IF Australia needed a gentle reminder of the enormity of the task they face at this year’s World Cup, it landed in their inboxes on Friday morning.
France coach Didier Deschamps sent out his star-studded 23-man squad for the tournament and it’s filled to the brim with world class talent: Paul Pogba. Antoine Griezmann. Kylian Mbappe. N’Golo Kante.
It’s enough to make Bert van Marwijk weep.
But as confronting as the names of the elite football talent who made the cut are, it’s those who missed out that really rams home the sort of superpower Australia is about to confront.
It got us thinking — you could make a second XI from the French leftovers and they’d probably start second favourites to escape Group B.
So that’s what we’ve done. Here are the scraps of a footballing giant. And it’s a scary proposition.
This a group of stars who have won titles across Europe, boss midfields and bang in goals for fun.
For the purposes of this exercise we’ve included the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Dimitri Payet, who missed out on France’s squad due to untimely injuries.
HAVE A READ AND VOTE – COULD THIS TEAM BEAT AUSTRALIA?
GOALKEEPER: Benoit Costil
The Bordeaux shotstopper, and long-time Rennes star, earned one cap for France in 2016 and is an experienced head in Ligue 1
He wouldn’t look out of place in the World Cup, even if he struggles to crack the Hugo Lloris-Steve Mandanda stranglehold for the goalkeeping duties.
But he’s an experienced head in Ligue 1.
DEFENCE: Lucas Digne, Laurent Koscielny, Mamadou Sakho, Aymeric Laporte
Lucas Digne is an absolute luxury in a back-up squad, and the 24-year-old has 21 national caps to his name but the left backhas slipped back in the pecking order in part due to a lack of playing time at La Liga giants Barcelona — where he’s stuck behind Jordi Alba.
Laurent Koscielny would’ve been a certain figure in Deschamps squad had it not been for his late-season Achilles injury.
The Arsenal veteran is a strong presence in the middle, and would have a formidable partnership with Premier League rival Mamadou Sakho — who is coming off a strong season with Crystal Palace and is known to chip in with goals at key times.
Throw in Manchester City’s $ 106 million man Aymeric Laporte, who can comfortably fill in at right back as he did for the Citizens at times this year, and you’ve got a back four that almost any World Cup nation would be proud of.
MIDFIELD: Moussa Sissoko, Adrien Rabiot, Kingsley Coman, Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet suffered the cruellest blow of all when he suffered a hamstring injury in Marseille’s Europa League final defeat to Atletico Madrid. Payet is a key loss to France, both for his mesmeric playmaking and his superb free kicks. In 2018 he has eight goals and 18 assists for Marseille.
Payet would be the general of this midfield — unlocking the pace of Kinsgley Coman and skills of Adrien Rabiot.
Maligned Tottenham star Moussa Sissoko isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s quickly forgotten that he was arguably France’s best-performed star during the Euros two years ago when he took command in central midfield. That’s where we’re picking him, giving him an enforcer role — rather than pushing him to the wings where he can look lost and clumsy.
We’ll leave those areas for lively duo Coman and Rabiot.
Rabiot featured in 32 games for PSG as the powerhouse romped to another title in Ligue 1, bringing a creative presence while contributing nine assists. Coman enjoyed something of a breakout at the 2016 Euros but a three-month stint on the sidelines with an ankle injury this year hurt his chances — even if his pace, and ability in front of goal, would be a vital asset.
FORWARDS: Anthony Martial, Alexandre Lacazette
On the surface, it seems remarkable that any team could leave out a duo as deadly as Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette — that is, of course, until you cast your eye over the sizzling attack France has assembled.
Martial is desperately unlucky, and would not have looked out of place as the starting option on the left — which will now likely go to Thomas Lemar. But ultimately he has Jose Mourinho to curse, as Martial’s playing time — down on his 2015-16 and 16-17 output — diminished for the Red Devils late in the year and made him a target for the axe.
Further south, a case could be made to suggest Lacazette’s $ 84 million move from Lyon was the beginning of the end for his World Cup hopes.
In France he was one of the world’s most in-demand strikers, and he’d racked up 100 Ligue 1 goals — finding the back of the net nearly once every two games.
Despite scoring 14 times following his move to the Premier League, the 26-year-old couldn’t find a way in and instead lost his spot to the man he replaced at Arsenal: Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud.
BENCH: Eliaquim Mangala, Kurt Zouma, Mathieu Debuchy, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Gameiro, Karim Benzema
And if that doesn’t do it for you, here’s a bench sprinkled with talent — all of whom would be welcomed by teams across the World Cup. It’s a little unbalanced, without a goalkeeper, but we think they’d get the job done.
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FRANCE’S MENACING LEFT-OUT XI
Goalkeeper: Benoit Costil
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Laurent Koscielny, Mamadou Sakho, Aymeric Laporte
Midfielders: Moussa Sissoko, Adrien Rabiot, Kingsley Coman, Dimitri Payet.
Forwards: Anthony Martial, Alexandre Lacazette.
Bench: Eliaquim Mangala, Kurt Zouma, Mathieu Debuchy, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Gameiro, Karim Benzema
