The French Issue - Anelka, Evra & Co.

[purpleronnie]

Nah, put all your dough on France.

[Koke]

The Frenchies seem to have a problem with Yoann Gorucuff

The problems and friction in the French team are down to a split over one man: Yoann Gourcuff.

Gourcuff comes from a privileged family. He is smart and he is respectful - but he is also still a shy little boy. In his spare time he listens to music, watches films and plays his video game systems. He is, in his own words, a little nerdy.

In a French squad that places more value on how much money you have in your bank account, and what girl is on your arm, Gourcuff doesn't fit.

One incident occurred shortly before the World Cup. Franck Ribery and Sidney Govou had organised a night out at well known gentleman's club in Paris. Several players, including Gourcuff decided to stay home. When Ribery heard about this he immediately confronted Gourcuff and asked 'does your mother not allow you to go, you homosexual slur'

This is one of many incidents.

Ribery is the main instigator in the bullying, however he is far from alone. On the pitch, Gourcuff plays within himself. Scared because he fears the verbal retribution he will receive after the match from his tormentors.

In the squad, Gourcuff can count on only 4 real allies. His best friend Hugo Lloris, his teammate Jeremy Toulalan, elder statesmen Thierry Henry and captain and the glue that holds the team very loosely together, Patrice Evra.

When Raymond Domonech bowed to player pressure and dropped Gourcuff for France's second group match, that was the catalyst for the situation in which we now find ourselves.

Reports of groups hardly talking to each other soon surfaced, however, most notable were the French media suggestions that playmaker Yoann Gourcuff was isolated and suffering extreme verbal and even physical bullying at the hands of Franck Ribery.

"We're not all the best of friends, that's normal, but hopefully that does not translate on to the pitch," midfielder Jeremy Toulalan, a close friend of Gourcuff, said when asked about those reports.

"For instance, when I'm playing with Yoann, I'm not going to pass him the ball more just because we get on well,"

Just Fontaine, who scored a record 13 goals for France at the 1958 World Cup, was damning in his verdict on Ribery.

"Ribery? One day the mistake was made to say he was the team's brains and since, he has believed it. He is an arrogant man. He has a mood and an anger within him that is extremely unpleasant and disruptive"

[Basingstoke Fox]

Apparently, Gourcuff is bullied by the rest of the team (instigator being Ribery). The play maker is a more of a quiet type of guy who prefers to be by himself, listen to music, watch films and opera and the others are mostly WAGS type of players who go clubbing and party, and Gourcuff never ever joins them and he is bullied on. The likes of Ribery never pass to him on the field and never let him take free kicks.

This is absolutely pathetic if true. How can something like this go on in a International team? To not pass to someone on the field because you don't get on with somebody when you're playing in a world cup is genuinely beyond belief!

[ScouseFox]

Fontaine's got it right.

Ribery seems to be cocky and arrogant, with a reputation for being one of the world's best, when he seems to under perform every time i've ever seen him play. And if he's bullying a teammate and not passing him the ball in the World Cup, just because he'd rather stay in and watch a film than go out on the lash with his teammates, then he's a right pric k.

[Unit]

Anybody else put a cheeky fiver on SA to beat france? I can see them doing that pathetic protest-style thing of sitting on the floor and letting them score.

It's a complete shambles and it really is pathetic that playing for your country you can still end up picking on some lad just because of whatever and letting it get to this stage.

[BoneDog]

If this is all true then Ribery needs a flying knee to the mouth or two.

Zidane should drop one on him.

[Fosse Fox]

Not so sure. South Africa will want to end their tournament on a high, France have spectacularly self-destructed and won't be up for it and a draw between Mexico and Uruguay will end any hope of a French presence in the last 16 anyway. They've one foot on Thursday's flight from Johannesburg International to Paris CDG.

Don't you think a little TOO spectacularly? Didn't the fitness coach's hissy fit with Evra and his spontaneous walk out (complete with manadatory chuck of FIFA accreditation to the four winds) look just a little contrived to you?

