Why AS Monaco are being punished so often in Ligue 1 this season | OneFootball

Before hosting Lorient at 19:00 on Friday 16 January, AS Monaco are wrestling with a worsening disciplinary record.

According to Nice-Matin, they sit 17th of 18 in Ligue 1’s fair play table with 40 yellows and five reds, the most bookings in the league and a red-card tally topped only by Auxerre’s six. Over their last 10 games, they have finished with 10 men five times.

Some calls looked severe, starting with Thilo Kehrer’s red at Lorient, then Folarin Balogun’s direct red against Lens, Kehrer’s against PSG, and Stanis Idumbo’s at Orléans last Saturday. The latter’s first caution arrived in a clean game.

There have been clear-cut calls too, such as Denis Zakaria’s dismissal at Rennes and Mamadou Coulibaly’s against Lyon, while Lamine Camara avoided a red after a nasty stamp on Lucas Chevalier’s ankle.

With three suspended tonight, Coulibaly, Kehrer and Idumbo, and as many as seven injured, Monaco can scarcely afford further setbacks.

Head coach Sébastien Pocognoli thinks doubt in a difficult context makes players hold back in duels. He has often highlighted fitness issues from Adi Hütter’s reign before his October exit, which he says can blunt clarity.

Pocognoli wants cooler heads and better dialogue with officials, saying communication matters and noting progress in Belgium. He hopes leadership from seniors, including 27-year-old Wout Faes who is set to start against Lorient, can steady the group. He quips the balance usually evens out, and hopes it happens soon.

Source: Nice-Matin