Preview: Hutter looks ahead to tough Strasbourg trip
Following their excellent victory over Bologna in the Champions League, AS Monaco now turn their attention to their crunch Ligue 1 clash with RC Strasbourg.
Having lost their last two league games, manager Adi Hutter knows how important getting all three points is against Strasbourg. He knows it won’t be easy, though, for Liam Rosenior’s young, intense, determined and quality-filled outfit are sure to provide ASM with a stern examination.
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With this in mind, the Austrian’s pre-match press conference offered some fascinating insight into not just this fixture, but a host of topics.
Rosenior’s exciting Strasbourg
Fully aware of what a force to be reckoned with this Strasbourg are, the experienced manager was full of praise for this aggressive, front-footed team, who are never easy to play against.
“I can say a lot about this team! It’s a very good team, even if they lost their last match against Saint-Etienne (2-0), against whom they had played a good match. When you look at the performances they’ve been able to do at home against Lens, Marseille or even away against Paris Saint-Germain, it’s a very solid team,” he stated.
“It’s also the youngest team in Ligue 1, I think, and they play very interesting, very intense football. So there are some very good players, like Sebastian Nanasi and Diego Moreira, who is a really great player.”
Hutter then added this on Rosenior’s progressive style: “I have a very good image of him. He was Wayne Rooney’s assistant in England at Derby County, before launching himself as number one, notably at Hull City. It’s very interesting to see how he manages his team during a match, but also what his philosophy is, and it’s very clear to me. He has a very interesting profile, and I respect his work a lot. So he will be a good rival, and we are ready for this match tomorrow.
“I think they’ll press us high, with a lot of aggression, especially in their stadium with the support of their fans. It’s not easy to play there, especially with the intensity that this team puts on the pitch. But we have to use their weak points to counter them.”
Injury updates and squad rotation
Given the matches are coming thick and fast for Les Monegasques, Hutter provided his opinion on the value of rotating the squad and gave valuable injury updates on some key figures.
“We think about each player’s situation on a case-by-case basis, according to their level of fatigue. Yesterday we gave the group a day off, because we returned late from our trip to Bologna, so it didn’t make sense to train. But it is possible that we will make changes in some positions,” he explained.
“Denis Zakaria is back in training today, as is Mohammed Salisu. We hope that most of the squad will be available for this important match against Strasbourg. Folarin Balogun is also on track to be back with us after the international break. He has done a lot of work with the medical staff to return as soon as possible. In any case, he is doing the exercises in training that do not require contact with his shoulder.”
Hutter’s ambitions
Despite their recent losses, which has seen them relinquish top spot in the Ligue 1 standings and fall six points behind PSG, there’s no denying Hutter’s belief in this team, with him backing them to keep pushing hard in their quest for glory this term.
“We are ambitious, everyone knows that! But when you are facing a team like Paris Saint-Germain, who are typically the favourite for the title, it’s not easy. Concerning our players and globally at the club level, it is not forbidden to dream, and we assume the fact of having high ambitions. But above all we must show a great performance on the field this weekend, because it is a good test,” he insisted.
“We are one of the candidates for the top of the table, but there is also Marseille, who are very solid this season, as are Lille, Lens and even Nice who are a good team. Today we are six points behind PSG, that is a fact. What I like is to have control over our progress, especially since we are talking about a young team. However, what we produced against Angers was not acceptable.”
Excellent Champions League form
Next on the agenda was Monaco’s superb UCL form, as they’ve taken 10 points from their four games while playing some outstanding football. Sitting third on the UCL table and well on track to progress directly, it’s little wonder how delighted Hutter’s been with their displays in this competition. He now hopes his team can translate their European results into their domestic duties.
“In the Champions League, we are happy with our record with already 10 points on the board. In Ligue 1, it is not bad either, with 20 points, but we were angry after Angers, so it was important to respond to Bologna. As a coach, what I like to see is the reaction of my players after a defeat. After 10 Ligue 1 games, it makes no sense to me to talk about a title battle! Let us play good football, develop our young talents, progress, and then we will see where we can position ourselves compared to the other teams. We want to win all our games, but once again there is a lot of competition in this championship,” he reflected.
“You can imagine that after two defeats, it is never easy to bounce back and win. Especially since Bologna were on a 28-game unbeaten run at home in Europe, so it shows that the team’s reaction was good.”
Set-piece prowess
The topic of ASM’s danger from set pieces was then covered, with Hutter keen to stress the collective effort that goes into this. Leaving no stone unturned in their analysis, all the hard work of Hutter and his staff is paying off emphatically.
“For me the most important thing as a coach is to study how we play, how we can improve. When I see for example that we are the best team in Europe on corners with already six goals scored, I am satisfied,” Hutter told reporters.
“I would also like to thank my assistants who are responsible for the work on set pieces, and who work hard so that we are so efficient in this area. It is thanks to this that we won in Bologna! Then my role is to ensure the progress of our team and our way of playing.
“We work as a foursome on these phases, with my three assistants and a video analyst. This helps us a lot, both defensively and offensively. This explains why we do a fantastic job in this sector. It’s not always the same strategy, of course, since we adapt to each opponent’s way of defending. The important thing is that we are able to adapt. The truth is that we are very efficient in these phases, and again all the credit goes to my assistants, the analysts and the players. Almost 30% of the goals are scored in this area of the game today, so we spend the time it takes to be able to perform in this area.”
Stage set
With the stage set for a thrilling clash with Strasbourg, where ASM will need to be on top of their game offensively and defensively, watching how this one plays out will be captivating, as both teams hope to head into the international break on a high note.