Hapless Raymond Domenech could give Ireland an edge

Tony Cascarino

Raymond Domenech was jeered by some of the crowd when he went to the Paris Masters tennis tournament on Monday with a few of the France squad. “The whole place just booed him and his own players laughed at him,” Richard Dunne, the Ireland defender, said. Dunne even called Domenech “a man who seems intent on messing up” world-class players.

That wasn’t simply trash-talking from an opponent - most of the French public would agree. I can’t understand why Domenech is still the France manager. Since France reached the World Cup final under him in 2006, results have been patchy to say the least.

Euro 2008 was a disaster – beaten by Italy, thrashed 4-1 by Holland, and a goalless draw with Romania to round off their interest in the tournament. Yet he was not sacked. He must be the luckiest manager in Europe. Any other big nation would have given him the boot long ago.

It’s not just results: losing home and away to Scotland then failing miserably at Euro 2008, finishing runners-up to Serbia in their World Cup qualifying group, which they really should have won. It’s the eccentricity of the man. The stories that his love of astrology influences team selection, his bizarre media persona, his inconsistent team selection and tactics. If he’d been England manager, he’d have been hounded out long ago as a national laughing-stock. Domenech makes Eric Cantona seem normal. He’s serious-looking yet comes across more like a clown, a joke figure lacking authority.

He can’t handle the big egos and he’s not the right man to guide youngsters such as Karim Benzema, who’s had a bitty start to his Real Madrid career. Senior players don’t seem to have much love for him, and the fans certainly don’t, so it’s a mystery why the French FA has stuck with him. Maybe their tarot cards told them to keep him.

It’s all good news for Ireland ahead of the first leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off on Saturday. Giovanni Trapattoni, the Ireland manager, is like the anti-Domenech: experienced, shrewd, sensible, putting his faith in tried-and-trusted players and tactics and prioritising organisation, discipline and workrate.
Ireland are the underdogs and that’s right since France have a lot more pace and technique and are individually far superior. But I think we can win 1-0 at Croke Park, perhaps via a set-piece, then score in Paris next Wednesday, doing just enough to make it through.

With Thierry Henry, Benzema and Nicolas Anelka in the squad, France should get goals. But they’re a side on a knife-edge. The French public don’t trust them and I don’t think the players fully trust themselves, either. Morale is questionable. There’s a sense that they won’t win the World Cup even if they qualify, and that pessimism has infected their qualifying campaign.

If Ireland go to Paris with a first-leg lead and start well, the home crowd will quickly become anxious and perhaps hostile, and then the pressure on Domenech will be so intense that he could well make an off-the-wall decision. Something really rash that will become the French equivalent of Graham Taylor substituting Gary Lineker when England were trailing to Sweden. Maybe he’ll crack and take off Thierry Henry.

The point is that anything is possible, but given France’s size, pedigree and available talent, the only outcome from the moment the World Cup qualifying draw was made should have been France making their way to South Africa with ease. You could blame the players for the team’s struggles, but the buck has to stop with the manager.

Comments

[Ronan]

I wish I could have the same confidence as you about this draw Tony, but I really can't see us beating France with Andrews and Whelan in the middle. Plus Henry came back from injury last week and scored his first goal of the season so he'll have that extra bit of confidence. It's a hard one to read but if we stick to our guns we'll certainly have a shot. Allez les GREEN!

[DanielOkwudili]

Matches are not won on blog pages.France are far superior to Ireland and should prevail emphatically over the Irish. France will score in Dublin or wherever in Ireland the First leg will be played.They will at the minimum secure a score draw in Ireland. In Paris for the second leg, France will win by a minimum of two goals and the Irish will not score.Lets be real, the world of Football will prefer to see France rather than Ireland in South Africa.And France have the players to deliver and meet our expectations.

[Nicholas Hasselgreen]

The fact that some of the crowd at the Paris Masters are so insecure that they feel the need to laugh at another human being isn't really relevant, but I think Ireland have a real chance in this match. Come on, Ireland!!!

[Eamonn Rooney]

lets be honest - the whole world except the french would hate to see the french get there.

we aint got a great side, but there is confidence to be had from looking at the poor shows from italy and france over the past 24 months, recent world cup winners in name but with a totally different set of players...........these teams are over hyped and over paid.........come on ireland

[Mark Pocock]

We all want to see the good teams such as France at the World Cup finals. However cracking opportunity for Ireland to get stuck into them.

[Vladimir]

I wish Ireland make it through.

France have really disappointed me this season. They don't deserve to be there.

