After a pretty uneventful Thursday, I got a bottle of my favorite Guinness to watch the team I’m supporting in the forthcoming Euros, Les Bleus. For starters, Laurent Blanc employs a tactical setup no different from Arsene Wenger’s 4-2-3-1 but it’s more or less like the traditional 4-3-3 with one striker spearheading the attack.
The French national team has also produced a boatload of talents that showcased their talents in the world stage, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 European Championship. However, age took its tool on that golden generation and Raymond Domenech made a mockery of a once feared team as he crashed out miserably in the major tourneys he took his side too.
The failure of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the last straw from the hierarchy of the French Football Federation, and they brought in Laurent Blanc in his stead, who has done one hell of a job with the team. Like Arsene Wenger, Le Blanc dipped his hands into youth and he has unearthed some great prospects that the world is eager to watch in the Euros.
One of these prospects is a sought-after Yann M’Vila, a hot cake for the predators of European football, with Arsenal leading the chasing pack at the moment. Like every relevant football topic, I and several sport writers out there have some “homework” on Yann M’Vila, and I published a piece showcasing his top 10 football attributes.
There’s also a brilliant piece by Major D’ Sun revealing why Arsenal needs a player of quality and Bleacher Report’s Allan Jiang published a good piece on his statistical side, comparing his output on the pitch with his fellow peers in Europe. Despite being on par with some and better than other profilic defensive midfielders out there, his stats were no different from Arsenal’s Francis Coquelin.
Food for thought.
France hosted Serbia in M’Vila’s home ground at Rennes, a football stadium that had not hosted an international game since the days Napoleon Bonaparte ruled the country.
Blanc named a formidable squad with Ligue 1 Goalie of the Year, Hugo Lloris between the sticks while Gael Clichy, Phillippe Mexes, our own Kos the Bosscielny, and Anthony Reveilliere completed the back line.
Yann M’Vila was the midfield enforcer with $amir Na$ri and Yohan Cabaye completing the midfield triumvirate. Florent Malouda and Franck Ribery provided wit on the flanks while Karim Benzema spearheaded the attack.
Serbia on the other hand, was a complete shadow of the squad that graced the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with so many unknown folks wearing the national team colors. Dejan Stankovic and Nemanja Vidic hanged their international boots after their dismal Euro 2012 qualifying campaign and the honor of the captaincy was bestowed upon Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.
Five minutes into the game, M’Vila was on the end of a rash lounge from a bloke called Tadic, and the reaction on his face painted the picture vividly for everyone to see. M’Vila was in tears as he was taken off the pitch. Shortly afterwards, Philippe Auclair of the F.F.F posted this tweet:
Not looking good at all for M'Vila, who twisted his right ankle with less than 5' gone and is in tears on France's bench. Diarra on.
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) May 31, 2012
As expected, the panic button was pressed so hard on Twitter, it sprang out of its remote control. A faction of some cunning Arsenal fans where “pleased” with the injury because it might probably signal the end of M’Vila’s Euro 2012 hopes like Frank Lampard, that picked up a thigh injury in training.
Many believe that a stellar performance from M’Vila at the Euros would hike his transfer fee with an extra quid or two, thereby placing him out of the reach of a Scrooge-esque club like Arsenal.
Dear M’Vila haters, sorry to bust your bubbles, but a reliable source like Jamie Sanderson, or @YoungGunsBlog as he’s known on Twitter, posted this tweet last night:
Yann M'Vila stretchered off for France tonight. Laurent Blanc hopeful he'll be fine. Not as bad as expected. Won't affect transfer.
— Jamie Sanderson ⚡ (@Sanderson) May 31, 2012
Laurent Blanc, his players and a combined fan base of Arsenal and France are waiting anxiously for more updates on M’Vila’s situation but there was a collective sigh of relief when he was seen on the bench, probably explaining the extent of the damage of his injury to Yohan Cabaye with bandages visible on his ankle.
As a fervent supporter of Arsenal and Les Bleus, I’ll be keen on seeing M’Vila in action because he’s one hell of a prospect that’s in the spotlight for all the right reasons and a good performance in the Euros will further justify those claims.
Get well soon Yann.
Sayonara.
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