ASSE travels to Rennes this Saturday at 5 p.m. A meeting against a quality opponent for the Stéphanois. However, the SRFC is going through a period of doubt. Jorge Sampaoli spoke at a press conference before receiving the Greens.
Jorge Sampaoli (Stade Rennais Coach) : “We had ideas before arriving, but they were primarily linked to what we had seen on video. Now, I have concrete knowledge of the group. We were able to really begin to discover the group on a collective level and In the short term, I hope to find an offensive and defensive system that will fit our idea of the game.
We struggled to score, but we also conceded a lot of goals. What is important is that we become solid offensively and defensively. We started to make a diagnosis. We need to change the team's form, and that involves our performances on both surfaces. We will work collectively, offensively and defensively. In Lille, I think we had a good match defensively. But on the offensive level, it was not convincing. This makes sense, change takes time. We must approach all this with great calm.”
ASSE is scheduled to play the game
Jorge Sampaoli (Stade Rennais Coach): “In attack, we especially want to work on form. This can involve the choice of players, but also the choice of player profiles. Our block must create more chances. During the last match, we looked for the best solution, without finding the solution. For the moment, what matters is balancing the team. We must be stable to help the team achieve better collective performance.
Ludovic Blas is above all a player who, from the side, plays on the wrong foot and goes inside. I've always seen him play in that position. In this role, he is very interesting, particularly thanks to his left-footed ball striking. He is not a deep winger whose main quality would be speed, but he is someone who creates striking situations thanks to this false foot play.
Rennes is not used to playing in this classification zone. We are going to face teams who are used to playing for survival. They know how to play this kind of match. I ask the players to play with great responsibility and aggression.“
Strong choices for Sampaoli
Jorge Sampaoli (Stade Rennais Coach): “We will be in a few matches if Rennes plays to maintain. The team's fitness is currently fragile. We must try to respond to this situation. Above all, I will favor players who are aggressive, who have a lot of energy. These are undoubtedly the ones who will play. In another context, I might not have made these choices. There, it takes a lot of energy to save the club. It's for the good of Stade Rennais.”
“If against Saint-Etienne, we play in a disorderly manner, we will lose”
Jorge Sampaoli (Stade Rennais Coach): “If we don't control the situation well defensively, we will be in difficulty. I take the example of a team like Manchester City. This team is very balanced and even though they attack, they have 5 players who are dedicated to preventing opponents' transitions. What I can assure you of is that if we play in a disorderly manner against Saint-Etienne, we will lose. The priority is to stabilize the team. If we are united and well organized, we will be able to get through this.”
