Domenech focuses on facing the Faroese

World Cup 2006 Qualifying: France manager Raymond Domenech has told his players to spend this week focusing entirely on Saturday's World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands in Lens, and only turn their attention to the Republic of Ireland game once they have three points in the bag.

With the potentially decisive Group Four clash at Lansdowne Road just a week away, Domenech knows that his future, as well as that of the French team, is hanging in the balance.

But the 53-year-old was reluctant to speak about Ireland at the team's training centre in Clairefontaine yesterday. "If we lose against the Faroe Islands, then the match in Ireland will be a friendly," he said. "Even if we go on to beat the Irish, we will be out. So if we're going to talk about decisive games, let's start by talking about the Faroe Islands."

Domenech's caution is understandable given France's dire performance in Torshavn last September. Leading 1-0 through Ludovic Giuly's goal, Les Bleus were left clinging on at times in the second half after Patrick Vieira had been sent off. A late Djibril Cissé goal saved any potential embarrassment.

"I admit that after Vieira's red card I was scared of what might happen," Domenech said. "You cannot afford to underestimate opponents in modern football. The Faroe Islands are not coming here to applaud us.

"They're coming to defend and to try to create a piece of history. We'll need to play at one 100 per cent and try to force them on to the back foot."

France's new captain Zinedine Zidane seemed less concerned by the visit of the group's bottom-placed team. "If we can't beat the Faroe Islands, then we'll have to be honest with ourselves and admit there's a serious problem," he said.

If France play with the kind of fluency they showed against the Ivory Coast two weeks ago, they should have little difficulty in sealing a comfortable win.

Zidane, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram all marked their returns to international football in the 3-0 friendly win, and all three will start the forthcoming qualifiers barring injury.

Domenech, however, is not expecting a similarly flamboyant display from Les Bleus in Dublin. "The game against the Ivory Coast was like a party and, with the three players coming back, everything went to script," he explained.

"In Dublin, we won't be at a party, we'll be in a battle. The Irish will be aggressive and they'll try to impose themselves on us physically. In the last game we proved that we can pass the ball around nicely and create chances, but in Ireland we'll need to show different qualities."

Domenech repeatedly uses words like athletic, physical and powerful when speaking about Ireland, but he dismissed the suggestion that he was overlooking their footballing qualities. "Their athleticism stands out of course, but they have many other strengths," he said. "They're a very solid group and they stick together on the pitch.

"They also showed in Paris that they know how to play good football and if any of my players are uncertain about that, I'll be making it clear to them before the game. I doubt they need telling, though, as many of them play against the Irish players in England."

The presence in midfield of Makelele and Vieira, both of whom missed the goalless draw with Ireland in the Stade de France in October, will help France compete with Brian Kerr's team on a physical level.

"Patrick has already spoken to us about the importance of responding to Ireland's physical approach," Zidane said. "They are going to get stuck in, but we're also a strong team and we'll hold our own," he added.

Zidane is set continue in a central playmaker role, though Domenech was cagey when asked whether Thierry Henry would play as a solitary striker again. "I have the team in my head, but things could change between now and Saturday and I don't want to say too much," he explained.

David Trezeguet is suspended for the next two matches, but Sylvain Wiltord and Cissé are both candidates to play alongside Henry.

Usually, Domenech would not hesitate in naming a more attacking line-up for a home match with the Faroe Islands, but he could stick with the more compact 4-4-1-1 formation in order to give his players more time to get used to it. "I can't say if I will select the same team in both games. I know what I will do, but I can't say yet," Domenech said.