Sébastien Pocognoli: "Better control of our how we start the match"

They came close to turning the game around. Trailing 2-0 at halftime against AJ Auxerre, AS Monaco returned with much better intentions in the second half and managed to equalize on the hour mark through Ansu Fati and Folarin Balogun, but were unable to take the lead despite several chances (2-2). It was a frustrating scenario that Sébastien Pocognoli analyzed in the post-match press conference.

Good afternoon, coach. What are your thoughts after this draw?

This match reflects our season so far; we've been able to react overall. We'll see at the end of the season whether we view this draw as half empty or half full. There was a reaction that gives us a small sense of positivity in coming back from behind, since doing so is still an achievement. The last 30 minutes of the first half were very poor collectively, whereas the first ten had been decent in terms of what we were trying to implement. Everyone was below their usual level.

We haven't started the right way in three matches now, which is disappointing and something we'll have to analyze. Is it a factor in our play or a mental approach? In any case, I'm trying to have as much of an impact as possible on that. At halftime, I asked for a reaction, and they delivered. That's positive because the second half was very good, with a lot of impact from Simon Adingra in particular.

What did you ask of your players at halftime?

They had to be pushed, but we always do that one way or another. For the first time at halftime, I was very disappointed. We made a substitution, but that doesn't explain this turnaround because I think there was simply a better team spirit. I have a day to analyze and find out why, so we don't repeat this performance for the rest of the season.

This start to the match is similar to the one against Paris FC.

In the press conference, I was asked what I expected from the PFC match. I said it was a good match to get some answers because I don't yet know my team in this context of a winning streak and against an opponent with nothing to lose. That answered some questions, and today, the answer is the same regardless of the starting eleven or the approach we want to implement. It's an aspect we need to eliminate at the end of the season, and we'll depend on it a lot. There were also some good things, like in the second half against Marseille or the end of the first half against Paris FC. Today, this first half is very disappointing.

Beyond commitment, wasn't it the technical quality that was lacking in the first half?

You know, some players missed technical opportunities they used to execute very well. Perhaps that means we're overperforming and showing our true colors at times, but I don't think so because we've put in good technical performances against top teams. If you look at the first goal we conceded against PFC, it resulted from two technical passing errors. Today, we started with passes that went out of bounds and poor ball control. For me, it's more about that immediate focus that's missing. Today, we started better, but we conceded a goal from a corner and an unlucky goal that came from a situation we should have avoided. However, we executed everything we wanted to do in the second half.

Do you think the players unconsciously relaxed after catching up to Marseille?

That would suggest a certain complacency, but I don't think so. We train every day in a good frame of mind, and we have all the ingredients for a successful end to the season. We've had some absences in the starting eleven in recent matches, but are we so fragile that we lack cohesion? I don't think so, because we've already shown that in the past. We simply need to better manage the start of matches.

Do you find your team struggles against teams that sit deep?

Actually, I think we've improved since I arrived in these situations. We've played some very good home games in this context before. In the second half, against a deep-lying defense, we executed our moves very well. But for that, you need discipline and everyone has to do their job collectively. It's true that if we have technical errors, we're vulnerable to counter-attacks.

(Regarding aggression?) It's been like this for three matches, and we've identified the problem. We were more reactive going forward; perhaps we're a little less so now because we might have more doubts. We need to take a step back because we have tactical approaches to consolidate space or the midfield. Ultimately, the same things are happening in these three matches. So we need to rediscover the desire to press together, like we did in the second half against Marseille and again today.

C’est un résultat qui ne vous permet pas de profiter des autres résultats…

C’est dommage parce qu’on avait l’opportunité d’être les bénéficiaires des contre-performances de nos rivaux. La semaine passée, eux avaient su profiter de notre défaite. Si on veut avoir l’ambition de les challenger, il faut saisir cette chance, ce sera déterminant jusqu’à la fin de saison. On a utilisé un joker la semaine passée, aujourd’hui, un demi. Il faudra que tout s’aligne très bien pour qu’on puisse espérer une fin de saison en concordance avec nos ambitions.

A word about set pieces, which can make the difference in this type of match.

We're not performing well enough. It's not a question of space or zonal marking; the ball simply needs to arrive in the right place. It's a question of quality, and we've only executed it once. When we execute, we create opportunities. The opposite reveals a lot, and we're going to work on it, as will the players. It's certainly a factor that can be decisive, as Auxerre demonstrated. We're too inconsistent in this area.