GROUP CSO FINELY tuned is their knack for getting things wrong perceived to be back in France at this stage that when Paris St Germain revealed some time back they were keen on signing Lilian Thuram for next season, there were those who immediately joked that Raymond Domenech would do well to plan for these championships without the veteran centre back.

In reality, the French coach had no option but to bring the 36-year-old with him to Switzerland and little enough either when it came to selecting him for the opening group match against Romania. Tradition has it that squad members with anything approaching living legend status must play their way out of the team.

After a poor performance against the Dutch, however, the French skipper looks to have done just that and is set to be just one victim of a cull by Domenech aimed at preserving not only his side's now ever so slender hopes of regaining the title they won by beating tonight's opponents in the 2000 final but also his job.

One of the few things going for Domenech as he prepares for this evening's critical encounter with the equally troubled world champions is there is some disagreement amongst his critics as to what exactly it is that he is doing wrong.

A poll this week of L'Equipe's sizeable band of correspondents here on what team should start against the Italians threw up no fewer than 16 names and three significantly different formations. Somewhat sadly, though, everyone was agreed Thuram should go, with another veteran of better days, Willy Sagnol, as well as Florent Malouda also generally considered surplus to requirements.

What has prompted the criticism was the inability of the French to cope with the pace of the Dutch counter-attacking game on Friday evening. Essentially Domenech's first choice back four has shown itself to be capable enough when the team sits back and provides cover in the form of two defensive central midfielders to deny opponents space as they try to push forward. Needing to win against the Dutch, however, the team had to show some attacking initiative itself and in the process left gaps which the defenders proved hopelessly incapable of covering.

Not everyone is happy the older ones are taking the brunt of the criticism but Thuram's lack of pace certainly looked a factor for Arjen Robben's goal.

The tricky bit, however, is nobody seriously believes the coach's options are great, a problem compounded by his long standing tendency to ignore players he simply doesn't like. The most significant member of that particular club on this occasion is 26-year-old Roma centre back Philippe Mexes who, you might argue, is not a really great defender at all but then you would have a tougher time convincing those familiar with the alternatives that he is not worth his place in a squad that contains Jean-Alain Boumsong or Sebastien Squillaci.

Under considerable pressure to make changes, Domench is expected to start with Eric Abidal alongside William Gallas in central defence this evening, while Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra or even Francois Clerc of Lyon could step in at right back.

Further forward, things are not much less complicated, however. Perhaps the most criticised player in the squad is Malouda, who does not have the excuse of age or injury to fall back on. The Chelsea winger has simply lost his way since being persuaded to leave Lyon for London by a manager who moved on himself not long after.

Malouda's form has been dismal but the most palatable way of facilitating his omission would be to switch Franck Ribery from the centre to the left, a change that, to judge by Friday's game in Bern, would deprive the team of most of its creative spark.

Inevitably, there are those who simply feel Ribery is not quite up to filling the boots of a couple of the game's greats and that the French, therefore, must accept that this will not be their year.

Domenech put Friday's defeat down to "clumsiness, lack of conviction, the talent of the opposing goalkeeper and the referee" but gave the distinct impression he was still satisfied with his own performance.

The press are far less sure but remain wary after Germany where, having previously heaped opprobrium upon him, they had to watch as his team came within a whisker of winning the World Cup.

So, though they do not view the prospect of the team scraping its way into the last eight this evening positively and have already started speculating in private on how Didier Deschamps may succeed the coach during the months ahead, they know there is more than a grain of truth to Thierry Henry's assertion about this team's knack for doing things the hard way.

"This generation has always taken the muddy way through," says the Barcelona striker. Incredibly, there are still those around the camp who believe that if they do survive tonight, anything will be possible.

FRANCE v ITALY

FRANCE are expected to make at least three changes, with Lilian Thuram, Willy Sagnol and Florent Malouda making way for, most likely, Eric Abidal, Lassana Diarra and Karim Benzema. But others could lose out too, with Jeremy Toulalan a likely victim, for instance, if Domenech decides to gamble on the fitness of Patrick Vieira.

Like his French counterpart, Roberto Donadoni is seeking to avoid the creation of a coaching vacancy this evening.

Antonio Cassano is likely to start in place of Alessandro Del Piero, however, as Donadoni, having previously settled largely for having his players aim long balls at Luca Toni, searches for an attacking combination that will finally bring the goals.

PROBABLE TEAMS

FRANCE:G Coupet, L Diarra, E Abidal, W Gallas, P Evra, F Ribery, C Makelele, P Vieira, F Malouda, K Benzema, T Henry.

ITALY:G Buffon, G Zambrotta, G Chiellini, C Panucci, F Grosso, S Perrotta, D De Rossi, A Pirlo, M Camoranesi, L Toni, A Cassano.

ROMANIA v THE NETHERLANDS

Marco van Basten insists that he will field a team intended to maintain The Netherlands' strong start to this tournament. There are no major injury concerns to first choice players but Andre Ooijer and Nigel de Jong are both set to be rested for fear they would trigger suspensions by picking up their second yellow cards while a number of other fringe players could well be given run outs.

Romanian will be without centre back Dorin Goian who is suspended and defensive midfielder Mirel Radoi who is out of the tournament after receiving a particularly bad kick to the head against Italy. As they did in their earlier two games, however, Victor Piturca's men are expected to take the game to their opponents.

PROBABLE TEAMS

NETHERLANDS:E van der Sar, K Boulahrouz, J Mathijsen, J Heitinga, G van Bronckhorst, W Sneijder, D de Zeeuw, R van der Vaart, O Engelaar, D Kuyt, R van Nistelrooy.

ROMANIA:B Lobont, C Contra, S Radu, C Chivu, G Tamas, R Cocis, P Codrea, B Nicolita, F Petre, A Mutu, C Marica.