French Team Announced

**joeSoap** · 08/10/2004, 10:26 AM

And it doesn't look too daunting...

Barthez handed French captaincy in place of Vieira

10:11 Friday October 8th 2004

France have unveiled their team for tomorrow's crucial World Cup qualifier against Ireland in Paris.
The French team will be captained from the back as former Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has been handed the skipper's armband in the absence of the suspended Patrick Vieira.

The Irish defence will have to cope with the striking partnership of Thierry Henry and Liverpool's Djibril Cisse.

Olivier Dacourt, Sylvain Wiltort, Robert Pires and 20-year-old Bordeaux player Rio Antonio Mavuba will form the midfield.

And in defence Chelsea's William Gallas and Manchester United's Mikael Silvestre are named alongside the Monaco duo of Sebastien Squillaci and Gael Givet.

**tammy** · 08/10/2004, 11:35 AM

They are beatable thats for sure!

**Java Bleue** · 08/10/2004, 12:03 PM

Of course we're beatable, if your name is Brazil...

**steve staunton** · 08/10/2004, 12:08 PM

have to say that that french team is fairly crap appart from their strickers we have nothing to fear just hope kerr goes and attacks their defence i hear he might play finnan on right mid which would be hard on ried as this is his time to shine

**Java Bleue** · 08/10/2004, 12:14 PM

The problem is that we can't afford to lose, we were crap for the first 2 games, dropped points and now someone has to pay for it i.e. Ireland; your last hopes of us being complacent have left the building.

This being said we'll be most likely be crap against you too.

**Greenbod** · 08/10/2004, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Java Bleue

Of course we're beatable, if your name is Brazil...

Or Greece, or Czech Republic, or Denmark, or Senegal or perhaps......Ireland???

**Peadar** · 08/10/2004, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by Java Bleue

This being said we'll be most likely be crap against you too.

First we'll give you a lesson in football and then we'll teach you how to party!

**Java Bleue** · 08/10/2004, 12:27 PM

I don't know about the lesson of Football, I have the sneaking suspicion this could be the most boring game of the decade.

As for the craic, having been living in Fair City for the last 7 years I have a fair idea of the amount of mayhem 10000 paddies let loose in Paris can cause. Knock yourselves out guys, I never really liked parisians anyhow...

**Peadar** · 08/10/2004, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Java Bleue

having been living in Fair City for the last 7 years I have a fair idea of the amount of mayhem 10000 paddies let loose in Paris can cause. .

Multiply that by 3 mate.
There'll be 30,000 of us filling you sewers with Guinness poo.

Did we get you in exchange for ptegan?
We got the raw deal there I think

**ken foree** · 08/10/2004, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Multiply that by 3 mate.
There'll be 30,000 of us filling you sewers with Guinness poo.

there's hidden clubs and cinemas underneath paris within catacombs of skulls and bones y'know. there is, there is. which leads me to, where is all this irish optimism coming from?? on paper, we're half-decent. on paper, they're blinding. in reality, we're mediocre. in reality, they're a mystery. but worse than switzerland?

nothing wrong with confidence - god knows the players need it - but a healthy respect for the opposition is usually handy, no matter who they are. we'd demand the same! get that paris04 lad in here...

all that said, COME ONNNN IRELAND!!!!!!!