And then that team 'meeting' behind the team bus, the statement read out by Domenech that the players were boycotting training (doubly strange as they were defying him and the mere act of reading it put him on a collision course with the FFF who ostensibly are/were backing him against Anelka) and the public resignation of another high ranking jobsworth (a director of the FFF no less, but not because of his employer's idiotic acceptance of exaggerated press reports of Anelka's behaviour but because of the actions of the players - utterly nonsensical).

And all of it faithfully recorded for posterity in glorious 3D HD - oh how conveniently transparent. I'm racking my brains for anything comparable in the history of football scandals and nothing is coming through. What about you?

I'm beginning to get a whiff of Argentina V Peru '78 from this. Sincerely hope I'm wrong (and, fear not, I probably will be). All I'll say for now is that if 'The Rainbollocks Nation' just happen to beat France by a handy scoreline and Mexico mysteriously slip up against Uruguay...

Don't fcuking believe it, it's just propaganda for a shitty, corrupt regime...

[Bugg]

It's obvious that you are a WUM, now go away please.

[Finnegan]

Don't you think a little TOO spectacularly? Didn't the fitness coach's hissy fit with Evra and his spontaneous walk out (complete with manadatory chuck of FIFA accreditation to the four winds) look just a little contrived to you?

And then that team 'meeting' behind the team bus, the statement read out by Domenech that the players were boycotting training (doubly strange as they were defying him and the mere act of reading it put him on a collision course with the FFF who ostensibly are/were backing him against Anelka) and the public resignation of another high ranking jobsworth (a director of the FFF no less, but not because of his employer's idiotic acceptance of exaggerated press reports of Anelka's behaviour but because of the actions of the players - utterly nonsensical).

And all of it faithfully recorded for posterity in glorious 3D HD - oh how conveniently transparent. I'm racking my brains for anything comparable in the history of football scandals and nothing is coming through. What about you?

I'm beginning to get a whiff of Argentina V Peru '78 from this. Sincerely hope I'm wrong (and, fear not, I probably will be). All I'll say for now is that if 'The Rainbollocks Nation' just happen to beat France by a handy scoreline and Mexico mysteriously slip up against Uruguay...

Don't fcuking believe it, it's just propaganda for a shitty, corrupt regime...

lol

How've you been, Chandlervan?

[marbelladave]

Whilst every opportunity to laugh at the French should be fully embraced it would be absurd if we did not realise that such factionism in the dressing room is common place.

Stories are emerging about the divisions within the England camp that portray a group of players radically at odds with the manager and the general team ethic. The suggestions that a group of 'senior' English players are unhappy with the current situation is consistent with the view that they see playing for their country as nothing more than an opportunity to enhance their own image and financial worth.

These players have formed a clique at the center of the England setup and reject players who are not part of or want nothing to do with this kind of behaviour.

Senior players are supposed to welcome and help new players when they are brought into the squad but if, as is often the case, the new players do not meet the standards set by the clique they are ostracised both on and off the field of play.

This attitude has seen off young players such as Downing, (Ashley) Young and most recently Walcott, players that do not fit in with the 'splash the cash', 'shag the girls' mentality that is at the heart of the England team.

[leicesterfox86]

This team is juste a disgrace for French supporters: I don't see valid explanation for their complaints.

Gourcuff is shown as the poor little player of the team, but we don't really have proof that he is the perfect guy the media are showing us. Nevertheless, his place is not on the bench: even if his last season in Ligue 1 was not extraordinary, he could be a key player of this team.

Anyway, the French federation were just silly to state that L. Blanc will be the next France coach after the World Cup before the end of the tournament: How can players respect their coach if even the federation don't?!

Have you heard about the same kind of troubles in other World Cup sides? England does not seem safe from this kind of irresponsible behaviour...

[Mikey]

Whilst every opportunity to laugh at the French should be fully embraced it would be absurd if we did not realise that such factionism in the dressing room is common place.

Stories are emerging about the divisions within the England camp that portray a group of players radically at odds with the manager and the general team ethic. The suggestions that a group of 'senior' English players are unhappy with the current situation is consistent with the view that they see playing for their country as nothing more than an opportunity to enhance their own image and financial worth.

These players have formed a clique at the center of the England setup and reject players who are not part of or want nothing to do with this kind of behaviour.

Senior players are supposed to welcome and help new players when they are brought into the squad but if, as is often the case, the new players do not meet the standards set by the clique they are ostracised both on and off the field of play.

