Raymond Domenech, whose stock has plunged since leading Les Bleus to the 2006 World Cup final, faces what could prove to be a determining week in his career as coach of France.

On Saturday France face Romania in their third 2010 qualifier with Domenech's bosses set to meet four days later to decide whether to keep him or sack him.

His employers, the French Football Federation, decided not to bow to calls from public and professionals alike and sack him after France's dismal showing at Euro 2008.

Instead they put him on probation, shook up the national team's management structure, preferring to wait and see how early 2010 World Cup qualifying results panned out.

France, drawn in Group 7, started woefully with a 3-1 loss to Austria, ranked a lowly 101 in FIFA's rankings, in Vienna before throwing their under-fire coach a lifeline with a 2-1 win over Serbia in Paris.

That left the 1998 world champions on three points behind table toppers Lithuania on six points.

What criteria will the FFF use to pass judgment on the man former France No 1 goalkeeper Gregory Coupet has labeled "a dictator"?

Defeat or a draw against the Romanians in Bucharest could well spell the end of his turbulent tenure.

But he will also be judged on his management of the squad and his distinctly prickly relations with the media which reached a nadir at Euro 2008.

After the humiliating loss to Austria the French media predictably went to town, with one paper describing the result "a collossal catatsrophe" and another suggesting the team had already met "its Waterloo".

Domenech, in comments that were not well received at the FFF, told a press conference before the Serbian game: "In the world today ... it is the smell of blood that interests you.

"Thankfully the guillotine doesn't exist anymore because there are some among you who would have the malicious pleasure of sending me for the chop." He added: "But perhaps it would be better if I had killed someone."

He racked up some much needed credit points on the coaching side of affairs in the Serbia game by starting Gourcuff and replacing the ineffective Karim Benzema in the second half with goalscorer Nicolas Anelka.

Domenech's bid to hang on to his job has received a timely boost by the return to fitness of captain Patrick Vieira and star striker Franck Ribery.

Vieira was included in his Euro 2008 squad but never got the chance to kick a ball in anger. The midfield general, like, Ribery, missed France's first two World Cup qualifiers.

While the noose may be tightening, Domenech for one is playing it cool ahead of Saturday's game against a side that held them to a goalless draw at Euro 2008.

"No matter what happens in Romania, there will be other possibilities, it's not a must-win match," he said when unveiling his squad last week.

He also refused to get drawn into a debate over Coupet's criticism, saying: "I only know one dictator - and that's the result."

One thing's for sure - his margin for error is minimal, with the likes of 1998 World Cup winning captain Didier Deschamps and Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc touted as favorites to step into his shoes if and when the guillotine should fall.

(AFP via China Daily October 8, 2008)