Analysis: Balogun’s return to form vital for AS Monaco despite his injury
There’s no doubting the return to form of Folarin Balogun is a tremendous boost for AS Monaco, as the USMNT star made it three from three after scoring a sublime winner vs. Stade Rennais.
Having struggled to find his rhythm to begin the new season, it’s been fantastic to see all his hard work now paying off. And his strong body of work against Rennes served as a testament to what a game-changer he can be, for he illustrated once more he’s got all the tools to be a truly world class forward despite being forced off with a dislocated left shoulder in the second half.
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Spearheading ASM’s front trio alongside Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir, he yet again vindicated Adi Hutter’s decision to start him by fulfilling his roles and responsibilities effectively on both sides of the ball.
While he pressed with gusto and smarts, as he hunted down his foes and used his cover shadow to block passing lanes behind him, his best work unsurprisingly came on the offensive end.
A real menace for Rennes to deal with due to his intelligent movement, the way he offered himself as a threat either side of the opposition backline ensured he was a constant thorn in the side of the home team.
Boasting the speed, acceleration and awareness of openings within defensive units, it was impressive to watch him astutely time and angle his runs in behind. Doing a fine job of adding depth to ASM’s upfield forays and stretching Rennes’ rearguard, Balogun was a top source of attacking impetus with his surges.
Indeed, his masterfully taken goal owed much to his aptitude in this regard, for his nifty run was obliged by Eliesse Ben Seghir’s precise pass. The former Arsenal ace then gained the separation he craved with a scorching burst of pace before finishing superbly with an instinctive chip.
Choosing equally coherently when to drop deep to link play, Rennes found his checks towards the ball a challenge too, for he shrewdly read the play and waited for a passing lane to open, which gave him the cue to move.
Physically strong and able to withstand pressure while remaining balanced and composed, he could then hold the ball up and bring others into play.
So good at getting his body between the ball and the man, this allowed him to connect attacks and provide an excellent outlet to help his team progress up the pitch.
Moreover, the powerful and explosive striker also held his own in aerial duels. Acting as a terrific target man and reference point for long balls, his presence was crucial when a teammate needed to go direct, as he could subsequently help his team win second balls with flick ons and nod downs.
His heading threat and space creation powers notably came to the fore for his team’s opener, as he drew two defenders from the corner to make the space that Thilo Kehrer duly exploited to give Les Monegasques the lead.
In addition, how he executed some crafty rotations with Minamino and Ben Seghir compounded issues for Rennes, with this never allowing his adversaries to settle into a pattern of who they should be marking in what area.
While this wasn’t his best game with the ball at his feet courtesy of him committing some sloppy errors, he still embarked on some sharp dribbles, hit the odd pinpoint through ball and engaged in some crisp interplay in close quarters.
Knowing he has the confidence and faith of his manager and colleagues, translating his promising showings into goals has been a huge source of positivity both individually and collectively. “He’s a great striker, and I’m sure he can do even better. At the moment, he’s not at his best yet, even if he’s more connected to his teammates. What’s certain is that he does everything he can every time to deliver the best performance. We have to support him and help him keep going,” insisted Hutter.
“I have obviously gained confidence by scoring in our last two league games. And I feel that the team and the coach are also giving me theirs. It is important to seize every opportunity to perform,” Balogun explained following last week’s triumph over Montpellier.
“My goal at the start of each season is obviously to do better than the previous one and to progress. It’s certain that this year I want even more to settle in and be important for the team, but it’s not something that obsesses me. I simply have to do everything to show good things.”
He then added this on how much he enjoys playing within Hutter’s attacking framework: “Obviously it’s a great pleasure to play in this team, given that we are the second most prolific club in Ligue 1. Our team creates a lot of goalscoring opportunities, and I think we’ve reached a new level in this area this season. For a striker, it’s great to be able to play with such an offensive style of play.”
Tactically aware to adapt to the Austrian’s switches in shape and possessing all the quality to be one of the elite forwards in Europe, he’ll be hoping his purple patch will be the catalyst he needs to truly stamp his mark for the Principality club, something he hasn’t fully done since arriving in 2023 for a reported €40 million from Arsenal.
All associated with ASM will be hoping he’ll be able to return as quickly as possible from his untimely injury, which has seen him removed from the USMNT squad for their upcoming games, to carry on the impressive momentum he’s been generating.