Blanc's Selection Dilemma for France at Euro 2012

After the huge debacles surrounding the manager Raymond Domenech at Euro 2008 and World Cup in 2010, Les Bleus will be hoping for a much better tournament in terms of harmony and results on the pitch.

The golden generation of France that included the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, and Thierry Henry is finally over. It is time for the likes of Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema and possibly Franck Ribery to step up into their shoes.

Laurent Blanc has quite a lot of options when it comes to the midfield, but that surprisingly is his worry. He recently told L'Equipe (h/t goal.com) that he was still uncertain about the midfield.

His predicament is understandable given the performances of Newcastle United midfielder Cabaye, who has been in sensational form. However, the same cannot be said of Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri, who has been largely inconsistent this season.

Franck Ribery's own admission that he has not been good enough for France could not bode well for his chances at the Euro 2012. The Bayern Munich winger, however, has been rather good for his club team, scoring 12 goals in all competitions this season.

One of the major disappointments for Blanc has come in the form of Gourcuff. Blanc and Gourcuff were part of the Bordeaux team that won the French title a few seasons ago, but the former AC Milan midfielder is a shadow of himself at Lyon this season. He has had only two goals all season in the last 10 appearances he has made so far.

France have had an incredible run under Blanc, but he should be well aware that infighting within the team has largely been their achievement in the last two major tournaments. Blanc's striking options certainly looked good a few months ago, but Loic Rémy has gone off the boil in the last month or so. He has scored only two goals since March.

A big positive would be the form of striker Karim Benzema. He has been simply outstanding for Real Madrid this season. Despite their exit from the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Benzema has been on par with the best in terms of every aspect from scoring to link up play.

Blanc will certainly need a big performance from him if France to get joy from their first match at Euro 2012 against England.