Squad competition is fully effective. Before travelling to Saint-Etienne on Sunday, nearly every player of the Stade Rennais will have to “give it all” in order to be guaranteed a starting slot.
The training sessions were to be taken seriously at La Piverdière this week. After three games in eight days, Frédéric Antonetti was able to put his complete squad to contribution. He is now managing a squad rich in depth and quality. Looking at the financial capacity of the Stade Rennais, the Rennes manager is adamant that his club “can’t do better in terms of quality”, before the trip to Saint-Étienne, another contender for European positions, this Sunday.
« We work well, Jonathan Pitroipa appreciates. We see more quality in training, everyone is focused, we all want to show we can be part of the team”. “In training, it is intense!, Frédéric Antonetti confirms. Especially in terms of quality and personal investment. We are having very high intensity training sessions. Is this due to the quality or to the competition? By all means, the rhythm is much higher (ed.: than at the beginning of the season).”
Romain Danzé is one of the main regular starters to see his starting position in jeopardy. In training this Thursday, Onyekachi Apam, playing at right back, got injured and was replaced by Dimitri Foulquier in the first XI. “Against powerful players such as Camara (Sochaux) and Sako (Saint-Étienne), Apam can be a good solution, Frédéric Antonetti explains. Romain can be a solution against an opponent cutting inside and leaving space on the wing. There will be tactical choices. »
As for à Dimitri Foulquier, « he has outstanding qualities and do incredible things in training. Should he not be given his chance? Is it not too early? I’m trying things and everyone is likely to be concerned. There are guarantees, but no-one should sit on these”.
Even though Youssouf Hadji hasn’t completely recovered, the attacking line is one of the hottest spots. Eight forwards are competing for three positions, including Mevlut Erding and the young Cheick Diarra and Abdoulaye Sané. «There is a ferocious competition, the manager admits. It was planned but we didn’t expect that some of the players, the youngest, would reach that sort of level so soon. It’s up to me to make sure that everyone lives it well”. Jonathan Pitroipa, 21 games in Ligue 1 this season, accepts the rules. “Whoever gives it all in training and is looking the fittest will have his place. It’s up to the coach. I’ve experienced that sort of competition in Hamburg, I know what it is. It isn’t easy to sit on the bench, since you always want to play or to take part in the victory.”
The Burkina international advocates the primacy of the team: « When we win points, it is thanks to the whole team, and not only to the eleven who played. » Such competition could create frustrations. “I hope we will keep on sticking together, since we have a very good teams and we could manage great things”, Jonathan Pitroipa wishes.
Nicolas Auffray - Le Mensuel de Rennes
- Photo: www.rennes.lemensuel.com
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