Aleksandr Golovin: "Keep improving to become more decisive"

He has made an excellent start to the season, both offensively and defensively. Having provided three assists, Aleksandr Golovin has also been putting in an impressive shift, having made more high-intensity presses than any other player in Ligue 1. The Russian playmaker therefore spoke to the media about his excellent physical condition and the important away fixture against Paris FC this Sunday (5:15 p.m.). Here are the highlights.

A lack of clinical finishing in recent matches

I think we need a little more luck because we had several chances to win against Toulouse and Lille. We also need to be more clinical in the opposition's penalty area, make the most of our opportunities and score more goals.

His physical condition

I think this is one of my best seasons physically since I joined the Club, because I was able to work hard over the summer and pre-season went well. That's one of the reasons why I feel good on the pitch and can play every match for 90 minutes. I hope to get through the season without any physical problems.

Attacking corners

We work with Marc (Orti) before every match to come up with a few variations and catch our opponents by surprise. At the moment, we're not performing well enough from set-pieces, but we'll keep working because we need to score more goals from these situations. We have good players who can deliver quality balls, such as Lamine (Camara), Flavio (Nazinho) and myself, as well as good players in the air, like Eric (Dier), Denis (Zakaria) and Mohammed (Salisu). So, as I keep saying, we need to continue working and we'll score more goals.

A leadership role?

Yes, I certainly feel that responsibility, and I know that at my age I have to help the younger players prepare better for big matches. I know they can sometimes lose confidence because I've been through that myself. That's why it's important for experienced players to be there for them, whether by talking to them or having a bit of a joke to help them keep their spirits up, even after a bad match or a difficult spell. In any case, I feel that I need to do more to help them off the pitch.

His longevity at the Club

Of course, I'm proud to have played so many matches for the Club. I think every player wants to keep adding to their appearance tally, and I'm very happy to be playing for such a historic club and to have featured so many times! Who knows, perhaps I'll reach 300 or 350 appearances in the future. We'll see. (On the ambition to win a trophy) Every season, I dream of winning a trophy, but unfortunately I haven't won one here yet. That's why I need to keep working to win a title with AS Monaco. It's not a dream, it's an objective. (On his mindset when he arrived) I don't really remember, because it was a long time ago now. Back then, I was simply dreaming of finding out whether I was a good player in one of Europe's top leagues and seeing how I measured up against the best players in the world, like in our matches against PSG, with Kylian Mbappé or Neymar.

His impressive work rate

My position has changed a little since the start of the season, although I don't always play as a number 10. In that position, I have to run a little more than I would on the left or right wing. (On his relationship with the coach) It's very good. We always talk during training. He explains a lot of things to me about my position and, when I play on the right or left, he always asks me whether I feel comfortable there. I think we understand each other well, and he helps me feel comfortable on the pitch.

Facing Paris FC

Paris FC are a difficult opponent. I remember that the match there was very tough. I was injured, so I watched it on television, and I could see just how good they were going forward, with a lot of quality players. They're also dangerous on the counter-attack, so we'll have to be ready because they managed to score three times from just as many opportunities. It could be one of the toughest away games in Ligue 1, so we'll need to be 100% focused. (On the objective of qualifying for the Champions League) Every match is important. It's a long season, so we need to take things one game at a time, win this one and then focus on the next, without looking too far ahead.

His statistics this season

I'm not completely satisfied with my statistics at the moment. I think I need to do better. The numbers matter, and I know I need to score more goals and provide more assists. In recent matches, I came close to making the difference, but I was a little unlucky. As I said, we'll keep working – or rather, I'll keep working – on my finishing and on drills to improve the quality of my delivery to the forwards. That's why I need to keep improving to become more decisive.

Paris Brunner's success

I haven't had much of a chance to talk to him because he was already in great form during pre-season, scoring in almost every match. He carried that form into the start of the season. He's in fantastic shape and I hope he can keep it up and continue helping the team.

Competition in attack

There's strong competition because a lot of players can play in that attacking position and, as you know, a striker's main job is to score goals. Paris is doing that very well at the moment, which is why he's playing, but we also have quality players on the bench who can come on and change a match in five minutes. (On Folarin Balogun) We talk a lot with Balo, but he was injured for a long time, so I think he needs time to get back to full fitness. He's working very well at the moment, and we're looking forward to seeing him back on the pitch.