The man France loves to hate

Raymond Domenech, the national coach, has a track record of doing things his way - and his way can often be unpredictable and eccentric.

Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay's coach, shouts instructions to his players during training in Cape Town yesterday.

Laurent Blanc is a popular figure in France. He is admired for his time as a classy, ball-playing defender in the French national side, loved especially because he was unfortunate enough to be suspended for the 1998 World Cup final and respected for winning Ligue 1 while at Bordeaux in 2009. At the moment, however, he is especially popular because of who he is not. Blanc, who takes over as the France manager after the World Cup, is not Raymond Domenech, the much-criticised current coach. Domenech's baffling, bizarre reign comes to an end soon; the issue is just how soon.

In an unfortunate faux pas, the 58-year-old said France would compete in South Africa until June 11; he meant July 11, the date of the final, rather than today, but it epitomised the limited expectations among French fans. Soonest over, quickest forgotten, perhaps. Few managers who have reached a World Cup final are subject to so much ridicule. A Facebook page created for people who dislike Domenech has almost 81,000 fans; an online game has been created allowing users to hit a virtual Domenech in a variety of different ways. Bashing him has indeed become a national pastime.

Praise is somewhat rarer. France's run in the 2006 tournament is attributed to the influence of Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele, rather than Domenech. In contrast, a wretched qualifying campaign, culminating in the play-off victory against the Republic of Ireland that was both marred and determined by Thierry Henry's handballed assist for William Gallas's goal, figures prominently on the charge sheet against Domenech.

So do the friendly results, including a draw with Tunisia and a defeat to China, that provide an inauspicious preparation for the World Cup. It is a tournament France enter in a seeming state of chaos. Player power helped them four years ago. Now it appears to be hindering Domenech. It is reported that much of the team want Henry and Abou Diaby in the side, whereas Domenech intends to pick Yoann Gourcuff and Sidney Govou. Altering the personnel could result in a change of system; he now prefers 4-3-3, the players are used to 4-2-3-1.

To complicate the issue, Henry is the captain. Should he be on the bench, Patrice Evra will lead the side, a choice that is reportedly responsible for an overlooked Gallas refusing to talk to the media during the tournament. It has been claimed that Nicolas Anelka has refused to pass to Gourcuff and that Franck Ribery took a free-kick to prevent the Bordeaux man having it. It is the definition of an unhappy camp. The manager's authority is being questioned and, as Bacary Sagna tacitly admitted, there has been a breakdown in communication between Domenech and his players. "We can maybe give him some advice or help but even if we were to offer I don't think he would listen," the Arsenal defender said.

But that is Domenech, a manager who pursues his own idiosyncratic approach. The suspicion that he refused to select Robert Pires because of his star sign (Scorpio, if it matters) is one evidence of eccentricity; his reaction to France's dismal Euro 2008 - to propose to his girlfriend live on national television - is another. His is not the easy way. Patrick Vieira, told to play more often to be selected, figured regularly for Manchester City and was then ignored. Karim Benzema was omitted from the squad after an awkward first year at Real Madrid, despite his evident talent.

Henry and Ribery, who have both endured underwhelming seasons, favour the same position, on the left. Florent Malouda, the in-form alternative, is likely to start either on the bench or in a deeper role. International football provides such tests of managerial acumen, of an ability to react to circumstances. Lassana Diarra, who should have been the midfield powerhouse, misses the World Cup. Yet France's individual difficulties are no greater than those of many other squads. The difference for Les Bleus lies in the apparent disharmony and evident negativity among their supporters.

Tonight's opponents Uruguay were sufficiently confident and united to name their starting line-up 48 hours early. "The system we have chosen can adapt to the different things we could face against France," Oscar Washington Tabarez, their coach, said. Given the troubled build-up, the unpredictable manager and the unruly players, predicting what they could face from France must involve a remarkable degree of foresight.

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