Tough task: Laurent Blanc inherits a squad scarred
by a disastrous World Cup campaign
The France squad is in such disarray following World Cup
humiliation that new boss Laurent Blanc has claimed he feels he is
'heading towards suicide or the guillotine'.
The former Manchester United player and Bordeaux chief was
unveiled as the national manager after Les Bleus' catastrophic
campaign in South Africa under controversial Raymond Domenech.
Domenech's six-year reign ended with a player strike, the
expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka and a group stage exit without
a win in this year's World Cup campaign. And Blanc, who feels he
has inherited a team at their most spineless, immediately warned
that no player is safe from reprisals.
'What bothers me is that, after the World Cup, a new coach
should be able to lean on a hard core of players. This hard core is
not even a melon's pip. My task is to find a hard core within this
team,' he said.
'Everyone wishes me luck. I get the impression I'm heading
toward suicide, or the guillotine.'
The 44-year-old, who has been touted as a possible successor to
Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford should he turn around the France
team's fortunes, plans to meet players in an effort to stamp out
misconduct and determine who he can trust in the future.
'I can't act like nothing happened in South Africa, it wouldn't
go down well. I followed the events, as you all did, with a lot of
sadness,' he said. 'I was outraged by certain behaviour. It's a
delicate situation - there are meetings to be had.'
Les Miserables: France lost two of their three
games in South Africa
Blanc intends to speak to Patrice Evra, Franck Ribery, Thierry
Henry, William Gallas and Eric Abidal - reportedly the five main
rebels at the World Cup - before deciding whether to pick them
again. The new boss insists he will select only those 'with the
right mentality and team spirit'.
'There are very few people who can tell you what really
happened. I think I know a few of them,' added Blanc.
'We will speak about the future, and about what happened in
South Africa. I will make my choices, and perhaps among my choices
there will be a sporting punishment that means certain players who
were present in South Africa are not among my choices.'
On strike: Domenech (left) was powerless to stop
the squad refusing to train
Problems in the France camp during the World Cup were revealed
by French sports newspaper L'Equipe, which published details of an
incident in which Anelka swore at Domenech the day after France
lost 2-0 to Mexico in their second group match.
Anelka was sent home, and the next day the entire squad sat on
the team bus, refusing to train in protest over Anelka's
punishment.
'What shocked me the most, what disappointed me the most, was
the behaviour of the squad during the public training session, 48
hours before a match,' Blanc said. 'The decision (to strike) was
badly thought through.'
France's subsequent 2-1 defeat by South Africa meant they went
out for the second consecutive tournament without winning a game,
to follow on from a humiliating first-round Euro 2008 exit.
Blanc said his side must now show some humility. 'At a certain
point in time our national team could have said "We're going to the
European Championship to win it" but I don't think we'll even be in
the top 10 FIFA rankings now,' he said.
'We will need to be a bit humble, given that we're in a total
rebuilding phase.'