France vs. Australia: Les Blues Show Off Their Depth Against the Socceroos
French football has had a tumultuous journey over the last decade, with France’s success under Frank Rijkaard in the 2000s and his eventual retirement in 2014 sparking a shift in thinking in the country. The French public has been demanding a new breed of coach, new ideas and fresh personalities since the end of the 2000s, and the arrival of Julien Blanc in 2014 marked a new era in the country’s footballing life.
But while Blanc was not the first French coach to challenge the status quo, his arrival served to reignite the discussion of what the country’s football really needed. He brought with him a new style of play that he’d been experimenting with in his time as a player and coach, in which a deeper more attacking approach underpinned by great tactical organisation was the foundation, before he turned towards a more attacking style of play to suit his squad.
It’s this style of play that ultimately helped France reach the World Cup Final in 2018 though, and so Julien Blanc has taken the nation by storm. He has overseen France’s World Cup qualification successes in the past few years, culminating with a run to the 2018 finals in Russia. It’s also this style of play that has been so influential in helping France reach the final again in Russia this summer, where they will take on the host nation.
The final is the latest in what must be a defining decade for France, with it’s a new era in which we’ve seen a greater focus on the development of young players and coaches coming through, with Blanc being the latest, and an experienced and well respected coach. France’s approach to the final is certainly looking to be in that same mould.
It was the French approach in their victory in the final that really caught my eye, which of course, led me to find out a bit about their team. So without further ado, here’s how Les Blues have performed in their last two games, starting with their most recent clash against Brazil.
Australia
Australia, as you’d expect, are a very attacking team. The team that beat France in the semi-finals of last summer’s Confederations Cup in Brazil were perhaps the best attacking side on the planet over that tournament. Their attacking style, the
