Sébastien Pocognoli: "Show the same desire as against Paris" | OneFootball

48 hours before and important trip to Brest (7pm), for the 15th round of Ligue 1 McDonald’s, the Monaco coach spoke about the importance of this match for the Rouge et Blanc.

Follow things up with an away win, that’s the credo of the AS Monaco players, in the wake of their prestigious victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Louis-II (1-0). It is therefore with this ambition that the men of Sébastien Pocognoli will travel to Brittany on Friday evening to face Brest at the Stade Francis-Le Blé (kick-off 7pm). The coach spoke to the media before the match.🎙️

The presence of Samuel Nibombé in training

He was here today because some players were playing in Southampton yesterday for the Premier League International Cup. We were working on tactics, and we needed a player. Samuel was available, so he came. I know him well from the Belgian league and the national team. I was indeed coach of the Genk U 18s and he was at Charleroi.

I’m glad he was able to play again; in fact, I was there for his return with the U19s a few weeks ago. We have to take it step by step, but it’s great to see him back. He has a lot of potential; he just needs to get back into the rhythm of matches. Little by little, he’ll get back to what he was doing before his heart problem.

How Paul Pogba is feeling

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 playing matches. 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.

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.

These are things we need to work on individually with the players, especially 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.

The  performances of Aleksandr Golovin

Golo is an important player for the club; he’s been here for seven years. If there’s anyone who truly understands the DNA of AS Monaco, it’s him. He’s had a lot of playing time since I arrived, which gives him the opportunity to express himself and take responsibility. If he can consistently showcase his qualities, it will mean we have a top-level player. That’s certainly what he’s been demonstrating in most of the recent matches, as evidenced by his strong performances off the bench against Tottenham and Nantes and good starts against Bodø/Glimt and PSG. He has everything he needs, he just needs consistency and confidence.

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.

The work being done on set pieces

Artur Kopyt was in charge of all the attacking set pieces at Union Saint-Gilloise, it’s the same here. Abel Lorincz, on the other hand, specializes in 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.

These are things we need to work on individually with the players, especially 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.

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 team will be tested; there's no better match to test us. We'll have to rise to the occasion, otherwise we'll fall into Brest's trap.

On moving to a back four

I was happy with the three-man defense 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 defense will return, which will allow us to be less predictable as against Pafos, where they were a little unsettled at first.

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 defense, 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.

The victory against PSG

It was important to boost our confidence in terms of points. This victory against PSG will only be truly meaningful if we play well against Brest and win. It shows that we know how to 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.

The trip to Brest

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. 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..

On Lamine Camara

I already knew him because I’d analyzed him during his injury. He just confirmed what I’d seen. He’s a player with a lot of stamina, good energy for the team, and a real fighting spirit. He’s a modern midfielder. I’m very happy with his performance against PSG. He’s coming back from injury, and I hope he’s now on a good run of form.