by Oliver Jensen aka @fmFutbolManager
Following his French revolution at Stade Rennais, we asked @fmFutbolManager to give us his Player of the Year for Football Manager 2020.
When I was approached by MaddFM to write a player of the year piece for @WeStreamFM I thought it would be quite an easy thing to do. But often that first thought that enters your head is the emotive one.
When I sat down and actually started to give it some thought various players came to my mind. The obvious choice for me was Gilles Schmitt.
The boy was a machine. We had an on-off relationship. He left for Manchester United in the summer of '26 for €150M, the asking price I had set him.
For those who don't know, I do not handle my incoming offers for players. I set an asking price and clubs who bid face my Director of Football. If the bid meets the asking price the player is sold, if not, he stays.
Read more » Dealing with incoming transfer bids
I had set Schmitt's asking price at €150M thinking it was a safe value and no one would offer this. I was wrong. Manchester United made the offer, and the rest was almost history.
Schmitt returned on loan in January 2028, scored three goals against Manchester United en route to our first Champions League final against AC Milan. Unfortunately, he choked, and we lost on penalties.
His return saw him break the Stade Rennais all-time league goalscorer record, which he still holds with 108 goals; one of many records he has. He also came through the academy in the same year as my eventual player of the year.
Jacky Rault
To look at him, you wouldn't think he was much of a player. He has an average first touch, he isn't particularly good at tackling, and his concentration and composure attributes aren't the best.
However, what he doesn't lack is fantastic passing (his technique and vision attributes are brilliant) and an engine that keeps him going for the full 90-minutes (stamina and work rate). The perfect mix for the job I needed him to do.
When Jacky came through the academy as a promising midfielder, he was part of a crop of youngsters who I had very high hopes for. A golden generation. I never dreamed that he would be with me ten seasons later lifting the Champions League.
Of the squad which finished the 2019/20 season, only Rault and the retiring Jérémy Gélin remain. It is for this reason, the loyalty to me, that he is my choice.
Astonishingly, Rault has never played for France. Something that I would love to change should the France position come available.
Despite playing a part in 304 matches for Stade Rennais at the top level, contributing 68 goals and 50 assists, he has been overlooked all this time in favour of older players, such as the 36-year-old Paul Pogba.
As a box-to-box midfielder, he is usually arriving on the edge of the box, waiting for a cut-back from one of the wide players. This affords him the chance of getting plenty of shots at goal.
Talking of shots on goal, rarely does he score the simple tap in.
I could have chosen from the plethora of pacey wingers or the powerful strikers I've had at my time in charge of Rennes, but that would be the easy choice.
As I hand over the reins to a new manager, my only hope is that Rault can get enough games under the new leadership and retire a club legend. Moving into the 11th season, I've resigned as manager and become the Director of Football at Stade Rennais.
Read more » Oliver Jensen steps down as Stade Rennais manager
It’s out of my hands
Writing this piece has allowed me to look back over the seasons and look at the development of a player who, while not spectacular, is certainly one of the best I’ve had the luck of managing.
It has allowed me to appreciate that what separates the human manager from the AI is our ability to look beyond the numbers. We become attached to these players. We build a narrative. The AI will often refuse to rotate, they'll play their strongest players based on current ability, and this is where I worry for Rault's future.
When I filter the squad by those who can play centrally as a midfielder, we have eight players available. Rault is second from the bottom in terms of current ability.
The story of Jacky Rault and Stade Rennais could become one of legend. However, with the AI in charge, it could also be a story of what could have been.
Thanks for reading.
If for some inexplicable reason you haven’t read any of Oliver Jensen’s FM content by now, drop what you are doing and get on over to www.theresonlyoneball.com where you can find a host of outstanding FM tips and guides, tactical pieces as well as save updates from his epic Les Rouge et Noir save at Stade Rennais.
Interested in sharing your own FM Player of the Year? Drop us a message or reach out to MaddFM for more info.
