Defensive worries may stop France realising their potential

Didier Deschamps’ conservative tactics, questions over the defence and a team that has failed to ignite leads me to the conclusion that France are far too short to win the World Cup.

Twenty years after Deschamps captained Les Bleus to glory it’s fanciful to believe he can repeat that feat as a manager in the coming weeks.

I certainly cannot compare them favourably with the other three market leaders, Brazil, Germany and Spain. And there are many in France, me included, who would suggest that Belgium and even England are better value.