Last Saturday, 29 November, AS Monaco achieved a valuable victory against Psg (1-0). Three points that are worth much more: the Monegasques returned to victory for the first time since the beginning of the month (1-0 against Bodø-Glimt), but this success was especially good for the morale of the team and fans. A prestigious victory against the Parisian leaders, which made the coach breathe a sigh of relief first of all, as he stood in front of the home fans' curve at the end of the match, thanking them for their support.
ASM finished the match with 10 men after Thilo Kehrer was sent off in the 80th minute, but the collective spirit was sufficient to allow the team to preserve the lead they had secured in the 68th minute.
Sébastien Pocognoli, the young coach who arrived in the Principality last October to replace Hütter, said after the game that he «recognised himself in the team».
The Monegasques were quite compact from the start, which allowed them not to be caught unprepared by the Parisians, who are used to breaking through the opponent's lines with ease.
A marked improvement on Monaco's most recent performance, the disappointing draw against Paphos (2-2), which was also due to the careless spaces conceded to the opposition.
The new system adopted by Pocognoli, a 4-2-3-1, proved to be more balanced, ASM was immediately well positioned on the pitch and finally showed more stability.
Another positive note, especially for morale, was Pogba's debut at home; the Frenchman can be a key leader in dragging the group to May.
A particularly busy month of December awaits the Monegasques, with a fixture against a resurgent Brest, a risky away match in Marseille, and in between, a crucial game for their future in the Champions League, against Galatasaray.
«When we are brave, aggressive and good at pressing, we can create problems for any team,» this is the analysis of Thiago Scuro, Monaco's general manager, who well sums up the attitude that Pogba and his teammates will have to adopt if they want to relaunch the season and try to aim for the podium again.
