Preview: AS Monaco eyeing crucial win over Nantes

After being held to a draw by rivals OGC Nice in the derby last weekend, AS Monaco will be eager to return to winning ways when they host FC Nantes this Friday.

Following a week of determined preparation for this vital fixture, Pocognoli addressed the media in his pre-match press conference.

Togetherness

To kick things off, Pocognoli discussed the importance of group unity during this demanding period of the season, explaining: “We got together yesterday for a day, something we hadn’t been able to do for a very long time, and it felt great! We shared a lovely meal together, which was very important after a period with a string of matches, which is about to give way to another equally demanding one. And for me, it’s the mental aspect that will provide the boost for the last three to four months of competition remaining this season. The team is in good spirits, but I think the players also need to spend time together outside of training to build a sense of family.”

“These moments when we disconnect a bit from the pitch are important, which is why we saw such great energy and intensity in training today. We’re now going back to a cycle of two matches a week for two to three weeks, so I think it was the right time to do it, and the players appreciated it. Everyone was there, including the injured players, so that was good because we know how fragmented the group has been this year due to absences. And I think it did them good to get together, to talk, even the staff with the players; that was important.”

Nantes

When asked for his opinion on the upcoming Nantes clash, he stressed the significance of staying focused on this test despite their colossal Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon next week.

“We’re not going to differentiate between our approach to the match, because there are now two areas we need to focus on. Just as I said before the Juventus game that the match in Le Havre would allow us to prepare well for the Champions League, we’re approaching Nantes with the same mindset. If we want to be as prepared as possible for the challenges that await us in the coming weeks, we absolutely have to start well, and that begins with hosting Nantes on Friday,” insisted the Belgian.

He then added this on their smashing victory vs Les Canaris earlier in the term: “For me, it was one of our best matches of the season in terms of both the football and the emotions we felt during the game! I really identified with the team at that time, especially with Tottenham and Nantes, before our setback against Paris FC. In any case, we put in a good performance, even if we weren’t as solid defensively, but at least we decided to play attacking football and take risks! We could have scored many more goals, too. Now it’s a new era, with a new coach at the helm of Nantes. They played well against Lyon, so I expect to see a team that will come out with as much energy as possible to try and get a result.”

Defensive uplift

Pocognoli was also quizzed about the team’s improved defensive form, with three successive clean sheets in Ligue 1 action reflecting the positive influence of Denis Zakaria.

“We’ve regained stability with Zak (Denis Zakaria) at the back, even though his best position remains in midfield. For the moment, we’re solid with this defence and this attacking approach, at a time when we had doubts about the goals we were conceding. Now we’ll try to find the right balance to also rediscover our attacking prowess. But it’s clear that we’ve regained defensive solidity by keeping four clean sheets in the last five matches, which is positive,” said the 38-year-old.

Areas to improve

Addressing what his side must improve in the weeks ahead, the coach highlighted the need for sharper finishing and greater offensive precision.

“Ideally, we’d need to have a bit more depth in the squad, but above all, we need to convert our chances more often. We haven’t been consistent so far, and we’re going to do everything we can to maintain our current consistency. Then we’ll work on what we can still improve, namely our finishing in front of goal, as I explained, how we manage attacking transitions and the final pass, but also our off-the-ball movement to create space for our teammates,” he told the media.

Adingra

Last on the docket was the encouraging start to life exciting new signing Simon Adingra has made at Monaco, with the manager making some insightful comments on his integration and how he plans to use the Ivorian.

“He still needs to adapt to the situation and his teammates, but he certainly has qualities we were lacking, like speed, more depth and penetration in one-on-one situations. It wasn’t always perfect against Nice, but he tried, and he made a good appearance against Strasbourg, so we hope to see a better version of him in the upcoming matches. Regarding his preferred position? For me, in a three-man backline, you need a dynamic wing-back on one side and another player who is more solid defensively or physically imposing on the other, like Krépin (Diatta), who is more robust and athletic,” Pocognoli acknowledged.

“It’s a question of finding the right balance. Simon has played in this system several times in his career, and he’s done it very well. But to utilise his attacking qualities, what we lacked against Nice was getting the ball forward. We usually manage that thanks to our two number 10s, but this time we didn’t find Golo (Aleksandr Golovin) and Maghnes enough, so we didn’t see Simon’s full range of skills in this match. He’s capable of it, in any case, although the goal is to see if the team needs him right now.”

Big week ahead

Looking to climb the table from their current 10th spot, Monaco know securing all three points is crucial ahead of their massive showdown vs PSG. However, facing a Nantes outfit near the bottom won’t be straightforward, as the visitors possess enough quality to trouble any team on their day.