RED STAR – LE MANS : 0-0
D 2
26th January 1991
Red Star, version 1990-1991
Front : Fiatte, Tcherenkov, Niesser, Girard, Michel, Gaucher
Middle : Roussey (physio), Brucato, Yali, Bubnov (assistant coach), Bras (president), Rouquette (coach), Cartellier, Roussey, Fanzel
Back : Mérelle, Polaniok, Stéfanini, Léopoldès, Scipion, Amours, Rodionov, Bidelogne, Dewez
RED STAR : COUNTER BLOCKED
To better understand the performance of Red Star Saturday evening, one has to listen to the comments of coach Michel Rouquette after the game : « Looking at the whole ninety minues, I guess that we have earned a point », all this said with the air of one unhapy coach. To tell the truth, he wasn't the only one. The players too gave the impression of having missed an opportunity.
Two main reasons, amongst others might explain the « non match » of the Audoniens : sloppy in attack and lacking rhythm. Lets examine each of thee in turn and try to understand why and the wherefore of each and also reasons to be optimistic for a team that is worth more than Saturday evenings' performance.
The shot-shyness of the strikers : « We don't make any chances », moaned Michel Rouquette. It is true that other than a lovely free kick from Stéfanini (57th) which brushed the left upright of Rodolphe, Red Star were on meagre rations. Exlanations from one of the guilty party, Laurent Roussey : « Too often we had the ball with our backs to goal whereas it should be the opposite, and also there was too big a space between midfield and ourselves. We xwere just too osolated », explained a former big hope for French football.
Another explanation: the absence of Sergueï Rodionov whom, since finding form offers much in the way of attack. However hi injury could keep him sidelined for a considerable amount of time.
The lack of rhythm, or as the coach puts it, « the absence of changes of rhythm. ». Now we find some explanations : Jean-Marc Brucato : « On Army duty, since the start of the goings-on in the Gulf, I'm hardly ever in training. » or Gilles Irazoqui, former Racing player whom did however have a good game for large parts of the game « I haven't yet got ninety minutes in my legs, I'm still lacking that bit extra ». Add to all this, Bruno Scipion, injured during training …
But more than individual, what is missing is team combativity. This is the difference betwen Red Star and Le Mans, the letter well capable of changing rhythm. Brucato : « They waited for us deep and then they went off on rapid counter-attacks and often outnumbered us on the break ».
Michel Rouquette tried to understand : Maybe it is down to the hard training that I put them through during the recent break. If so, then I'll ease off. », Maybe the real reason ?
We will ,know more next week at La Roche-sur-Yon*
Pierre Marcus – Le Parisien
* note, Red Star went down 1-2.
Jean-Marc Brucato, assistant coach in 2007-2008, gives his orders to Loïc Ghili, now with Noisy-le-Sec © GT Valck
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