In Monaco, Philippe Clément finally seems launched
After a break-in period during which he suffered a lot of criticism, the former Club Brugge coach seems to have found his cruising speed at ASM.
6 rank wins. This is the latest report from Philippe Clement at the head of AS Monaco. The last dates back to March 13, against Strasbourg (1-0). Since then, the Monegasques have only won.
However, few elements made it possible to predict such a rise in power. Landed mid-season instead of the flop Nico Kovac, the recent ex-coach of Club Brugge will begin his French experience on a minor note: 0-0 against a catchy Nantes. Nothing to panic, since Clermont fall the week after (4-0). Clément already has his first victory…then his first defeat, in a game with twists and turns against Montpellier (3-2).
Then comes, after a victory against Lyon in bad shape (2-0), a big period of doubt where the critics will fall in number. During the rest of the month of February, Monaco achieves a very poor 2 out of 9, where the game ideas express the question and where the demanding observers are already wondering: Was Clément the man for the job? If it is true that these two draws against teams at the bottom of the table (0-0 against Lorient and 1-1 against Bordeaux) then this 1-2 defeat at Louis II against Reims in very special circumstances – equalization of Volland in the 84th against his camp then a goal in stoppage time for the Rémois – had reason to worry, the defeat on penalties at the beginning of March against Nantes really put the Belgian coach in a very delicate situation.
Worse still, despite a deserved victory against OM at the Vélodrome (0-1 thanks to Gelson Martins), Monaco will collapse against Braga in the Europa League (2-0 then 1-1). Monaco, then 8th, only has the championship to hope to be European next year. And Clément, under pressure, has every interest in improving the situation…
And then the awakening
The Louis II stadium will then see conquering Monegasques defeat PSG (3-0). The two providential men of the last season, Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland, then plant and launch ASM on the path to capital success.
Capital, because it seems that the latter will be a catalyst in the rest of the ASM season. Opposite difficult in Metz (1-1), Myron Boadu goes up at halftime. The young player agrees with Clément and scores the winning goal as the last quarter of an hour approaches.
Even better: against the formidable Stade Rennais, ASM benefited from a new goal from Ben Yedder and successful performances from Golovin and of vanderson to win (2-3). Nice, direct competitor, also falls (1-0) as well as Saint-Etienne last weekend (1-4).
The end of the season promises to be hot on the Rock: Monaco is currently 4th, virtually qualified for the Europa League, but tied on points with Rennes. Clément’s men, with a Volland duo – Ben Yedder found, a Vanderson who confirms, Golovin, Chuameni we Diop capable of sparks as well as a Boadu joker of luxury, can believe to continue on their receipt. This last 18 out of 18 confirms in any case that AS Monaco is, perhaps, coming back to life.