[Frenchy]

I cant see Ireland going through...
Our manager is probably the worst manager we ever had. He never won anything as a manager or as a player. As a manager he keeps changing tactics match after match and keeps away key international players for unknown reasons... plus he has this weird personality..

But we can count on strong experienced players playing for the best teams in Europe and their pride. Either Henry or Benzema will score tomorrow..

Sorry for you guys but France will qualify!

[YOM]

@ Eamonn Rooney :
Not sure the whole world would like to see Ireland at the the world cup though...

[Jack]

The Scotland team that did the double over France two years ago were much weaker on paper than this Ireland team. And in terms of how much people would want to watch them at the World Cup, Ireland might do much better at the tournament than a lot of people would predict, especially with a favourable draw for the group stage. To be honest, the main entertainment provided by this France team would involve watching them embarrass themselves.

[HuckleberryHound]

This article is far too gloomy...the good news is that either France or Ireland will dip out of the world cup. Hurrah!

[Eugene Knowd]

Lets hope that old saying "form is temporary, class is permanent" doesn't come back to haunt Ireland. France have been very average in the qualifying stages and now that their necks are on the line will they produce a big big performance when it matters most.

Man for man (except Goalkeeper) France are far superior to the Irish but as we know, football is a team game, Andrews, Whelan and Kilbane are very average players but Ireland as a team are far greater than the sum of their parts.

It is a fascinating match and I think if the French are anything below par Ireland can do enough to get through.. Expect it to be ugly though!

On a related note: The French press are also describing Ireland as a long ball team and suggesting that they will pound the French box will high balls.. They haven't played like that since Jack Charlton was the manager. Lets hope the ignorance of the French press extends to Domenech.

[blanch]

I think we are totally underestimating this french team (sounds strange to say but true), we all seem to be pinning our hopes that Domenech is some how going to screw up and the french lack 'spirt'. Last game against Serbia, France were 1-0 down and had goalkeeper sent off after 13 minutes. Totally dominated the game (71% possession ) and were unluckly to only draw 1-1. If the french come to play in Dublin I'm really fearful

[Eden Muller]

Ireland deserve to go through, if only for the ludicrous seeding playoff arrangements that refelect Fifa's desire to try and pave a way for France to go through. Sure, France are a better team on paper but a team is the sum of its parts and the chances of them impolding are high. Years ago there seemed to be a reluctance to accept that Nottingham Forest could be relegated from the Premier League but look where they are now. France are on the point of becoming one of the ultimate has-been teams, so good luck to the boys in green!

[Frenchy Franky]

Yes Domenech is not an asset for the French team.
Nobody likes him here (even himself!).

Ireland will be tough to beat for sure.

Now, asserting that beside the French, nobody wants them in the World Cup is a bit far fetched and quite insulting.

As if, the whole world would die to watch Ireland and its magic sophisticated football :)

[Seb]

You're a bunch of muppets. Keep focusing on useless Henry or Domenech, GIGNAC will teach you a lesson. Remember his name.

[London Gunner]

Last time I checked, many of the French players were either born in or raised within France. Compare that to the Ireland players, many of whom rely on "Irish grandparents" in order to play international football. Suddenly, Domenech's description of Ireland as a an "England B team" isn't as far fetched as its made out to be.

I have absolutely nothing against the Irish, who are a well mannered and lovely people, but the type of football that is played by Ireland guarantees that most people will be rooting for the French to win, myself included.

[Eugene Knowd]

@London Gunner

You should really be careful when spouting total nonsense about Ireland being "England's B-Team". Of the starting 11 players tomorrow possibly 2 or at most 3 are born outside Ireland. Ireland has been a country of exceptional emigration so its perfectly acceptable that they have players born outside the state that end up playing for what they consider their home country.

On the other hand, let me just give you a quote from Gilles Grimandi, Ex French international and currently Arsenal's French scout. He is explaining the success of French football:

"We had an exceptional period and we capitalised a lot on the fact we could put our resources into a lot of African and Arabic boys, which produced a lot of very, very good players".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/nov/13/france-ireland-thierry-henry-franck-ribery

So don't start giving us crap that the French players are French and the Irish players are English..

[bob]

listen france will beat ireland. france have too much quality

[Lilian]

Eugene Knowd: what's your point?

French people of Arabic or African descent are just as French as the Jean-Pierre's and Jean-Michel's of this world.

Besides most of them got call ups from their parents' coutries but chose to play for France.

[Reshad]

To Eugene Knowd,

Regarding the "Arabic and African kids", they were born in France and are therefore French.

[JohnS]

Personally, France should get rid of Domenech, he's useless and incapable of holding a team of world class players together. Their matches in the qualifiers were awfull,losing or drawing most of the time.
Have they been qualified or not?