Harvey Vale and Mark Robinson react to Chelsea U21’s defeat to Monaco’s Groupe Élite | OneFootball

AS Monaco’s Groupe Élite beat Chelsea’s U21 team 3-2 at the Principality club’s performance centre in La Turbie, with Enzo Baglieri and Mamadou Coulibaly on the scoresheet for Les Monégasques.

Post-match, Get French Football News’ Luke Entwistle got the reactions of goalscorer Harvey Vale as well as manager Mark Robinson.

Questions to Mark Robinson

A difficult match today against Monaco, a club renowned for developing talent, but would you say a good test today?

It was a really good test. They (Monaco) were excellent. They played with really good intensity and they didn’t allow us to rest on the ball. There were elements of our performance that we were disappointed with, but fair play to them, they were very relentless in their press and got tight to us. We weren’t quite at our best hence why we didn’t win the game.

It felt as though the game turned on small details. Is that your analysis?

There were lots of small details, we turned the ball over too cheaply, and we are a team that likes to be relentless and play with a high line. If you’re turning the ball over cheaply, you can’t do that. There were elements of our performance where we know we have to improve, but there was a good reaction in the second half, and I thought we were a lot better.

The return leg on 2nd May is a nice chance to quickly take revenge, isn’t it…

I’m sure people remember 2003/04 when we lost to Monaco over two legs, which I talked to the boys about. We’ve kind of used that as a bit of a scenario over two games. We’re 3-2 down, not 3-1 down as the first team was back then. Our job is to try and turn it around in the second leg.

Questions to Harvey Vale

On a personal level, I’m sure it was great to get a goal, but collectively a tough day for Chelsea…

We knew it was going to be a difficult game coming into it and we are just a bit frustrated with the smaller details and the little moments in the game, which didn’t quite go our way. Credit to Monaco today, they were very good and made us work for it, but excited for the second leg.

After your loan move to Hull, how has it been re-integrating into the Chelsea youth squad?

I’d say [my re-integration] back into the Chelea system has been pretty smooth. I’ve been here a long time now and coming back into it, obviously, Robbo (Mark Robinson) is new to the team this year, so we had to get to know each other again over the first few weeks, but it’s been smooth, and I’m starting to feel like myself again.

What is the plan for next season? Is another loan move in the offing?

I’m not sure [about next season]. I just want to get experience. We’ll see how that sets itself up. I need to finish the season strong here, and then there is the World Cup in the summer.

Do you still believe that you can break through at Chelsea, despite the influx of players in recent months?

For sure, if you believe in yourself then why not? We’ve seen players in the past do that, and nothing is going to prevent that. If your performances show the manager that he can trust you, then I don’t see why [I can’t break through].

GFFN | Luke Entwistle