Philipp Köhn’s missing authority as Monaco seek a dominant first choice | OneFootball

Monaco have yet to replace Danijel Subasic’s authority since 2020, and Philipp Köhn, restored as number one, still faces questions over dominance, according to Nice-Matin.

Signed in 2023, the Swiss has shuttled between starter and back-up. He has played 19 games this season, with Monaco conceding 36 of their 49 goals when he featured. Lukas Hradecky’s summer arrival was undermined by knee issues.

Lionel Charbonnier says elite keepers must command their defence, and he does not feel Köhn inspires strong trust. Monaco are 10th and recently drew 0-0 at Le Havre, a fifth clean sheet.

After the 3-1 loss to Lorient, Köhn called the spell difficult, said he kept standards in training when benched, felt Orléans in the cup was positive, and that he is pushing the group.

His distribution can waver and, as a reserved character, he can lack presence. Ex-Salzburg team-mate Gideon Mensah describes him as shy and not one to shout at defenders, though he stresses that does not make him a bad goalkeeper.

Monaco kept Köhn last summer and let Radoslaw Majecki join Brest. Köhn excelled at Orléans on 10 January but did not follow it up against Lorient, then came a 6-1 in Madrid. Charbonnier argues top goalkeepers organise with their voice, reading attacks and positioning team-mates, qualities he feels Köhn lacks for now, though he also points to broader defensive frailties. Mensah believes Köhn could grow into a reliable Ligue 1 starter. Juventus visit on Wednesday at 21:00 in the Champions League.

Source: Nice-Matin