Where's France's flair gone? With Kylian Mbappe and Co STILL yet to score from open play Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps is embracing his role as national killjoy, writes MATT BARLOW

Where’s all the French flair gone?

With his team failing to score from open play, Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps has embraced his role as national killjoy

The prospect of France against Spain in the European Championship will conjure flashbacks to 1984, for anyone of a certain vintage.

That was the summer of French footballing flair as created by Michel Platini, since mired by FIFA controversy but then a supreme and unblemished midfield artist at the peak of his powers. His flamboyant brilliance and record nine goals in that tournament, including two hat-tricks in the group stage, was complemented by the silky skills of Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana and Luis Fernandez.

They made it past Portugal after extra-time in a semi-final and beat Spain in Paris to claim their first major trophy. Forty years on, there are echoes in the shape of opposition, with games against Belgium, Portugal and Spain, though progress has been achieved in very different style.

Platini led Michel Hidalgo’s free-scoring team to the title with 14 goals in five games, establishing an identity that would accompany France through another successful era when Zinedine Zidane stepped into Platini’s creative role. Under Didier Deschamps, however, it has become a very different story and never clearer than the first five games of this campaign, negotiated without defeat while scoring only three goals.

Two of them were own-goals and the other a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappe. French flair is a thing of the past, although the barricades are stronger than ever. They have conceded only once in Germany, a Robert Lewandowski penalty in a 1-1 draw against Poland.

‘Yes, it’s me,’ chortled Deschamps, playing up to the role of the national killjoy after a goalless 120 minutes against Portugal was won on penalties in Hamburg on Friday. ‘I’m a defensive coach so I play defensive.’

It was a featureless affair at times. Portugal dominated possession and took most of the risk, playing with a back four screened by Joao Palhinha, four creative players and Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line in his own way.

France in contrast were solid, the rearguard fortified by a trio of industrious midfielders who are all primarily defensive in nature and with goalkeeper Mike Maignan in commanding form. ‘The teamwork has been amazing and as a defender I take pride in it,’ said right back Jules Kounde. ‘Obviously the goal is always to score, especially from open play. We are going to look at things we can improve but we are not worried at all.’

France absorbed pressure and sought to spring out on the break, but Mbappe appears increasingly tired and troubled, irritated by the mask that protects his broken nose, and his performance was judged to be worth a mere two out of 10 by the acclaimed French newspaper L’Equipe.

After the match, Deschamps mentioned for the first time that Mbappe, his captain, had been carrying a back problem as well and had asked to come off during extra- time because he felt he had lost ‘the capacity to accelerate’.

So, despite progress to the last four, there has been a national debate about how best to rekindle the team’s attacking force, with Mbappe beleaguered and Antoine Griezmann ineffectual. L’Equipe gave Griezmann a three for his efforts against Portugal.

‘You are very severe,’ said Deschamps in response to critical post-match questions about those two in particular. ‘I will always defend my players. For various reasons Kylian and Antoine are not playing their best football, but the situation is not the same. Both are supposed to make us more efficient.

‘We lack efficiency but we are here, and they are part of the team and beyond the football qualities the team strength is still alive.’

There are some parallels with England’s splutter through the early rounds, with the absence of fluency leading to a myriad of well-meaning suggestions about how to get the best out of Mbappe and others who might share the goal load.

Those not in the team will always have their advocates. Ousmane Dembele made an impact from the bench on Friday. Some have demanded to know why Olivier Giroud — the man who led the line during France’s World Cup triumph of 2018 without finding the net — had not been used more, but Deschamps carries on regardless.

The 55-year-old has been in the job for 12 years and knows what it takes to get into the closing stages of tournaments. As captain, he won the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros two years later. As manager, France have reached three major finals and won the World Cup in 2018.

Deschamps is sure the secret lies in being hard to beat, even if he understands the yearning for a little more flair.

He survives in pursuit of what would be a wonderful achievement — to win both major titles as a player and manager.