France manager Didier Deschamps has insisted that he respects the opinions of the fans but is fully concentrating on beating Belarus on Tuesday.

Les Bleus endured a disappointing 0-0 draw with Georgia on Friday in a World Cup qualifier and lost further ground on Group I leaders Spain.

The French are just 22 minutes away from breaking their 89-year record of 500 minutes without scoring, but Deschamps is adamant that he will only consider his own viewpoint ahead of the match.

"My experience of sport in France leads me to believe that it's when you're in difficulty that you get the best out of yourself," Deschamps told reporters. "Sure, no-one wants to be in difficulty in the first place, but it's up to us turn things around.

"Personally, I respect everyone's opinion, but opinions aren't something that will influence me in terms of what I think and what I want to do. Criticism is a part of the job, but I'm focused on more important things."

France will next take on Finland in their final Group match on October 15.

Written by
Matt Cotton