France have the best squad in international football, but managing such elite talent is no easy task. Didier Deschamps has proved that since taking the job in 2012, continually reinventing his sides and earning a reputation for mid-tournament tweaks that bring World Cup glory or near-misses. This pattern is emerging again in Qatar.
Deschamps has prioritised maximising Kylian Mbappe, now 27, who prefers to be involved rather than just a last-line runner. Fitting him as a number nine while making the rest of the team tick is Deschamps' big challenge.
“Deschamps' tactical tweaks and handling of Mbappe are driving France's World Cup bid.”
In qualifying, Deschamps built a lopsided 4-2-4 or 4-2-3-1 with Mbappe dropping deep, Hugo Ekitike on the left, Ousmane Dembele as a roaming false nine, and Michael Olise on the right. For the opening game against Senegal, Desire Doue replaced the injured Ekitike. The system mirrored each player's club role: Mbappe as a roaming striker for Real Madrid, Olise hugging the right touchline for Bayern Munich, Dembele dropping deep for Paris St-Germain.
But as the Senegal game progressed, friction emerged. Off the ball, France defended in a 4-4-2 with Mbappe and Dembele up front, Olise on the right of midfield. They pressed high under instruction, yet the distances between the attackers and midfield duo Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni were too great. Deschamps, as ever, will be looking to fix things fast.