France's Gallas sets team goal

The France players who started Monday's opening game against Romania were in pensive mood as they watched the rest of the squad rattle in seven goals in a 45-minute training match against a junior regional team in Chatel-Saint-Denis today.

'Decisive'
In Zurich, France's first XI failed to find the net once against a well-organised Romania side – and more worryingly still, they also struggled to create chances. The result has left the two-time European champions under pressure ahead of their next Group C match against the Netherlands, and defender William Gallas is counting on a positive reaction from Les Bleus. "We don't have a choice any more," he said. "Every match will be decisive from now on and it's up to us to beat the Netherlands and get on top of the group. That won't be easy but we are capable of getting three points."

Quick passing
With Romania adopting a cautious approach, the Arsenal FC captain had a relatively quiet evening at the back, leaving him well-placed to observe the shortfalls of France's attacking play. He believes the speed at which they constructed their moves was the root of the problem, saying: "We need to try to accelerate the play to create more openings. We seemed to lack the energy needed to play quicker and that gave Romania time to get behind the ball. Perhaps we'll need to change our style and start passing a bit quicker."

Team meeting
Having had a day to digest the first game, Gallas was full of bright ideas at Tuesday's news conference and said he is looking forward to a frank discussion between players and coach Raymond Domenech at the next team meeting. "We need to respond positively by discussing everything as much as possible," the 30-year-old said. "Personally, I'm really looking forward to the meeting. We've got a lot of things to talk about. Having discussions like that is very important because it's the only way to move forward as a team."

Goal threat
While France looked as solid as ever in defence in Zurich, the crux of the debate is likely to focus on rediscovering their attacking fluency. Thierry Henry should return in Berne on Friday, but Gallas insists it is up to every player to try to score – himself included. "We mustn't only talk about the strikers because it's important to have players supporting them as well," he stressed. "All that matters is that we score a goal, it doesn't matter where it comes from. Even a defender can score from a set-piece. I intend to start practising getting my head on corners in the next training session."