Deschamps: French players are not in their peak state, so they can t maintain high intensity for 90 minutes

Hupu September 6th, French national team coach Didier Deschamps attended the post-match press conference to defeat Ukraine 2-0.

How do you view this game against Ukraine?

Considering the decrease in the number of games (six games) (World Cup qualifiers), this game is crucial and we could have found a chance in the first half.

We were once in a stalemate for 4-5 minutes, but our offensive core and system are still there, but we need to be more determined and more determined. We performed poorly in the second half because we tried our best in the first half and launched a fierce attack in the frontcourt. Our defense was well maintained. But this is not a decisive factor. We will face the group leader Iceland at Princes Park Stadium on Tuesday.

Can your team be more stable?

You have to consider different opponents. Our attacks are very physically exhausting, and the offensive players run frequently. Ukrainian team plays low-post defense + counterattack, so they invest less energy. We can always improve, but we cooperated well in the first half. We didn't slacken and we scored better in the end. They are still a young team that needs to accumulate experience and clarify their ideas.

Did you take the risk when you let Ottoman Dembele, who was injured at the time, play at the halftime?

There is no risk, otherwise I wouldn't have let him play. It was the injury to another leg (not the one he suffered when he was on Saturday against Toulouse).

He felt no severe pain. He is in good shape. This can happen to someone who has no previous experience. His medical condition, his feelings, he had no slight concern or anything else.

How do you evaluate the performance of Michael Olisse who scored the first goal?

He was radiant. The combination of Cone and Joan Améni performed very well. This allowed us to maintain a good defensive balance. We have many high-level combinations.

Your players can apply high-pressing and try to attack...

Yes, this is not a one-off. At the club level, they mostly do this, but it requires responsiveness. You can't always do this because it takes a lot of physical strength.

You can't stay in the midfield all the time. Our intentions exist. We did it in March and June. We want to get back to a high level, which is interesting. But because the players are in poor form, this is normal, so it is difficult to stick with 90 minutes.

You can participate in the third World Cup final as a coach at the 2026 World Cup...

Then ask me after we achieve our goal. There are still many games to play. Being the first coach to compete in three finals was not a motivation for me.

4-2-3-1 Is the formation fragile?

This is a (strengthening midfield) option. The 4-2-3-1 formation is feasible. I'm not saying it's easy. But we can play this way for 60 to 70 minutes. I switched to Adrian (Rabio) to find balance, especially as we kept Killian’s pace.