“I built the best squad. I did not pick the 23 best French players.” Those were the words of France boss Didier Deschamps when he announced his squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, via ESPN FC‘s Pablo S. Torre.

It came in response to not selecting the likes of Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri for the tournament in Brazil, and over the next two months, he will have to do it all again as Les Bleus go into the 2016 UEFA European Championships as one of the favourites.

At the start of the season, when France beat Portugal 1-0 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, the optimism around the squad was focused on the likes of Lyon’s Nabil Fekir, Geoffrey Kondogbia of Inter Milan, plus the veteran duo of Karim Benzema and Mathieu Valbuena.

Six months on, there is a very good chance that none of that quartet will be on Deschamps‘ list, with a new cluster of players, some old, some new, giving the former Marseille boss a few, probably welcome, headaches over the next few weeks.

Wins over the Netherlands and Russia during the most recent international break have brought a sense of excitement to the French people. The Stade de France crowd on Tuesday were in full voice as expectations have grown.

Seven goals scored in two games, four goals conceded to keep feet firmly on the floor. There were no looks of worry, no “what ifs” regarding the future decision regarding the ongoing case with Benzema‘s France future.

Back in September, Dimitri Payet‘s national team future looked bleak.

“Players can say what they want. I’m not going to use the media to respond to them,” Deschamps told the press when asked about his performances in the Premier League, via the Mirror‘s James Eastham. “He’s entitled to not understand why he’s not being picked, although, to be honest, it’s not really my problem.”

In the end, Payet‘s form meant even Deschamps couldn’t ignore the West Ham United forward, and against the Netherlands, the former Lille player took his chances. The 29-year-old was at the heart of everything France created, showing he could bring his club form to the international stage.

Then on Tuesday—his birthday—the Reunion-born forward came on as a second-half sub and scored a wonderful free-kick, all but firing himself into Deschamps 23-man squad. It’s Payet’s resurrection that has shown a different side to the national team boss.

Two years ago, there were calls for Morgan Schneiderlin, consistently impressing for Southampton, to get a call-up, but it took a long time for Deschamps to take the plunge. Even to this day, the inclusion of Mamadou Sakho and Moussa Sissoko still baffles some.

Deschamps is very loyal to the players he trusts. If you are on the outside, it used to be very hard to break through, or worse, get back into his plans. However, the World Cup winner seems to have softened that stance.

N’Golo Kante, while at SM Caen, was never mentioned in terms of an international call, and even after his virtuoso performances for Leicester City, there was scepticism that Deschamps would bring in an uncapped player so close to the Euros.

After 45 minutes against the Netherlands and then his first start, followed by his first goal—also on his birthday—it’s hard to see the energetic midfield man failing to make the 23-player shortlist.

Twelve months ago, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Lassana Diarra would probably have predicted their international careers were over, but Deschamps has begun to reward form and both look to have done enough to earn their place.

On the younger side, the future is looking very bright for Les Bleus. Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba are both still under 24, but it’s Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and teenager Kingsley Coman that are capturing the imagination of the home crowd.

The latter has excelled for Bayern Munich in both the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League, then on Tuesday, he came off the bench to score a wonderful goal against the Russians. His youthfulness, lack of fear and ability to terrorise defences could be key for France late in games.

The average age of the squad has actually increased from the 23 that were picked from Brazil. On one hand, Deschamps remains loyal, but he seems more open to bringing in younger players and newcomers, but only when their form deserves it.

You are never going to please everyone with a squad decision, but the teams and performances over the past week certainly give the feeling France are heading in the right direction. Perfect timing with the Euros just three months away.

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