Jim White

France too good for Ireland

Wed Nov 18 11:58AM

It is an interesting assessment of their position that France are portrayed by many in the English media as a bunch of hopeless under-achievers.

That would be the France who reached the last World Cup final and - while admittedly faring poorly in Portugal - at least qualified for Euro 2008. Unlike some. Indeed, were Fabio Capello to steer England to a similar position next summer to the one France achieved in Germany, he would be kneeling in front of the Queen quicker than you could say "what's the Italian for Spaghetti Bolognese?"

Yet, the overwhelming view over here is of a team in disarray, morale so low you'd need an industrial dredger to locate it and a coach so bereft of confidence in his own ability he has all but ceded responsibility for team matters to his senior players. Certainly that appears to be the opinion of their play-off opponents currently holding sway in the Irish dressing room. There the belief appears to be that the French are so brittle they are likely to split into factions at the merest hint of adversity.

If only it were true. You could accuse this current French side of many things - arrogance principal among them - but a lack of self-belief is not their failing. This is a team so convinced of their own abilities they go gooey eyed every morning when they look in the mirror to shave. Although possibly Thierry Henry gets his best mates Roger Federer and Tiger Woods to do that sort of thing for him.

If tonight's game were played on paper, Ireland wouldn't stand a prayer. This is a team of Champions League veterans, of star performers from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea against a bunch of journeymen from Wolves, Stoke, Blackburn and Boro. Only Shay Given of the Irish would stand a prayer of getting into the French squad and even then that would merely be as understudy to Hugo Lloris, currently the best keeper in Europe.

And unfortunately for romantics everywhere, Ireland have little more hope on the grass on which tonight's game will actually be played. Their problem is that goal of Nicolas Anelka's that they conceded in Dublin at the weekend. Ireland have never been prolific scorers. Under Giovanni Trapattoni they are brilliantly organised and very hard to beat. Unlike England they went through their qualifying campaign unbeaten. Where their lack of genuine class was exposed, however, was in front of goal: they scored just seven times in six matches. Now they have to double their average away from home against a side convinced they are already in the draw for South Africa.

And while France may have been disappointing their fans, one thing is certain about them: they are not going to lose by two goals at home. The way France set themselves, with a pair of Diarras between a back four and a fluid, rapidly interchanging front four is exactly how Arsenal have been playing this season (not much of a coincidence there). Personally, I think it would be the best way for England to play (Carrick and Barry or Hargreaves, sitting behind a flexible four of Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Walcott or Joe Cole). It has way too much flexibility for Ireland easily to break it down. If they are to win they need to show a level of ruthlessness in taking what few chances come their way that is surely beyond their means.

From the moment FIFA fixed the draw to ensure their big names progressed, the best chance the Irish had was a pair of goalless draws and to sneak through on penalties. That has now gone. You hope you might be wrong, but the reality is the task tonight is too great for even a Trapattoni-inspired Irish side.

If this was a game decided in the technical area, sure, then Ireland would walk it. They have a brilliant manager, who has corralled his limited resources way beyond the apparent limit of their capabilities. Opposite him is a flaky Frenchman so despised locally, every time his face is picked up on the giant screen, the regulars start to foam at the mouth. But at the level Ireland have reached here, they are about to be the victims of an inherent truth about football much forgotten in the cult of personality surrounding the game: ultimately it is not about the manager, it is about the players.

