The former goalkeeper of the France team analyzes the performance of the Blues against England by focusing on the duels between Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane on the two penalties.
Former goalkeeper for the France team (9 caps), Jean-Luc Ettori experienced the England-France match in front of his TV.quiet on the couch” Saturday night. “Finally quiet, I don’t know if that’s the right word. These Blues made me vibrate but they were mistreated anyway. I just listened to Arsène Wenger who said that France had something more than England, yes in the end, but that it was hard for more than an hour!“, nuance the former goalkeeper of AS Monaco who deciphered the meeting hot for Le Figaro.
Le Figaro: Jean-Luc, how did you appreciate Hugo Lloris’ full match as a former goalkeeper?
Jean-Luc Ettori: I am happy to have seen a great Lloris, who for me is the man of the match with Olivier Giroud. Of course Olivier scored but Hugo played an essential role in qualifying, especially on the second penalty that Kane missed. I am convinced that Hugo knew that Kane wanted to put it on his right and that Kane knew that Hugo would go on it. Kane thought, “I’m going to have to force my shot.” Psychologically, Lloris won the head-to-head at that time. He forced his shot and the ball went over…
The English still said he was the weak point of the Blues! He had announced that he would respond on the ground. We saw the answer…
Jean-Luc Ettori
Tell you how a face-to-face between two players, teammates, who know each other perfectly at that time of the meeting takes place
Quite honestly, they know each other by heart but it’s still 50-50. What is clear, however, is that the one who asked the most questions about the second penalty is the shooter. Why ? Because in everyone’s mind, it’s easier to turn it than to miss it. On the first, I was sure Hugo wouldn’t stop him. Besides, I didn’t really understand why he went to his left against a right-hander. On the second penalty in a match, the pressure is even more on the shooter. I am happy because we expected a lot from Lloris and he responded. He was criticized in England. The English still said he was the weak point of the Blues! He had announced that he would respond on the ground. We saw the answer…
The Blues suffered and the defense sometimes gave the impression of being on the verge of breaking…
In front of my TV I remain quite chauvinistic (laughs) so I will find it difficult to speak of defense as a weak point. Yes, sometimes she showed some signs of feverishness but let’s not forget that in front of her, we no longer have Kanté type players capable of rotting the life of the opposing midfield. A Kanté, you dribble it nine times, it is still there clinging to you, before seeing it sacrifice itself to go scratch a ball. Tchouameni and Rabiot are in a slightly different register, with other qualities. I have the feeling that our defenders are still sometimes left to their own devices, which leads to some wavering. It is a deliberate choice by Didier Deschamps to evolve in this scheme.
Read alsoThe notes of the Blues against England: Giroud as a savior, Lloris guardian of the temple
Did Theo Hernandez’s foul annoy you on the second penalty?
We’ve just scored, we’re in euphoria and there’s this foul that seems gross… He gets a little carried away by the adrenaline of the moment but I also noted an excellent Mount which plays the shot perfectly. He stops his race and knows that he is going to be hit with a shoulder blow in the back. The penalty is indisputable.
For once, Kylian Mbappé was not the most prominent Blues striker on the French side…
It’s true but you will have noticed that Walker did not exist offensively on his side. He was content to contain Mbappé on the little ammunition he had. We certainly did not see the twirling Mbappé that we usually see, he certainly did not weigh as much as in the last matches on the score, but he also systematically monopolized two players on him. He may not have completely fulfilled his mission in attack where a lot was expected of him, but in a more obscure role, he helped.
Ousmane Dembélé rarely showed off, did he disappoint you on the right side?
He was a bit like the Blues, with fire in his legs during the first twenty or thirty minutes. We dared to play, make passes to break through the opposing midfielder and once we scored, we didn’t want to do that anymore. We probably played a little more laterally too, which allowed the English to play a little higher.
Read alsoSpirit of 2018, personal future, Morocco… Deschamps’ words after the victory against England
Giroud is guided by the certainty that he will only need one opportunity to succeed in his match and that it will inevitably happen
A word on Olivier Giroud, also author of a work in the shadows and once again liberator of the Blues?
He is incredible. He never gets discouraged. He takes blows, he also gives them (laughs), he multiplies the calls, he defends and never lets go. Never, never, never. He is guided by the certainty that he will only need one opportunity to succeed in his match and that it will inevitably arrive. His head on goal is superb because opposite, he has customers in the aerial game.
How do you see the semi-final against Morocco?
I see tension and above all a lot of pressure on the France team which will be the favourite. Morocco is extremely well organised, with a very good goalkeeper and leaves the ball to the opponent. It will be up to the Blues to make the game. Which means that we will probably have a different match from that of the quarter-finals. And I’m looking forward to this Mbappé-Hakimi duel! The fratricidal duel between the two friends at Paris SG will be worth a look.
