«Tettey needed to gain confidence»

- Julienne’s first :

Frank Julienne had been waiting for quite a long time to play his first professional game. Regularly called in the squad since the beginning of the season, the small striker trained at the club’s Academy has finally waited until this Saturday, January 15th 2011, to play his first minutes in Ligue 1, replacing Razak Boukari at the end of the match.

A lovely reward for Julienne, the seventh graduate of Stade Rennes’ Academy to be introduced in Ligue 1 by Frédéric Antonetti since August 2009.

- First professional double for Brahimi:

Another player to experience novelty this Saturday, Yacine Brahimi. The Rennes attacking midfielder scored the first brace in his young professional career against Arles-Avignon. Eight times a goal scorer with Clermont last season, Brahimi had never managed to score two in the same game so far.

- Second worst attendance :

Because of the lesser prestige of the opposition, the Stade de la Route de Lorient was poorly filled last night. 19,857 were present for the game, the second lower attendance in Ligue 1 this season. The record remains the game against Sochaux, with 17,504 spectators.

- Erminig joins the party :

Launched with pomp and circumstance by the club’s communication department this week, Erminig also started its career with a large victory. The club’s new mascot seems to have been adopted by the players: during the post-game celebrations, in front of the kop, she was literally tackled to the floor by a mischievous Romain Danzé

- Tettey and M’Vila, hand in hand :

Last Sunday, both players had scored their first professional goal with Rennes. This Saturday, they did it again for their first goal in Ligue 1. In less than a week, Yann M’Vila and Alexander Tettey unlocked their counter after a season and a half without scoring for Stade Rennes.
After the game against Cannes, the first named was explaining he was expecting more of his first goal in Ligue 1, a goal with more savour than one scored against a National team. His wish was granted, when he scored the fourth goal on a penalty kick, during the game’s injury time.

- A turning point ?

After the game, Frédéric Antonetti did not miss the chance to congratulate his players for their performance, while talking down the extent of the victory. “There was probably the possibility to do more, but we will not be turn our noses up at it”, the Rennes manager affirmed. “When you have young players, sometimes the penny drops and they reach another level. There is more confidence in the style, we can feel the players have more freedom. But once more, this all remains to be confirmed”.
Could these first two games of 2011 be a turning point for the rest of the season? One thing is certain, Rennes has to rejoice on the new starts taken by Brahimi and Tettey in particular, and on Boukari’s promising beginnings.

- Kermorgant, a difficult reconversion :

One of the main victims of defender Bakary Soro’s sending off was finally… his team-mate from attack, Yann Kermorgant. The former Vannes player was forced to position himself as a defender for the last minutes, visibly not one of a natural position for him.

After a hard tackle on Razak Boukari, it is on a ball he lost that Brahimi ran to the goal before eventually stumbling on Merville. Finally, Kermorgant conceded the final penalty by stopping a cross from Brahimi with the hand. Difficult evening.

- First assist for Tettey :

After his goal, Tettey also delivered his first assist since he arrived in Rennes to Yacine Brahimi. Playing on a less advanced position last season, the Norwegian had never managed to offer a goal to one of his team-mates.
Frédéric Antonetti is enjoying the good form of his midfielder. “I’ve always said it: he is a good player, the technician affirmed. He needed to gain confidence and play games in succession, as until now he had only shown his ability sparsely. He was handicapped with injuries since six months, but now, I hope he is done with it all”.

- Source of the declarations: lequipe.fr

- Photo : srfc.frenchwill.fr