The French are sleepwalking through June

If you thought France was going to coast through their group stage opener against Senegal, I have a bridge in Paris to sell you. Watching Deschamps’ men touch the ball today felt like watching someone try to solve a Rubik’s cube while wearing oven mitts. There was no rhythm, no bite, and honestly, no reason to believe this squad has a functioning attack right now.

The internet, as per tradition, is currently a dumpster fire of hot takes. Half the fanbase is convinced that this is a 4D chess move to avoid the bracket of doom, while the more cynical regulars are already drafting their 'it’s over' manifestos. There is no middle ground when it comes to Les Bleus; you are either bowing down to the talent or setting your jersey on fire in the parking lot.

The skeptics are sharpening their pitchforks

Go onto any match thread right now and you’ll find a chorus of people asking why France looks like a Sunday pub team that forgot their boots. Senegal, meanwhile, is playing with house money and they nearly cracked the code when they hit the post in the first half. That moment was the loudest silence I’ve ever heard in a pub.

One poster argued that the tactical setup is too rigid, effectively castrating the wingers by forcing them to track back until they are essentially auxiliary fullbacks. Another user pointed out that the midfield rotation is completely incoherent, leaving huge pockets of space for Senegal’s quick transitions. It’s hard to argue with a group that has consistently identified the lack of vertical passing as the team’s biggest weakness.

Why the contrarians are actually kind of right

Then you have the contrarians, the ones who insist this rust is just a feature, not a bug. They claim France is legendary for starting tournaments by looking like a wet blanket before waking up in the knockout rounds to destroy everyone. It is a compelling narrative, but let's be real: at some point, quality has to actually show up on the grass.

The argument that talent *alone* should be enough to bypass Senegal is a lie we tell ourselves. Senegal is technically gifted, physically dominant, and they haven't shown a shred of nerves today. If Deschamps doesn’t adjust his pivot by the 60th minute, he’s asking for a repeat of the worst tournament exits in recent memory.

My take: The French midfield is a total disaster

Here is the reality: you can’t win games playing like you’re waiting for a train. The defensive line is dropping too deep, which might be a strategy to avoid counter-attacking speed, but it is rendering the entire midfield useless. We are watching one of the deepest squads in history play with the confidence of a team scared to lose possession.

If you look at the stats on the screen during the match, the possession numbers are fine, but the threat is zero. Zero. Getting the ball to the final third and then passing backward to the center-backs is not 'tactical discipline.' It is a coward’s way to earn a drab 0-0 draw. Being 'calculated' is one thing, but if you treat an opening game like a chess match against a team that is willing to punch you in the mouth, you deserve to get clipped.

Unless there is a massive shift in intensity during the second half, France is making it painfully obvious they aren't ready to compete with the heavy hitters in this bracket. Watching Thomas Tuchel’s recent defensive experiments across the Channel has been a train wreck, but at least those guys look like they give a damn. France just looks bored, and that is a much worse look for a team with this much silverware on the mantelpiece.