Preview: AS Monaco gear up for derby showdown with Nice

AS Monaco coach Sébastien Pocognoli faced the media ahead of the derby with OGC Nice, stressing the need for a response after his side’s Coupe de France defeat to RC Strasbourg.

State of play

First up was his take on the team’s current situation, with him well aware things aren’t going as planned despite his and the team’s best efforts.

“We haven’t had much time before this derby, so I’m focused on preparing for it well. There’s certainly frustration at every level of the club regarding this season, which started in July and will end in May. Everyone is frustrated to varying degrees, depending on the emotions it evokes. In any case, for my part, I have a principle that when I join a club, I try to support all its components so that we can all move forward together – the players, the management and the fans,” he asserted.

“I’m trying to focus as much as possible on the pitch, because it’s only by getting answers on the pitch that we can change this difficult situation. There will certainly be things to change for next season, as there are some things we could have done better, but I think everyone is aware of that and is working on it. We’ll take stock at the end of the season, but everyone is doing their best right now to turn things around, and that will happen on the pitch. So what better way to respond and bring some positivity to this second half of the season than a derby?”

Squad status

Next on the agenda was an injury update from Pocognoli, who’s dealing with a squad decimated by absences at the moment.

“Against Strasbourg, we had to manage Folarin Balogun’s playing time carefully because we have a lot of matches coming up in quick succession, so we need to adjust his playing time, as we don’t have an unlimited squad at the moment. Therefore, Balo didn’t start as a precaution, and at the same time, we had Mika (Biereth) coming off a very good performance as a substitute against Rennes,” he insisted.

“So we have to manage some players, like Vanderson for example, because we still have a very small squad to work with this week, so it’s a factor we need to keep in mind. Regarding potential returns? Wout (Faes) will train fully with the group for the first time today, so we’ll see if he can help the team. Christian (Mawissa) isn’t fully integrated into the group sessions yet.”

Derby pressure

Pocognoli then shared his thoughts on the added pressure associated with the derby, stating: “We’ve been under pressure for a few weeks now, that’s the reality! The defeat in Strasbourg eliminated us from a competition where we wanted to put on a good show until the very end. We played against a strong Strasbourg team and had some lapses, even though there were some good spells, so I can’t say we played a bad match, especially considering some things that didn’t go our way. I think we played a solid game, even if it wasn’t enough to match Strasbourg’s quality.

“Now the derby is a new match, and we need to pick up points in the league to get back in touch with the European places. The situation would have been the same had we qualified, so we need to get back into the swing of Ligue 1 and do everything we can to rack up points, because we have two important matches against Nice and Nantes to get back up the table.

“I’ve played in many derbies, and even as a coach with Union Saint-Gilloise last year against Anderlecht. They’re special matches with different expectations and emotions than other games. The game will hinge on that, on the atmosphere in the stadium, the highs and lows of the match and on maintaining a neutral mindset regarding events. So I have some experience with this, and I’ll be able to share it with the players.”

Aggression

Pocognoli was keen to point out that he wants his team to show plenty of aggression and character in this colossal clash.

“We put in a high-pressure performance against Strasbourg. While we did lose some duels, which is due to the individual quality of Racing’s players, we certainly lacked aggression at times, something that can make the difference against a good team. In terms of intensity, I think the players gave their all; they did everything they could. Aggression is a very important factor in the derby, although it’s crucial to use it judiciously to avoid getting caught up in the emotions that a derby can bring. Against Strasbourg, we played against a team with a lot of character, so that’s definitely something to remember as we prepare for the match against Nice,” explained the Belgian.

Showdown

As the derby approaches, Monaco come into the match with all eyes on securing the victory to keep up their Ligue 1 momentum following their smashing Stade Rennais win and to rebound from their disappointing Coupe de France exit.