Stuart Kenny writes for the University of Stirling’s Brig on the prospects of the French football team ahead of Euro 2012:

When describing the French national football team, the term “underdog” would normally be irrelevant. The great footballing nation has a world cup title and two European Championships to its name, but Les Bleus will head to Ukraine this summer free from the weight of expectation, after a notoriously poor World Cup performance.

The 2010 World Cup saw the French side crash and burn in more ways than one. With Laurent Blanc now at the helm of the team, and a big redraft of the squad list, the underdog tag on the French cockerel may turn out to be one perfectly designed to set up an unexpected push for the championship.

After a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Belarus on the opening day of Euro 2012 qualification, the French support must have feared for the worst for the remainder of their international fixture list. However, Laurent Blanc has since seen his side embark on a 18 match unbeaten run. His experimental side has all the talent, and much less of the ego responsible for the national side’s infamous World Cup implosion.

Full story here.