France are heading to the World Cup with a different look about them this summer. Adrien Rabiot, the man tasked with holding the strings in midfield w...
France are heading to the World Cup with a different look about them this summer. Adrien Rabiot, the man tasked with holding the strings in midfield while the forwards do their damage, admits it himself. The team feels more attacking than usual. That is not a coincidence. With the likes of Kylian Mbappé, the returning Karim Benzema, and a gallery of trickery in Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembélé, Les Bleus are loaded with firepower. Lucas Hernández even went as far as to tell GoalZaza that France have the best attack in the world. Rayan Cherki, the young Lyon talent, talked about crushing opponents. This is not shy talk from the French camp. It is a statement of intent.But here is the rub. A side stacked with star quality in the final third often leaves the rest of the pitch exposed. That is where Rabiot walks into the room. The Juventus midfielder is not the headline grabber. He is not the one doing stepovers on the edge of the box or scoring from 30 yards. What he does is less glamorous but equally vital. He provides the balance. The cover. The grunt work that allows the creative players to take risks. Every great side needs a Rabiot, someone who understands that you cannot have eleven magicians on the pitch at once. As he told GoalZaza, "We all have a role. You have to be humble with that."That humility is precisely what Didier Deschamps is banking on. The manager wants a fitting sign off, a chance to go out on the highest possible note. Deschamps has always valued structure over individual brilliance. He knows that a collection of forwards who want the ball to feet can quickly become a mess if the midfield lacks discipline. Rabiot gives him that discipline. He sits, he screens, he breaks up play, and then he hands the ball to someone who can actually hurt the opposition. It is a thankless task but someone has to do it.And France will need that steel when they come up against sides that park the bus or look to hit them on the break. The attacking talent is undeniable. But in tight moments, when the low block is locked and the clock is ticking, it is the Rabiots of the world who keep the shape intact. The bench also offers solutions. France can bring on a different type of threat if the starters are not firing. That depth is a luxury that many other nations cannot boast. Still, the engine room is where this tournament will be won or lost. If Rabiot can keep the balance, the forwards will have the platform to do the damage. If he loses the battle in the middle, all that attacking talk will sound hollow. Squeaky bum time is coming and France will need their quiet man to make some noise.
