Rennes climbed to the provisional Ligue 1 summit with a 3-0 win over Strasbourg, but Franck Haise found his strongest reasons for satisfaction away from the table. Under the lights, he saw a side beginning to show the resilience and collective identity that had been missing through an uneven start to the campaign.
Rennes find answers after an uneven run
- Rennes had gone into the previous international break after a 4-0 defeat at Lyon.
- They responded with a 4-1 victory against Auxerre, only to lose a seven-goal match 4-3 at Paris FC last week.
- Haise then moved his team from a 4-3-3 shape to a 3-5-2, seeking greater balance.
- That adjustment was followed by Thursday’s 2-2 draw at Juventus, before Rennes beat Strasbourg 3-0.
- The latest win put Rennes temporarily first in Ligue 1, with 16 points collected from eight matches.
Haise said the new framework had brought greater security while also giving certain members of his squad more freedom. He stressed, however, that the improvement could not simply be credited to the formation.
“The system has played a part, but it is largely about what the players do with it,” he said. “You can feel that it gives us more solidity and releases some players too.”
The Rennes coach pointed to the growing character of his group as the central development. “I really like my teams to have soul and personality,” Haise said. “I think this team is starting to show that, and it matters if you want results. It helps you recover quickly and respond quickly after setbacks. For a coach, that is obviously satisfying.”
A clean sheet mattered as much as the third goal
Sebastian Szymanski’s fine strike to make it 3-0 provided the finishing touch, but Haise also highlighted Charlie Cresswell’s late goal-line intervention. With the match effectively won, the defender’s determination to preserve the clean sheet carried as much meaning for the manager.
Haise revealed that he had delivered the same message to the final substitute sent on: Rennes might score a fourth, but conceding was not an option.
“You have to fight to avoid letting in a goal,” he said. “That is the mentality you need.”
The coach did not overplay Rennes’ temporary position at the top, though he accepted it reflected a respectable return. The club have maintained an average of two points per game for some time, and Haise noted that 16 points from eight outings showed their work had not been “that bad”.
Three more tests ahead
Haise knows the questions will keep coming. Rennes now face a demanding sequence against Nice, Olympiacos and Lille, with further answers required after their encouraging response against Strasbourg.
“Football always brings questions and always asks for answers,” he said. “We will need different answers in the next three matches. But for the present moment, there have been good answers.”
