EURO 2024: “THEY HAVE IT IN THEM”, WHY WE SHOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE FRENCH ATTACK

The French team’s attackers are approaching the quarter-final of Euro 2024 against Portugal on Friday (9 p.m.) with a lack of efficiency. A simple question of gaining momentum for Denis Troch, performance optimization coach, who predicts that confidence will be restored very quickly.

A total of 69 shots attempted (fourth in the competition) for three goals scored but none in play. The French team approaches its quarter-final of Euro 2024 against Portugal , this Friday (9 p.m.), with a serious lack of efficiency. The two own goals (by the Austrian Maximilian Wöber and the Belgian Jan Vertonghen) and the penalty by Kylian Mbappé (25 years old) say everything about this incredible bad luck of the French attackers. They had ammunition but Mbappé (third player in number of shots attempted at the Euro, 15) missed his one-on-one against Austria (1-0) before the two unmissable ones by Antoine Griezmann against the Netherlands (0-0), then the big waste in front of the goal against Poland (1-1).

“We must continue to dare”

It was still difficult against Belgium (1-0) before the goal of liberation on a missed shot by Randal Kolo Muani . Aurélien Tchouaméni tried but Didier Deschamps regretted seeing his players “force their shots too much”.

A lack of lightness and a sign of flagging confidence? No, according to Denis Troch, performance optimization coach. “Taking risks is necessary and essential to achieve extraordinary success,” he explains. “Hitting hard, trying things, using and abusing certain things, that’s part of the high-level player’s kit. That they try and fail is completely normal. We must continue to dare, that’s what allows us to make risk-taking normal and recurring.”

Arthur Jorge ‘s former assistant at PSG (1991-1994) who has become a mental trainer is not worried about the French attackers. He sees these failures as a simple rise in power towards the ultimate goal: the title. “This Euro has generated quite a few surprises, we can see that the rated teams are struggling to impose themselves so the teams, particularly France, are wary and absolutely do not want to take any risks. You absolutely have to let go at some point and they certainly did not want to do it too early and waste too much energy.”

Once the group stage and the last 16 have passed, the time has come for the Blues. “The confidence is in them, they have it,” he insists. “For years, they have been able to overcome these problems of success and failure. They have that in them, they just need to focus on the essential thing which is now to go for the title. Now, I think that this French team has the means to go for confidence, this serenity, the audacity, the risk-taking to obtain the best possible results.”

“The more we talk about it, the more we will anchor this possibility of not scoring”

He dismisses the idea of ​​players impacted by their heavy club news , as may be the case for Kylian Mbappé but also for Randal Kolo Muani or Ousmane Dembélé, not exactly comfortable in front of goal with PSG. External criticism – while it should not be ignored – is not a hindrance either. For Denis Troch, finding the back of the net again will create a virtuous circle. But not what means to achieve it? “The closer we get to the final, the less we have to talk, the more we have to act and take risks, it’s essential,” he advises. “We have to focus and not ask ourselves existential questions that could destabilize or give the team the opportunity to procrastinate. It is necessary to go for the most accurate, the simplest and do exactly what they have already done in their career, in the French team to regain their bearings.”

“You have to say very few words but you have to show behaviors and attitudes that you have to have on the field that will give confidence to the team but also to the outside world.”

Before Belgium , “Captain Mbappé” had urged his teammates not to dwell on these wasted opportunities: “it mustn’t stay in the guys’ heads”. Denis Troch agrees. “It’s logical, but the more we talk about it, the more we’ll anchor this possibility of not scoring”, he explains. “None of the French players can’t score. I’m not worried. The essential thing is that they manage to quickly create this spark that will allow everyone to believe in this French team.”

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And this does not necessarily involve increasing the number of shots in training. “In general, we do not focus on the problems of the moment, we have already worked on everything that is technical, strategic, tactical and mental, so they are able to resolve this problem without having to stand three meters from the goal and try to score,” concludes Denis Troch. “Scoring goals, making assists, winning a match, they have already done it. It is reassuring themselves with everything they have already done previously. This is what I call achievement objectives to move towards results objectives where they are obliged to win. But they have integrated this throughout their career.”