Group A - France, Romania, Albania, Switzerland

[Pothas]

Again, don't think he was amazing. Not bad by any means and he definitely should be in the team but not great either.

I don't want it to happen because I put money on him being top goal scorer and I want him to do well but dropping Giroud and playing Griezmann upfront might be the way to go.

 

[MW1304]

What?

What are you saying what about? Pogba? I defended him last game but he wasn't great here at all until a few nice passes in the last 5 minutes.

 

[sledger]

Again, don't think he was amazing. Not bad by any means and he definitely should be in the team but not great either.

I don't want it to happen because I put money on him being top goal scorer and I want him to do well but dropping Giroud and playing Griezmann upfront might be the way to go.

Yeah, I love him too, but after giving him the benefit of the doubt for so long I'm beginning to have serious reservations about him. Clearly not a "bad" player, but I don't think he's even close to be clinical enough to be a consistently effective player against top opposition. Probably doesn't have the movement either.

Obviously you can't read much into stats, but I'd be interested to see what his chance/conversion ratio is like. Whatever it is I suspect it doesn't look especially good when compared to that of his peers.

 

[sledger]

'Good fouls' really ought to be punishable by sin bin.

Agree, but can't see it happening.

Not sure if it actually is more prominent than before, or that I'm just paying closer attention, but there seems to be much more tactical fouling in this tournament than in previous editions. Seems that teams have certain players designated to "save" their yellow card for professionally fouling counter attacking players. Nothing new, I guess, but not exactly in the spirit of the game.

 

[Cabinet96]

His conversion is fine. In raw % it's better than Aguero, Kane, Sturridge and Vardy over the last two seasons. https://twitter.com/DanKennett/status/737654143142252548 Same is true of "big chances" as well so it's not just because he doesn't shoot from range or whatever.

I think there's two ways you can look at it. He's basically been on the end of most of the good chances France have created so far, which either means he's integral to the side and with a different type of striker half those chances wouldn't happen. Or, his limitations have such a big effect on the team that they can basically only create through crosses etc, in which case getting a striker like Griezmann instead could make a massive difference to how well they play. I've kind of concluded the latter at Arsenal, but I haven't seen any of France with Griezmann or Martial as a 9 before, so I'm just completely in the dark as to whether it would be better or not. Given how many chances he got tonight and how good his goal record is for France I'd probably just stick with him unless he has a completely dry game against Switzerland.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, I love him too, but after giving him the benefit of the doubt for so long I'm beginning to have serious reservations about him. Clearly not a "bad" player, but I don't think he's even close to be clinical enough to be a consistently effective player against top opposition. Probably doesn't have the movement either.

Obviously you can't read much into stats, but I'd be interested to see what his chance/conversion ratio is like. Whatever it is I suspect it doesn't look especially good when compared to that of his peers.

I don't really have any reservations about him, he is what he is. He's a solid 7/10 forward, his output season to season has been pretty consistent and he's definitely good enough to trouble the best on his day.

Lack of pace is definitely his biggest drawback, but the biggest conundrum is that he's a 7/10. He's not dire enough that getting rid of him is a massive priority (see Carroll, Andy), and he's good enough to make an upgrade both rare and ridiculously expensive. Consider diddies like Jackson Martinez were going for £30m last summer; strikers better than Giroud are already at the top clubs in Europe and/or would be insanely expensive to go for. Even someone like Lukaku would cost upwards of £50m, and he most certainly would not be enough of an upgrade to justify that outlay.

 

[Furball]

His conversion is fine. In raw % it's better than Aguero, Kane, Sturridge and Vardy over the last two seasons. https://twitter.com/DanKennett/status/737654143142252548 Same is true of "big chances" as well so it's not just because he doesn't shoot from range or whatever.

I think there's two ways you can look at it. He's basically been on the end of most of the good chances France have created so far, which either means he's integral to the side and with a different type of striker half those chances wouldn't happen. Or, his limitations have such a big effect on the team that they can basically only create through crosses etc, in which case getting a striker like Griezmann instead could make a massive difference to how well they play. I've kind of concluded the latter at Arsenal, but I haven't seen any of France with Griezmann or Martial as a 9 before, so I'm just completely in the dark as to whether it would be better or not. Given how many chances he got tonight and how good his goal record is for France I'd probably just stick with him unless he has a completely dry game against Switzerland.

