France look for harmony in new system

Updated: 2011-11-14 09:58

(Agencies)

  Print Mail Large Medium  Small 分享按钮 0

PARIS - France will use Tuesday's friendly at home to Belgium to try to iron out flaws in a new 4-4-2 system which coach Laurent Blanc hopes will make them more potent in front of goal.

Les Bleus laboured to a 1-0 win against the United States on Friday but strikers Kevin Gameiro and Karim Benzema failed to impress in a system with no proper playmaker, especially in the absence of the injured Samir Nasri.

Offensive midfielders Jeremy Menez and Franck Ribery brought some danger but could not quite find Benzema and Gameiro.

"We're not really used to this system. We tried to play together but it did not work out," Real Madrid striker Benzema said.

"We need a little bit more harmony between the four players up front."

Gameiro agreed, adding: "We must continue to work. I did not get a lot of balls in front of goal."

France, who booked their place at the Euro 2012 finals by topping their qualifying grouup last month, were more used to playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

"When you have four forwards, it's hard to find space and there is no one to make the pass," said Blanc, who wishes to "experiment with the system again".

"That's the whole problem with a 4-4-2. You need one of the strikers to slip back to get and give the ball to the other."

Benzema was not too worried as France still have time to improve before the European championship in Poland and Ukraine next June.

"We have a significant margin of improvement," he said, adding that France could build on a 16-match unbeaten run.

"It's good for our self-confidence."

Midfielders Yohan Cabaye and Florent Malouda, who missed Friday's game through injury, took part in Saturday's training session and are expected to be fit to face Belgium at the Stade the France.

France's next friendly after that is against Germany in Bremen in February.