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1st?
From pdot_acid85 on Wed Nov 18 12:42PM
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Who wants a rubbish team like Ireland in the World Cup anyway??? I'd rather watch the best sides, and France are one of them.
From lawrencemcneela on Wed Nov 18 01:02PM
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FRafrica-Ireland,expect a booooooring game which ends 0-0.
From rafascrackingup on Wed Nov 18 01:04PM
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all fair enough Jim, but the hope is that the fickle french fans turn on them after a drab 0-0 first half, and the players display their lack of respect for their coach via their performance, and the pressure builds, and the irish fans sing louder and ireland nick it one way or another. cant think of many irish penalty takers, but wouldnt want to be a frenchman in paris taking one either.
ok its all wishful thinkin and the french could easily win by a few but lets see
From bobo.spamble on Wed Nov 18 01:05PM
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I agree with White
From sammy42k4 on Wed Nov 18 01:06PM
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Arrogance? What are you talking about? They're just focused on the game, that's all.
From laforge_m on Wed Nov 18 01:08PM
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nice 2nd
From nasj13 on Wed Nov 18 01:10PM
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Lloris is what????!!!!
From perrydente on Wed Nov 18 01:26PM
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Believe
From johnnymerrigan on Wed Nov 18 01:27PM
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Come on ireland!!!! shock the french and the world by winning!!!! go on the boys in green!!!!
From thhcpheonix on Wed Nov 18 01:27PM
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Great analysis Jim
From benoit.antoine2 on Wed Nov 18 01:37PM
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that picture of you gets funnier everytime jim,cheers for the cheap laugh.
From sirkeithbrennan on Wed Nov 18 01:39PM
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what a joke saying that given would be a under study to Hugo Lloris , the best goal keeper in the premiership and only probably behind buffon as best goalie in Europe
From waylander0311 on Wed Nov 18 01:40PM
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White is right.WE dont have a goalscorer.
If only we had roy keane ..Now that would even things out.Henry or anelka would never see the ball.
From pl.ruane on Wed Nov 18 01:45PM
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"Hugo Lloris, currently the best keeper in Europe"...???????????? What the F...
From cristian_reynders on Wed Nov 18 01:46PM
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I'm Irish and Jim's right, mostly. Ireland were in disarray after the disastrous Staunton era and Trap has come in and drilled them into a highly organised unit, which, despite their comparitive lack of technique and flair that the French always have, also has passion and pride. I think we'll lose tonight but people have also forgotten about the 2002 WC where a team, even more limited than the current one, went unbeaten against Germany and Cameroon, and played Spain off the park in the second round to lose on penalties. Just because you have players playing for Barcelona and Real doesn't mean you'll be a good national team.
From colemaneoghan on Wed Nov 18 01:52PM
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ireland just need to look at northern ireland for inspiration, you just need to believe in yourselves, the north has humbled england, spain, sweden just to name a few in the last few seasons and thats with david healy as our key goal scorer never mind the genius of robbie keane. there is no reason those south of the border cant do the same, you were unlucky against the italians who are the current world champions, and while the france team have amazing forwards and a strong midfield, they need those two defensive midfielders to protect a very weak back four. come on ireland. and last point how the hell is hugo lloris the best goalie in europe??? god knows i dont want to listen to annother of summer of nothing but the english getting there hopes up then realising they cant play as a team and fall apart.
From dalewallacewolf on Wed Nov 18 01:54PM
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my grandad, eat a lolly made in dublin once, does that make me irish??
From alanwilson407 on Wed Nov 18 01:54PM
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Ok firstly thank you for actually knowing that France will go through (unlike Parker and ED). Why would a nation turn on their team who are 45 minutes away from entering a world cup (despite the possibility of it going 0-0 at half time)? It just doesn't make sense, which is weird because that is the foundation of Ireland's hopes.
But you are dead wrong about Lloris being the best. Have you watched Buffon this season for club and country? I urge you to watch some highlights of him this season because you jaw would just drop in awe.
From juvenovic on Wed Nov 18 01:55PM
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"Stand a prayer"? Come on Jim, at least proof-read your article before you post it!
From st_jimmy_o on Wed Nov 18 01:57PM
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Is it too much to expect Trap to pick his best squad? - yes, yes it is. It will be his fault Ireland are not in South Africa.
From brebner-hughes on Wed Nov 18 01:59PM
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You are having a laughabout Lloris being better than Shay Given!!! Do you even watch football, I think not with that comment! The Irish team may not be as talented as england or france and never have been but take a look back through the history books and look at the results achieved with hard work and pride! Come on Ireland 2-0!!!
From wallconor on Wed Nov 18 02:01PM
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chelsea man nicholas anelka!
From marshcharlie on Wed Nov 18 02:02PM
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Lloris is far from the best goalkeeper in Europe. Just because he had a decent game against Ireland and in comparison, being honest, Given hadn't much really to do for all France's possession in the second half. Given, upon declaring for England, would be handed an open top bus through the streets of London as he is genuinely world-class and anyone in football would consider him the best in Europe at the moment along with Igor Akinfeev, Van Der Sar and Petr Cech... those three are the most complete keepers in Europe by a long way
From colemaneoghan on Wed Nov 18 02:04PM
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10 lol!
From bobo.spamble on Wed Nov 18 02:07PM
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Lloris better than Given?! Best in Europe?!
From flagomat on Wed Nov 18 02:18PM
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If France were one of the 'best sides' they'd be already thru'!! I for one will not miss Henry pouting because no-one has passed him the ball.
Come one Ireland!!
From chili_palmer1 on Wed Nov 18 02:18PM
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I bet you thought the French were too good for Scotland a few months back as well. Football has a way of making the so called impossible happen. It's 11 vs 11 on french soil but I can guarantee it will be the Irish fans we will be hearing on TV. Ireland will go into this game thinking it is the World Cup Final and I wouldn't put it past them to knock the arrogant French out.
COME ON IRELAND!!
From martinmcneill87 on Wed Nov 18 02:19PM
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Ridiculous article. France are by far and away favourites for tonight so it's unlikely you'll be proved wrong but you are very wrong. I wouldnt swop Keane or Duff for any of the french players in a 90 minute make or break match. Ireland will surprise a few people tonight. Ireland score first and you will see a very very rattled bunch of arrogant french players.
From petergraham123 on Wed Nov 18 02:25PM
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you will all be surprised with what ireland will do tonight, i am proud of them, they might not be bunch of stars but they play with determination. ride on boys in green
From orefam2001 on Wed Nov 18 02:25PM
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