What's your alternative when neither Benzema or Lacazette were picked in the squad and Gignac was (and is) rubbish?

 

[Uppercut]

His conversion is fine. In raw % it's better than Aguero, Kane, Sturridge and Vardy over the last two seasons. https://twitter.com/DanKennett/status/737654143142252548 Same is true of "big chances" as well so it's not just because he doesn't shoot from range or whatever.

I think there's two ways you can look at it. He's basically been on the end of most of the good chances France have created so far, which either means he's integral to the side and with a different type of striker half those chances wouldn't happen. Or, his limitations have such a big effect on the team that they can basically only create through crosses etc, in which case getting a striker like Griezmann instead could make a massive difference to how well they play. I've kind of concluded the latter at Arsenal, but I haven't seen any of France with Griezmann or Martial as a 9 before, so I'm just completely in the dark as to whether it would be better or not. Given how many chances he got tonight and how good his goal record is for France I'd probably just stick with him unless he has a completely dry game against Switzerland.

The thing about Griezmann up front is that he's only been killing it in a front 2, which requires completely different skills. I kind of have the opposite opinion from you, I think Switzerland is a good game to try it and see if it works, and if it doesn't they can easily go back to Giroud the next game.

Have to say though, Coman and especially Martial aren't making the most convincing case to play.

 

[Furball]

Coman is a much better option off the bench where his pace can test tired defences.

 

[sledger]

I don't really have any reservations about him, he is what he is. He's a solid 7/10 forward, his output season to season has been pretty consistent and he's definitely good enough to trouble the best on his day.

Lack of pace is definitely his biggest drawback, but the biggest conundrum is that he's a 7/10. He's not dire enough that getting rid of him is a massive priority (see Carroll, Andy), and he's good enough to make an upgrade both rare and ridiculously expensive. Consider diddies like Jackson Martinez were going for £30m last summer; strikers better than Giroud are already at the top clubs in Europe and/or would be insanely expensive to go for. Even someone like Lukaku would cost upwards of £50m, and he most certainly would not be enough of an upgrade to justify that outlay.

Haha, to me, the second part of your post kind of contradicts the first.

I agree that he's a 7/10 player. But this is the problem, for the reasons you state in your second paragraph. Then again, none of that can really be held against Giroud himself. But so long as it's too expensive to get an upgrade, and he's not bad enough to bin, he will be asked to do the job of a 8/10 or 9/10 player and he just doesn't have it in him. And the cycle of moaning and groaning about needing a new striker will start up all over again.

It's kind of like striker purgatory. It'd almost be better for Arsenal if he was worse than he is, because then a big outlay on someone like Lukaku could be justified, and that might be a catalyst for change etc... As things stand though, I agree, big money for a moderate upgrade would be foolishness.

 

[DriveClub]

Why wasn't lacazatte picked?

 

[Tangles]

There's a big reliance on Payet so far. That and they allow chances against them. A better more clinical team than they have faced so far will be too much based on the 2 games they have played.

 

[Furball]

I can't believe that France have both Sissoko and Cabaye in the squad and no Ben Arfa.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

"Gignac is no Giroud"

#shitthegermancommentatorsays (this may be a recurring hashtag)

 

[Cabinet96]

Does he mean no Giroud in a positive or negative way? lol

Three Switzerland shirts ripped in the first half. Never seen anything like that before.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

"both teams are trying to play football"

Unlike Sweden, of course, who memorably broke into curling midway through their second group match.

Does he mean no Giroud in a positive or negative way? lol

Three Switzerland shirts ripped in the first half. Never seen anything like that before.

Positive for Giroud. He wanted to imply Gignac was not a particularly lethal finisher.

 

[Pothas]

It is all about Albania here.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

1-3 and 3 points surely won't be enough to make it.

Which is a bit of an annoyance as it means we'll have three teams from bloody group F.

 

[Cabinet96]

Perhaps a higher chance than you think.

 

[GIMH]

1-3 and 3 points surely won't be enough to make it.

Which is a bit of an annoyance as it means we'll have three teams from bloody group F.

Looking at the tables and games to go, I'd give them a decent chance tbh