Since the Pinault family took control, Stade Rennais has seen a lot of change in a few years, to become one of the most respected clubs in the country. After forty years of drought, Rennes finally reached the top of the league standings again. Waiting for recognition, favouring humility over the big ambitions. Is Rennes strong enough to be a leader ?
A few days after their first defeat of the season, Stade Rennes is gearing up to take on Olympique de Marseille on their pitch. This time, they come as a leader, and this despite Frédéric Antonetti’s low profile recent declarations.
After a lacklustre draw in Lens, Rennes eventually fell against a Montpellier team more clinical and coherent than the current France Championship leader. Lacking of fluidity in their performance, the “Rouge et Noir” also lacked the good fortune that was theirs since the beginning of this season. Clearly limited in attack after this summer’s departures and Montaño’s injury, Antonetti’s squad seem to shut down on itself when time comes to confirm its status as a leading force. The ever repeating story of a club limited to remain a footballer’s Raymond Poulidor?
"Being honest and objective, there is no reason an outsider would play the first roles. I’m not saying this to protect myself, I’m too old for this. With the biggest budget, I aim for the title. With the eighth budget, I try to finish eighth, possibly higher.”, the Rennes manager declared, he who keeps on getting in conflict with his management to recruit a new addition to the attacking line. A request ignored by his hierarchy, who prefer to wait until the winter transfer window to satisfy his demands.
With a group diminished by this summer’s departures, the injuries and suspensions, Antonetti reckons, rightly, that he doesn’t have the means to keep the pace of this early season.
While the club fails to show solid ambitions on and off the pitch, the contenders are gathering behind Rennes, and the big teams, like Marseille, are progressively catching up, filling the gap opened in August. Meanwhile, Rennes’ calendar proves rather tricky: Lyon and Brest at home, travels to Marseille and Auxerre. All that keeping in mind Rennes is still to meet Bordeaux in this first half of the season.
More than the calendar, some individuals fail to satisfy expectations. Marveaux, for example, is starting to seriously irritate the Breton technical staff. Close to join the French national team a few months ago, the Vannes man seems more concerned with his personal future than with his club’s, and this is clearly showing on the field. The day after the defeat to Montpellier, a discussion reportedly occurred, according to L’Equipe on Monday, between Antonetti and Marveaux. No details on the topics discussed, but it doesn’t take a psychic to guess the contents of the meeting.
Barely used to play with the big guns, the Stade Rennais gives the impression to take comfort in their current situation, and the speech remains desperately neutral: “Rennes as a leader, we don’t really talk about it between us. This is not what we talk about in the dressing room”, Stéphane Dalmat admitted in France Football on October 22nd. An admission of helplessness, or the lucid look of an experienced player realising the limits of his squad? The former Inter Milan man brings the first elements of an answer: “But we don’t really know, mentally, the value of this squad until we are facing defeat”, he reminded before the team’s first loss in the championship.
A fissure that often results in a rupture in a football squad, and many times before, the "Rouge et Noir” failed to get back to their feet. Under Guy Lacombe’s management, in the 2008-2009 season, the defeat in Lille (1-0) was the start to a disappointing finish, culminating in the Stade de France cataclysm. Last year, Rennes lost in Bordeaux on the 7th game week and went on to lose three of their next five games. A situation not to repeat, or the Ligue 1 leadership might be lost as soon as this Saturday.
A conquering team, with eleven points gathered on the road, the Stade Rennais fails to be as efficient in their own stadium, when they have the responsibility to set up the pace. The topic was already discussed a year ago, but it comes back on the table today, when time comes to draw a first summary.
Yann M’Vila’s team-mates seem to be in all sorts of trouble, especially in the last thirty metres, to create danger into compact and solidary defensive organisations, as it happened this season against Saint-Étienne and Montpellier.
Superior to most of their opponents in the athletic impact, Rennes are struggling to find gaps and spaces, because of a stereotyped style and a lack of depth. However, Abdoul Camara certainly earned points in Antonetti’s mind last week-end, with his activity and dynamism on the left wing. Dynamic, his ability to cover the Stade’s left flank brought some variety to the Breton attacking sector. A good entrance for the French-Guinean, who already satisfied against Toulouse (3-1), causing a penalty in the process.
Quite discrete since a few weeks, Jérôme Leroy shows rather protective towards the new generation: “In fact, more than playing the first roles, the risk lies in the added-on notoriety. And that’s where the danger is. When you remain away from the spotlights, it’s good! When people start to recognize you –we’ve all experienced it – you start to enjoy it…”. The price of fame, somehow.
- Photo : srfc.frenchwill.fr
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