft spoken , virtuous  tactician hails from the same province as Andrea Pirlo and Mario Balotelli . His only managerial honor - winning the Serie B title with Verona the same year Sinisa Mihajlovic won the scudetto with Lazio as a player - he who replaced Prandelli at Artemio Franchi when Prandelli left for Nazionale . After a series of successful spells at Hellas Verona and Parma – Prandelli  got his shot at a big club when Roma appointed him as their manager , but only months in he had to quit due to personal reasons .

Cesare Prandelli

                In 2005 Viola came calling , where he enjoyed a very successful five year spell . Over-achieving with a mediocre squad year in year out – that too by playing a good brand of football . It was quite surprising that he took over the Nazionale managerial post – he was still in his early fifties , Juventus were also linked with their former player  . Now that he has signed a contract extension till 2016 with the national side  – my dream of seeing him manage a top European club is still a distant dream .

Code of Ethics

                This is one of the much talked about aspects of Prandelli’s Azzurri  . Some feel it lacks consistency –  none the less it has brought a positive outlook to the overall set up .  When a player gets carded for a violent behavior on the pitch – he doesn’t get to wear the national team jersey for a certain number of games determined by the coach himself . The idea is to have a pool of players who are temperamentally strong enough to handle high pressure match situations . 

                One incident where Prandelli won me over was – Simone Farina call up . Simone farina was not a Angelo Ogbonna or a Bernardeschi  who was tearing up opponents in Serie B . He was asked to join the senior side in training cause he said no – no to 200,000 bribe for fixing a match . That’s more than what he will earn in two years of his playing career .   

" People need to like us as a team " - Cesare Prandelli 

                More than 10,000 fans attended the last open training session at Perugia’s Renato Curi stadium , Send off game against Luxembourg was sold out . That’s the change Prandelii has managed to bring in 4 years .


Progress

                The progress made under Prandelli is more than commendable . Qualified to Euro 2012 with ease – ended up being the losing finalists . Still Prandelli regrets the decision on taking an extra flight – which reduced their recovery time after the tough Semi-finals . More than the results – the manner in which they got there had many heads turning . Away from the usual “ Italian way “ – sharing equal amounts of possession and goals in the very first game were signs of new Italy . The good run continued in the confederations cup where they finished 3^rd , only to lose the semi-finals against Spain on penalties .  Prandelli has only lost two competitive games inside the regular playing time as Azzurri manager .

                Prandelli in this span on four years has called up more players and has had more debutants than any other World Cup participating nation . The spine of the side still consists of old guards – very subtly he has managed to incorporate youths without disrupting the core . You can build a squad like how Loew did with Germany – handling the mantle completely to the younger generation or like Uruguay – keeping same core for years . In a spectrum with Germany at one end and Uruguay at other – Italy find themselves right at the centre . 

Preparation

                Playing the confederation cup last summer in Brasil was a big learning curve for the side . Azzurri are set to start their campaign against England in the jungle city – Manaus . The temperatures might get as high as 40 degrees with a humidity of 90 plus . Relatively late start ( 11 pm AMT  ) might help a little .  

" Never in my career 8 out of 11 players asked to be substituted " - Cesare Prandelli 

                A lot of effort and thought have been put into Azzurri training set ups . Three months prior to the World cup a list of 42 probable were were subjected to a medical – to analyse their physical conditions . Before picking up the list of 30 member squad – Prandelli organized an 2 day camp at coverciano for youngsters whom he would have a close look at . Azzurri trained in sauna – replicating the weather conditions of Manaus . A lot of emphasis has been put on getting the players physically fit – even cassano looks like he is 26 ( not that makes him run more ) . 

                Travel and staying arrangements were planned in accordance with  schedule keeping in mind the recovery period  – so that they are well prepared this time around and did not want to make the Euro mistake again .  

Tactical Analysis

                Prandelli has been very keen on camouflaging how his side will play . We are within a week ahead of World cup – yet no one can guess who will start ( atleast on the offensive side ) . 

Probable starting line up 

                 Azzurri have played a 3-5-2 , 4-3-1-2 , 4-3-3 , 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-2 so far in the qualifiers and friendlies leading upto World Cup  . Prandelli often talked about the ability to change your formation of play within a game to give more headache to the opposition . Coming from a league which has failed to modernize with the current trends – playing your cards close to the heart is a good ploy . 

