AS Monaco thread [R]

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Hooray, I was right, Ménez and Gakpé were selected in Espoirs again! Almost all is right with the world again. :)

Oh, and we play Nancy, who are tied atop the L1 standings, tomorrow. Without Ménez and Pérez, who are suspended. :( Other than that, everyone is healthy.

[SportBoy333]

I dont think you're gonna wanna read this.

http://www.mercato365.com/infos-clubs/monaco/article_197237_Liverpool-sur-la-piste-Menez.shtml

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Ménez is always linked with the big boys in Europe, and with good reason! I mean, I don't expect him to stay here for the entirety of his career or anything. At the moment, though, all we can do is enjoy seeing him out there humiliating L1 defenders.

[SportBoy333]

I agree but I think its completely un necessary and irresponsible to post things like this. This is October isnt it. This isnt news worthy. I hate the media. I dont wanna read about the rich getting richer. I mean Liverpool has so many damn players that the manager has to rotate constantly and now here in October there is an article about them potentially getting yet another player ? It makes no damn sense and its BS. You cant even build a team anymore if youre not exceptionally wealthy.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

It's what they do. As I think you mentioned earlier in this thread, it's also their habit to ask any player whether he thinks with a good season, he'll have a shot to go to the Euro. I wonder when they'll ask Modesto that.

(Not to pick on Modesto, but he could be the textbook example of "mediocre player" that we have on the pro squad.)

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Alright, the lineups are out.

AS Monaco:

18 Piquionne
11 Nenê - - - - - 17 Gakpé
21 Meriem
7 Bernardi - 23 Leko
13 Muratori - 22 Bolívar - 4 Modesto - 12 Adriano
30 Roma



AS Nancy

10 Dia - 22 Fortuné
4 Malonga - - - - - 9 Kim
6 Bérenguer - 24 Gavanon
8 Biancalani - 28 Puygrenier - 5 André Luiz - 20 Chrétien
1 Bracigliano



I really wanted to see Pino and Koller in the lineup, though if we play well enough, I think we should win this game. Nancy have been a very good side, but hopefully we'll hit them on the counter.

[SportBoy333]

Monaco lose 3-1. Somewhere sl7vk is smiling. Koller came on in the 46th and scored in the 75th. Pino came on in the 69th.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Gah! In what I wrote above, I mentioned that Pino and Koller should have started. How did we do when they entered the game? We got a goal. Of course, we were down 3-0 mainly because our defense blows so we don't know how to defend counters, though hey, hopefully Ricardo will realize that and field a decent lineup against, crap, OL.

I'll try to recap this after I actually watch the match, though it appears sadly that based on the highlights of the game that I've already seen, our defense, especially Modesto (why was he in anyway?), loses concentration, our midfield, especially Bernardi/Leko today, loses our possession too easily, and our attack is lackadaisical on occasion.

If there's a bright side to this, hopefully it's that management will come to either one of these 2 critical conclusions, if not both.

1. We have two highly thought of centre de formation players in Léo Schwechlen and Distel Zola (I'd add Malaury Martin too, though I think Zola can be better as he is more physical). Interestingly enough, they play in two of the areas in which we require help, those being center back and defensive midfield. Is there any harm really at this point in calling them up? Schwechlen/Zola can't be worse than Bernardi/Leko/Modesto were today.

2. If he doesn't do scenario #1, get rid of Ricardo. I think we are all beginning to realize why Bordeaux wanted him out. It's not because he was playing a boring style of game. I think it really was because he underachieved, especially down the stretch when Bordeaux got into a horrible losing streak (does that sound kinda familiar?). Also, we have a team whose strengths lie in the offensive area, and even though Ricardo hasn't tried to install his defensive game here, there are other managers who are capable of getting more out of the offense. Though I would argue that the real reason to get rid of Ricardo is because it appears he isn't motivating the players before the games. That is, we always come out of the gate flat. One can blame it on the reality that we have a couple players who are a selfish, though I think a good manager is capable of motivating his guys before the match. Ricardo has not appeared effective at doing that.

In any case, if there is a silver lining, it's that at this rate, Monaco management won't have any other choice than calling up hopefully our stars in the making.

[SportBoy333]

Those Nancy kits are really gross looking with all those ads. I know the smaller budget teams need more sponsors on their kits but it really does look very unpleasant.

As for Ricardo, if Bordeaux made the Champions League I believe he'd still be coaching there. When he failed to qualify they werent gonna go out of there way to keep him.

[sl7vk]

Those Nancy kits are really gross looking with all those ads. I know the smaller budget teams need more sponsors on their kits but it really does look very unpleasant.

As for Ricardo, if Bordeaux made the Champions League I believe he'd still be coaching there. When he failed to qualify they werent gonna go out of there way to keep him.

