Lilian Brassier 2021/22: The 22y/o €2m Rennes academy product blooming under Der Zakarian at Brest – scout report

After spending 2020/21 on loan at Brest, and really only starting to enter the first-team picture in the latter stage of the season, Rennes academy product Lilian Brassier (184cm/6’0”, 78kg/172lbs) joined Les Pirates on a permanent deal for just €2m last summer. The 22-year-old’s performances this season have made this deal look like incredibly good business from the Brittany-based club, as for me, Brassier has been one of the biggest standouts among the young centre-backs in Ligue 1 this term.

Brassier was one of several players who arrived at Stade Francis Le Blé last summer that have gone on to be pretty important within new manager Michel Der Zakarian’s first-team setup this term. Romain Del Castillo joined the club from Rennes along with Brassier, while the ex-Rennes duo were joined at their new club by fellow fresh arrivals Marco Bizot, who made his move from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar and Lucien Agoumé, who joined Brest on loan from Serie A side Inter last summer.

Despite all of this solid transfer business, Der Zakarian has recently shared public criticism of Brest, declaring that: “the club lacks ambition”, in his view. The 59-year-old used the club’s January sale of star man Romain Faivre to Ligue 1 rivals Lyon for a reported initial fee of €15m as an example of this, while one could also possibly use Brest’s summer sale of left-back Romain Perraud to EPL side Southampton for around €13m as another example of this. However, it may also be worth noting that both transfer fees received may represent decent business from Brest, as both fees eclipse what the club has spent on incoming transfers this term and under new boss Der Zakarian, Les Pirates currently sit in 13th place on the table, well clear of the drop zone with Brest finishing in 17th last season.

From all of this, though, perhaps we can gather that Brest are happy to sell players for a reasonable price regardless of their significance within Les Pirates’ squad, which could make a name like Brassier one to keep a close eye on should his development continue to progress as it has thus far at Stade Francis Le Blé — something Id be quietly confident of under the tutelage of Der Zakarian, whos one of Ligue 1s most unique and, for me, most impressive managers. This tactical analysis and scout report aims to provide some in-depth analysis of Brassier, his role within this Brest squad and their tactics, as well as his quality to give readers a better idea of what kind of player he is and how much quality he has.

What’s Brassier’s role at Brest?

To kick off this scout report, I’ll aim to provide some initial insight on Brassier’s role within Brest’s strategy and tactics. This information could be important to keep in mind as we progress deeper into this analysis, as Brassier’s tendencies and performances this season must be looked at through the context of his role within Der Zakarian’s system. As mentioned above, the 22-year-old is a centre-back.

As Brassier’s heatmap for the 2021/22 campaign, shown in figure 1, indicates, the Brest man typically occupies the left centre-back position — probably not a major surprise given that he is a left-footed centre-back. While clearly left-footed, Brassier isn’t completely averse to using his weaker right foot and is functional on his weaker side. Brest have typically lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape under Der Zakarian this season, with the club occasionally switching to a three-centre-back system but generally opting to go with two centre-backs, meaning Brassier is typically paired with one central defensive partner.

Brest are one of the least possession-oriented sides in Ligue 1, keeping an average of 43.3% possession this term, which trails only Metz and Reims. It’s important to keep this in mind when judging the statistics and data that we’ll come to later in this analysis. As obvious as it may seem, Brassier’s role is primarily a defensive one. His quality in stopping opposition attacks cleanly and efficiently is highly valued in his team. However, the centre-back is also, nevertheless, a key man in possession for Der Zakarian’s side, often tasked with launching his side’s attacks and progressing them into more threatening areas of the pitch.

A lot is deman