French coach wary of attacking threat posed by Australia for opening World Cup encounter

FRENCH boss Didier Deschamps believes Australia has chosen a more pragmatic path based around defence but added the Socceroos were not to be underestimated in attack.

France's forward Antoine Griezmann (L) and head coach Didier Deschamps attend a training session at the Glebovets stadium in Istra, some 70km west of Moscow on June 11, 2018, ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament. / AFP PHOTO / Franck FIFE

FRENCH boss Didier Deschamps believes Australia has adopted a more pragmatic approach for this World Cup after being too attacking under previous coach Ange Postecoglou.

Deschamps has some of the world’s best forward talent at his disposal but said Australia, with its much more limited resources had done the sensible thing under new mentor Bert van Marwijk and concentrated on being more solid at the back.

“The new coach insisted on defence because before they used to be too offensive maybe,’’

Deschamps said at the team’s base Istra, about 60km from Moscow.

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“They used to play with three in defence and now it is four.

“The defensive side is very important for them.’’

Not that Deschamps was discounting the Socceroos goal threat. Namechecking Tom Rogic and Andrew Nabbout, Deschamps said Australia also carried an attacking threat that France would need to be careful to contain.

Andrew Nabbout has been identified as an attacking threat by the French boss Didier Deschamps. Picture: Toby Zerna

“They are well organised. They are not only defending,’’ he said.

“The last two games it was the same 11 players who started. It’s an aggressive team with a good potential in attack.’’

Hinting at his own approach to the game, Deschamps said he would be cut back his team’s training load this week to ensure it was fresh for Saturday.

Tom Rogic has also been named as one the French need to watch. Picture: Toby Zerna

“I will lighten all the training sessions and work on explosiveness and speed before the first game,’’ he said.

Deschamps said his preference was for his team to attack swiftly.

“We are better when we possess the ball. We are better at attacking rapidly than taking our time. ‘’

France head coach Didier Deschamp speaking to the media in Russia.

It was a sometimes testy encounter between Deschamps and the travelling French press corps. His inquisitors were unimpressed with France’s last game, a 1-1 draw with the United States, a team who failed to qualify for the World Cup.

He was questioned on whether, after six years in charge of the national side, he had a vision for his team, why his team played so poorly against the US, what his game style was, whether he was happy being stuck with the French media for at least 15 days.

One journalist even asked if he could confirm France’s “first opponents are mosquitoes’’.

This was not taken as a slight against Australia, but rather an inquiry about Russian insects that seemed to have upset at least one journalist.

France's forward Antoine Griezmann (L) with head coach Didier Deschamps attend a training session at the Glebovets stadium in Istra, some 70km west of Moscow. AFP PHOTO / Franck FIFE

Happily, Deschamps confirmed his team had not suffered from the biting pests.

Deschamps also confirmed he knew what his eleven would be to face Australia but he would not be sharing the information.

“I know but I will not tell you.”

Deschamps spent part of his first day in Russia defending Olivier Giroud as the Chelsea forward battles to stave off stiff competition for places the World Cup opener

Giroud recently scored his 31st international goal, equalling the tally in a France shirt of Zinedine Zidane, but Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele has also staked his claim for a starting berth in attack with his form in the pre-tournament friendly matches.

“Don’t take any of Olivier’s quality away from him. He scores a lot of goals, and regardless of whether they are beautiful or not, they are still goals. He is a finisher, a goal-scorer with a different profile,” insisted Deschamps.

Giroud should be fine for France’s opening Group C clash with Australia in Kazan on Saturday afternoon despite needing stitches in a head wound suffered in the 1-1 friendly draw with the United States in Lyon at the weekend.

France's forward Olivier Giroud (L) vies with France's forward Nabil Fekir (C) during a training session at the Glebovets Stadium in Istra.

“His head is fine. He has had six stitches so obviously as a precaution we need to make sure he doesn’t touch the ball with his head for at least the next 48 hours,” said Deschamps.

Rain greeted the French team as they trained for the first time in Russia on a pitch deep in the forest west of the capital, where Deschamps is fine-tuning his players ahead of their World Cup campaign.

He already admitted to French television on Sunday that Paul Pogba is almost certain to start against Australia despite criticism of his performances this season.

N’Golo Kante will also play in the French midfield, but the other spot is up for grabs between Blaise Matuidi of Juventus and Bayern Munich’s Corentin Tolisso.