This attitude has seen off young players such as Downing, (Ashley) Young and most recently Walcott, players that do not fit in with the 'splash the cash', 'shag the girls' mentality that is at the heart of the England team.

Don't agree with that at all.

[dandannieldanok]

Don't agree with that at all.

Neither do I, quite a slanderous comment really, none of us actually know these guys personally so comments like that are out of order. People shouldn't believe everything they read in the papers.

[Fosse Fox]

Whilst every opportunity to laugh at the French should be fully embraced it would be absurd if we did not realise that such factionism in the dressing room is common place.

Stories are emerging about the divisions within the England camp that portray a group of players radically at odds with the manager and the general team ethic. The suggestions that a group of 'senior' English players are unhappy with the current situation is consistent with the view that they see playing for their country as nothing more than an opportunity to enhance their own image and financial worth.

These players have formed a clique at the center of the England setup and reject players who are not part of or want nothing to do with this kind of behaviour.

Senior players are supposed to welcome and help new players when they are brought into the squad but if, as is often the case, the new players do not meet the standards set by the clique they are ostracised both on and off the field of play.

This attitude has seen off young players such as Downing, (Ashley) Young and most recently Walcott, players that do not fit in with the 'splash the cash', 'shag the girls' mentality that is at the heart of the England team.

Looks like there are two cliques - a cockney clique (Terry, Lampard, J Cole) and a scouse clique (Gerrard, Rooney Carragher). The quid pro quo they seem to have sorted out here is tactics (Rooney the lone front man supported by Gerrard0 for personnel (J Cole starts in place of who? Barry?).

Although there are others on the periphery it's hard to ignore to ignore the fact that this group is just a tad Caucasian. No mention of Heskey, Defoe or A Cole having taken part in proceedings.

Great for the FA this - give the players enough rope to hang themselves...

[dandannieldanok]

How on earth can you talk about cliques, are you a fly-on-the-wall in the training camp? You, me, and every other member of the British public has no idea what goes on behind closed doors. All you've got to support your clique theme is geographical location. Unless something is leaked like from the French camp, with direct quotations from the protagonists, you discussing rumour and conjecture as fact.....as per usual.

[Fosse Fox]

How on earth can you talk about cliques, are you a fly-on-the-wall in the training camp? You, me, and every other member of the British public has no idea what goes on behind closed doors. All you've got to support your clique theme is geographical location. Unless something is leaked like from the French camp, with direct quotations from the protagonists, you discussing rumour and conjecture as fact.....as per usual.

I presume you're talking to me

You obviously didn't read the various (verbatim) write ups or see extended TV/radio reports of the Terry interview and last night's team meeting.

It's all out there in the public domain if you can be bothered to look for it.

[dandannieldanok]

I presume you're talking to me

You obviously didn't read the various (verbatim) write ups or see extended TV/radio reports of the Terry interview and last night's team meeting.

It's all out there in the public domain if you can be bothered to look for it.

To you, marbelladave, and anyone else who seems to be sure that the English camp is riddled with cliques.

Various write-ups? I guess you mean the tabloid tosh that will make anything up to sell their rags. Fair enough if you chose to believe all of that. I'm all for reading different people's opinions in the media outlets, I enjoy reading what different journalists are saying about the world cup, but not where they're expressing things as dead-cert facts when in reality they're not at all.

[marbelladave]

Don't agree with that at all.

Neither do I, quite a slanderous comment really, none of us actually know these guys personally so comments like that are out of order. People shouldn't believe everything they read in the papers.

I neither buy nor read the newspapers and anyone who reads my posts on City's performabces know that I form my own opinions on what I see even when they are at odds with the majority, as they often are.

As evidence of my points I offer the game England v Holland from 2009. Ashley Young made his first start for England in front of Ashley Cole. Despite taking up good positions time and time again the ball was hardly ever played to him, Cole, Lampard and Rooney played the ball among themselves and froze Young out. On the few occasions the ball was played to him it was delivered at pace, usually when he was well marked and in a tight position. Ashley Cole was particularly guilty in this respect, I thought it obvious at the time but did not understand the significance of what I was seeing.

