Euro 2008, The case for Steve Mandanda…

By: Magnusson | December 6th, 2007

Incredible, magnificent, brilliant, glorious, splendid, there has been a lack of superlatives lately to qualify the very impressive outings of young Steve Mandanda as our goalkeeper. There has been unanimous praise from all over the country and might I say, the World. The kid has been impressing everybody and poor Cédric carasso may never be able to wear our jersey ever again. There has been so much praise and so much hype around Mandanda that the natural reaction is to ask oneself how a kid stays this humble. Look no further than Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema and Hatem Benarfa for that and you’ll see a pattern in young french phenoms lately that seem to be playing it a lot safer after seeing a whole generation of players as talented as they are if not more and who were themselves promised the world (Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Jeremy Aliadière, Damien LeTallec, Samir Belloufa…). The kid is cool under pressure and doesn’t seem too worried for his future. Seriously he plays in one of the most difficult clubs in France in terms of pressure and he seems unphazed by it.

Now Let’s look at the French National Team. In the absence of Gregory Coupet, it’s been Mickael landreau’s turn to guard our very important cage and he didn’t do so well. After seven years of being #3, Landreau naturally landed the #2 spot once Fabien Barthez quit (or was forced to quit, but that’s another story) Les Bleus. Maybe him being comfortably given that spot did not help him in the motivation department. After a hand fault in his own Parc des Princes in paris that Coupet told the scottish press he would’ve stopped (That was not nice Greg, even kinda douchebag-y), a chance was given to Sebastien Frey. Now I’m a huge fan of Serie A and I love Sébastien but he might have fucked himself over by letting that “light” disturb him and get scored upon against Ukraine because he may never be able to get another chance, given how stupid Domenech already gets when it comes to suddenly giving some players the cold shoulder.

Those two lackluster performances created a national debate lately that, and that’s only MY opinion, doesn’t make any type of sense. Everybody and their momma seems to have an idea about who should be #2 and #3 at the next Euro. And honnestly, do you remember the third goalkeeper of any team at any competition. Not to show any disrespect but their job is to be able to get the right records in the CD player that is in the locker-room. The debate would only become interesting if Coupet doesn’t come back in top physical shape and let’s say I’m not too worried he’ll be back. This is going to be his first and last international competition and there’s no way he won’t be putting the gloves on.

Nonetheless, the debate is still the number one issue concerning football fans right now and France Football decided to give it its proper shine now that they’re done with the yawner that was this year’s ballon d’Or race. So just after Kakà, Mandanda graces the cover of France Football that will be in stores tomorow. Always nice to see an olympian on the cover. In the issue,two old-timers (both of them World Champions), Bernard Lama and Lionel Charbonnier weigh in on the issue and if both of them agree that Coupet is and will remain #1 if he comes back as strong as he finished last season. Their opinions about who should be #2 and #3 are far less certain.

I haven’t read the article yet but it seems that both of them agree that the five best keepers in France right now are, in no particular order, Coupet, Landreau, Frey, Ramé and Mandanda. Experts are all saying that it would be for the better if Domenech decided to shake up the hierarchy and invite Mandanda if Landreau keeps being the keeper he never were, someone unsure and totally lacking confidence.

All this extrapolation is nice and all but we’ll only know for sure and get the answers as to what to expect only when Remy Vercoutre is not starting matches for Lyon anymore.