UEFA Euro 2012

Head coach Laurent Blanc has experimented with a number of different formations over the past two years and at times his selected team has played well.

Highly-efficient goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, experienced full-backs Bacary Sagna (Arsenal) and Patrice Evra (Manchester United), sturdy centre-backs Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes, Bayern Munich’s wideman Franck Ribery, classy midfielders Samir Nasri (Manchester City) and Yann M’Vila and £30m Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (32 goals last season) are the mainstays.

In fact, I believe that under Blanc, Les Bleus have become more attack-minded; they invariably aim to dominate possession using their short passing game, and rely on the skills of Ribéry and Nasri and Benzema to unsettle defences.

They will be a force, I’m sure of that.