The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Switzerland

France hope post mortem talks between players and manager Raymond Domenech on Monday's uninspiring goalless draw with Romania will breathe much needed life into their Euro 2008 campaign.

The two time winners face Holland on Friday in what has become a must win encounter if they are to have a realistic chance of escaping the group of death.

And the players are counting on the summit meeting with Domenech to right the wrongs in evidence in Zurich ahead of the meeting with Marco van Basten's impressive 3-0 winners over world champions Italy.

"We're all used to having these meetings, to sort out what's going right and what's going wrong," said Eric Abidal, the Barcelona defender whose place is under threat from Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Abidal added: "In a group like ours discussions are important. You have to be able to say things."

His fellow defender William Gallas agreed.

"For an opening game we weren't able to let go, but that's completely normal.

"But we know well the French team, they fell better and better, one shouldn't be alarmed by this.

"We're waiting for the meeting with the manager to talk about what went wrong.

"During these talks every player will say what he has to say.

"Perhaps the coach is going to ask us what's not going right, perhaps he's already spoken about it with some players.

"It's imperative though that we hold talks."

Abidal said there was a mood of frustration in the French camp after Monday's unsatisfactory result.

"We would have liked to have left the pitch with a victory but it wasn't easy against a side happy to wait and get us on the counter attack.

"We didn't deal with our chances well.

"It's hard to know what the game will be like against Holland. Every game is different. Romania played very deep, waited for us to come and made life very hard for us.

"The Dutch will probably play differently, but we just need to focus on our own qualities.

"The next two matches are all important. We have to get good results, we don't have a choice now."

He insisted he wasn't concerned about the prospect of Domenech choosing Evra in his place.

"If there are changes it won't worry me. When I arrived I wasn't the first choice and so I worked for it. As fas as players are concerned you have to accept the manager's choice."

On a personal front Abidal denied rumours circulating about a possible departure from Barcelona for Serie A.

"I'm going to stay at Barcelona. I signed for four years, I've got three left. The press say I'm off to Italy but I don't think so."