French coach Domenech is destined for the chop as ghost of ZZ looms large

Now World Cup winner Marcel Desailly fears that the loss of Zinedine Zidane's leadership has cost Les Bleus dearly and could push the France manager under the guillotine.

Indeed, the former Chelsea defender believes there will be no winners when the French and the Italians clash in Zurich tonight, with his old AC Milan team-mate, Roberto Donadoni, also liable to be a casualty in Euro 2008's unforgiving Group of Death.

Under pressure: Raymond Domenech looks dejected after the 4-1 defeat to the Netherlands

Desailly expects Romania to beat a Holland 'B' team in Berne to render meaningless the other game and send two of Europe's largest footballing nations into unremitting inquests.

"I was worried that we lacked a leader when we lost twice to Scotland," admitted Desailly yesterday. "There was definitely a transition period after Germany 2006. We had lost Zinedine Zidane, and he was the guy holding all the team together. He was the creative force for France, but also the leader on the field.

"Suddenly, the playmaker was not there and we have had a lot of problems since then when you think about two defeats to Scotland, drawing with Romania and losing to Holland.

"We need to find leaders on the pitch. We have a lot of quality players on the pitch. I do not even need to tell you all the names. But we lack leadership and this is the problem.

"If the quality players all hit form together, then France are still one of the best sides in the world. But it has not happened often enough."

It certainly has not happened in Switzerland. A dour goalless draw against Romania - the poorest spectacle in a scintillating tournament so far - was followed by a capitulation against Holland.

Domenech, who pins much of his team selection on astrology, has tried Karim Benzema, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery in forward roles, with only the Barcelona player on target so far.

But BBC pundit Desailly said: "Raymond has tried his best. He is not involved when they are out on the pitch. He has changed tactics - he put Ribery behind Henry in the last game, he switched Eric Abidal for Patrice Evra. Before that, he had Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema involved. So he is searching for solutions.

"I think there is too much criticism of Domenech. He is trying his best. But there is a missing link in our team at the moment when we look at the connection between the defence and the attack."

Lost cause: Zidane's leadership has been missed as coach Raymond Domenech fights for survival

Nonetheless, Desailly is acutely aware of the consequences of early-round failure for the major nations.

"I believe Romania will beat Holland," he said. "They qualified ahead of the Dutch in their group, so they are a very good side. Romania are a quality team and the other factor is that Marco van Basten will leave out some of his best players. He can do that.

"So therefore I do not see how Romania cannot take the victory which will mean there's nothing France and Italy can do. I played with Roberto Donadoni at AC Milan. So, of course, I would like him to keep his job - and also Domenech. But I know how football works.

"The media and the demands of the people are such that, when you are not successful, there has to be change. Domenech has taken France to the World Cup Final in 2006 against expectation.

"But if you do that and then lose in the first round at Euro 2008 the reality of the job may be that you have to leave. I don't make those rules.

"If Donadoni is out first round here, and Domenech is out first round here, then they will know what everyone will say across Italy and France.

"They will say: 'Let's try someone else' - that is just inevitably what happens now in football."

Meanwhile, France playmaker Ribery insists his team-mates have to believe they still have a chance of progressing.

"We've turned the page on the other games," the Bayern Munich man said. "It's a shame because I thought we played a good match against Holland. We got together to discuss it, to say that it's not over and that we still have a small chance.

"We'll fight for it.

"We're still here and it's vital we keep on believing. We need to give absolutely everything against Italy, win the game and make the most of the small chance we still have."

Domenech may make changes, with Lilian Thuram and Willy Sagnol set to miss out, while captain Patrick Vieira still has not fully recovered from a thigh injury.