Clément justifies his management of Ben Yedder (and takes example from Haaland)
At a press conference this Friday, two days before receiving Ajaccio for the 19th day of Ligue 1, Philippe Clément took the time to explain why Wissam Ben Yedder has become a luxury joker in Monaco, comparing his situation to that. .. by Erling Haaland.
Thirteen goals in 24 appearances in all competitions, including three in his last three games played. At first glance, Wissam Ben Yedder is having a rather good season. The reality is more mixed. Faced with competition from Breel Embolo, and now the young Eliesse Ben Seghir (17), the AS Monaco striker is no longer an indisputable holder in the eyes of Philippe Clement. He still had to wait for the 62nd minute to come into play Wednesday on the ground of FC Lorient (2-2). By scoring in the last seconds, it was he who allowed the Rock club to grab a precious point in the race for Europe. Ten days earlier, he had not even been used against Brest (1-0). A management assumed by his trainer.
In a press conference this Friday, two days before receiving Ajaccio for the 19th day of Ligue 1, Clément has long justified his choices about Ben Yedder. “There are several things. First, Breel (Embolo) is having a good season. And then last season, we had a midfield with Tchouaméni and Fofana for the majority of matches, with two attackers, who were Kevin ( Volland) and Wissam (Ben Yedder), who played together. Kevin did a lot of work without the ball to help the midfield, and there was Aurélien (Tchouaméni), who was exceptional in terms of his strength, his runs, his power, to be from time to time when we were pressing high, but also when the ball was behind him: he had the power and the speed to help the defenders, he was the best receiver in the whole championship”, he indicated.
“I want Wissam to stay”
“Mo (Camara) is another profile. He is important in front of the defense, but he does not have the same physical qualities as Aurélien. We must therefore find a new balance in the team. Kevin was injured several times. Breel does a good job as a striker, but having Wissam and Breel together means having two real strikers, who are less into defensive work in the middle. So it’s harder to keep a balance. Breel did good things, Wissam too. I’m happy with both. When you see the stats, both are at eight goals. They’re responding. There’s no problem with Wissam. I have a good relationship with him.” , a Belgian technician developed. Before taking an unexpected example to explain the Embolo-Ben Yedder competition.
“It’s up to me to ask you a question. At Manchester City, are there questions around Haaland? Because he doesn’t play every game… And around Alvarez when he made a big Cup in the world? They didn’t play every game. That there is a rotation of players, this is more and more the case in modern football, so that the players have freshness. Wissam, I have a lot respect for him, but he’s not going to get better physically. We have to have a top Wissam every time he’s on the pitch. At the moment, there’s a good balance. It’s not the same either. Wissam that three, four or five years ago, it’s normal,” insisted Clément. If he plays less, Ben Yedder has not been placed on the departure list this winter.
“I want Wissam to stay, assured Clément. He did good things for the team, like in Lorient. Not just his goal. Wissam has done good things in recent months. He scored, Breel too. is a strength, we must not see it as a weakness. I understand that it is sometimes difficult for the fans to understand, but Haaland, who is a young player, does not play every game. Last thing, when I let a player play all the time and he’s injured or suspended, the other player who can play in his position is never ready if he hasn’t played for three or four months.