Monaco’s Metz demolition shows just how serious they are
Remarkably, they didn’t even end the weekend on the top of the table. That honour fell to Nice, thanks to Mario Balotelli’s late winner against Lorient on Sunday. Yet even if Monaco are playing second fiddle to their near-neighbours from along the Côte d’Azur for now, there is little doubt about which team Paris Saint-Germain will see as the serious long-term threat to interrupting their hegemony of Ligue 1.
Saturday night’s 7-0 win at Metz had its historical resonance. It was the club’s biggest victory since beating Martigues by the same score in October 1993 – Enzo Scifo, Jürgen Klinsmann and Youri Djorkaeff were among the goals that day - and their largest winning margin on the road in their history.
It’s the here-and-now that is more the concern of coach Leonardo Jardim, and he can go into the international break with a sense of satisfaction. Monaco have now scored 22 times in their 8 Ligue 1 games to date, thus the division’s top scorers ahead of PSG (17) and Lyon (15). Given that Jardim’s best two strikers, Radamel Falcao and Valère Germain, have only scored twice between them in the league to date, there’s every reason to suppose that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
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The former Sporting, Braga and Olympiacos boss might allow himself a wry smile too. Having been cast as a largely defensive coach, he now has a team with goalscoring threats all over the pitch, with 11 different players having got on the scoresheet for his team in Ligue 1 this season. Defensive midfielder Fabinho leads the way with four, 3 of which have been penalties. He’s also scored twice from the spot in the Champions League.
All in all, it’s a huge contrast between where Monaco were at this point a year ago – in ninth position in the table, having lost a cluster of players including Anthony Martial and key defender Aymen Abdennour in a wholesale reshaping of the squad. The comparative stability this season has made a big difference, with talent like Thomas Lemar and Fabinho staying, and loaned players like Germain (who scored 14 times in a temporary spell a Nice last term) and Falcao returning.
The new arrivals have been important, with three defensive signings giving Jardim the base to work from. Benjamin Mendy, the left-back signed from Marseille, is currently injured so his opposite number, right-back Djibril Sidibé (who joined from Lille) has shown his versatility by filling in very capably on the left flank. Sidibé, whose form has been rewarded with a call into the senior France squad, rates as Monaco’s second-best performer this season to date at a 7.50 average, standing just behind Fabinho (7.56).
As for Kamil Glik, the Poland international is perhaps the signing of this or any other Ligue 1 season, costing a mere €8 million from Torino and doing his bit to shore up a defence that cost Monaco badly in the coda to last season, at the end of which they had 50 in the goals against column. He is nimble, despite his imposing frame, and makes 2.3 interceptions per match, while making just 0.5 fouls per game. In keeping with Jardim’s team, he has also pitched in with a couple of vital goals, including the one against Angers last week, as Monaco made an instant recovery from the heavy derby defeat at Nice, and then the last-gasp equaliser against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
The real key to Monaco’s improvement, arguably, has been a direct consequence of those full-back reinforcements, with Fabinho allowed to move into midfield. The Brazilian – who still admits to seeing himself as a right-back, but happy to do “whatever the coach thinks is best for the team” – makes this team more athletic and fluid. He was outstanding in perhaps Monaco’s standout victory of the season so far, emerging as star man (rating 8.2) in the win at Tottenham, in which he also set Bernardo Silva away for the opening goal. He made an eye-popping 10 tackles in that match, plus 3 interceptions, whilst completing 90% of his passes.
Getting the basics at the back right might have been very important to Monaco (if you take away the apparent blip of the 4-0 defeat at Nice, they have conceded just 5 times in the other 7 league matches), but it hasn’t been what’s caught the eye. Metz were no easy prey, with the promoted side having started the season wonderfully well. Philippe Hinschberger’s side still sit 8th now, even after this chastening defeat.
The two sides actually had the same amount of efforts at goal at the Saint-Symphorien on Saturday (14), but Monaco’s efficiency was extraordinary. They landed 9 of those on target, leading to their eventual 7 goals. Jardim’s team were relentless, and pressed the home side from the start. Playing an ostensible 4-4-2 – one of four different formations the coach has employed in the 8 games so far – Germain and Guido Carrillo were frequently supported by the high-pressing Bernardo and Lemar on the flanks.
It worked a treat. Both Lemar and Bernardo scored in the first half, with Germain’s first league goal of the campaign arriving in between. Cheick Doucouré’s red card on the hour, with the score at 3-0, finished Metz off, and Monaco were ruthless.
That Carrillo and Gabriel Boschilia – who also scored a vital winner at Nantes in August – could pitch in just shows the depth available to Jardim. The season is young, but one senses Monaco and their coach are in to go the distance.
Can Monaco sustain a title challenge this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
it is surprising to see Monaco who has been very defensive during Jardim tenure(who himself is renowned for defensive philosophies) is now playing a very attractive brand of football. Being highest scorers in Ligue 1 right now. The great thing Monaco revival is on the cards as one the reasons As Monaco austerity measure was primarily influenced by expectations that Dimitry Rybolovyev would lose half of his wealth due to divorce. This didn't happened and he paid only half he was willing to pay. So we won't see Raineri Monaco where they were heavy spender but we will As Monaco who will spent when required and will be bullied into selling their best assests. Kudos to Kamil Glik signing. He is Polish/German(real name Gluck-he is ethnic german from former germany region of Silesia) equivalent to Sergio Ramos; a agressive ball playing defender who is also a goal threat. Suprised no big clubs bid for him. But Monaco will greatly benefit from him. Wished Intermilan signed him instead.