The French juggernaut took off just past the hour mark in their World Cup opener – and there has been no grounding them since. For the best part of 60 minutes, France’s fearsome attacking squad looked clueless and disjointed in their first match against Senegal, a montage of world-class forwards unable to connect. As the Lions of Teranga sliced through the French lines with ease, and Les Bleus’ attackers played out of role, some fans might have been wishing the Deschamps era had ended sooner. Then, after a half-time word from the manager, Ousmane Dembélé swapped sides with Michael Olise, the engine finally clicked into gear, and Kylian Mbappé blew away the (one-time) African champions in the space of a few minutes. Read moreMbappé brace ignites France's title bid after sleepy start against Senegal Another three wins later, the 2022 runners-up have amassed a staggering 13 goals from just four games, one short of their total in Qatar, cementing their status as this tournament’s hot favourites. But it is the manner of those victories that has enthralled French and other fans alike, after more than a decade of Les Bleus’ star-studded squads being constrained by their manager’s instinct to defend. Blemish on the record Over the years, Deschamps has established a winning pedigree that speaks for itself, guiding Les Bleus to back-to-back World Cup finals and clinching the famous golden trophy both as player (1998) and as coach (2018). But in the eyes of many fans of the beautiful game, his conservative approach has left a blemish on his extraordinary record. Why, the sceptics asked, be so timid with the likes of Mbappé and Dembélé in your squads – not to mention Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and (on the few occasions he was called up) Karim Benzema.