All I see in Nancy's NasCar-esque kits, is top of the table baby! :D

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Congrats to Nancy. Watching a bit of the game, given how our defense was playing, it could have been 5-1. Speed on the Nancy attack through Dia/Kim was very impressive.

[Inara]

Some more Menez sadness:

Monaco Star Menez Has Major Admirers (http://goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=437173)

:(

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

It'll happen eventually. After all, we plucked him out of Sochaux, only fitting that another will get him out of Monaco.

As a side note, I hope that Ménez makes the Euro squad because I think it'd be much better having him off the bench than Saha/Cissé. Domenech actually likes/has noticed him.

For the moment, though, the only thing myself and other ASM supporters can do is enjoy watching Ménez while he's here. I think he'll start for Espoirs in the meanwhile as well.

[Inara]

Domenech actually likes/has noticed him.

You mean like he's noticed Gourcuff and Bodmer? Because if that's the case, I worry for Menez.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

LOL, good point. Here's the original link, though.

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/20070607_125332Dev.html

Apparently he has him in the pecking order. Though with Domenech's pecking order, the only order is a lack of order.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Alright, as there's nothing really going on this week in Monaco as far as the club are concerned, I may as well note that there are now 4 Monaco players in the French U-21 team :), as Ruffier gets called into be the backup with Lloris out with an injury.

I also should have noted that Muratori got called up as well before with both Ménez and Gakpé, though I have doubts about Muratori. He's actually improved a lot this offseason I think, and defensively he's solid. He tries hard, though there are games where his physique (he's 1m78 and 68kg, though he appears smaller than that) costs him (i.e. he doesn't win headers, he gets pushed off, etc.). In any case, I think I'd go with Cufré at left back, even if he commits a foul every minute of the game because no one pushes him over.

Eventually, assuming we don't add anyone, I think the defense should be Cufré, Monsoreau, Bolívar and Adriano. Schwechlen when he's ready will take over for Monsoreau.

A word on Ruffier. As we've seen him earlier in the year, he's definitely not bad as a backup, but I don't know if I want him to be the eventual replacement for Roma considering that our so-called rivals have Lloris in net for them. If Auxerre get relegated and we can get our hands on Rémy Riou, that'd be brilliant.

[SportBoy333]

If we were one of the best teams in the league and we were in the Champions League then it would be easier to accept the losing of someone like Menez. Thats not the case though because the team is rebuilding and you have to build around players like that in order to get better.

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

I really think if somehow we're able to keep the core of Ménez, Pino and Gakpé together, along with Schwechlen/Zola coming on as expected, while Malaury Martin/Bulot/Bakar/Mongongu all contribute, then we have what it takes to win L1. Regrettably keeping all those away from preying big clubs will be difficult if we remain stuck in mid-table. I thought at the end of the past season the team was working on all cylinders, then the offseason comes and our two competent guys in team defense (Touré/Givet) leave.

I think the loss of Touré, which is similar to Lens' losing [Seydou] Keita, is huge in that both of them are those big presences in midfield that intimidate other teams. Against Nancy (and Bordeaux a couple of games back), we got embarassed in midfield. Bernardi's been a terrific servant to the club, though he's no longer the guy who bumps others off the ball and tackles hard. Leko can't do it since he likes to moonlight as a winger too often. Pérez is Mr. Mediocrity in midfield.

I really think management regrets not pursuing a Matuidi (who went to Saint-Etienne) or Emana (who we almost got) harder, as it's the midfield that's exposing our defense.

Although that's enough looking in the rearview mirror on my part, as there are now also 3 Monaco representatives on the French U-19 team. Actually, there could be more, but the manager appears to opt for Schneiderlin over Zola in defensive midfield (why?), while Mongongu hasn't sorted out his passport issues yet (he was born in the DR of Congo, though wants to join his buddies here). Anyway, the 3 Monaco guys on the team as of this selection are Schwechlen, Bakar and Mollo, with Mollo likely a bench player. Schwechlen almost always starts and Bakar, though an off-and-on starter, has been scoring plenty of goals in the team.

[SportBoy333]

Valenica interested in Monsoreau.

http://www.mercato365.com/article_199126_Monsoreau-dans-le-viseur.shtml

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Hooray, I'm shocked after the Nancy match that anyone is interested in our defenders, though if somehow we can get some cold hard cash for either Monsoreau or Muratori, that'd be brilliant. Better yet, I'd exchange all of our defense (including Roma) plus 10 million Euros to get David Silva, though we know that won't be happening.

On a more positive note, Gakpé had an awesome game the other day in the U-21 team. He only played 30 minutes, though he had a hand in 3 out of the 4 goals and was a menace with his speed. Ménez wasn't bad either though he got slightly hurt (nothing to worry about though) before getting substituted. He was very good in the first 15 minutes, though. It's apparent that both he and Gakpé are two of the best players on that team. Neither Muratori nor Ruffier got any action, though that was expected.