LIGUE 1 SEASON PREVIEW | Monaco 2.0 are an unknown quantity | OneFootball

One To Watch: Eliesse Ben Seghir – The France youth international burst onto the scene after last season’s World Cup and made his presence immediately felt, scoring twice in a narrow, late win over AJ Auxerre. The tricky playmaker was highly influential in a strong run of Monégasque from through the winter. Ben Seghir has the footwork and the vision to cause opposition defences great problems. However, given his age, he has also displayed impressive positional intelligence and is already a shrewd presser out-of-possession. As Monaco capitulated towards the end of the campaign, Ben Seghir’s influence naturally waned, but with Aleksandr Golovin now pushed out wide, the Frenchman could once again be the Principality club’s most creative force through the middle. The scene is set for a breakthrough season for Ben Seghir.

Signing To Watch: Philipp Köhn – Monaco will be hoping that their new shot-stopper will be an improvement upon the departed Alexander Nübel. The Bayern Munich loanee largely disappointed during a two-year spell with the Principality club. His inability to be decisive when it mattered cost Monaco in key moments. Köhn will have to mark a departure from his predecessor and he will be hoping to give confidence to a defence that last season was the seventh worse in Ligue 1. It is in this sector that Les Monégasques have the largest margin for improvement and Köhn can play a pivotal part in a Monaco revival.

Squad Analysis – Depth is the operative word. The club’s starting line-up looks strong, but the bench currently looks light. In particular, Monaco looked light in the centre of defence and whilst Mohammed Salisu has replaced the departed Axel Disasi, this remains the case. Benoît Badiashile is yet to be replaced, and this is a part of the field that Monaco’s recruitment department are actively looking to strengthen. Injuries to key personnel have the capacity to completely derail Les Monégasques’ campaign so adding further cover across the defence, as well as in the midfield is a must. It goes without saying that retaining Youssouf Fofana would be a major plus.

Strengths – Monaco’s current midfield duo of Youssouf Fofana and Mohamed Camara is undoubtedly one of the strongest in Ligue 1. Retaining the duo would provide a solid foundation upon which to build success. Both started last season strongly before trailing off quite dramatically. Their ability to influence the game dictated Monaco’s fate. Should both remain and string together a largely consistent, complete season, the Principality club should flourish. In Aleksandr Golovin and Eliesse Ben Seghir, Monaco have a guarantee of creativity as well. Deploying them in a coherent, attacking system will be pivotal to maximising their undoubted potential.

Weaknesses – The defence was the major issue last season. In its current form, is it stronger now than it was then? Depth is needed, as well as potentially another starter. On paper, Monaco’s attack looks strong, and there is plenty of depth. Les Monégasques have Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Volland, Breel Embolo and Myron Boadu at their disposal. However, there were signs of decline in Ben Yedder’s game last season. Can he be the striker that provides over 15 Ligue 1 goals over the course of the season? Volland and Embolo have shown that they can’t be counted on to be fit for a whole season, despite the latter’s overwhelmingly positive first season at the Stade Louis II. Boadu has yet to hit form since his big-money move from the Netherlands and needs his confidence rebuilding.

However, beyond the aforementioned issues, there is a lack of leadership within this side. Captain Ben Yedder is described as a “technical leader” and vice-captain Disasi, a vocal figure within the dressing room has left. Finding leaders who can help this youthful team overcome adversity is a huge task for the club’s hierarchy. The importance of nurturing these leaders, or recruiting them, can’t be underestimated.

Verdict – It has been a turbulent summer for many of the clubs that finished towards the top last season. Paris-Saint Germain and Olympique de Marseille have once again changed managers, as have AS Monaco. Philippe Clement paid the price for a late capitulation that saw Les Monégasques not only drop out of the race for the Champions League but ultimately miss out on European football altogether.

Adi Hütter has taken the place of the departed Belgian, his reputation slightly tarnished by his spell at Borussia Mönchengladbach, the Austrian manager bemoaning a lack of investment during his time with the Bundesliga side.

The changes don’t stop there. Paul Mitchell has also departed the Principality club, ceding his role as sporting director to the Brazilian Thiago Scuro. Formerly of RB Bragantino, Scuro’s Red Bull background adds an element of continuity to a project that is taking a new dimension and entering a new phase. New manager, new sporting director: this rebooted Monaco 2.0 are a largely unknown quantity going into the new season. They feel equally capable of bursting back into the Champions League places as they do of missing out once again on European football. The Principality club’s lighter calendar could prove key and they should be expected to challenge the top three once again.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle