When Samir Nasri was omitted from the French World Cup squad last month, the Manchester City man said he would need time to think about his international future.
During holidays in Dubai and Las Vegas his thoughts may have drifted to goings on in Didier Deschamps’ squad but it is fair to say they have spent little time thinking about him.
Left out on the basis that he might be a disruptive influence, so far the decision appears to be the right one as Deschamps continues to prove he is anything but the “s**t manager” Nasri’s girlfriend labelled him in May.
The major reason behind France’s success has been their remarkably happy camp – in stark contrast to the collective tantrum they threw in South Africa four years ago.
In the build-up to their opening game against Honduras last week, both Olivier Giroud and his Arsenal team-mate Laurent Koscielny spoke of this tournament as being a chance to make amends for what happened in Knysna.
Neither were around in 2010, but the infamous boycott of training helped shape public opinion and create an ‘anti-football’ feeling in France.
Qualification for the World Cup, secured with a rousing 3-0 win over the Ukraine in Paris, began to turn the tide, yet as late as April, a poll in France Football found only 20 per cent of French people had a positive opinion of Les Bleus.
It is fair to assume the percentage would have been considerably higher had the survey been done in the wake of Friday’s 5-2 dismantling of Switzerland.
The French squad that has stormed to the top of an admittedly favourable Group E is immensely more likeable than the one that departed South Africa in disgrace. Patrice Evra – one of the ringleaders in 2010 – says that is because there are no egos in the dressing room this time around, and the coach himself has spoken of a “spirit of unity”.
Deschamps’ adept handling of his players allied with the breezy mood in the dressing room has been highlighted perfectly in their opening two games.
Striker Giroud had been expected to start the first against Honduras, having netted three times in as many friendlies, but Antoine Griezmann got the nod in the 3-0 win. Giroud did not sulk and his coach did not rest on his laurels.
Against the Swiss, Deschamps returned to the team that had hammered Jamaica in their final warm-up game – dropping not only Griezmann but also Paul Pogba – with Giroud netting the goal that sparked a rout.
That showed character as well as nous from the former Juventus man and it was fitting that in this new collective dawn France finished the match with five different scorers.
It is not a formality that the team that started on Friday will be the one that does so on Wednesday, but the squad is clearly a far healthier place to be than at any time since they lifted the World Cup 16 years ago.
If Deschamps can continue to keep it that way, then Les Bleus may just have a chance of emulating the class of 1998 – something even Nasri would surely salute.
