The Stade Rennais has found its style

« Our last three matches are the most complete in terms of content. We start seeing what our style is about”, Frédéric Antonetti explained after the victory against Brest. This Saturday, the Rouge et Noir will travel to Le Moustoir to take on the neighbour, Lorient. The place where Christian Gourcuff developed his own conception of football. A pacy and well thought way of playing, not always as attacking as it is sometimes said. “ A coherent style, the Corsican coach recognise during the press conference. The team is well settled in the first division with a real style, which proves efficient.”

“ We also have our style, different from Lorient’s”, the manager continues. He would not say more: “I define the style with the players, not with the press”.

Pressing at midfield and playing on the ground

Since the draw against Lyon, the main change in the team is the appearance of a new profile at midfield. A player that harasses the opponents, leads the pressing and plays forwards. Alexander Tettey played that role, followed by Tongo Doumbia in Auxerre and against Brest, leaving Jérôme Leroy on the bench. The team plays higher on the pitch however, and Stéphane Dalmat brings his technique to the midfield, between Yann M’Vila’s ball recovery and the forwards’ runs.

With this formula, the team seems more serene in the construction. It nearly always plays on the ground and alternates between side passes and sudden accelerations, mainly in the centre. On the attacking moves, at least one attacking midfielder has been able to come and bring support to his strikers, sometimes being given the chance to hit at goal, as Stéphane Dalmat did against Lyon and Brest.

This « playing style » is also characterised by the absence of runs along the side lines. It his mainly the full backs, Romain Danzé and Kévin Théophile-Catherine, who run up the field to deliver the crosses. Very rarely the wingers, who tend to take the infield nearly systematically.

« We are not a team to play long balls forward »

Off the ball, the Rouge et Noir are also able to come back quickly to their side. This is the style. A way of playing in which the Rennais are not only waiting for mistakes by their opponents. “I often hear that Rennes plays defensively, that we are a counter-attacking team. Not at all defender Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik insists. We have a very strong defensive unit, but we also have forwards. Have you ever seen us play the counter-attack? No. When we have the ball, we pass it round, we are not a team to play long balls forward, we play it calmly. I don’t think we are a defensive or counter-attacking team. Far from it.”

Nicolas Auffray - Le Mensuel de Rennes

- Photo : www.rennes.lemensuel.com