Much more recently the friendlies against Mexico and Japan saw Walcott treated in similar fashion. Required by Capello's instruction to stay wide he was routinely ignored by some of his teammates and on the few occasions he got on the ball was berated, by Rooney in particular for not hitting the right pass at the right time. Left isolated and peripheral, it was no great surprise to see him left at home.

These are views that I have formed from watching the games, to me they are self evident as are the self-serving attitudes of several of our senior players.

[Mikey]

I neither buy nor read the newspapers and anyone who reads my posts on City's performabces know that I form my own opinions on what I see even when they are at odds with the majority, as they often are.

As evidence of my points I offer the game England v Holland from 2009. Ashley Young made his first start for England in front of Ashley Cole. Despite taking up good positions time and time again the ball was hardly ever played to him, Cole, Lampard and Rooney played the ball among themselves and froze Young out. On the few occasions the ball was played to him it was delivered at pace, usually when he was well marked and in a tight position. Ashley Cole was particularly guilty in this respect, I thought it obvious at the time but did not understand the significance of what I was seeing.

Much more recently the friendlies against Mexico and Japan saw Walcott treated in similar fashion. Required by Capello's instruction to stay wide he was routinely ignored by some of his teammates and on the few occasions he got on the ball was berated, by Rooney in particular for not hitting the right pass at the right time. Left isolated and peripheral, it was no great surprise to see him left at home.

These are views that I have formed from watching the games, to me they are self evident as are the self-serving attitudes of several of our senior players.

Think your reading way too much into these 'over-hit passes.'

And as for the Walcott point, Rooney berates anyone who doesn't match his expectations, including himself.

[marbelladave]

Think your reading way too much into these 'over-hit passes.'

And as for the Walcott point, Rooney berates anyone who doesn't match his expectations, including himself.

You may be right and I accept that.

However I am simply drawing conclusions from what I see, not what I read or am told by others an allegation that I refute entirely.

I have been troubled for some time, years in fact, that the England team is split into the 'untouchables' (for want of a better term) and the rest, peripheral players who just make up the numbers.

When England have performed badly, (under Ericsson, McClaran and Capello) it is the peripheral players who are dropped and sometimes scapegoated, yet it is the 'big' players, who have once again failed their country when they should be setting the standard, who always get picked for the next game.

The core of these players have been in place now for around 4 or 5 years and the only new outfield player to fully establish himself in the team has been Gareth Barry, easily our most accomplished midfielder in recent times, yet invariably the player who comes in for the most criticism when our midfield/attack fails to function.

[Fosse Fox]

To you, marbelladave, and anyone else who seems to be sure that the English camp is riddled with cliques.

Various write-ups? I guess you mean the tabloid tosh that will make anything up to sell their rags. Fair enough if you chose to believe all of that. I'm all for reading different people's opinions in the media outlets, I enjoy reading what different journalists are saying about the world cup, but not where they're expressing things as dead-cert facts when in reality they're not at all.

[/quote

A transcript of Terry's remarks appeared in The Daily Telegraph earlier today and that made interesting reading. But of course The House Journal is far too right wing for your elevated liberal tastes. And, in any case, even the qualities are tabloid these days!

But of course you don't have to read and therefore trust the integrity of some twisted hack - you can hear and see it all for yourself if you only believe in the ether. One proof of the existence of the cockney/scouse cliques and their jibber-jabber- joo will be in how Enlgand line up on Wednesday night won't it?

Now who else apart from 'Wazzer' & 'Stevie' will benefit from their rather (too) advanced partnership? And who else could have got 'Coley' into the starting XI other than his team mate and England's self anointed one, John Terry? Another proof of course is that somebody is going to have to make way to facilitate this transformation.

And no account that I have read or heard thus far places Emile Heskey at the heart of negotiations

[Wycombe Fox]

France coach Raymond Domenech has said some of his players may refuse to face South Africa because of Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad.

The Chelsea striker was sent home for verbally abusing Domenech during last week's 2-0 defeat by Mexico.

When asked whether some of his squad may not play against the hosts, the coach said: "It is a possibility".

Domenech also labelled the players' decision to boycott Sunday's training session as "an aberration".

They refused to take part in protest at Anelka's expulsion.

