Rennes (AFP)

Returning to favor since the arrival of Bruno Genesio, Flavien Tait led the Rennes revolt against Tottenham and, even if success is not always there, this great shy man could still be a precious leader on Sunday in Marseille (5:00 p.m. ).

Revealed in Angers and arrived in Rennes in the summer of 2019, he had managed to win little by little in the Red and Black workforce, before seeing this progression stopped by the confinement of spring 2020.

On resumption, Julien Stéphan did not call on him as much and confidence waned.

Everything changed with the arrival of Genesio in March: replaced in the heart of the game, he showed a desire that Rennes then badly needed.

And the arrival this summer of his former Angevin accomplice Baptiste Santamaria only increased his confidence and his effectiveness on the ground.

But even if at 28, he is one of the deans of this very young team, he should not be counted on to tidy the locker room.

- Technical leader -

"There are many ways to be a leader. There are those who can be in speaking, there are those who are more technical leaders," explains Genesio.

Flavien Tait takes the ball with his head during the Ligue 1 meeting between Rennes and Reims on September 12, 2021 in Rennes as part of the 5th day of Ligue 1 LOIC VENANCE AFP

"Flavien is not a very expansive person who speaks a lot. But in the field he is one of those who have the technical quality to take on this role," he adds.

Against Tottenham, "he was one of those who brought the team back on the right track technically (...), he brought a little serenity when he had the ball in his feet", greets the coach Rennes.

Feverish for their debut in the Europa League Conference against the big favorite of the competition, led 1-0 after less than a quarter of an hour on a new defensive error, the Rennes could have had a bad evening.

But Tait, who was the only one to float during the rout on Sunday against Reims (0-2), this time managed to train his teammates with furious races, recovered balls, dribbling and quick passes to multiply forward situations.

And it wasn't even his best game in the matter.

Against PSG at the end of the championship in May (1-1), he had recovered twice as many balls.

- Competition from Majer -

Thursday, he also found his way to the net, with a superb coiled shot that concluded a great collective movement.

But while Rennes had taken the advantage, one of his defensive interventions turned into an assist for the equalizer of Pierre-Emile Holbjerg (2-2).

Flavien Tait, author of the first Rennes goal against Tottenham (2-2) as part of the first day of the Europa League Conference Thursday, September 16 in Rennes JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP

Blame it on "bad luck", assured Genesio, who appreciated the intensity displayed by his "marathoner".

But Tait struggled to get up after the action.

Sunday, in a packed Vélodrome stadium, the Rennes coach is first of all counting on Tait or Gaëtan Laborde's rage to win to lead and channel his young nuggets.

Only 11th in the standings with 3 goals and 5 points in 5 matches, 5 lengths from Marseille (3rd with one game less), Rennes already needs a boost in the league.

And Tait cannot rest on her laurels.

The arrival at the end of the transfer window of Lovro Majer, a creative milieu with a profile similar to his, brought new competition in the midfield.

So far, the 23-year-old Croatian is suffering from a bruised hip.

But Genesio intends to launch it quickly, given the succession "at a rather hellish pace" of matches in the coming weeks.

Even marathon runners need a rest.

© 2021 AFP