Franck Haise stood in the aftermath of Rennes’ 4-0 defeat at Lyon and did not look for a hiding place. On a night when a top-of-the-table contest became one-sided, the Rennes coach placed the first responsibility on himself after making seven changes to his starting side.
Key takeaways
- Rennes were beaten 4-0 by Lyon on Saturday night in Ligue 1’s fourth round.
- Haise said his seven alterations to the team made him the first person accountable for the result.
- The coach felt Lyon were superior to Rennes technically, tactically and physically.
- Estéban Lepaul was left out of the starting XI after beginning every previous match and ahead of the international break.
- Thirteen Rennes players are due to join their national teams, while the remaining group will be given time off before work resumes.
- Rennes return from the break against Auxerre, with Haise demanding a display closer to his side’s usual level.
Haise accepts the cost of rotation
Haise made no attempt to separate himself from the selection decisions that preceded Rennes’ collapse. “When a coach makes seven changes and the team loses 4-0, the coach is the first one at fault,” he said.
He also acknowledged that Lyon had been overwhelmingly better, despite Rennes’ efforts to compete. The visitors were simply too far below the home side’s standard to take anything from the game, he said.
The Rennes manager will review the performance, particularly the contribution of his attacking players. He stressed that those selected had earned their opportunity through their work in training, but admitted that fielding three forwards was not necessarily the right formula in a fixture of this difficulty.
Haise did not disown his choices, even while accepting the verdict of the scoreline. “Seven changes and you lose 4-0, you are wrong, full stop,” he said. “But if you make no changes and lose 4-0, you are wrong as well.”
Lyon expose Rennes after early promise
Rennes had started with some encouraging passages before Lyon scored from their first real move forward. Haise said he struggled to judge the psychological impact of that opening goal, but insisted his team had initially carried out parts of its plan well.
Against Lyon in this form, however, brief good spells were never going to be enough. Haise said his side needed to be outstanding from first whistle to last because Lyon punished every weakness with ruthless quality.
He rejected the idea that Rennes lacked character, arguing instead that his players had been outplayed in every major aspect of the match. “We were surpassed technically, tactically and physically,” he said. “It is up to me to understand why and get back to work.”
Haise also defended the decision not to start Lepaul. The forward had started each of Rennes’ previous games, had already put in significant effort, and is due to link up with the France squad. Lyon’s running power was another factor, with Haise believing his team needed enough physical output to meet it.
He also pointed to Boulaye Dia’s quality and said the experienced forward deserved an opportunity. For Haise, the defeat should not erase the positive elements from Rennes’ start to the season, but it delivered a sharp reminder of the gap between the teams on this occasion.
The international break now interrupts Rennes’ response. Thirteen players will leave for national-team duty, leaving a small group of around nine or 10 at the training ground. Haise said they would be given a short break, noting that Rennes had returned for pre-season earlier than any other side, before preparing with renewed energy for Auxerre.
“We have to show another face when we return against Auxerre,” Haise said. “One that looks more like my team.”
