Clichy acknowledges Deschamps´ credentials

14 August 2012 16:12

France defender Gael Clichy has thrown his support behind new coach Didier Deschamps ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Uruguay.

The match at Le Havre's newly opened Stade Oceane will be former Marseille boss Deschamps' first in charge since taking over from Laurent Blanc in July.

"His record at the international level is nil, but as a club coach, he did great," Clichy said.

"We need to respect that.

"The players have to adapt to his demands. We will create his record through our performances.

"He has proven that he is a good coach. He was a good player. He knows football very well."

Blanc left his position in the wake of France's disappointing Euro 2012 campaign, when the team was eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarter-final.

That loss was marred by a row between midfielder Samir Nasri and reporters, while playmaker Jeremy Menez was involved in a series of confrontations, leading to the suspension of both players.

Deschamps has already made clear he will not accept such undisciplined acts.

"The performances will be the first criterion for him," Clichy added.

"But the attitude on and off the pitch will be important for him and the national team. So we will have to be very careful.

"Every coach has his methods. He makes his choices and we have to respect that.

"We have some players with talent and we would need to use that talent. But we can see that the coach has something in mind.

"We will have to stick to it. It's new and everyone restarts from the same place. There is no certainty anymore."

Deschamps meanwhile said he has laid down ground rules for the squad as he attempts to avoid becoming the latest France coach to fall victim to player unrest.

"The most important thing this morning was to create a framework and establish the rules of working within the group," he said.

"Ensure that they apply them every day. This is important. I feel that players are happy to be here and I hope they will be when they return. We do not live in the past. We must stay focused on our goal - qualifying for the World Cup."