Adi Hütter: "Show another face to Saint-Etienne" | OneFootball

Aware of the importance of seeking an away victory to maintain the hope of reaching the Ligue 1 podium, the Monaco coach spoke 48 hours before the trip to Saint-Étienne (9:05 p.m.).

A perfect performance to continue dreaming of the Champions League. After the disappointment of the draw in Le Havre (1-1), the men of Adi Hütter are determined to get back on the road to success. It was therefore driven by the desire to get back to winning ways away that the Rouge et Blanc coach spoke with the media before the team’s trip to Saint-Étienne on Saturday (9:05 p.m.).🎙️

We then gave our all in the second half, but it wasn't enough. We'll need to show a different side to Saint-Etienne because these are the final meters of the run-in. From now on, every point and every goal scored or conceded can be decisive, which is the case for many teams in Ligue 1.

The draw with Le Havre

We weren’t happy with the result and the way we played in the first half; that’s not what we want to see. We then gave our all in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. We’ll need to show a different side to Saint-Etienne because these are the final meters of the run-in. From now on, every point and every goal scored or conceded can be decisive, which is the case for many teams in Ligue 1.

I feel like all my players are in great form and confident. They recognized that the performance they put in against Le Havre wasn’t good enough to win. Now, everyone is focused on Saint-Etienne, with the desire to put in a great performance. We’re going to face a team fighting for survival, and they’ll be cheered on by a fantastic crowd. It’s therefore an important match for both teams.

The difference between matches at home and on the road

Last season we had difficulties at home, while we were the second best team in the league on the road. Today it’s the opposite. This isn’t an excuse, as we weren’t at 100% against Le Havre in terms of intensity, duels, and our style of play. We simply weren’t good enough.

Being 1-0 down is always difficult against teams that play with a deep block. We analyzed our match and had good training sessions this week to be ready for Saint-Etienne this weekend.

Difficulties against lower-ranked sides

We are looking for explanations. I think we can sometimes be lacking in mentality, behavior, and attitude. We are not talking about tactics because not so long ago we had some fantastic matches against Marseille and Nice, and a decent match against Strasbourg.

In recent matches, we haven’t conceded many goals, but it’s true that we’re having trouble against teams at the bottom of the table. We have to take every match and every opponent seriously. When we fight in every situation, we have the quality to win everything.

Comme j’ai déjà pu le dire, il y a toujours de la pression dans un club comme l’AS Monaco et je n’en ressens pas plus après le match nul de la semaine dernière. Nous ne pouvons pas revenir sur ce qui s’est déjà déroulé, nous sommes donc pleinement concentrés sur les prochains jours et les rencontres à venir. C’est la chose la plus importante.

On the team’s attacking form

Recently, we scored three goals against Olympique de Marseille, as well as two against Nice, two of the best teams in the league. At the time, people asked me why we weren’t winning against these big teams, and now we’ve done that. We’ve only scored one goal in the last two matches; that’s not enough given our strengths.

Against Le Havre, in the first half, we weren’t present enough on second balls. We should have scored more, of course, but our defensive stability is better. I’m happy about that because we’ve spent time on it. Offensively, we know we can score in every game.

On pressure to get results

Personally, I don’t feel it because I’m here to do everything to achieve our goals. We achieved them last season by qualifying for the Champions League, and it’s true again today.

As I’ve said before, there’s always pressure at a club like AS Monaco, and I don’t feel any more pressure after last week’s draw. We can’t go back on what’s already happened, so we’re fully focused on the next few days and the upcoming matches. That’s the most important thing.

The last three matches of the season

First of all, finishing on the podium isn’t guaranteed even if we get three wins, as Lille could stay in front if they beat Marseille. It could also be decided by goal difference, so we’ll have to be careful about that. Winning everything until the end will increase our chances, but it’s not a certainty. I feel we’re emotionally ready; we’ll have to show it on Saturday.

Folarin Balogun returning to competition

Breel (Embolo) and Mika (Biereth) are doing a very good job so far and Balo’ has been out for many weeks. I’m glad everyone is available and ready to play. We’ll see on Saturday if he’ll be a starter, he has to be patient. One thing is for sure, I feel he’s 100% today and he’s on the right track.

The evolution of Damien Perrinelle

I’m glad he has the opportunity to become a coach after graduating. He’s had a very good impact since he arrived here. He’s very important to us and helps us especially with the younger players. I think he can be a very good coach in the future.

The President’s presence at the Performance Center

First of all, his presence here may seem surprising, but since I’ve been at the club, he’s always been behind us. He supports us, he’s interested in what we do. He was here this week, and I appreciate that we can have discussions with him.