Jorge Sampaoli
His exclusion from the bench at Nantes :
« It won't be easy because I won't be on the pitch, but I'll have a different perspective from which to analyse the match, which isn't ideal. »
Reflections after Mikayil Faye's suspension:
« We can play with four at the back or three. With three, Adrien Truffert could be lined up on the left. He's a player who can get the ball out very well, and his left-footed profile could help us. He had a very good game against Nantes, he gave us a lot of volume when he got the ball out and he was very solid defensively. »
Nantes' lack of chances in the first half :
« With eleven against eleven, Nantes embarrassed us, and the first half was very neutral, like Lille. I think we were better with ten men. By trying to take the initiative, Nantes allowed us to be more attacking. Without the ball, the team has made a lot of progress, but with the ball, there's still room for improvement. We have players capable of making a difference, but they may not be in top form. I need the high performance to be repeated over time. It's not enough to be decisive when the result goes in our favour. If these players had made the difference since the start of the championship, I probably wouldn't be here today. We need them fit. We're doing everything we can to make them feel at home in our system. »
The need for a result against Angers:
« The result has an influence on the analyses. In my opinion, we were competitive in Nantes. We were solid defensively, even when we were reduced to ten men. I think the defeat was unfair. The team is growing all the same, and all week we've been stressing the importance of volume in attack.
We can't escape reality. I want a determined, strong and aggressive team. Certain situations can give rise to doubts, especially as we'll be playing teams who know what it's like to play at the bottom of the table. That's not the case with Rennes in their recent history. It can be difficult to accept that reality, but it's clear that Sunday's game is crucial. In any case, I'm expecting a complicated game. »
Arnaud Kalimuendo
The battle at the bottom of the rankings:
« In this kind of situation, you have to take a step back. It's not easy to free yourself but you have to take it one game at a time. From a personal point of view, I'm trying to stay myself and work even harder because I want us to get out of this situation and be where we need to be. I'm not feeling any more impatient than that. We've got a group of top guys who are really committed. I feel we're going to get out of here by applying the coach's new principles. »
The offensive breakdown at Nantes :
« When you look at the quality of the attacking players, there's room for improvement. We need to do a lot more in terms of volume and connection between us. We saw a bit of that against Saint-Étienne, and I'm not worried about it. We have to take responsibility and make a difference. We have to take risks, and from what I've seen in training, I can see an improvement. We had a very good week and the players are really committed. »
Current form:
« I'm feeling good. I know what to expect and I'm starting to have a bit more experience. All strikers have bad passes and fail to score. You have to stay strong. When I play, I'm free. I try to be as productive as possible, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You have to accept failures. You have to accept failure. But what do we have to fear? We play football, let's have fun together. That's what we need to convey to the fans on the pitch. I know things will turn around, that's for sure. »
Angers, le prochain adversaire :
« Ils ont des joueurs de qualité, avec l’expérience de la Ligue 1, techniques et robustes. Il va falloir être prêt car ça ne sera pas facile. »
Alexandre Dujeux, Angers SCO coach
« Rennes shouldn't be with us at the start. They're basically playing for Europe, and the league is still a long way off, so maybe they'll get there. Brest are playing in the Champions League, and then there's Montpellier. We've got three games to pick up some important points and make sure we're still in the hunt at the halfway stage. We want to play a consistent away game, which is what we often do, try to score, be solid defensively and play our hearts out. We're seeing some of the ideas and principles that have emerged since Jorge Sampaoli arrived at Rennes. We're preparing accordingly. There are their characteristics but also what we have to do. If we don't play a good game, things won't go well. »
Matchday 15 - Ligue 1 McDonald's
Stade Rennais F.C. / Angers SCO
Sunday 15 December - 5.00 pm
Roazhon Park