There will always be some to find details to nitpick about.
But they will need good arguments to make their point so much, this Saturday evening against Denmark, Ousmane Dembélé finally proved that this blue jersey, which we sometimes thought was too big for him, actually fit like a glove.
They can even try to blame him for what they want, but can only concede that the Barcelonan has, beyond his footballing qualities, the advantage of also keeping his promises.
“I want to be a protagonist of this World Cup”, he had launched all smiles in the week at a press conference.
His performance, probably the best he has given in the jersey of the France team, suggests that this time he can hope to cross the World Cup on the lawn and not on the sidelines.
The Barcelonian has indeed not forgotten that four years ago, he was one of those who played more privileged spectators than major players in the coronation in Russia.
A small match, the first against Australia and then leaves.
The fault of a disappointing performance which, if it did not deprive him of the title of world champion, had nevertheless cost him his place in the eleven until the evening of the coronation.
" I am ambitious "
But times change and so do ambitions.
The native of Vernon has matured, evolved and made sure to be advantage in the center of the field than polemics.
He, who has long been singled out for a lifestyle that is not in keeping with very high-level football, admitted it frankly.
“I am now 25, I have a little more maturity in my game, off the pitch too.
(...) As for my lifestyle, it's a question that comes up a lot but I think it needs to be erased now.
I am ambitious, I want to start matches, score, score.
»
Saturday against Denmark, he neither shook the nets nor offered a decisive pass.
In any case not of those which are registered in the statistics.
But for more than an hour, before being replaced by Kingsley Coman (75th), he will have alternated the costumes of host and cerberus, too, in a straight corridor which he will have swept from end to end to place banderillas or support Koundé in the folds, like his hard-hitting return against Maelhe along the corner line (38th).
His crosses for a Giroud preceded by nothing (16th), for a Rabiot whose missile head stumbled on Schmeichel (21st), for a Mbappé whose recovery flew into the stands (40th) would certainly have deserved another outcome .
But failing to have allowed him to take care of his statistics, or even to register his 5th goal in Blue, he will have maintained a series undoubtedly much more rewarding and encouraging for the future.
For his twelfth start in the France team (out of 30 selections), the former Dortmund player retained his invincibility in Blue (now 9 wins and 3 draws).
And, this time, no doubt won the confidence of the coach.