Is Laurent Blanc The Right Man For France?
May 4th 2010 01:57
News has seeped in that the France Football Federation has put an offer on the table for Laurent Blanc to succeed Robert Domenach as coach of the French national team after the World Cup. The latter will be stepping down at the end of the South Africa tournament after a period in charge which has been dominated by poor results and shocking scandals.
The French daily L'Equipe quoted FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes as saying that Blanc will decide after Bordeaux's season ends. While the young coach is a popular choice with French football fans and obviously with the authorities, they should take some time to examine if he could still be the right choice for the long term.
Blanc first came to the fore after impressing during his reign at Bordeaux. The former France international defender and captain took the club back into the national spotlight by leading them to the Ligue One title last season. The title also ended Lyon's domestic dominance after seven successive titles.
The achievement gripped the public's imagination and all the more surprising was that Blanc had relatively little managerial experience compared to many of his peers. But his players obviously respected his playing career and the coach himself was a disciplinarian who demanded the best from his team - much like Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson under whom Blanc played for during his time at the Premier League club.
But this season has been a different story altogether. It certainly did not appear that way for much of the season with Bordeaux seemingly headed for a historic treble at home with the Ligue One title and two Cup trophies headed for the trophy cabinet, while Champions League success appeared to beckon as the club made the quarterfinals.
But a terrible collapse in the last couple of months has completely wiped out all hopes of silverware this season and Bordeaux might not even make it back to Europe next season.
It could be due to a loss of form or injuries in the team. It could be down to fatigue as a result of playing too many games that is common for successful teams. But it could also be attributed to Blanc making his announcement to leave the club -at the start of the season-. Not a good move and generally been shown throughout football history that it leads to unrest and uncertainty that results in poor results.
Yes, Blanc could still turn out to be the best France national coach, but there is a lot more for the relatively young manager to learn in his trade. Only time will prove if the talented man can learn from it.
The French daily L'Equipe quoted FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes as saying that Blanc will decide after Bordeaux's season ends. While the young coach is a popular choice with French football fans and obviously with the authorities, they should take some time to examine if he could still be the right choice for the long term.
Blanc first came to the fore after impressing during his reign at Bordeaux. The former France international defender and captain took the club back into the national spotlight by leading them to the Ligue One title last season. The title also ended Lyon's domestic dominance after seven successive titles.
The achievement gripped the public's imagination and all the more surprising was that Blanc had relatively little managerial experience compared to many of his peers. But his players obviously respected his playing career and the coach himself was a disciplinarian who demanded the best from his team - much like Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson under whom Blanc played for during his time at the Premier League club.
But this season has been a different story altogether. It certainly did not appear that way for much of the season with Bordeaux seemingly headed for a historic treble at home with the Ligue One title and two Cup trophies headed for the trophy cabinet, while Champions League success appeared to beckon as the club made the quarterfinals.
But a terrible collapse in the last couple of months has completely wiped out all hopes of silverware this season and Bordeaux might not even make it back to Europe next season.
It could be due to a loss of form or injuries in the team. It could be down to fatigue as a result of playing too many games that is common for successful teams. But it could also be attributed to Blanc making his announcement to leave the club -at the start of the season-. Not a good move and generally been shown throughout football history that it leads to unrest and uncertainty that results in poor results.
Yes, Blanc could still turn out to be the best France national coach, but there is a lot more for the relatively young manager to learn in his trade. Only time will prove if the talented man can learn from it.
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