The manager wants the forward to do more in the upcoming matches
Antonie Griezmann recently signed a new contract extension with Atletico Madrid, ending rumors linking him to Barcelona for the past couple of months. Before announcing the news, he told that he will make a decision about his future before the World Cup starts.
France faced Australia in their opening match of the World Cup and won the match by 2-1. But the team’s performance was not up to the mark as they needed VAR for both the times they scored and had to fight hard to squeeze their win.
Griezmann converted a penalty after he was brought down to open the scoring but he was not his usual self as he struggled to make an impact in rest of the game. He was replaced after 70 minutes, making way for Olivier Giroud.
Though France manager Didier Deschamps has assured the 27 year old of his place in the starting XI and claimed his place is not under threat. But he wants the forward to do more in the upcoming matches.
“Antoine is Antoine: he is our attacking leader and he will remain our leader of attack,” Deschamps told Telefoot.
“However, he was perhaps a little short of his best, too.”
“He knows it and he is aware of it.
“It does not matter which players are left out – they are never happy. But there are also those who come in.”
The manager also told that he was happy with the contributions of second half substitutes Giroud, Blaise Matuidi and Nabil Fekir.
“From one match to another it can evolve,” said Deschamps. “Olivier, he has been with us for a while, he has an efficiency that is very good.
“I made a different choice: he was disappointed too. But the way he transformed his disappointment with his entry is what matters.
“Of the three substitutes of yesterday, they brought what I expected from a guy coming off the bench.”
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