                Their send off game to Brasil saw Prandelli using Pirlo in a new role ( Allegri was the first one to try it ) – he was played in the left side of midfield . There is a theory that If you shut down Pirlo - you are hampering his side’s creativity ( let it be Juventus or Italy ) . But by playing Pirlo on the left side of midfield with Verratti on the right and De Rossi as regista – a) It makes it difficult for opponents to close him down b) Gives Italy three quality passers in the midfield to exert dominance c) verratti can be as good as Pirlo when it comes to playmaking .

                With De Rossi now as the deep lying midfielder – he can drop between the centre backs and help Italy assert numerical advantage and possession dominance , the flexibility in play which Prandelli talked about . Triangulations and clever positional play with this midfield can get Pirlo into spots where he would love to deliver the killer blow . There are cons to this method to – on the ball it sounds like a master stroke , when Italy lose Possession against a quick counter attacking side this could cause problems . 

                The other variant Prandelli tried against Luxembourg was Cassano as lone striker ( or to say a false 9 ) – with Insigne and Cerci on either side in a 4-3-3 . This was very late in the game – which lasted for the final ten minutes of the game . Then there is the diamond midfield Italians love to emulate with two strikers .

                With this squad he has players for all formations , versatility is the strength of this side – and also the weakness . 

Key Players

Andrea Pirlo 

                Even at 35 Pirlo is still very much the heart beat of Azzurri . Just to have a look back – Pirlo only played the final 35 minutes of the 2010 world cup , he was suspended for the game against Spain in 2008 . When he plays Italy always do well – key member of 2006 world cup winning side , lead the team into the finals of 2012 Euro . He was struggling for form at the start of the season – since January his form has picked up . Which is a very good sign for the Azzurri .

Mario Balotelli 

                Prandelli gave him his Italy debut , Balotelli's pace / strength is important for Azzurri . Tactically he is immense – he is the vital piece for transition from midfield to attack . His form this season is very much similar to that of Milan’s , but he always seems to play well for Italy . That might be largely due to the fact that he has a quality midfield to play infront of .

one to watch out for 


Marco Verratti

                He is one of the top young talents right now in world football . There were speculations that he may not make it to Brasil , that was put to rest with a MOTM performance against the Irish in craven cottage . With Montolivo’s injury he might well find himself in the starting eleven . His composure  and verve on the ball is admirable . He is seen as Pirlo’s deputy when Mozart hangs up his boots for Italy . Verratti  at 22 is the heart beat of PSG side which managed to reach the quarter finals of champions league . He has managed to keep Yohan Cabaye on the bench ( who is supposed to carry French hopes in Brasil ) . His Velcro like first touch , audacious confidence in his ability to shield the ball and to pick inch perfect passes even from his own half – surely the one to watch out for . 

Marco Verratti

Predictions

                Anything less than a Quarter final will be seen as a failure . When FIFA decided to take one European side from pot 4 to join another European heavyweight – everyone knew it would be Italy . People in the peninsula love their pizza and conspiracy theories . If Italy manage to top their group they will avoid the likes of Spain and find their route to final a lot simpler . A top four finish is likely – they are 22/1 to win the World Cup 

France World Cup Preview

The whole world is excited for this spectacle. Not only the football fans, but the whole world. Now the leagues are pretty much over, everyone are counting days and now can’t wait for it. Also the players can’t wait for it. And there will be 23 players from a country of Europe, where the most romantic language is spoken, who will be up and ready to for this.

France, 1998 Champions and 2006 Runners-up, barely qualified for the World cup, after Ukraine gave them a big scare in the 1^st leg play-off but Les Bleus came back strongly , winning the 2^nd leg 3-0, two goals from the scary Sakho and Madrid striker Benzema. Most of the fans are not expecting much in this world cupthough, not putting France in the “top-teams” bracket. 23^rd in the ranking, Poor last world cup and a very decent Euros campaign in 2012, has done everything but increased confidence of French fans.

France squad came out just a few days ago so it’s the perfect time to analyse France’s situation now.

