Preview: AS Monaco ready to come out swinging vs. Toulouse
Needing to get things back on track after two consecutive defeats, AS Monaco faces Toulouse at the Stade Louis II determined to claim all three points.
Appearing at the pre-match press conference, Adi Hutter shared his thoughts on a host of topics ahead of this important fixture.
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Eager to bounce back
Having been unlucky not to pick up anything from their losses against Benfica and Olympique de Marseille, Monaco’s experienced manager gave his take on their rough recent run.
“I am disappointed because we did not deserve to lose given the content we have offered in our last two games. The two equalising goals, against Benfica (2-3) and Marseille (1-2), came ten minutes after the second half resumed and that put us in difficulty, but the team’s reaction was very good,” he explained.
“We played well, but we were unlucky at the end, so I can’t be satisfied overall. As a coach, I’m happy with the performance of my players, but not with the result.”
Philosophy staying the same
Asked if he’d be changing things up in terms of his system, it was interesting to note the Austrian’s opinion, as he stated he’ll justifiably be sticking to his guns and instead hoping his team can remove their untimely mistakes. “We have to keep our way of playing because there are times when we too will have our share of luck in certain matches,” he reflected.
“I don’t think it is necessary to focus on individual errors because we didn’t particularly shine in Marseille. The same against Benfica, where we still dominated the match, despite Wilfried Singo’s sending off. These are small details that we have to change and we are well on the way to doing so.”
Magassa’s new deal
Next on the agenda was the contract renewal of the talented Soungoutou Magassa, which is hugely exciting for both him and the club.
“This is a great signing, he deserved to extend his contract because he has shown in recent weeks that he could be a decisive and important player for the squad. He is clearly our second option at No. 6 behind Denis Zakaria. The whole club is delighted with his extension because he is an example of players coming from the academy who have managed to make the step up to the first team. He is fully part of our project,” Hutter insisted.
Squad management
Balancing the younger and more experienced members of the squad served as another intriguing talking point. “The key point of this team is its diversity. There are experienced players, not necessarily by their age, because of the number of matches played in their career. This is what counts. The association between the more experienced players, who help the younger ones on the field, and our high-potential talents, is a perfect mix in my opinion. It is necessary to have this kind of talent in the group because it is in the DNA of the club to rely on its youngsters,” Hutter commented.
“I am happy to build on the work done at La Diagonale, in order to bring through several players ready for the first team. This is a central point for the club. We want to develop the young players of the academy and take them to the top. This is the direction we want to go in. Overall, there are a lot of talented footballers in France, so I’m not worried about the future, whether it’s for French football or AS Monaco.”
Balogun back
Folarin Balogun’s return was the final thing on the docket, as he and everyone associated with the club are hoping he can quickly get back up to speed following his return to action vs. OM following a spell on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury.
“He was on a three-goal streak before his injury, but he had a superb recovery. He fought to come back as quickly as possible. We had the same case last season with Eliesse Ben Seghir, who was in good physical shape, but his injury stopped him in his ascent so he was frustrated,” said the 54-year-old.
Showtime
Delighted at having a full week of training with the players to prepare for this vital encounter with Toulouse, expect Les Monegasques to come out swinging in their quest to get back to winning ways.