Concerns for Deschamps and France After Second Straight Friendly Loss in Albania

France suffered their second consecutive friendly defeat with an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Albania in Elbasan. PAOK FC midfielder Ergys Kace’s perfectly struck free-kick in the 43rd minute ultimately separated the two sides, but it did not flatter the hosts at the Elbasan Arena.

Hektor Pustina/Associated Press

The defeat itself to the south-eastern Europeans is not what was embarrassing.

Gianni De Biasi’s men are becoming a tougher side to beat; shocking Portugal in their opening 2016 UEFA European Championship qualifier with a 1-0 win in Aveiro last September before drawing 1-1 with France in Rennes two months later.

However, the manner of the loss has Les Bleus’ coach Didier Deschamps concerned—as he admitted after the final whistle.

"

I'm concerned, but not in the same way I was after we lost to Belgium (4-3 on Sunday). Belgium were better than us and played an excellent match; we weren't up to their level. But tonight, it was a case of our opponents being determined and solid. We couldn't find a solution. Above all I'm irritated and disappointed because I'm the one in charge. I choose the team and the formation, as well as making substitutions. I'll take the time to analyse it but it's true that we're going through a bit of a rough patch. Still, at the highest level, what we showed was unacceptable. We lacked determination and aggression - qualities we once had but seem to have lost, not over the six months following the World Cup but over the last two matches and especially in tonight's match. We weren't hungry enough. That's not acceptable and I can't accept it. I'm not judging the players but we simply weren't mentally ready to play a high-level match. International football is very demanding and tonight, I don't know whether we were incapable of stepping up, but in any case it's clear that we weren't up to scratch.

"

Like against Belgium, there was zero creativity, and the defence looked wobbly, while the midfield and attack were virtually anonymous.

End-of-season friendlies are always difficult for the players with little or nothing riding on the games, but the French should know that they only have these friendlies with which to prepare for Euro 2016 on home soil next summer and must attach greater importance to them over the next 12 months.

Both the Belgium and Albania defeats pose Deschamps questions, but at least the 4-3 loss to the Belgians saw France score three times. Over 90 minutes in Elbasan, Les Bleus were lucky to register that many shots on target.

Hektor Pustina/Associated Press

Of all the negatives to take from the limp performance served up in Albania, the most pressing concern for the 46-year-old will be the lack of creativity from his team.

Hektor Pustina/Associated Press

The only player on the pitch who looked capable of sparking any sort of offensive threat for France was substitute Mathieu Valbuena. The Dynamo Moscow playmaker was responsible for two of Les Tricolores’ three efforts on target and—like in the Belgium defeat—seemed to be the only one trying at times.

Admittedly, by playing in Russia, Valbuena perhaps has more to prove than most in these games, as it is difficult for Deschamps to keep tabs on him. However, it should not take that sort of factor to coax motivation out of any of these French players this close to the Euros.

There is no excuse for a team possessing the creative talents of Valbuena, Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet, Antoine Griezmann, Alexandre Lacazette, Nabil Fekir and Paul-Georges Ntep to produce such an inept attacking display.

Hektor Pustina/Associated Press

With inventive players such as Karim Benzema and Clement Grenier likely to return to the France squad for the games against Portugal and Serbia in September, Deschamps must expect far better from his group in those two testing fixtures.

Aside from the lack of creativity, not even changing the entire midfield three could produce a better display than the unimaginative showing offered up against Belgium by Paris Saint-Germain pair Blaise Matuidi and Yohan Cabaye, along with Moussa Sissoko.

Payet, Maxime Gonalons and Geoffrey Kondogbia offered equally as little in Elbasan, and the Olympique de Marseille man only lasted the first half.

Olivier Giroud—booed for his display at Stade de France last week—was withdrawn at the break as well and contributed little, aside from conceding the free-kick that Kace scored the only goal of the game from.

Hektor Pustina/Associated Press

Griezmann was once again disappointing, and Lacazette was wasted out wide in the first half, only moving into the middle once Giroud was substituted.

The defence was also a concern. Raphael Varane once again looked off-colour, while Mamadou Sakho was less than his usual imposing self, and full-backs Christophe Jallet and Patrice Evra were ineffective.

Like the Belgium defeat, the loss in Albania is not fatal. However, some of the questions raised by both results will now become more pressing, and there will be some concern regarding the team’s form less than 12 months away from the start of Euro 2016.

Les Bleus lost just once in 2014, in their 1-0 FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany in Brazil, and Deschamps’ men have already suffered three losses in 2015. On the evidence of this latest setback in Albania, there is some serious work and experimentation to be done.