Very early on it became clear the talent was never going to be enough for these young French boys. Benzema never fulfilled his potential, and nor did the other two on that list. It was just a generation that lacked direction unlike the current crop who have a collective hunger and are pushing each other to greater heights.
I even think that despite his successes Benzema is the bigger flop. From a talent and physical traits perspective he marked himself early on as someone who could dominate in the Ronaldo Il Fenomeno mould, certainly not to the same extent, but in similar vein. And then he peaked quickly and stopped adding to his game.