France had a difficult qualifying group to pass as they already had the World Cup Champions in their group so they were always expected to come 2nd and play the playoff. France in fact, stopped Spain on one occasion when they held them to 1-1 in Madrid which was a wonderful match played by les bleus with Giroud equalizing in injury time. In play off we all know what happened as explained earlier and then France were happily on the plane to Brazil.

Here is analysing all the aspects of France and let see how good can France be in this World Cup-

 Formation

Deschamps has experimented a lot in the qualifiers as well as the friendlies. He likes to play a solid 4 in defense always and prefers to play one striker upfront. Tried with Giroud and Benzema once together but didn’t work out. He has experimented with a 3 man midifield and playing a 4-3-3 and playing 4-2-3-1 with strong pivot of box-to-box player like Matuidi and alongside him Pogba. 4-3-3 seems to be his favourite and it was that formation(he changed from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 from 1^st leg to 2^nd leg) that took Les bleus to the world cup. It has also worked in the recent friendly vs Norway when France won by 4-0, Valbuena getting 3 assists. So most probably it will be a 4-3-3

Expected Formation in the World Cup

Goal Keepers

Leading the side will be the man behind the four defenders, Hugo Lloris. Despite Tottenham having not that good a season, Lloris was always busy and was up to the mark. Occasionally also captaining the Spurs side, he has done pretty well lately as captain. Landreau and Ruffier will be the second and the third choice keepers. Decent enough. Steven Mandanda made the cut, was the second choice but unfortunately got a neck injury in the match between Marseille and Guingamp. Ruffier was brought on as his replacement

Centre Backs

Any team that has won the world cup has had an excellent defense. France at the moment doesn’t boast the likes of Thiago Silva, or Sergio Ramos, or Mats Hummels but they have one of the most intelligent defenders from the Premier League and one of the best young defenders in the World. Laurent Koscielny and Raphael Varane, respectively, if anyone was still thinking.

Koscielny has improved a lot since he came to Arsenal from FC Lorient and has made a big name for himself. Now a starter for the national team, will be the organiser and the main person in defense. Alongside him there are 3 options. Varane, Sakho and Mangala, who seem to have an equal chance, though Deschamps prefers the Liverpool man. Sakho came from PSG to Liverpool as he couldn’t establish himself as a starter at his childhood club due to big names Alex and Thiago Silva. Now at Liverpool, he was more of a regular until Daniel Agger came back from injury and he did quite well. Importanty, for France, scored the two important goals which brought them into the World Cup.

Along with that add the FC porto player Mangala, who has also improved a lot this season and is linked to big clubs like Chelsea, Manchester united and Manchester City. Mangala will be a very good third option for Deschamps. And the last center back, arguably the best young central defender and playing at one of the best clubs in the world, Raphael Varane. Varane can be deadly at set pieces and also has a very good speed. Compared to Real Madrid legend Hierro, he is a very viable option for France.

Full Backs

Deschamps has chosen 2 left backs and 2 right backs. Digne and Evra for the left position and Debuchy and Sagna for the right. Evra the senior player, will most probably the starter and can be the biggest weakness for France as he has been poor defensively for United for quite much time now but his crosses are still quite good. Surprisingly, Clichy has not been selected. Though this is the best platform for Evra to show that he can still perform. 

Sagna and Debuchy both have been equally used by Deschamps on right. Along with Jallet and One more headache for Deschamps. Statistically, Debuchy has been easily better than Sagna this season. Descahmps has preferred Debuchy lately over Sagna and despite all the experience Sagna has, Debuchy could be the starter for France in Brazil.

Central Midfielders

France midfield squad includes of Paul Pogba, Yohan Cabaye, Blaise Matuidi, Moussa Sissoko Rio Mavuba and Clement Grenier. The first three mentioned will be the three starting in a three man midfield. The charismatic Pogba, who is a box to box player, is one of the best young talents around, won the young player of the year award as well in 2013, has a great long shot in him, and helps the team attackingly as well as defensively. Pogba needs to just keep calm, otherwise some of the cards can cost the team a lot.The technician Cabaye plays some great long balls and can dictate the play, which will be essential in the world cup. The dynamic Matuidi, who is like a Manager’s favourite, another box to box midfielder. He will do everything you want him to, whether its attacking or defensively.

