Why France are Quite Good, Really.

From the beginning of May, I've been telling anyone that would listen that France would be a surprise package at the World Cup. While people were considering Courtois, I was admiring Lloris. While people were excited about Hazard, I was buzzing for Valbuena. And while people were complimenting Benteke and Lukaku, I was fawning over Giroud and Benzema.

Since winning the World Cup on home soil in 1998, France have been knocked out at the Group Stage twice in 2002 and 2010, and reached the Final in 2006. To say that France are a "boom or bust" team would be the most accurate description since the last time England were described as underachievers.

This time, it's business.

However, France are a team set up to go far in this competition. At the helm, they have a man in Didier Deschamps who knows what it takes to win the World Cup. Decisions taken by the manager have lead to a harmonious camp, including leaving out Samir Nasri, a volatile character to say the least. Of course, Nasri's girlfriend wasn't massively impressed by this decision, launching a personal attack on the FFF on every social networking site at her fingertips. How mature.

Yes, Olivier. Five.

As well as having what seems to be the right man for the job, France also have one of the deepest squads at the World Cup, boasting cover in a number of positions. Sagna and Debuchy at RB were arguably the two best at their position in the Premier League this season, Giroud is hardly a terrible replacement, should Benzema go down injured, Laurent Koscielny was, in my opinon, Arsenal's most consistent CB this season, and he only makes the bench behind Sakho and Varane, and Moussa Sissoko is more than capable of replacing Cabaye, Pogba or Matuidi. The only question mark I would have over the squad is the selection of Lucas Digne over Gael Clichy as a back-up for Patrice Evra at LB. Sure, Digne is young, and plays in a successful system at PSG, but can you really argue against the experience and pedigree of Clichy, were Evra to be rendered unavailable?

Naturally, the injury to Franck Ribery just a week before the start of the tournament was a blow the Les Bleus, but the way they have dealt with the situation has been really positive. Antoine Griezmann looks more than capable of filling that role, and if needed, they can switch to a 4-4-2 Diamond formation, with Valbuena supporting both Giroud and Benzema up front, which we saw work to devastating effect against Switzerland.

Majestic.

Indeed, in some ways, Ribery's injury has forced France together as a team, as there have been few reports of unrest in the camp, unlike in 2010. Back in South Africa, France were under the tutelage of Raymond Domenech, a man so absurdly power hungry, he made Kim Jong-Il look like a liberal. Now, with Deschamps in charge, and a harmonious squad without the personality of Nasri in there, France are beginning to play to their potential. They're playing with each other and for each other, rather than as shoddily glued-together individuals. No longer are we seeing arguments amongst one another. There is no more rolling about on the floor, or calling for an opponent to be carded.

These Frenchmen mean business, and I, for one, am right behind them.