Sébastien Pocognoli: "We failed on the mental side of things"

They had a difficult start and were unable to recover. Quickly falling behind 3-0 after just 21 minutes, AS Monaco had several opportunities to put pressure on their opponents but ultimately succumbed 4-1 to Paris FC. Coach Sébastien Pocognoli attempted to explain this disappointing scenario and result in the post-match press conference. 🎙️

Good evening, coach. How do you analyze this defeat after a run of seven consecutive victories?

It's not for lack of warning about the difficulty of the match against Paris FC, because I knew we were going to be tested mentally. We faced a team in good form with a very effective system, and we paid the price today. At the same time, our good run may have given us too much confidence, and starting the match by conceding three goals in 20 minutes makes me realize that we weren't paying attention to the plan we had put in place this week. We started with an intensity that wasn't in line with what we've been doing in recent weeks.

This had already happened against Marseille, but we didn't pay the price. Conceding so many goals in such a short time is definitely due to a lack of mental preparation; I kept repeating it all week, but it's clear we fell short in that area. We did pick ourselves up well in the last 25 minutes of the first half, creating several chances that could have given us more hope, but we missed the opportunity that Paris FC had managed earlier.

How do you explain not starting the second half the way you finished the first?

You know, when it's 3-0 after 25 minutes, you want to add something at halftime. We finished the first half well, but every transition left us extremely exposed, whether with three or four defenders. We tried to tighten up those transitions more with two true defenders, Simon Adingra further forward, and more presence with Denis Zakaria in midfield. Unfortunately, it didn't produce the results we hoped for, because Paris FC also sat deeper. So I'm not sure we would have been more dominant with the same structure, because PFC tightened up their lines while continuing to build their transitions deeper. We weren't able to impose a rhythm that could have led to that goal. They deserved their victory; they played a very clinical game.

Was there a lack of preparation against Jonathan Ikoné and Moses Simon?

No, because we played against equally effective wingers against Lyon, Marseille, and PSG. It was the same midfield and the same three-man defense; we were simply less effective in what we wanted to implement. We also had two players unavailable, which changed our preparation at the last minute. It's not an excuse, but perhaps we were missing some of the elements that had been our strength. For me, and I repeat, we lost those first 20 minutes due to a lack of mental approach and humility. Inevitably, our weaknesses became apparent, and we tried to address them at halftime.

Did you get the impression that the players were hesitant to pass the ball?

Yes, even though there was plenty of space because PFC pressed us high up the pitch. This created a numerical advantage, but we weren't able to capitalize on it in the first 25 minutes. At the same time, our confidence dropped, but the chances we did create were by breaking through their lines, like on Balo's goal. We played according to the game plan we had prepared, but not at the start.

A word on Paul Pogba's return...

There's a need to manage the squad's physical condition. We're seeing what's happening in training, and against a deep-lying defense, I think Paul has the ability to bring that technical touch and a spark. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal five minutes after he came on, which changed our plans. We're happy to see our injured players come back.

Among the evening's highlights was the fantastic display of Monaco supporters who were ready from the very first minute. It left me with a feeling of something missing because we weren't able to repay them for everything they gave us throughout the match.

How do we bounce back next weekend against Auxerre?

Everything we've achieved has been hard work and dedication. We had a fantastic run and were certainly the best team in France and Europe these past few weeks. It was bound to end at some point, but I wouldn't have wanted it to end like this. We just need to learn from the reasons for this success and this setback, and then continue working next week to be ready mentally, physically, and tactically to play against Auxerre.