Preview: AS Monaco and Marseille collide in crucial Ligue 1 battle
© AS Monaco
With the international break now over, AS Monaco and their players are now fully focusing on their crucial upcoming clash with Olympique de Marseille.
Monaco manager Sebastian Pocognoli attended the pre-match press conference to share his thoughts on this massive contest and much more.
Squad update
Beginning with the usual squad update, the Belgian tactician offered some key information on Paul Pogba and Kassoum Ouattara.
“Kassoum (Ouattara) has unfortunately been added to the injury list and will be out for a few weeks. Otherwise, there are no other injuries to report. Paul (Pogba) is available; there are still three training sessions remaining, but he has been training continuously with the group since the start of the international break. The process is positive, and he is a possibility. There is currently no reason why he might not be available, but if that is the case, we will have made that decision together,” he explained.
He then added this on squad management following the internationals, with him making a fine point that ASM have been forced to deal with availability issues all term due to the plethora of injuries they’ve suffered.
“I think we’re reaching a point in the season where we can’t overthink things anymore. We’ll always make the best tactical choices while also taking into account the players’ physical condition and the risk of suspension in case of a yellow card. We’ve had to juggle so many absences and physical management issues that now, in the final stretch of the season, we simply have to try to be as consistent as possible in our decisions and make the best choices for the team. As long as the players return at 100%, both mentally and physically, as was the case yesterday and I hope will be the case today, we’ll have plenty of reasons to field the strongest possible team,” insisted Pocognoli.
Huge clash for both
Next on the agenda was the magnitude of this fixture, with it being such a colossal encounter for both teams’ dreams of securing Champions League qualification.
“This is an important match, and we wanted it to be. With this schedule, we know that if we go on a good run, these matches against Lyon and Marseille can become important, but not crucial, because there will still be six more matches to play. We’ll be at home against the third-placed team, against whom we lost at the Vélodrome in the first leg, despite putting in a good performance. We want to do better than in the first leg to try and continue this good run,” stated the ASM manager.
“It depends on the pressure we put on ourselves. For our part, we put pressure on ourselves every day to perform at our best, which is perhaps why we’re talking about this right now, and I’m happy about that given our season. We’re sixth, we’re in the role of the hunter and the underdog. But I repeat, we put pressure on ourselves; we want to continue this good run. In the standings, Marseille is third; they want to keep that place, and they’ll do everything they can to do it. As for us, we’re determined to get back to their level.”
Pocognoli’s suspension
Attention shifted to Pocognoli’s suspension for this one as he spoke astutely on how he and his staff will combat this.
“We’ve already organised everything. It will all be well planned; I’ll be able to communicate with my players before, during and after the match. I’ll be somewhere in the stadium, maintaining indirect communication with the bench. Everything is well prepared on the sidelines to maximise our influence and ensure maximum peace of mind. We’ll be ready; there won’t be any problems,” asserted the former Union Saint-Gilloise coach.
Relationship with the President
The final topic discussed was Pocognoli’s relationship with the Monaco President, Dmitry Rybolovlev.
“His role is very important, not only for me but I think for all the members of the club as well. Above all, he’s someone who wants the whole club to run smoothly. He pays close attention to everything that happens here. We have discussions, as I think all coaches do with their president and management, and they’re always focused on improving things: advice, not just on football but also on everything related to management,” acknowledged the 38-year-old.
“It’s very interesting because he has a lot of experience. When you get results, it stems from teamwork. The president is at the top of the pyramid, and everything flows down to the pitch. If we find common ground across the board, the players perform well. And if we perform well, everyone at every level of the pyramid is happy because we all share the same goal: to win matches, to perform well and to enjoy it.”
Step up time
Looking to make it seven consecutive league victories and draw level with Marseille in the standings, expect Monaco to come out swinging in this significant outing that could be instrumental in determining their European qualification hopes.
