Domenech navigating stormy waters

THE wind and rain was of King Lear proportions outside the French team’s Dublin hotel last night but the storm clouds have never been far from Raymond Domenech during his five years in charge of Les Bleus.

Dismal performances at the start of the 2006 World Cup, and again in Euro 2008, left him perilously close to the exit door and he flirted with the sack yet again last September after a 3-1 defeat in Austria.

A stay of execution was earned in Bucharest a month later when a draw was salvaged from a 2-0 deficit but the 57-year-old remains on shaky ground with France’s World Cup future still in the melting pot.

Rarely has a manager dominated the build-up to a game of this magnitude as much as Domenech who has been portrayed as the weakest link in the French set-up and Ireland’s best hope of making South Africa.

Even Richard Dunne has joined the growing chorus of disapproval, which was so evident earlier in the week when Domenech was booed loudly by a Parisian crowd at a tennis match.

According to the Aston Villa defender, Domenech has messed up a potentially great French team but the target of the Dubliner’s derision gave a revealing reply when asked about such criticism shortly after their arrival in the Irish capital.

“That is not of my concern,” said Domenech. “I have to prepare my team for the match. I have long since stopped listening to the press. Otherwise I would probably have killed myself.”

Lose over two legs in the space of the next five days and Domenech will probably have to emigrate in order to escape the backlash in France but, whatever the result tonight, he wasn’t preparing any excuses yesterday.

The weather, he admitted, is far from ideal but: “For great players this is the way it is. We will be prepared as possible. The players are prepared. The rain is not an excuse. We are ready for battle. The aim is to qualify for the World Cup, rain or shine.”

What his team will be is difficult to say. The accepted 11 being discussed by journalists from both countries all week would see a French side lining out without Karim Benzema, Florent Malouda and the Lyon pair of Sidney Govou and Jeremy Toulalan, who is a late injury concern.

Quite a bunch to have in reserve.

Unlike Trapattoni, whose first 11 is almost as dependable as a Swiss clock, Domenech has varied both his playing personnel and formations throughout the campaign so far.

The suspicion is that Toulouse sensation Andre-Pierre Gignac will lead the line up front with Yoann Gourcuff just behind him the ‘hole’ and Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka providing further threats from the flanks.

It is easy to see why people have latched on to Domenech’s supposed potential as a banana skin when the visitors possess such riches on the field and no-one should need reminding that their last visit to Dublin ended with a 1-0 win.

That was in 2005 when one moment of magic from Henry separated the sides but Domenech was quick to discard that game’s relevance rather than use the result as extra ammunition.

Asked for similarities between then and now, he replied glibly that France still wear blue and Ireland green and he was equally reluctant to discuss whether the home side is better now than then.

“I never speak about the opponent. I have enough problems with France but I respect the Ireland team. I know they are a good team. The idea is not to make mistakes, to score goals and to qualify. If we do this, it will be positive.”

Henry was equally disinterested in the past.

“The game we should have played as a team wasn’t one of the best games that you see,” he said of that last meeting at Lansdowne Road.

“We got the three points. It doesn’t matter who scores. That was four years ago. It is small details that can make something happen, change the game. Whatever it can be, it will do for me.”

Much has been made of Ireland’s determination not to concede a goal and of France’s supposed weaknesses at set pieces but Henry was reluctant to delve too deeply into what manner of contest we can expect.

“I really don’t know what type of game it will be. I don’t really like talking before the match. Maybe after Wednesday, we will have an idea. We don’t know how they will come at us.

“We will try to have a good game and we will try to win it here. We’ve won here before. We’re going to have to do it again but we are all aware that it will be difficult.”

Henry and Domenech have not always seen eye to eye but they were on the same wavelength last night, responding to every enquiry with brief and perfunctory responses.

The message was clear. The time for talking is over.