France to drive four-man defensive strategy at World Cup. Didier Deschamps confirmed that he would be switching back to a four-man defense for his set-up in Qatar during his press conference after announcing his 25-man France squad for the World Cup. The France manager has called up four players to fill the full-back roles: Benjamin Pavard, Jules Koundé, Lucas Hernandez, and Théo Hernandez, in addition to the five specialist center-halves. It was later revealed that the tactical decision was the main reason Marseille winger Jonathan Clauss was left off the squad.
Since the 2021 Euros, Les Bleus had been lining up with three or five-man backlines. Although the structure did lead to some success, most notably the Nations League victory last fall, Deschamps has explained that it also caused some imbalance in the team’s style of play. For the two-time World Cup champion, defensive sturdiness will be crucial for France this winter without losing the team’s offensive ability.
When asked if France will use the asymmetric 4-2-3-1 formation that helped them win the World Cup in 2018 and if Adrien Rabiot could fill Blaise Matuidi’s specialized left-sided midfield position from four years prior, Deschamps replied, “He has already done it with Juventus.” His growth has made it possible for him to have a greater variety of skills. He describes himself as a balanced player. That has a lot of value for a coach.
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