Solar at the end of summer, Stade Rennais turned twilight after his Champions League campaign. What remains of the confident team who passed three goals to Saint-Etienne then leader of Ligue 1, who overthrew Monaco or strangled Nîmes in the stifling heat of Costières. Not much more. Worse after this defeat (0-2) against Lens, the 3e at home in four meetings and with only one victory in 13 matches, Rennes must revise its claims downwards. “We are in an extremely negative spiral, with the obligation to reconsider the objectives immediately. You have to be lucid and tell yourself that you have to behave of a team that will fight to maintain », Julien Stéphan said after the match.
Obviously very affected, the coach of the Red and Black did not mince words on the performance of his players. “We expected a reaction, the first 20 minutes were consistent, but after with the opening of the scoring, there was too much waste, too many limits in the duel, too much distance in our team block. We couldn’t rely on anything. “
“We can’t get our heads out of the water”
And yet the Rouge et Noir’s start to the match had been interesting. The trio Tait-Del Castillo-Hunou energized the attack, combined in a touch of the ball, but proved too little dangerous. The pressing was high, the projections interesting, like that of Nzonzi. And then “It liquefied for lack of confidence and physical resources”, admits Julien Stéphan.
On a loss of ball from Truffert, Kakuta demonstrated that he is an outstanding technician by slipping the ball to Kalimuendo. The former Parisian Titi scored his 3e goal in four games. Surgical.
These are, in fact, two exact opposites that clashed on the lawn of Roazhon Park. To Rennes’ doubts, Lens displayed the insolent confidence of a promoted, sterility in front of the goal of the Red and Black, the Blood and Gold were formidably effective, finally and this is one of the most serious aspects of this situation, the Lensois showed that they were a united group, as evidenced by the joy on the 2e Ganago’s goal, when Rennes’ solidarity, which was the strength of this team, faltered with the Champions League and this bad patch. “We can say things to each other, we do nothing. We can’t get our heads out of the water, because we don’t make the efforts together ”, deplores Benjamin Bourigeaud. As a symbol of this period, this telescoping between Traoré and Da Silva, as sad as it is laughable, which shows all the inefficiency of the moment. Or this quadruple change at half-time which has solved nothing, brought nothing.
Read also: The very strong words of Bourigeaud
“If I’m the problem …”
The damage of the Champions League mentioned by Julien Stéphan on Friday is undoubtedly even more serious than we thought. Obviously, the coach also has his share of responsibility. Shouldn’t we appeal earlier to this feeling of revolt instead of evoking satisfactory content? Was it not necessary to change the system, the strategy? This possession “Sterile”, as Benjamin Bourigeaud describes it, deciphered by the opponents and wonderfully countered last night by Lens.
Julien Stéphan is obviously aware of the gravity of the situation. « If I’m the problem, there is no difficulty. We are sincere enough within the club to make the decisions that will have to be taken. There is no difficulty with that. If the problem really comes from me, I have a very, very healthy relationship with my shareholder, my president and my sports director. We’ll talk about all of this in due course. “
On Saturday, the Rennes coach even showed a certain form of unprecedented annoyance, even annoyance after certain questions. Notably, when asked if he had any doubts about the awareness of his players. “There is no controversy to be had, a buzz to be created with what the players may think. The situation is difficult enough not to look for stories where there are none. “
Julien Stéphan is under pressure, there is no doubt about it. But unlike a wind of change blowing on social networks, parting with him would probably be the worst solution right now. A more serious remedy than disease. Especially since, obviously, the Breton technician guarantees to still have levers to operate to reverse the trend. The Sevilla match on Tuesday becomes anecdotal. It is in Nice, also in difficulty, that Rennes will have to sound the revolt, show the fangs to be bloodier than gold, like the Lensois yesterday.
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