One of the recurring themes of recent years for followers of les Bleus – including this site – has been the enigma that is Karim Benzema. Consistently excellent for Real Madrid, the ex-Lyon frontman has consistently failed to come close to reaching those heights for his national team.

Benzema – perhaps empowered by his six goals in six matches thus far this La Liga season – caused ripples this week when he suggested that his poor international form is far from his fault: “it would be good to score goals like that [his headed goal against Atletico this weekend] for France, but I need to be given chances. I must be looked for, I need to be found. As France’s striker I need to bring more, that is certain, but I must be given chances and balls. With one chance every 90 minutes, it’s difficult. If I’m given five or six chances and don’t score, then you can criticise me.”

The claim is reasonable on the face of it, but bears some deeper inspection – (see also Wednesday’s edition of L’Equipe). For a start, if one compares his stats for Real Madrid against those for France, he actually has more touches of the ball (37 vs 32) for France than for Real, as well as more shots per match (3.2 vs 2.6), thus weakening his argument somewhat.

It is fair to say that he could be given more service – and as a more general point that other members of the France team should also take more responsibility for scoring. But the onus on them should be nowhere near as high as the self-declared talisman, the man who repeatedly speaks of wanting to be the team’s leader. And the man who is arguably indulged more than any other.

Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba are two of those who have received some criticism of late for lack of attacking threat. Aside from the fact that they are both still in their early 20s and a little inconsistency is therefore expected, it should also be noted that neither play in the same position for France as they do for their clubs. Indeed, Benzema, as centre forward for club and country, is arguably the only one of France’s forward players who need make no positional readjustment when he pulls on his national jersey.

Griezmann in particular has come in for some stick in the last year. However, in last month’s matches against Portugal and Serbia, when he did have the chance to play a more central role, he excelled – doing the same as Benzema does in coming deep, pulling wide, moving back into the centre – but, unlike Benzema, succeeding in creating chances for himself and for others in the process, weakening further the Real man’s argument about his need for service.

When France were struggling to break down a resolute Nigeria in the second round of the World Cup last year, it was Pogba and Griezmann, then 21 and 23, who scored one and forced an own goal to help France through. Benzema (who according to some had a great 2014 World Cup), had long since gone AWOL after the first two matches and once things had started to matter.

Sticking with the World Cup, France’s most accomplished offensive performance of recent years is surely the 5-2 victory over Switzerland in Brazil – a match in which Benzema started on the left with Giroud in the centre, and in which the team benefitted from Benzema’s propensity to move all over the final third, whilst retaining, in Giroud, a focal point in the middle. This could have signalled a new way forward but come the Ecuador match, Benzema was back in the centre, amidst rumours that he had insisted that he be repositioned. The match ended 0-0 with Benzema more or less anonymous.

Since the World Cup, Benzema has scored one in 12 appearances – a shocking return for one of the world’s best strikers – yet not close to his worst France run, in 2012-2013, when he went 1,200 minutes and 16 matches without scoring. His record currently stands at 25 goals in 80 appearances, with 12 goals in 40 in competitive matches, three in 11 in World Cup/Euro finals tournaments and none in three knock-out matches in those finals.

No one disputes that Benzema, on his day, is one of the world’s best marksmen. Nor that, in theory, his club form merits continued call-up for international duty. And for some years now there has been an argument to say that he must be tolerated because there are no viable alternatives in his position.

However, his return for France, both in terms of goalscoring and general team play, has more often than not been average at best; shameful at worst, and now there are several alternatives. Even if Deschamps rejects the more immobile Giroud/Gomis option, forwards such as Griezmann, Anthony Martial or an albeit off-form Alexandre Lacazette surely deserve a chance to shine. What the hell – if we’re going with club form, FC Koln’s Anthony Modeste has nine goals in nine! Anything to prick Benzema’s bubble of complacent, arrogant untouchability.

At 27 years of age and with a home European championship to come, Benzema still has the chance to focus his attention and ability and add his name to the list of France greats. However, if he continues with his current France form, he will rightly be remembered for his selfishness, laziness and ill-discipline. Tonight’s match against Armenia is as good a time as any to start to make a change.