Do live France staff checks unsettle keepers? Maignan, Butez and Risser incidents reopen debate | OneFootball

Do goalkeepers alter their game when the France staff are watching? Recent errors by Mike Maignan, Jean Butez and Robin Risser under Franck Raviot’s gaze have revived the question.

According to L'Équipe, Raviot observed AC Milan-Como, a 1-1 draw on 18 February, then Lens-Monaco, a 2-3 defeat, three days later. Each of the three goalkeepers made a mistake in those fixtures.

Patrick L’Hostis, formerly on Sylvain Ripoll’s France Under-21 staff, argues Maignan is used to this scrutiny and would not have felt extra pressure. The Milan keeper, 30, has 35 senior caps since 2020.

L’Hostis stresses oversight is built on regular viewing rather than a single outing. He says visits were planned roughly a fortnight before camps, with players informed and met post-match, and that a one-off error does not reshape the assessment.

An agent who represents foreign internationals believes such visits can weigh on players, so he prepares them to stay true to themselves and accept responsibility.

Agent Frédéric Guerra says the fear of winning or losing is ever-present and knowing you are being watched can change a player. He sometimes withholds that information depending on personality, noting others, such as Sidney Govou, are unfazed.

Mental coach Laurent Edriat says the key is processing the information of being supervised. In his view, players either try to prove and risk overplaying, or play safe and lose their identity, so mental work aims to keep their true game and lighten the mental load.

Another agent contends failure to handle that pressure limits a player’s ceiling, making these moments a calibration tool. Luc Lloris adds that performing under such attention is part of elite baggage, whether delivering a single key action or lifting standards in difficulty, and that while one match is not definitive, it can still be revealing.

Source: L'Équipe