The attack is back!

Long criticised for its inability to take the edge on the opposition’s defence, Rennes’ attack is about to silent the last of its detractors. Between August and December, it has to be admitted that Rennes’ attacking sector showed statistics worthy of a relegation candidate, in clear contrast with the iron-clad solidity of its defence.

Thus, during the first nineteen games of the season, Stade Rennes had only scored eighteen goals, less than one per game. A third of these eighteen goals had been scored from set-pieces, with a worrying run of six games without a single goal in open play to close 2010. Even worse, eight games ended with Rennes failing to score, so nearly half of the matches.

Lonely strikers, a midfield lacking an attacking mind

Watching the team’s matches, a word recurred to illustrate Rennes’ attacking shortcomings: isolation. Catapulted into the position of first-choice centre forward after Gyan’s departure, Victor Hugo Montaño spent most of his time alone upfront, with two centre-backs standing over him and little support behind him. Not at ease when it came to keeping the ball up and playing in a pivotal role, the Colombian striker exhausted himself far away from the opposition’s penalty area, and the result could only be disappointing .
On the wings, the various players rotating both on the left or on the right (Kembo, Marveaux, Brahimi and Camara mainly) showed highly sporadic in their performances. The first named alternated convincing games and mixed performances, suffering with punctual injuries (has he missed his opportunity once again?); The second was way below his level of 2009-2010 before vanishing with an injury; The third started the season well before a big slump in Autumn; finally, the fourth was only brought in in an “homeopathic” way by Frédéric Antonetti, progressively learning the exigencies of this level.
Behind, the midfielders were only sparsely playing the part Frédéric Antonetti’s tactic impose them. In the absence of a real playmaker, the three-man setup forced two of them to play the role of pistons with the attack, without compromising defensive work and ball recovery. This created the necessity of players with high stamina, tactical discipline and an ability to rush forward to make a difference and bring attacking solutions.
Although this midfield proved its defensive ability from the beginning of the season, worries came from the attacking side, with a recurrent inability to link-up with the forwards. Leaving aside the set-pieces, Stéphane Dalmat scored only one goal and failed to give a single assist, while M’Vila, Mandjeck and Doumbia failed to have any influence on the statistics during the first half of the season. As for Jérôme Leroy, he only scored a goal, while his two assists were delivered when playing on the right side of the attack (against Nancy).

Often dominating in terms of ball possession, Stade Rennes proved very weak when it came to convert this advantage in the offensive. With so little chances created, to score eighteen goals was actually something close to a miracle…

Wind of change in d’Ornano

Finally, it may well be in Caen that the long-awaited evolution was triggered. At the Stade d’Ornano, Stade Rennes spent the first half showing their most horrendous attacking display, with an overwhelming domination in terms of ball possession (68% over the game, the record in Ligue 1 this season) but a complete desert in terms of goal chances, with two centre midfielders (Doumbia and Tettey) unable to give any support to a Montaño in perdition.
The second half saw the awakening of Yacine Brahimi after his long autumnal slump. Twirling over the pitch, the French-Algerian youngster suddenly brought a creative touch and his ability to eliminate his direct opponent. Sure, Stade Rennes lost in Caen, but the club achieved something during the trip to Normandy: A new spirit that would truly appear in 2011.

After the large victory against Cannes (7-0), the most sceptical of observers preferred to attribute Rennes’ performance to the opposition’s weakness rather than giving credit to the “Rouge et Noir” for their attacking recovery. However the Ligue 1 matches played since then confirmed the return to form of Rennes’ attacking sector.
In six championship games, Rennes have scored twelve goals, an average of two per game. Even better, Rennes’ attack has always scored during these six games, while it remained regularly mute during the first half of the season.

Brahimi, Tettey, Boukari, the real three recruits

How to explain this change? Probably by the arrival of three players who turned to be Stade Rennes’ true winter recruits. Already showing promise in August, Yacine Brahimi showed in a month and a half what Sylvain Marveaux could bring during 2009-2010: the qualities of a “destabilising” player, able to make the difference, to open breaches in a defence as he did when he scored against Paris. The young midfielder’s creativity is clearly one of the elements Stade Rennais lacked during the latter stages of 2010. Only Kembo’s performance against Lyon was looking anything similar, but his run of good performances didn’t really last over time. Brahimi seems actually able to show more performances of this sort, hoping that his recent injury won’t harm his current dynamic.
Besides, Alexander Tettey finally showed the qualities suspected to be his since he arrived from Rosenborg at the end of July 2009. The Norwegian gave Rennes’ midfield the more offensive figure awaited for. With his qualities of provocation, his versatility, his runs forwards, he brought support to the attack, was decisive himself, and help overcoming the “wall” composed of the opposition’s defensive midfielders… All these things Tongo Doumbia had not really been able to do often enough in the first half of the season.

As for the real recruit, Razak Boukari didn’t take long to convince those who had criticised his arrival. Highly valuable for his ability to protect the ball – a quality Montaño doesn’t really show -, the Togolese hasn’t been out of the starting eleven once since he arrived in Brittany. He also showed his ability to score goals, and his presence in the squad provides Frédéric Antonetti with an additional attacking option.
This is topped by the interesting impression that the player is far from having shown the full extent of his qualities, despite already bringing a huge boost to the team. A rather complete striker, his presence weighs on the attacking front, allowing thw whole of the team to play higher up on the pitch.

March will be assessment time

All these new options also allowed other players to revel in the limelight. Is this really pure chance if M’Vila finally scored his first goal, delivered his first assist or launched Brahimi to cause the penalty against Nice? Is this coincidental if Jérôme Leroy and Victor Hugo Montaño suddenly started to pile up assists for one and goals for the other? Entering into the winter transfer market, many thought that salvation would only come with the recruitment of a player able to score twenty goals per season. Looking at the team’s recent progress, it seems evident that the resolution of Rennes’ attacking worries could be obtained in a most simple way… By simply rebalancing the squad.

Things aren’t perfect however. The potential affirmed by Frédéric Antonetti at the beginning of the season makes more sense now, as it has become visible defensively and offensively. But it remains fragile, and to be confirmed against stronger teams than those encountered since January. The series of big matches to be played in March will be a clear assessment of what Rennes are really capable of.

- Photo : srfc.frenchwill.fr