What might have been a nervous evening for France proved to be serene. World Cup qualification was secured and there was barely a serious twitch of concern throughout.
There was no smile on the face of head coach Didier Deschamps come full-time, though - he knew too well that he was in for a media grilling after another nondescript performance. Les Bleus might be on their way to Russia, but confidence in the former Marseille boss is arguably at an all-time low.
His side were disjointed and uninspiring as they completed their job of beating Belarus 2-1 in Paris. Indeed, had it not been for Arjen Robben’s double for the Netherlands against closest challengers Sweden in Amsterdam, it could have been another nail-biting night hot on the heels of such an occasion against Bulgaria three days ago.
France’s victory, meanwhile, offered an aggregate report as to the team’s state of health after their 10 qualifying matches. They showed glimpses of world-class skill, significant periods of stagnation and frequent bouts of poor concentration, although ultimately they reached their goal.
Olivier Giroud’s strike, which proved the winner, summed up their evening in a tidy manner. A slack pass from a Belarusian presented possession to Antoine Griezmann, and though the scorer of France’s opener picked out the Arsenal striker, his touch was heavy enough to allow a defender to steal in. The attempted clearance, however, rattled off Giroud’s shin and into the corner of the net.
At that point, it seemed that France were ready to showcase their attacking strength and win by a blowout margin, but instead they switched off and allowed their opponents a sniff that until then had looked unlikely.
The second half was thoroughly uninspiring from the hosts’ perspective. Indeed, had Anton Saroka, who had brought his side back into contention just before the break, scored with literally the game’s last touch, it would not have been an undeserved draw.
If France are to make an impression in Russia next summer, there is a great deal Didier Deschamps’ will have to improve on.
Despite the wealth of resources that the coach has at his disposal, including three of the four most expensive players in the world ever, they toiled over the line, looking a disjointed, clumsy outfit.
That Paul Pogba and Ousmane Dembele were unavailable for this encounter should not be considered an excuse for a qualifying campaign that was frequently unconvincing and grew more so as the climax was reached.
The coach has varied his system on a regular basis for well over a year now but has yet to stumble across a formula to get the best out of a group of players that is arguably the best in the international game.
Motivation, it seems, has been an issue at times. It was telling that after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Bulgaria, PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot came off the field and admitted:
“I was scared I might injure myself.”
France have proven masters of self-destruction in the past. From the late goal given away against Bulgaria to cost them qualification for the 1994 World Cup, through to Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt and the players going on strike on the team coach, the hardest job for the coach has often been to get all of his stars pulling in the same direction.
Individualism and egotism have too often dominated, and while there is no suggestion of unhealthy divides in the dressing room, there is not the unity that champion teams require.
Indeed, it has been telling that in this team of superstars, often it has been Giroud who has proven to be a priceless figure. Perhaps he is not the most aesthetically pleasing player at times, but he embodies the spirit that France must cultivate if they are to reach their potential in Russia.
Throughout qualifying, Les Bleus have looked like a team filled with superstars as opposed to a superstar team. Even during Euro 2016, when they reached the final, they suffered from that malady but were powered through by the red-hot form of Griezmann.
Such talent, though, can only stretch so far. In eight months time, when the competition begins for real, Deschamps will have to make his mark.
