Lille – Stade Rennais: Sampaoli at the bedside of a team without confidence
As he begins today a diagnosis that he wishes to make on the squad, Jorge Sampaoli is above all facing a squad that has lost all confidence in him.
They're a team of undead, basically. Already at Auxerre, then against Toulouse in particular, we have witnessed in the last two weeks two meetings hosted by Rennais far from their respective levels, a shadow of themselves. By conceding two goals in nine minutes on Sunday, this team put its head underwater without hope of coming back, plunged into a Roazhon Park at the end of its nerves, showing its frustration by whistles for 70 minutes, then by a departure of the stadium before the final whistle.
In this chaotic climate, Jorge Sampaoli arrives with the desire to first pose « un diagnostic ». The coach is meeting his first players this morning, for a week with a reduced squad given the international break. “Firstly, I want to get to know the team, that will be an organizational objective, to be able to develop an identity, a playing culture. Then, regain confidence for them,” explained the coach yesterday during his presentation. “First, I intend to understand the real problem of this team. And gradually ensure that the team transforms and becomes protagonist. »
Executives not there, players still unknown
Sampaoli still has a long way to go to make this team actors, and not players suffering their helplessness game after game. At the start of September, it is quite aberrant to note the abysmal level of Baptiste Santamaria, Lorenz Assignon, Adrien Truffert, Steve Mandanda and Christopher Wooh, to name but a few because they were there last year.
It is more surprising to discover the level displayed by Glen Kamara, Leo Ostigard, or recently Albert Gronbaek, while waiting to see Henrik Meister and Andres Gomez again, or to one day see Jordan James and Naouirou Ahamada. The gray areas are enormous when the new coach discovers his new squad, including for observers of the club for many months.
“In a crisis, you have to know where this team is”analyse Sampaoli. “This team is suffering because it is not achieving its objectives. The idea is to transform this suffering into security. We have to transform the group so that it feels comfortable on the pitch.”
A confidence to be recovered urgently
First there is a first friend to find, trust, which has completely abandoned the players for a month. “We will have to restore confidence, transform insecurity into security,” continues the Argentinian, who warns. “Some will perhaps need more proximity while others will have to take things with more discernment so that we get out of this reality. When she is better, it is with a lot of energy, feelings and commitment that we will be able to change things. The players must be able to understand that beyond the feelings of their coaches, they must be aware of what is happening.”
The reality is a 13th place after 11 days, only 11 points taken, and a match in Lille in around ten days against a team playing in another sphere since the start of the season. If Bruno Genesio's LOSC is chasing the podium, Rennes is only four points ahead of the red lantern.
