Analysis: Key stats behind AS Monaco’s superb season under Hutter
With AS Monaco claiming second in Ligue 1 to secure direct Champions League entry while playing an exciting brand of football, this presents us with an excellent opportunity to look back on the key statistics from Adi Hutter’s terrific debut season managing Les Monegasques.
Major attacking force
Bringing a real feel good factor to the club and instilling his offensively-geared philosophy successfully, Hutter’s side were an entertaining team to watch on their way to ranking second for expected goals (68) and second in Ligue 1 for goals scored (68).
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Moreover, the fact they rated first for shots on target percentage (41.2%), first for through balls (324), equal first for XG per shot (0.139), second for touches inside the box (816), second for total shots (490), second for key passes (174), second for passes into the final third (2034) and second for deep completions (384) duly punctuated what a force to be reckoned with going forward this tactically versatile Les Monegasques team were.
Wanting his team to get on the offensive and dictate proceedings where possible, they were a constant thorn in the side of opponents both in transition and in methodical build-up, with their chance creating powers coming to the fore on countless occasions.
Coming up with solutions to get the best out of his players and managing the squad coherently to largely keep everyone happy, Hutter certainly deserves praise for striking a nice balance going forward.
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Having a plethora of quality in his offensive ranks such as Folarin Balogun, Wissam Ben Yedder, Aleksandr Golovin, Takumi Minamino, Breel Embolo, Maghnes Akliouche and Eliesse Ben Seghir, it wouldn’t have been easy for Hutter to juggle all these heavy hitters, but he did so intelligently even if injuries to some made his job easier.
Taking full advantage of his team’s aerial prowess, physicality and many excellent ball strikers, it was significant how they topped the league alongside Lille and Lens for most headed goals in the league on 11. Indeed, this also owed plenty to their smartly devised set-piece mechanics and work on the training ground done by Hutter and his staff.
Tactical flexibility
Proving how effective he is at making crafty tactical adjustments depending on the opposition, this was another vital string to the former Eintracht Frankfurt coach’s bow. Be it using a back three or four, mixing up the positioning of his wide defenders, playing with one or two strikers or altering his midfield structure, he usually got the balance right.
Calling on all his experience and strategic nous, the 54-year-old’s adaptability, capacity to identify weaknesses in the opposition and how he used his bench to swing matches were all real assets. And ones that should hold them in good stead for their Champions League exertions too.
Defensive ups and downs
Meanwhile, on the defensive end, their desire to press high when possible and make life uncomfortable for their opponents was demonstrated by the figures that state they came in first for challenge intensity (6.20 duels, tackles and interceptions per minute of opponent possession), second for passes per defensive action (8.58), second for defensive duels contested (2635) and second for fouls conceded (477).
Feisty in the challenge and keen to make life unpleasant for their adversaries, their approach worked well for the most part. Given they liked to pour numbers upfield to populate the final third heavily, this did, however, leave them exposed on the break if their initial wave of counterpressing was beaten.
Moreover, things weren’t helped by the many individual mistakes they committed to give up goals and place them under unnecessary duress. One match that was particularly frustrating was their crushing 5-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, where Luis Enrique’s men punished their missteps brutally.
“It’s easy to analyse this match, we made four mistakes which led to the opponent scoring. It’s not possible at this level and against a team of the calibre of Paris Saint-Germain,” reflected the Austrian manager after this defeat.
“At certain moments, however, I had the feeling that we were at the same level as them. We can obviously lose here at the Parc des Princes, there’s no shame in that, but not by conceding five goals like that. If we want to finish in the top three, we will have to limit these kinds of errors.”
Considering ASM improved in this regard in the latter stages of the season on their way to keeping seven clean sheets in their last 11 matches, as Hutter notably found a more settled line-up and replaced the struggling Philipp Kohn with Radoslaw Majecki in goal, he’ll be keen to use the pre-season to ensure they’re far more consistent and solid in the stopping phase next campaign.
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Boasting fantastic man-management skills and knowing how to unify the squad, watch for Hutter to keep elevating his team individually and collectively to ensure they carry on making progress not just defensively, but on all fronts.
Away excellence
Their exceptional away form also warrants mention, for they hardly put a foot wrong on their way to claiming 34 road points, a number that placed them behind only PSG (43). Ahead of their Champions League adventure that’ll be full of difficult trips, their capacity to pick up results on their travels could certainly be a vital difference maker.
Seeming to play with the shackles off and unfazed by usually robust opposition crowds, it was also admirable that they scored 38 goals away in Ligue 1, a figure that placed them behind only PSG (39). What’s more, the fact they reigned supreme in six of their last seven away games further illustrated their danger outside of the Principality.
Home struggles
An area Hutter knows requires an uplift was their home form, where they went winless from December 3 to April 7, which cost them regularly and ensured they only had the seventh best defensive record in the league before picking things up at the end of the crusade.
Positively, Les Rouge et Blanc did up their output at the Stade Louis II by winning four straight at home to close the term, something that bodes well heading into the 2024/2025 season, where they’ll be relying on taking many points both domestically and in Europe in their familiar confines.
Exciting times ahead
With so much to build on and work on, the upcoming transfer window and pre-season looms as a pivotal period for Hutter’s Monaco to maximise their strengths and fine tune their shortcomings, as the signs are very encouraging they can continue along their upward trajectory to stamp their mark equally impressively next time around too.