The forward was said to have abused Domenech at half-time during France's second group game.

Anelka later refused to apologise when asked to by French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes.

As a consequence, a statement was issued by the FFF stating that Anelka had been excluded from the squad.

Domenech supported the federation's actions.

"Nobody can behave in such a way in the dressing room or elsewhere and high-level sportsmen and women have to lead by example through football," he said.

The boycott of training led to FFF's managing director Jean-Louis Valentin quitting his post.

France captain Evra was also was involved in a heated argument with fitness coach Robert Duverne prior to the scheduled session, which required the intervention of Domenech.

Later on Sunday, the French coach read on a statement on behalf of the players, but was keen to add that he had not supported the boycott.

"We had to do something - the French people had a right to know," added Domenech.

"What I should have said at the end of the message was that I did not support this action.

"With the FFF president and staff members we tried to convince them it was stupid. I disagreed with the document. What they were doing was unthinkable.

"We've wasted a lot of energy. There are no words to explain what has happened. I'm hoping we will now have action on the pitch rather than off it."

France are on the verge of making an early World Cup exit, having picked up just one point from two games.

They need to beat South Africa on Tuesday by a large score and hope that Uruguay and Mexico do not draw their match.

Meanwhile, in France politicians and the national media have largely condemned the players' actions.

French sports paper L'Equipe wrote: "A rebellion? No, a caprice. A strike? No, cowardliness. Don't deceive yourself. The republican solidarity that our players showed the world yesterday is an illusion.

"Evra has once and for all shown that he has muddled up the role of captain with that of a gang leader.

"Domenech, by lending a hand to this masquerade and reading out himself the players' statement, has missed his final opportunity to show some style and courage."

Newspaper Le Figaro added: "It is collective suicide... the French team has heaped ridicule on itself in front of the whole world at Knysna.

"It was almost hallucinatory. This is a psychodrama that will go down in the history of the World Cup. The French team has been reduced to ashes."

[CosbehFox]

I presume you're talking to me

You obviously didn't read the various (verbatim) write ups or see extended TV/radio reports of the Terry interview and last night's team meeting.

It's all out there in the public domain if you can be bothered to look for it.

So really you'd doing the ol' 2 plus 2 equals 5 assumption.

I agree there's a split in the camp but you're detailed account of whose, whose, I doubt. If it's only 6 players who've been rumbling.....why not the other 18 stand up or I am forgetting the other theory that the FA need to field certain players for contractural reasons?

[Fosse Fox]

So really you'd doing the ol' 2 plus 2 equals 5 assumption.

I agree there's a split in the camp but you're detailed account of whose, whose, I doubt. If it's only 6 players who've been rumbling.....why not the other 18 stand up or I am forgetting the other theory that the FA need to field certain players for contractural reasons?

I am not aware that any players need to be selected for 'contractual reasons'. Beyond the usual nods and winks I am not sure such provisions exist at international level.

Also, I did not say that there had only been six players rumbling or that there was a split (re tactics & perosnnel) in the camp. However, that is not to say that there are not different cliques and that some are more vocal and carry more weight with the management than others and that these break down to a certain degree along cultural and ethnic lines (notice how much in the background all the black players seem to be and I am the last person anyone would consider to be PC!).

As one or two others have noted, the Gerard-Terry axis is about furthering the interests of their respective 'clans'. If Terry was honest he would be championing 'Coley' at the expense of his other (bigger) mate 'Lamps'. And if Gerrard was really being truthful he'd be demanding that Jermaine Defoe should be the out and out striker at the expense of 'Wazzer'.

But cliques and their ringlinders are not motivated by honesty but by self preservation.

[leicesterfox86]

Newspaper Le Figaro added: "It is collective suicide... the French team has heaped ridicule on itself in front of the whole world at Knysna.

"It was almost hallucinatory. This is a psychodrama that will go down in the history of the World Cup. The French team has been reduced to ashes."

This is due to a few players, the ones having experience and a kind of control on the less experienced ones.

The French Newspaper L'Equipe explained that some younger players of the team went to apologize to Domenech in the evening, and some of them were crying while the French sports miniter was "teaching them a lesson".

Next French coach (L. Blanc) will have to decide if he keeps in its selection some troublemakers or not.