One weakness of France can be, if they need some other options in the midfield, the quality of the rest three midfielders is not at the level of the starting three. France can get into real trouble if one of them gets injured or suspended.

The better option which can be in such a situation is that play, the left two in a midfield pivot and changing the formation to a 4-2-3-1 where Griezzman takes the right wing position and Valbuena gets into his favourite, just behind the striker position.

The midfield Trio which will be very vital. From Left to Right: Cabaye, Pogba, Matuidi

      Attacking Midfielders/Wingers

If some player is assured of his place in the team, then it’s the France Marquee Player Frank Ribery. He holds the weight of the entire nation at the moment. The Bayern Munich man, came 3^rd in Ballon d’or last year, and had a spectacular season again this time racking up 10 goals and assists each.

Also now comes the biggest decision which Deschamps took, which shocked the footballing world. The first shock was given before the World Cup. Nasri was not selected. A decision which was not liked by many people, especially after a spectacular season.

Deschamps couldn’t risk any kind of mutiny again. 2010 can not happen again. And if anybody could risk it was the Manchester city man. The camp has been unhappy and rumours came in that many of the senior players also didn't want Nasri in the team. Moreover, looking at the team France have Valbuena and Griezzman to fight for that place. The right wing place. Valbuena maybe isn’t playing in his best position which is just behind the striker, but he is extremely effective on the wings as well.

Valbuena, the dimunitive midfielder from Marseille, may just be the surprise of the season. He has been extremely influential in the world cup qualifying run. Deschamps, who was his fromer coach at Marseille, knows him very well, understands him well and he will probably make sure that France doesn’t miss Nasri. He will be the creative edge that France will need. A brilliant article by Michael Cox on why Valbuena can be seen here.

The two of the most important players for Les Bleus

Strikers

Benzema , Giroud and Remy. These are the 3 strikers which France have. 3 very intelligent strikers. Benzema though will be the first choice. He had arguably his best season ever with the Champions League holders, Real Madrid. Benzema, though misses some chances, he has scored at vital times this season, and his overall play has been outstanding. He had a pass percentage of 87% in Champions League which is fantastic for a striker. Going towards wings, or coming a little deep to create space for Bale and Ronaldo, he is doing it perfectly. Though he had his bad periods of France, was booed in consecutive matches, didn’t score for over a 1000 minutes, he has come back strongly.

Giroud had a brilliant start to the season. Scored in the first 5 of the 6 matches for Arsenal. But then unfortunately faded away. Similar to Benzema, an overall good link up play but at times becomes very unselfish. He tends to take less shots and would rather pass to his teammate. Recently though he had a great friendly performance where he impressed his coach and had great linkup with his teammates, also scoring 2 in the process. Deschamps her also has a tough choice.

Giroud and Benzema have started together as an experiment by Deschamps, but it failed miserably. Last time they started together, was in September vs Georgia and it ended in 0-0 and none of them were threatening. 

Remy, who is on loan from QPR to Newcastle, is a very intelligent player and he knows to be in the right place at right time. He had a fantastic season and is rightly selected for the national team and will be a very good backup for these 2 strikers and if needed can play on the wings as well.

Who should start? The Madrid man or the Arsenal man?

Conclusion

Odds to win the world cup for France is 22/1 according to Skybet. France are in Group E, touchwood, fortunately have a very easy group unlike in the qualifiers when they were drawn with Spain, despite the fact they were kept in the 3rd pot while the draws were made. Switzerland will be the toughest opponents who have the veteran coach Ottmar Hitzfield with them, who has changed the team fortunes. Ecuador and Honduras being the other teams, France should have an easy group stage and aim to finish top.

Round of 16 would be against Group F winners or runners up. Taking best case, France will have to play against Bosnia to reach the quarters who have had a terrific form in the last year.And if win this, then their is a high probabilty that we see a clash of France vs Germany in the quarter finals. Round of 16 would be against Group F winners or runners up. Though Germany are one of the favourites to win the cup, France with so many great players and a very good coach, have all the capabilities to get past them.

So hoping for the best for the French Nation and they can hopefully the french fans can see the victory days again.