'Allo Raymond, goodbye Raymond?

It's crunch time today for Raymond Domenech, the coach of this country's national soccer team.

He has been called in to meet the leaders of the French Football Federation (FFF) to discuss his future and the plans for the team in its campaign to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Should he stay or should he go is the question on many sports fans' minds this morning and opinions are divided, even among those in the "know".

Leading the campaign to get rid of him are a number of players from the French side that won both the World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000, such as  Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu, and Christophe Dugarry. They're all calling for former team mate, Didier Deschamps to take over.

Surprisingly perhaps, given the obvious divisions there were within the French camp during last month's humiliating run at Euro 2008, a number of the current team are actually standing behind Domenech. But as one commentator said this morning on national television, that might just be a clever case of hedging their bets in case the FFF decides to give Domenech the nod once again.

He hasn't exactly won friends among the press here in France, but there again that's the fate of many a national team's manager in any country.

Dugarry has even gone as far to tell one magazine Domenech's main preoccupation seemed to be with himself and that it was easy to get the impression that "his image is more important (to himself) than that of the team."

Since France's disappointing showing at Euro 2008 there have been rumblings about his style of management, his perceived over-reliance in the campaign on older players to the detriment of younger talent and his preference for a defensive style of play.

Add to the mix the rather embarrassing proposal of marriage he made to his girlfriend, sports presenter Estelle Denis, live on national television shortly after France's final (losing) match to Italy and there would seem to be a rather potent argument for his dismissal.

But his contract doesn't officially run out until 2010, and there was nothing apparently in the one he signed shortly after France finished runners up in the 2006 World Cup which says his tenure is performance related - perhaps just as well.

France's first match in the qualifying campaign for that 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be in September 10 - against Serbia.

We'll know later today whether Domenech will still be the man in charge or whether the FFF decides to hand over the reins to someone else.

(opinionated) UPDATE:

Well it was very much a case of "sit down Raymond, have a seat and remain in it for as long as you like."

FFF - against all sense but not altogether contrary to expectations - backed Domenech as "their man" to at least lead France into the World Cup campaign. He'll apparently have some help to make sure he gets the best out the team. It'll be interesting to see what form that help takes.

Many here are criticising the decision as being a purely political one - in the sporting sense of the word. Domenech simply knows the right people in the FFF and as long as he has their support, there's no shifting him.

Disregard the fact that in over 20 years of management - club and now international - he has won nothing. Disregard the fact that with such a talented pool of young players available, he managed to field a largely overaged team at Euro 2008; Disregard the fact that he inherited a great squad and has squandered opportunities....and you're left with a man with little proven talent as a manager, but clearly able under the right set of circumstances to pull the necessary strings.

The FFF has claimed anyway that it's too late in the day to start looking about for another manager.