Analysis: Tactically versatile Singo continues to excel for AS Monaco
Wilfried Singo’s tactical versatility and tremendous quality continues to come to the fore for AS Monaco, with his latest accomplished body of work against Montpellier aptly underlining what an asset he is.
Deployed in central defence for this one within Adi Hutter’s back four having typically operated as a right centre-half in the Austrian’s preferred back five, Singo handled his responsibilities with aplomb.
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“The benchmarks change a little, because when we play with three in the middle, I often tend to want to go up. But overall we worked well and made some key saves, and in the end, we took the victory tonight. This is the most important thing,” he explained.
Hugely instrumental towards his team keeping their third clean sheet in their last four matches, his physicality, athleticism and intelligent reading of the play served as key cornerstones behind his success.
An absolute monster in the duels, the way Singo applied his interventions with a nice blend of power and finesse, plus used his fantastic leap and judgement to win all his aerial battles and was smartly positioned to break up many an attack, was extremely impressive.
Moreover, his powers of anticipation, immense strength and blistering speed held him good stead to track runners in behind, which was so vital in nullifying Montpellier’s threat.
Awake to danger and explosive off the mark, Singo not only handled his direct opponents but was also on hand to support nearby colleagues in Vanderson and the less mobile Guillermo Maripan to snuff out depth runners and transitions.
Using his rangy arms to unbalance foes, his long legs to reach in to regain possession and strength to outmuscle adversaries, this compounded issues for his challengers, who rarely came up trumps against him.
By the numbers defensively, his 18 ball recoveries, 12 won duels (from 16 contested), eight interceptions, three clearances and two won aerials duels at 100% highlighted his stopping dominance.
“It’s true that I really like competing in the duels, it’s part of my game,”he recently stated. “This may be explained by the fact that I come from Italy, a very physical championship. The coach tells me that we have to win all these duels and he often talks to me about making a physical impact. For the moment it’s going well, I hope to continue like this.”
Similarly influential going forward, the imposing Ivorian stamped his mark here too. A constant thorn in the side of Michel Der Zakarian’s team, his driving dribbles and incisive distribution were crucial in adding impetus into ASM’s offensive passages.
Making the most of any opportunity to surge upfield, his ball carrying was excellent in terms of gaining territory and at provoking opponents to press, which subsequently left room to be exploited by teammates.
Exceptionally calm and composed with the ball at his feet, it was admirable how unfazed he was by opposition harrying, thus meaning he still executed his actions cleanly despite the close attention.
Able to breeze by opponents with his pace, fleet feet and nifty feints, this was an important aspect of his game too.
Moving on to his passing, and his confidence and decision making when to strike the expansive pass or keep things simple was equally impressive.
Frequently helping his team bypass the first line of pressure, there was much to admire about his wicked line breaking passes, his measured through balls and how he switched the angle of attacks while he waited for a weakness in the Montpellier shape to arise. The examples below depict his class in this regard.
Completing 64 of his 67 total attempted passes, all eight of his attempted passes into the final third, five of his seven long passes and four dribbles, these figures showcase his effectiveness in an offensive sense.
Following his latest masterclass at the back for Les Monegasques, it was fitting that he was named in the famed L’Equipe team of the week alongside the likes of Takumi Minamino, Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi.
A real rock in defence and a massive contributor going forward as well, the signing of ASM’s adaptable stopper has been a masterstroke by the club’s recruitment department.
Joining from Torino for a bargain €10 million transfer fee, he’s undisputedly been one of the signings of the season in Ligue 1. This latest outing served as another testament to his quality on both sides of the ball and why he’s justifiably one of the first names on Hutter’s team sheet.
Already indispensable and cementing his place emphatically, Singo’s been just the driving force Monaco needs in defence since the recent departures of heavy hitters like Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi.