Preview: Pocognoli challenges AS Monaco to match Juventus display against Rennes
© AS Monaco
With AS Monaco still winless in Ligue 1 since the turn of the year, they welcome Stade Rennais to the Stade Louis-II determined to claim maximum points this Saturday. Manager Sébastien Pocognoli addressed the media in his pre-match press conference, fielding questions on this crucial upcoming fixture, their huge Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain and more.
Squad update
First on the agenda was Pocognoli providing the latest on his squad ahead of the Rennes encounter, explaining: “Krépin (Diatta) is back and has been training normally these past few days. For Christian (Mawissa), it’s still a bit early, as he hasn’t fully rejoined the group training sessions yet; he’s still partially fit, so it’s just a matter of time before we see him again. All the other injured players are in the process of returning, including Wout (Faes), Eric (Dier), Paul (Pogba) and Pape (Cabral). We hope to have them back as soon as possible to strengthen the squad and create competition for places.”
PSG awaits
Next up were Pocognoli’s thoughts on the UCL draw, where ASM will face heavyweights PSG, who they recently defeated in league action.
“I said after the match against Juve that I didn’t have a preference. I know Newcastle, having faced them this season in the Champions League with Union Saint-Gilloise. It would have been a nice touch to play them again with AS Monaco to gauge our level against them. As for Paris Saint-Germain, we obviously know the level of this team, especially since we’ve already played them in Ligue 1. So I’m looking forward to that date, but before that there are a lot of matches where we can build and accumulate as much confidence as possible. Because we know it’s a two-legged tie, anything is possible,” insisted the Belgian.
“We’re going to play a very high-level team that knows the competition well, so it’s true that from a neutral spectator’s point of view, it can be disappointing to see two French clubs facing each other. But personally, I’m very happy to be playing PSG, because we already played a very good match against them at home in the league. We’ll therefore need to raise our level of play even further, but I repeat, we must first focus on the match tomorrow against Rennes and then on the Coupe de France. We know we put in good performances against big teams, whether in the league or in Europe, so I’m not worried that we’ll be ready for these two matches and that we’ll be as ambitious as possible. But the most important thing for me right now is Ligue 1, and showing the same attitude as against Juve.”
Defensive options
With Pocognoli switching between a three- and four-man backline, largely due to personnel issues, his words on his tactical flexibility with the defensive setup made for interesting reading.
“We always try to maintain stability, even though we’ve had some good matches with a four-man defence against Paris and Marseille, which shows that my analysis of the squad when I arrived was correct. I do believe that when the squad is deep enough, we have the capacity to play in both systems, as we’ve also performed very well with a three-man backline. This bodes well for the future, but my main concern is having the necessary depth to be able to rely on both formations,” said the 38-year-old.
“When everyone is back, it will give me the opportunity to make the best choices, and not just based on injuries and suspensions. So we’re trying to find stability, but we’ll see tomorrow what’s best for the team, also taking into account our recovery from the Juventus match and the opponent, because we always have to consider that, even if our basic principles remain the same.”
Zakaria
The focus then switched to the masterful performance of Denis Zakaria in the heart of defence vs Juventus, as Pocognoli was full of praise for his captain and everything he brings to the team.
“I think the game plan was very clear to him. Zak’s qualities can work very well in midfield as well as in defence, and the big advantage is that he defends very well while pressing forward, given his speed. He also has good footwork, especially when the action is happening in front of him, like when he plays as a defensive midfielder when we’re dominating the match. He has the characteristics to be versatile, and in modern football that’s invaluable, even more so when you can switch to a back three or four. In fact, I said when I arrived that the three-man defence allows many players to be versatile in adapting to the system. If Denis feels important and comfortable in this system and in these circumstances, we’ll explore the idea of putting him back in that position in the future. He’s our captain and thinks about the team, so we’ll see depending on the available options,” acknowledged the ASM boss.
Rennes
Turning his attention to Saturday’s opponents, Pocognoli gave his opinion on Habib Beye’s side, outlining the challenge they will present.
“There was a before and after for this team when they played us, because they had a positive momentum afterwards. They’re a team that bounced back when things were tough for us. I remember we created a lot of chances in the first half there and didn’t defend well. They have a well-oiled system with quality players, so on paper it will be a difficult match, and we’ll need to be ready, have the same team spirit and simply be at our best,” expressed Pocognoli.
“We’re in a situation where every match is crucial as we approach the end of the season. At the same time, if we look at things optimistically, we’re still in contention on all three fronts, so we still have a lot of work to do to have a successful season. And this weekend we can get closer to the positions that reflect our ambitions, even if it’s going to be a long road back. But that can only happen if we have a positive objective in mind and if we do our job well.”
Aims
When asked about Monaco’s aims across multiple competitions, the coach responded insightfully on their objectives for the remainder of the campaign.
“We’re still competing on three fronts (Ligue 1, Champions League, Coupe de France), and it’s important to be ambitious in all three competitions. We’ve qualified for the playoffs in the Champions League, we have a crucial Coupe de France match against Strasbourg and we urgently need points in the league to climb back up the table. That didn’t stop us from securing qualification against Juventus with only 13 players on the pitch, which is remarkable. That’s what finding solutions is all about: relying on teamwork, training and a strong mentality. If we have a good squad again to compete in all three competitions, it will help us string together a series of wins and regain some composure for the end of the season,” he asserted.
Focus
Following their hard-fought draw with Juventus, ASM will look to carry their positive momentum from this result into the Rennes clash to get things moving in the right direction in Ligue 1.