Laszlo Bölöni
MetzJulien Stephan
Rennes
Meeting Highlights...INJURY REPORT
Despite a few small injuries this week, everyone is operational, including the returns of Joël Asoro and Benjamin Tetteh.
…RENNES
Rennes was above average in terms of pace of play and the values of its squad. We already knew it but we were able to see it on the ground. It will have nothing to do with the result that was the first leg. The team has grown, we know each other better than before.
…PREPARATION
I asked them for their participation so that the atmosphere remained serious and motivated until the end. My goal is to get the players to a level of mental excitement enough to be brave for the final three games. I felt the need to make them responsible. I just need them to spread the message because sometimes it leaves deeper marks when it comes from a player and not the coach.
Laszlo Bölöni
Manager on Metz...INJURY REPORT
Despite a few small injuries this week, everyone is operational, including the returns of Joël Asoro and Benjamin Tetteh.
…RENNES
Rennes was above average in terms of pace of play and the values of its squad. We already knew it but we were able to see it on the ground. It will have nothing to do with the result that was the first leg. The team has grown, we know each other better than before.
…PREPARATION
I asked them for their participation so that the atmosphere remained serious and motivated until the end. My goal is to get the players to a level of mental excitement enough to be brave for the final three games. I felt the need to make them responsible. I just need them to spread the message because sometimes it leaves deeper marks when it comes from a player and not the coach.
Julien Stephan
Manager on Rennes…PREPARATION
The start of the week was difficult. It took a time of digestion then a time of projection. It's finally going quite quickly, we're already two days before the match. Project yourself onto this opponent from Metz, facing an opponent who is playing for his skin, his survival in Ligue 1, with what difficulties that will entail. You will have to be ready mentally and in terms of the game to respond to their specificities. We say things to each other. Obviously there are changes in tone, and after a match like that it is necessary to be transparent and honest. But there is also the need to stay united, to unite, because the season is not over. We also need to unite and bring everyone along.
…ABOUT THE MATCH
Yes, no surprises in this match. What also makes us angry is that at the end of the match and in the post-match, we only talk about the shortcomings, we did not praise the quality of the match. It was a great match with two teams who had a constant desire to play, to cause problems for the opponent. We created many more chances than Brest. There is also something that has been kept quiet, due to the result. I'm not criticising, but it was also a very spectacular match. A lot of good things have been done around that, particularly on offensive animation, collective action, character. Coming back to 4-4 had never happened since the start of the season, it also showed character. It was destroyed by these 5 goals.
…DEFENCE
This was not the case in the second part of the season defensively, we were not badly ranked. There it is certain that after the 5 goals conceded we went back lower. We hadn't experienced this yet, for 4-5 months. That's the whole block. We knew that Mounié was very difficult to control in the area so we wanted to solve the problem at the source. It is a collective problem that had to be resolved, and not stigmatise one or the other. This is the truth. This week was probably more difficult mentally, but they worked hard. We will see what will happen in the last 3 matches.