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More than a decade after their greatest achievement in continental club cup football, AS Monaco look like a team ready for a bigger and better future. Following an inconsistent spell, serenaded by poor management on and off the pitch and sales of high-profile players as well as an unexpected relegation, the principality club are now in safe hands and stable across all aspects.
Having seen several managers come and go in that period, including current Premier League champion Claudio Ranieri, Leonardo Jardim has brought out the best of his players and is seeing a whole host of stars – young and experienced – coming through the club; and with owner Dmitry Rybolovlev no longer investing in an unnecessary manner, the club are ready to take on the elite of European football.
Flair
A key facet of the side that lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in the Champions League Final of 2004 was the quality of their players with the likes of Patrice Evra, Ludovic Guily and Fernando Morientes all rising to importance over the course of that season.
That has once again been replicated, and possibly bettered with this group of players that are making strides across scouting lists and catching the eyes of the best clubs in the world. Monaco have already made several high-profile sales in recent years such as that of Anthony Martial and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco to Manchester United and Atletico Madrid respectively, and they could be involved in another big money move, this time in the form of Portuguese creative midfielder Bernardo Silva.
He has impressed many in his time there so far and has been a star in their Champions League season, netting thrice, including one against Tottenham at Wembley, which showed all what he was about.
He showed off his intelligence and awareness to pick up the ball just outside the Spurs’ box and with a few mazy touches, he unleashed a fierce shot past Hugo Lloris to pick up an early goal. Just like Anthony Martial, he could find himself in Manchester in the near future – Jorge Mendes is his agent.
One of his teammates has already been a traveller in England and was replaced by Martial himself when he left the club – Radamel Falcao. The Colombian forward endured two torrid loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea following his career-threating knee injury, but is back to the form that made him one of the most dreaded footballers in the world. He has bagged 17 goals in 23 appearances thus far, including two against Ligue 1 title rivals OGC Nice recently and is a key cog to this well-oiled machine as they look to derail Paris Saint-Germain’s dynasty.
He is supported by the experience and youthfulness of Joao Moutinho, Thomas Lemar, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Gabriel Boschilia, who are all tipped for big things in the coming years. Bakayoko in particular has been in inspired form this season and is often compared to his countryman Paul Pogba for his explosive style and exceptional defensive qualities.
His midfield partner Thomas Lemar is Monaco’s second highest goal-scorer this season after captain Radamel Falcao and he is able to add that extra flair that teams always look for. A fantastic dribbler, Lemar also has a brilliant eye for a pass and his six assists are a complement to Monaco’s free-flowing style.
Youngster Kylian Mbappe has often been compared to Thierry Henry and the two have several similarities. His darting runs off the ball have been a major asset to his team and has resulted in many goals coming from it. He is even equally as good on the ball, with his attributes coming to good help whenever he plays out on the left.
Off-Pitch Improvement
Monaco have have shifted to a more conservative approach in recent years in terms of their transfer dealings. Gone are the days where Dmitry Rybolovlev wrote a large eight-figure cheque for a player at his peak; instead, they aim on developing young, raw quality and sell them at a higher price when they eventually do come close to hitting their peak – similar to what Portuguese giants FC Porto have been doing for so long.
A vital element to that system is the fantastic man-management and training methods introduced by Portuguese manager Leonardo Jardim, who has taken the club to the next level. In nearly three years, the ex-Sporting CP boss has seen the French club become a goal-scoring force, having already notched up 100 this season, and has achieved the full potential of his players. Monaco are well on course to win their first Ligue 1 title since 2000 and could be a force in France with the talent they have as well as the minds off the pitch.
The Coming Months
Monaco’s biggest challenge comes later this month when they face a two-legged tie against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League Round-of-16. They’ve already eliminated four very talented footballing sides in the form of Tottenham, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce and Villareal, and if they overcome this challenge, one can only fathom over how far they can go.
In addition to that, they hold a three point lead over PSG and Nice in the league and an unreal goal difference, so the chance of ending their top-division league title drought could very well be coming to an end soon.
