Ligue 1: Sébastien Pocognoli excited to make AS Monaco debut vs Angers
© AS Monaco
With the international break over, AS Monaco’s Ligue 1 campaign resumes with a trip to Angers tomorrow, which marks the first match for new Belgian manager Sébastien Pocognoli on the bench of Les Monégasques.
Three days after his official presentation, Pocognoli appeared before the media again, on the eve of his debut fixture with the Principality club vs Angers, who sit second from last in the standings. German defender Thilo Kehrer was also on hand to give his thoughts.
Excitement
Adi Hütter’s successor made no secret of his eagerness to begin his new adventure, having arrived during the break while the players were still resting or away on international duty. “Of course I’m eager to get started. I feel good on the pitch and on the bench. The final stretch is important for a coach, because you want to see what you’ve worked on in training during the week come to fruition. So there’s a kind of excitement, because I want to see how my team performs quickly,” he explained.
With only four sessions conducted at the La Turbie Performance Center, Pocognoli is gradually getting to know his squad, which has been shortened by numerous absences. The latest is that of Eric Dier. The English defender went down this week in training, suffering a right hamstring injury, and is expected to be out for between two and four weeks. “You always want to have a full squad when you arrive at a new club. But things are as they are – sometimes there’s a year without injuries; that’s been the case for two years, and sometimes it happens in a cascade without there being any particular reason,” he added.
Confidence in the squad
Despite being in an unfavourable dynamic, with only one win in their previous five games, the coach is not worried and believes in his players to reverse the trend. “I found a group with good energy because there was a lot of feedback. The atmosphere was good, and the players were very open to the organised meetings. So I hope we will have a good first match to validate all that, which will allow us to accelerate the process. But I felt good quality and good focus during the sessions.”
The same sentiment came from Kehrer, who will be the captain for this match. “It’s always a privilege and a responsibility. It’s an honour to be captain of this team, and it motivates me to give my best, both in terms of my performance and my personality, to achieve a good result,” stated the 29-year-old.
A philosophy to bring
The arrival of a new coach often leads to changes in style. But Pocognoli doesn’t intend to shake things up. “I’m trying to establish a framework based on my philosophy and to ensure it fits with the players’ qualities, but I think it can work well. I expect we’ll already see that tomorrow in Angers, especially in terms of structure with and without the ball,” he analysed.
Aware that it may take time to apply his principles, despite a currently reduced squad, the Seraing native is not looking for excuses. “I try not to set a time limit for implementing my philosophy. It also allows me to see other players and perhaps try other activities that could give me more possibilities. So my goal is to have an answer in the short term, before having more options once the squad is complete,” he acknowledged.
Pogba and Fati
Pocognoli continues to communicate regularly with his players, particularly Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati. “I was able to speak with Paul in particular, who, in the short term, must first rediscover the pleasure and confidence in his game. That’s the aim, and the rest will come later. Ansu’s qualities can be expressed everywhere. But for that to be the case, tactical discipline is first required. For him to express them at his best, I hope that the team block in possession of the ball will give him the opportunity to have ideas and implement them. In any case, that’s where I want to get with him,” he commented.
Kehrer
A substitute this season, Kehrer knows that the competition is getting tougher but believes in his ability to bounce back. “It was a little more difficult for me, but that’s okay. It happens, and the important thing is to stay focused on the work, on what makes us strong, and to have self-confidence,” admitted the former Paris Saint-Germain man, who appreciates the former Union Saint-Gilloise player’s coaching style. “He’s very active in his approach. He’s a young technician, a former player, so he’s very involved in his sessions, as are his assistants (Kevin Mirallas and Artur Kopyt). Personally, I appreciate that, because for us players, it brings a good dynamic,” said the experienced stopper.
Angers await
The clash with Angers will serve as a great first hit-out for Pocognoli’s version of Monaco before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur’s visit in the Champions League on Wednesday evening (9 p.m.) at the Stade Louis-II.