FRENCH REACTION:RAYMOND DOMENECH enters stage left. Texting away on his mobile phone, in a ruffled black trench coat, the French coach looks more like a haggard Parisian businessman resigned to waiting for the Metro after yet another interminable day shovelling merde in some mid-management desk job.
Top button open, loose tie and drained eyes, with bowed head and eyes closed every time the translator relays his words to the Irish media.
There is tension in the room as Mr Domenech’s relationship with the French media has utterly disintegrated.
Yet he remains polite, if not forthcoming, throughout the difficult process – even allowing the comment that he is storming out of the press conference to be translated before actually doing so.
In fact, he answers one more question about the galaxy of superstars he allegedly commands.
Word is out about the dispute between Domenech and French captain Thierry Henry in the team hotel last Friday.
Eamon Dunphy reliably informed us before kick-off that Henry openly damned the coach for lacking direction. The dressingroom has supposedly bolted.
And yet, their second-half dominance of possession tells us something entirely different.
It confirms what we already know – the French are a superior force of nature to Giovanni Trapattoni’s disciplined and industrious Irish side. It also proves they remain united as a team.
Domenech’s demeanour tells us something else again. Providing short, dry responses to the barbed questions being hurled at him, such a tussle with the Fourth Estate can only end one way. Domenech did not invent this stubborn stance, nor is he perfecting it.
For evidence of how it eventually concludes, see the last three Irish managers.
The French media are at open war with Domenech. This, of course, has nothing to do with us. Yet we can relate (we can also stir: an Irish journalist sought confirmation about the Henry incident, prompting the walk-out by Domenech).
Such internal problems were supposed to be an advantage to Ireland but, as Brian Kerr forewarned in these pages last week, that was not evident in their performance, especially in the second-half.
What keeps Domenech alive are the results. Barely.
“I always speak with Thierry Henry before every match. He is the captain of the team.”
“Did you have a dispute?”
Here’s where it became tricky as not only did the translation make no sense but neither, apparently, did the French Domenech used.
“We always have discussions and this time I saw the light.”
“No”, Domenech corrected, “I was enlightened.”
We suspect this reply is dripping with sarcasm. A coach in Domenech’s position feels the whole world is turning on him and reacts accordingly.
A French journalist threw what may have been another verbal grenade into the mix.
“I’m going to stand up and leave and maybe we will talk about it on Wednesday.”
“There are 25,000 Irish expected, do you have a message for the French supporters?”
Cue the usual refusal to give the media anything. The message is the same as when the tickets went on sale.
“The people would like France to qualify of course and the people are very much behind us.”
This looks like the end of soccer in GAA headquarters for some time. Twice now the French have ruined an international party in Croke Park. They also spoiled the opening event.
For Vincent Clerc now read Nicolas Anelka.
One-nil or a draw, the job remains the same: an Irishman must score in Paris. On a Wednesday night. No problem, obviously, for Henry or Anelka but no easy task for the less sophisticated Irishmen.
