World champions in 2018, then finalists in 2022. And also semifinalists at the European Championship. It would seem that everything is going well for the French national team. But when you have such stars, fans find it hard to settle for anything less than titles. And now, since they haven’t won one in “already” four years, and France suffered a heavy defeat to Italy (1:3), the public is quite concerned. And when it’s like that, people start looking for answers. To questions that stand out immediately. First, is Kylian Mbappe a central forward? Or is he more suited to being a left-winger, the position where he made a name for himself? And second, has coach Didier Deschamps lost Antoine Griezmann because he kept changing his positions too often, trusting his football intelligence?You don’t want to mess with Mike! Maignan’s post-match rant after the defeat to ItalyFor the first question, Deschamps claims he has an answer, although it’s uncertain how much the fans will like it.“Mbappe is a forward who plays in a central position that suits him because it gives him a lot of freedom. But if you think he’s a classic ‘target man,’ he’s not. But as a central forward, he plays for the national team, and he also plays that role at the club level. Freedom is what he needs. He’s not a forward who stays in the penalty area, nor is he a target man. But he will organize everything around him and make sure we complement each other” Deschamps tried to explain, confident that France compensates for playing without a classic number nine with Mbappe in other ways.Italy stun France in Paris!As for Griezmann, he spoke for himself. Aware that since the European Championship, he hasn’t been playing the way the fans are used to. He believes it’s because of the positional changes, which have also cost him his starting spot at the age of 33.“My best position? It has always been in the center because that’s where I feel free. I need to feel good because my game depends on my mindset. If I’m happy, everything is fine. If I doubt myself or second-guess things, you can see it right away. And that’s what happened at the European Championship… It had a lot to do with positions and tactics… These are all tactical decisions you have to respect, even when you’re angry, because the team is above all. But that wasn’t my best tournament,” Griezmann told Telefoot. Of course, there will always be those who dislike true stars and will claim that it’s Mbappe’s prominence that has ruined the team chemistry. Which probably isn’t true, as the two worked perfectly when France conquered the world in 2018. But Deschamps better find that chemistry again, since his team is facing Belgium on Monday in the UEFA Nations League.##NAJAVA_MECA_8318793##
