Deschamps Must Relieve Pressure on Pogba and Griezmann When France Face Albania

France are back in 2016 UEFA European Championship action on Wednesday when they meet Albania at Marseille's Stade Velodrome for the second round of fixtures in Group A.

Didier Deschamps’ men won the tournament-opening fixture 2-1 against Romania at the Stade de France in Paris last Friday, while the Albanians were beaten 1-0 by Switzerland at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens the following day.

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The pressure is off for Les Bleus after they made a winning start to their campaign, so they can now concentrate on picking up a second victory from as many matches and progressing to the latter stages at the first time of asking.

In Albania, though, the French face a side that has frustrated them in the recent past. Gianni De Biasi’s men drew in Rennes and won in Elbasan when the pair met twice during the Euro 2016 qualifiers—France were theatrically placed in Group I to ensure some semi-competitive friendlies—so the hosts will know what to expect.

Although the two-time European Championship winners did get off to a successful start last week, their performance showed all the rust you would expect from a team that has not played a competitive fixture in almost two years.

Juventus’ Paul Pogba and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann were among the players who struggled to truly impress against Romania, and in result, both have come in for a bit of criticism since last Friday.

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Pogba’s performance against Anghel Iordanescu’s men was a mixed one. At times, the gifted 23-year-old ran the show, while at others he looked liked he was trying too hard to live up to the pre-tournament hype that had surrounded him.

The man from Lagny-sur-Marne paid for trying to live up to that pressure with a showing that failed to leave a lasting impression.

Speaking with Le Parisien (h/t ESPN FC’s Mark Rodden), 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000-winning former France international Emmanuel Petit criticised Deschamps’ positioning of Pogba on the right of the midfield three:

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We didn't take Paul Pogba to improve the defensive statistics. Like (Antoine) Griezmann, he has the talent necessary to help Les Bleus pass a milestone.

At Juve, he strings together great performances but he doesn't play in the same set-up. When a player is used to having liberties and you impose strict orders and one area on him, that frustrates him and it's counterproductive.

I'm expecting more in attack. We'll need his skills to win matches. His preferred position is not on the right side. What bothers me more than anything is that the pattern remains fixed in midfield.

With Croatia, Rakitic and Modric spend their time at the front, at the back, to the left, to the right. There are instructions when the ball is lost but in using it there's freedom while still respecting tactical rigour.

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Petit has a point. Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi was also unimpressive for France against Romania, and it was only Leicester City’s N’Golo Kante who truly excelled in the middle.

Regarding Griezmann, the Atletico man was quieter than usual and appeared subdued at times. Like Pogba, the 25-year-old was the subject of much pre-tournament hype and struggled to live up to it on the pitch in the capital.

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However, while Pogba’s struggles appear to be related to his position on the pitch, Griezmann’s seem to be fatigue-oriented instead.

The man from Macon hit the post with a first-half header but otherwise struggled to really make an impression, and the likelihood is that a gruelling season under Diego Simeone at the Vicente Calderon has started to take its toll.

Before Griezmann even linked up with the squad for the tournament, Deschamps admitted to RMC Radio (h/t ESPN FC’s Rodden) that keeping his No. 7 in optimum condition was a slight concern because of his physical exertions at club level: “He's moving up the levels. His consistency and efficiency at the moment are of a very, very high level. He's always had quality—he needs to remain fresh. He's still young, but he needs to manage that a little bit.”

However, also speaking with RMC at the same time, Deschamps admitted Simeone’s approach with Atletico is physically demanding but tried to see the positive impact it has had on Griezmann: “Yes, certainly. But it's done him good as well because he had a tendency of having highs and lows. Now he knows that it's every match, every week. He's strong athletically. With the accumulation of matches, he has the right to be a little tired, but he's so fresh in his mind that it will go well.”

So what is the solution for France moving forward? Switching Pogba to his preferred left-sided central-midfield role and replacing Matuidi with a more creative player is one option.

However, according to L’Equipe (h/t Agence France-Presse’s Tom Williams), Deschamps is more likely to change formation and replace Pogba and Griezmann against Albania.

If the France tactician does go with a 4-2-3-1 that features Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman, then expect West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet to move inside into the No. 10 role—arguably his best.

Martial and Coman will add speed on either flank, while Kante and Matuidi will provide a solid base for that pair and Payet to aid Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud in attack.

Although removing Pogba and Griezmann from the starting XI against Albania is not the best way to permanently remedy the team’s problems at this tournament, it could be a good idea against Albania.

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France—on paper—should comfortably dispose of De Biasi’s men. If Pogba and Griezmann start on the bench and are introduced over the 90 minutes, then there will be less pressure on them to perform from the start.

Lightening this weight of expectation on the pair is crucial if Les Bleus want to make a deep run this summer, and this would be the best moment to do so.

Deschamps made a mistake at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil by rotating most members of his starting XI for the third group match against Ecuador. The game finished 0-0, but lots of key players—notably Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema—lost momentum and never got it back.

A sudden flurry of changes can disrupt the momentum built up by a team, so resting a small number of key players each fixture is better for the team’s continuity.

If Deschamps can do that against Albania with Pogba and Griezmann, he should, then start them against Switzerland with the intention of topping Group A with nine points.

The deeper France go on home soil, the more important it will be that the likes of Pogba and Griezmann are not still feeling the pressure.