Didier Deschamps insists that Gareth Southgate deserves more credit for his work as England manager, claiming that the Three Lions 'have no weaknesses'.
The France boss will lead Les Blues into a mouthwatering World Cup quarter-final clash on Saturday, with the two nations both believing they can win the tournament. Deschamps certainly isn't underestimating the challenge and reckons England are lucky to have their gaffer, who fans often claim employs overly conservative tactics and sticks with his favourite players too much.
"I very much like Gareth," the Frenchman stated. "We've met on a number of occasions. We've talked on a number of things. If I have understood correctly, not everyone respects him so much in his own country.
"But he had a long and distinguished career and he's also a very good coach. He has enabled England to get some very good results over the years and I very much like him."
Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in Russia four years ago, is aiming for back-to-back triumphs and knows the Three Lions will provide his team with their toughest test yet. "They don't have any [weaknesses], all teams have strengths, not all have too many weaknesses, only some slightly less strong points," the 54-year-old continued on Friday.
"They have had the opportunity to see us play in four matches even though the third may not be too useful for them. At the end of the day you also need to make slight changes here and there and recognise slight weaknesses of opponents, areas you can work on."
Much of England's focus has been on France's star man, Kylian Mbappe. Understandably, Deschamps was keen to deflect talk away from the Paris Saint-Germain forward, knowing full well how keen Southgate and co are to stifle him.
"I am sure England will have prepared to face Kylian as our previous opponents did," the former Chelsea midfielder, who won the 1998 World Cup as a player, added. "But Kylian is in the position to make the difference and even in the last match where he didn’t show his top form he was still decisive.
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"We have other players that can be dangerous as well and that helps us not be over dependent on Kylian. But Kylian is Kylian and he has that capacity to make the difference."
As for France's preparations, captain Hugo Lloris issued a warning to his teammates about how dangerous Tottenham pal Harry Kane is. "Harry has the ability to shoot anywhere, on my right, my left, the middle," the Les Bleus goalkeeper, who's played with Kane in North London for more than a decade, explained.
"He is one of the best in this aspect of the game but for Harry and the other players there will be analysis on penalties, then it is all about feeling, about instinct that you get in the match but before to arrive in the shootout there is the time to make the difference on the pitch. We have to be ready for any scenario."
