On July 14th, in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, Spain defeated France 2-0, advancing to the FIFA World Cup final after 16 years. After the match, several French commentators fiercely questioned Deschamps' lineup and tactics for the game.

Doue or Barcola?

Deschamps' first and most questioned decision was to start Bradley Barcola instead of Doue, who had started in the quarter-final against Morocco. Throughout the FIFA World Cup, the left-wing attacking position for France was also the most uncertain position in Deschamps' lineup decisions.

However, Doue is physically stronger and can drop back into midfield, which seemed more suitable for this configuration, yet Deschamps chose Barcola.

Walid Acherchour bluntly stated on RMC's "After Foot" program: "In my opinion, Desire Doue should have started. You played that way against Morocco because Doue was the best player in the first half; he could drop back into midfield at certain stages and participate in defense when out of possession."

"You chose Barcola because you wanted to play counter-attacking football, but it didn't work well. The partnership of Olise and Dembele almost disappeared; one showed good effort but was suppressed by Rodri, while the other was completely invisible. Couldn't you even make adjustments during the game? At the 60th minute, you could only substitute Olise and Cherki? Couldn't you put Olise back on the right wing? Why not play 4-3-3?"

"We've discussed 4-3-3 many times, but it's really difficult for Deschamps to start with it. Not starting Doue was a mistake, because he was more likely to cause trouble for this Spanish team," said Florent Gautreau. "Doue allows you to have an extra midfielder at certain stages. I don't understand why, after finding this solution in the last game, he dug himself into a hole again this time."

Handling Rabiot's yellow card

Rabiot received a yellow card for a tackle shortly after the start of the game and then committed another foul that almost earned him a second yellow card. He was eventually substituted at halftime. Deschamps might have done this to protect the player, but it still baffled outsiders.

Julien Laurens said: "I'm disappointed with everything. Deschamps' choices before the match disappointed me, and his management during the game disappointed me even more. Rabiot was substituted because of a yellow card... I'm sorry, but in my opinion, that's outrageous! He was the only player in the first half who maintained his level along with Upamecano; he won seven or eight duels and was the only one on the team who could win duels. In my opinion, he (Deschamps) was messing up from start to finish!"

Walid Acherchour also questioned Deschamps' in-game adjustments, believing they were passive or even went against the flow of the game. "What disappoints me is that you could totally start with four forwards, that's fine. But during the game, Deschamps made some choices, especially taking off Rabiot – who was the best midfielder in the first half, just because he got a yellow card. Deschamps had the right to actively command the game!"

Tchouameni replaces Kone, reputation over form

Kone, who performed brilliantly in the quarter-final against Morocco, started this match on the bench. Tchouameni, returning from injury, was back in the double pivot alongside Rabiot. For Deschamps, this was a matter of hierarchy, but for several guests on "After Foot," it was a mistake. Julien Laurens said: "Tchouameni shouldn't have started this game at all; he should have continued with Kone."

Laurens then mentioned Rabiot's early substitution, saying he had originally thought Deschamps would correct his mistakes during the game: "What's the point of taking someone off because of a yellow card? The best midfielder in the first half should have stayed on, plus Kone. I'm not saying that would have won us the game; we really weren't as good as our opponents. But maybe you could have tried to gamble with three midfielders. When he sent Kone to warm up in the 46th minute, I thought, 'He's actually going to do it.'"

Acherchour, referring to Spain coach De la Fuente's pre-match choices, emphasized that Deschamps did not make those difficult but necessary decisions: "For example, De la Fuente put Nico Williams on the bench, even though he had returned; he put Pedri on the bench, even though he is one of the top three midfielders in La Liga, and used Fabian Ruiz instead. When it's time to make decisions, you have to make them! Tchouameni and Kone, if Tchouameni hasn't recovered 100%, you shouldn't start him!"

"Deschamps knows this player best and watches him train every day. But when he hides behind like a third center-back... then you might as well just play Konate! If Tchouameni isn't physically ready, what's the point of him playing? Why not start the in-form Kone? As for those four forwards, we can certainly say that's what we wanted, no problem. But as a coach, Deschamps should have shown his level of in-game command!"

Maxime Chanot appeared more restrained, suggesting that the starting players' individual form itself was not up to par: "We have to admit that Deschamps has performed very well since the start of this tournament. He did make mistakes in the lineup, with both Tchouameni and Barcola being questionable choices. But even with Barcola, if we had won, everyone would have said, 'Deschamps did well, it was smart to put him ahead of Doue.' The same logic applies to Rabiot's substitution. However, I don't think it's necessary to overly question Deschamps' choices, because the real problem lies with the players themselves. Technique, mentality, all aspects... the Spaniards were simply stronger."

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