Is this man the ultimate artist?

COMPARISONS are too subjective to be meaningful in a football sense — much more instructive and rewarding to celebrate genius in its own right.

The pre-eminent role of Zinedine Zidane in the affairs of French football inevitably invites comparisons with the giants of the past the legendary Raymond Kopa and the brilliant Michel Platini.

It is an exercise that will not be pursued here, if for no other reason than it is enough to enjoy the moment and the latest extravagant feat of the incomparable Zidane.

Kopa, whose goal-scoring feats made him famous across the world, had disappeared from the scene too early for this observer to enjoy his particular gifts.

Happily, the delightful talents of Platini and Zidane have enriched the international scene with particular flair over the past 30 years.

What an endorsement of the style and sophistication of the football fostered and developed by the French these two have been.

How privileged the French to be able to boast two such exhilarating players, gifted beyond their peers with more than just their football skills but also in terms of their strength of character and moral courage.

Zidane dominated England in the Estadio Da Luz with a performance of real substance, his commitment to the cause unaffected in any way by English attempts to mix it physically with him.

Lampard, Scholes and Rooney all clashed with him in turn, but he was unflinching in the face of English attempts at discouragement.

He is every bit the leader of the current French team, just as Platini was in his day in the late 1970s and '80s.

Platini was just like Zidane with his decisive penalty against England, always prepared to accept the responsibility of the moment, always ready to display the leaderships all teams need when faced with the ultimate challenge.

Platini famously missed a penalty in the critical shoot-out against Brazil in the World Cup quarter-final of 1986 in Mexico, but his readiness to accept the difficult task was never doubted, and was a testament to his manly courage.

Platini spoke in glowing terms of Zidane when he met the Irish press at the draw for the next World Cup in Frankfurt last December.

When I asked him to name the player or players in the current French team he most enjoyed, he responded in typical style with the rhetorical question: "Zidane, Henry, Vieira ... how can I choose? It is like (choosing between) your mother and your father."

When I pressed the issue, seeking the obvious answer, he smilingly said: "France can win without Zidane."

Indeed they have done, for Zidane missed two games in the 1998 World Cup after he was sent off against Saudi Arabia, and France still prospered.

But would they have beaten Brazil in the final without him? I think not.

And they would not have beaten England without his inspiration in Lisbon.

The manner of France's win helped disguise some deficiencies.

They did not look the power they were in the 1998 World Cup or the 2000 European Championship.

The years have taken their toll on Bixente Lizarazu, for at 34 years of age, he has lost pace and was unable to show the penetration of old.

France found it impossible to break through England's sturdy defence, and while Trezeguet opened quite brightly, he made little impact at centre-forward. Henry, quiet early on, was also countered effectively.

So the French created relatively few clear-cut openings, despite their dominance of possession and the persistent promptings of Zidane.

Pires alone showed the ability to get beyond England's last line of defence and future opponents will have been encouraged by England's relative success.

England maintained their reputation of being difficult to beat, and while the result was undoubtedly a huge setback, they will not be without hope of recovering sufficiently to advance beyond the group stages.

Ledley King was a big success at centre-back in place of John Terry, and Wayne Rooney looked very promising.

His withdrawal was a surprise.

England's tactics were conservative, but served them well. Their approach was uncomplicated and reflected the type of defensive organisation and commitment that helped Jack Charlton achieve so much with Ireland.

The kernel of their plan was that deployment of the midfield was designed to ensure that France could never get a clear sight of goal from a central position.

The area just in front of the penalty box was more crowded than the Dublin-Cork train on a Friday evening.

France were forced repeatedly to go wide to launch the ball high into the area classic Charlton tactics and England prospered.

Yet their team was hopelessly unbalanced.

Ashley Cole had a dreadful first-half against Pires, but had no help from Paul Scholes, who was nominally on the left of midfield.

Scholes seemed disinterested in any defensive work in that area and Cole suffered. Owen Hargreaves looked more progressive when he came in late in the game.

With Michael Owen and David Beckham also in subdued mood and goalkeeper David James showing his penchant for rashness in conceding the penalty, England looked far from settled. Their future is questionable.