After their impressive 1-0 home victory vs Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Louis-II, AS Monaco are looking to continue their momentum when they travel to Brittany on Friday evening to face Brest at the Stade Francis-Le Blé. ASM coach Sébastien Pocognoli addressed the media ahead of his key clash.
Pogba
One of the main takeaways was Pocognoli’s update on Paul Pogba’s return to full fitness, as he mentioned the star midfielder’s dedication in training, his outing against PSG and the gradual plan to reintegrate him into the starting line-up.
“He’s been training non-stop. He’s giving 100%, without holding back. There’s still some work to do on his base fitness, but that’s normal because it depends on the match. Everything is going well; his performance against PSG was in line with what we’d planned. We’ll need to start gradually increasing his playing time. But it’s the same for every player; we have to think about the team first to see what he can contribute on the pitch,” stated the Belgian.
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“Against Paris, when he came on, we were leading 1-0 with 10 men against 11. It wasn’t easy, but it was the best solution given his qualities, his experience and what he’s been working on in training. So it was a logical choice. He still needs a little more time before he’s a regular starter, but when we feel he’s ready, we can step things up a notch. In any case, he’s very clear-headed, objective and positive about the process. That’s important, and that’s why he was able to play, because it shows great character. He listens to his body and everything we’re putting in place; there’s nothing but positives.”
Golovin’s performances
The 38-year-old then spoke about Aleksandr Golovin’s recent displays, emphasising his importance to the club, his experience and the need for consistency and confidence to completely unlock his potential.
“Golo is an important player for the club; he’s been here for seven years. If anyone truly understands the AS Monaco DNA, it’s him. He’s had plenty of playing time since I arrived and I’m giving him the opportunity to express himself and take responsibility. If he can consistently showcase his qualities, it will mean we have a truly top-level player! That’s certainly what he’s been demonstrating in most of the recent matches, having made good appearances off the bench against Tottenham and Nantes and strong starts against Bodø/Glimt and Paris. He has everything he needs; he just needs consistency and confidence,” he explained.
“Everything is in place for him to express himself. He’s an important player for the club, but also for me in what we want to build, because he’s creative and knows how to work hard, as he did against Bodø and PSG, while also being decisive. He needs to continue like this; I’m certainly trying to push him. He’s now an experienced player, and perhaps he needs someone on the staff or a coach to help him take responsibility and motivate him so he can become part of the team. He’s trying to do that, and he needs to show it in every match from now on.”
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Golovin: “To win in Brest, we’ll need to be at 100%”
Aleksandr Golovin, who provided the assist for Takumi Minamino’s goal against PSG, was also at the press conference and shared his coach’s assessment. The Russian midfielder, who is rediscovering his best form after a lengthy injury, didn’t hide the difficulty of the challenge ahead: “I’ve played there many times before, especially in winter. It’s never easy because there’s wind, the pitch is small, they often play long balls. Honestly, it’s one of the toughest away trips in Ligue 1. To win, we’ll need to be at 100%, because if we’re only at 95%, we won’t win.”
The Russian international, who has been at Monaco for seven years, is feeling fully confident. “I don’t think I’m far from my best level. The coach helps me a lot, we talk often and he gives me that confidence,” he confides. Pocognoli particularly asks him to “feel freer on the pitch, to think less about certain tactical aspects.”
President Rybolovlev’s commitment
Asked about President Dmitry Rybolovlev’s presence, Golovin was keen to highlight his unwavering commitment: “Whether in difficult periods or good times, he’s always there and comes to speak with the players. We actually have frequent meetings with him. So it’s very important for us to see that the President is so involved and takes such an interest in how we play.”
Set pieces
Next on the agenda was the team’s approach to set pieces, with Pocognoli highlighting the roles of Artur Kopyt on attacking and Abel Lorincz on defensive situations, and underlining the significance of communication, structure and ongoing individual work with the players.
“Artur Kopyt handled all attacking set pieces at Union Saint-Gilloise, and it’s the same here. Abel Lorincz, meanwhile, manages the defensive set pieces. It’s quite common in modern football to have these specialists. The most important thing is to communicate so we know what’s been done before, to improve or maintain it, and to be aligned. At the moment, we’re sometimes not satisfied with certain aspects, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re failing to implement what we’re trying to achieve,” he told the media.
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“These are things we need to work on individually with the players, especially their blocking. We’re trying to improve in every possible area. There are several factors that show we’re strong in a particular area. It’s also a question of player profile, the desire to protect the goal and having that mentality, as well as that structure, hence the importance of the coaching staff.”
Defensive shape
Discussion turned to the side’s defensive framework and the switching between three- and four-man setups and the importance of maintaining their core principles across different formations.
“I was satisfied with the three-man defence at the start. As I said, if we have all our key players available, we have a hybrid group that can play in several systems. When you suffer three consecutive defeats without creating enough chances and you concede goals, you have to improve. However, we shouldn’t disregard everything that’s been done, because I think the three-man defence will return, which will allow us to be less predictable, like in Pafos, where they were a bit unsettled at the beginning,” noted the former Union Saint-Gilloise boss.
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“Everything we’ve learned will be useful later. It’s an investment that has paid off in some matches. We’re now going to try to improve this four-man defence, which allows us to have an extra attacking player capable of making an impact. The most important thing, and the foundation of everything, is mentality, regardless of the system. We have to maintain these playing principles, like what I saw against Tottenham and Paris.”
Carrying the momentum from the PSG win
Another topic on the docket was the boost they got from beating PSG and the upcoming challenge at Brest, with Pocognoli commenting: “It was important to give us a bit of confidence regarding our points tally. This victory against PSG will only make sense if we play well against Brest and win. It shows we can do it against one of the best teams in Europe. There’s no secret to it; the players have worked together. Now we need to do it every week, and if we manage that, we’ll have a very good season.
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“We’ll have to rise to the occasion, otherwise we’ll fall into Brest’s trap. We’ll need to play to our strengths with the ball at our feet and show the same impact, desire, and aggression as we did against Paris. This will be a good test, as it will challenge us in what we’re trying to implement. We’ll be playing in a different environment, against a team with a lot of physical quality and a strong presence in duels. Our teamwork will be tested; there’s no better match to test us.”
Go time
Venturing to Brest full of confidence after their hard-fought triumph over PSG, the Principality club will be doing all they can to replicate their performance level on a tough away day, with a second consecutive win well within reach if they hit their straps.
