Lucas Digne ripped to shreds by French media after what happened v Germany
Lucas Digne is one of several Aston Villa players representing their country in this international window.
The full-back started for France against Germany on Sunday (8 June) and played 90 minutes in their 2-0 victory in the UEFA Nations League third-place playoff.
France kept a clean sheet and won the match, so you might normally think that the sentiment toward Digne might be positive.
However, the 31-year-old has been torn to shreds by several French journalists after his performance in the game.
French journalists criticise Digne in Nations League win v Germany
Digne started at left-back in France’s back four. His immediate opponent was 23-year-old winger Karim Adeyemi, who plays for Borussia Dortmund.
The French media noted that Adeyemi had plenty of success attacking Digne on Germany’s right wing, even if none of his play led to a goal.
What’s more, Digne was unable to get forward on the overlap to support France’s attacks, which is normally regarded as one of his strengths.
Digne was booked early on in the game for a foul on Adeyemi (arguably wrongly so), which might have led to extra caution being deployed during the game.
However, the sad truth is that Digne looked uncomfortable at left-back until Adeyemi was substituted in the 79th minute.
Foot Mercato rated Digne a 4.5 out of 10, suggesting he was “physically dominated” by Adeyemi.
La Depeche rated him 4 out of 10, accusing him of struggling to handle the German attacks.
But! Football Club gave him a 5 out of 10, but criticised his lack of chemistry with Marcus Thuram on the left wing.
Digne is an experienced international defender, but it’s not the first time he’s faced heavy criticism from the French media. Indeed, Digne was also slated after his performance against Croatia in March.
Digne future remains uncertain at Aston Villa
Digne has been linked with a move away from Aston Villa, as it’s suggested Unai Emery might prefer Ian Maatsen at left-back.
If that’s the case, this performance is likely to have sent his value skyrocketing. More likely, it served as evidence that Digne might not be the starting left-back required for Aston Villa to push to a higher level next season.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Appearances |
| 45 | 3349 | 0 | 6 |
Aston Villa are likely to be busy in the transfer market, as Emery looks to lift the Villains back into the Champions League places next season.
While a lot of attention has been put on Villa’s lack of attacking options, you shouldn’t rule out improvements being made to the back four.
Goalkeeper Emi Martinez could also be on his way out of Villa Park, which would surely lead to Emery seeking a replacement in between the sticks as well.