Jorge Sampaoli’s clear observation on the level of Rennes

The Rennes Sampaoli version cannot do it. Since arriving in Brittany, El Pelado has managed six Ligue 1 matches. He has lost four of them. This Saturday evening, Olympique de Marseille did not display an XXL level, but it was still enough to dominate the Rouge et Noir without inspiration and above all without impact. Beaten 2-1 at Roazhon Park, SRFC is even playing with fire. Thirteenth in the ranking, Rennes can get dangerously close to the red zone if Angers and Saint-Etienne manage to achieve a good result this Sunday.

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Expected at a press conference to explain how his team could display such a face, Sampaoli first explained that the forced exit of Arnaud Kalimuendo at half-time (concussion protocol) had disrupted his plans. “With the absence of Kalimuendo, the team suffered. They tried as best they could. We fell into a certain helplessness. Our game was less clear than in the first half. We managed to reduce certain distances. But when we conceded the second goal, we especially made an effort and lacked lucidity. Yes, we didn’t have any attackers with the same profile. The plan has been modified. We lost depth, we lost a player who is above average in the squad“. Such an excuse may seem surprising, but Sampaoli readily concedes that his striker’s exit is not the only source of his concerns.

“Yes of course, it’s a concern”

In terms of recovery, Rennes also encountered big problems, particularly with the technique of its central defenders. Moreover, the Argentinian could not say whether this was due to the stress of his players or simply to a technical weakness. “I don’t know. It’s true that we had difficulty with the reminders today. We were in too much of a hurry to get the ball out properly. The plan without the ball was well done. But with the ball, we lacked audacity and precision. We have a lot of work ahead of us. We must improve our ability to create danger in front of the opposing goal“, he confided, before admitting that his team’s ranking was a real cause for concern.

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«Yes of course, it is a concern. This problem already existed when we arrived. We are working every day to resolve this issue. The team has undergone an evolution in terms of organization, but it does not find the desired domination. We have hope that the team will grow. She needs to progress much further to get out of this uncomfortable zone“. And unfortunately for the Rennais, we will have to react despite an unclear schedule (Brest, Monaco).