International Experience

It is important to realise that international football is a totally different ordeal to club football like league and Champions League football. In international football the pace seems slower and more methodical, traditional styles have often proven the victory formula in many a game. However the pace is actually much quicker but played with the mind, options for the players decrease as the opponents they now play are the best out of a country. Concentration is one of the most important points in international football and often not stressed enough by certain arrogant sides.

I commented that the likes of Evra who although is a seasoned veteran at club level for both Monaco and Man Utd, he had often been overlooked by Domenech prior to his consistent yet fantastic performances for Utd in the last two seasons. To some, his selection above Abidal or Sagnol is a shock because he is so much more dynamic to the usual calculated pace of France. Because of this I mentioned him as inexperienced and slight jitters showed against Netherlands. He currently has 12 caps at international level compared to Sagnol's 57 and Abidal's 36.