Lemerre -= criticised for picking old players (Allsport)

Click here to place your World Cup bets!
Click here for France team section
Click here for teams index
Click here for latest World Cup headlines
Click here for World Cup photo gallery
Click here for World Cup Bettingzone

Auxerre coach Guy Roux admits France's old guard was, in fact, too old.

Roux's star player, 20-year-old striker Djibril Cisse, was the exception in a veteran Les Bleus World Cup squad which embarrassed itself on the biggest stage of all when it failed to score a a single goal and reach the second round.

"One mistake for me," said Roux, "the team has not changed since 1998. Bringing Cisse to Korea was not good enough."

France's big-name squad included some of the best players from Spain, England, Germany and Italy, but it was noticeably lacking in terms of Le Championnat quality.

Had Lemerre included Eric Carriere, the 29-year-old Lyon playmaker who had been named France's player of the year in 2000-1 with Nantes, he would have had a ready-made replacement for Zinedine Zidane when the Real Madrid star injured his thigh just days before the tournament.

Lemerre might have selected Lille's electric leftsided midfielder Bruno Cheyrou, whose rocket for a left foot has secured the 24-year-old a move to Liverpool this summer.

Instead, the 30-year-old Christophe Dugarry, a Bordeaux player dogged by injury all season, started the final game on the left.

Arsenal winger Robert Pires's knee injury ruled him out, and Cheyrou would have would have been a serious goal threat with his ability to shoot from distance, and willingness to take defenders on.

Then there was Frank Leboeuf, once accomplished defender whose best days are long gone.

Leboeuf, 34, who now plays at his hometown club Marseille, was a weak link in a rearguard which might have benefited from the inclusion of Bordeaux's David Sommeil.

Yet 27-year-old Sommeil had a superb campaign in Le Championnat but was never considered.

Thus three gems in Le Championnat - Carriere, Cheyrou and Sommeil - were passed over by Lemerre.

"I would like to see more people from the French Fidiration watching matches at Auxerre, or Lyon, or Sedan," Roux said.

"They never see us! Our championship is good, there are players who waiting to get into the France team."

Roux, however, insists that Lemerre should stay in the job for the sake of continuity.

"As far as I am concerned, Roger Lemerre can do it," he said.

"The danger is to replace Lemerre with someone who is similar in style, but who is not so good."

The blame, Roux says, must be shared and not just placed squarely on Lemerre's shoulders.

"We are all guilty of the situation," Roux said.

"If Roger Lemerre is kicked out, I will defend him. He must defend the European title of 2000."