Axel Disasi: "There are still good things be had"

Three points are on offer to confirm the team’s improvement at home! Winners over Strasbourg at the Stade Louis-II two weeks ago (4-3), AS Monaco’s players want to do it again this weekend against Lorient (kick-off Sunday at 5:05 p.m.). With the European places and the top three of Ligue 1 still in play, it is therefore the ambition of Axel Disasi, who scored in Nantes, to get back to winning ways.

Disappointment against Nantes

Our feeling at the end of the match was indeed that we dropped two points in this draw. Honestly after the match, it was difficult to be able to come out it being positive, because we dropped points in the race for the podium. It was difficult to digest, but you have to straighten your head right away. We know that there are eight rounds left, starting with this weekend against a tough opponent. So we switched focus the next day, and I can tell you that the week in training was good.

On a potential fourth place

We are at AS Monaco, in an ambitious club which has put a lot of resources into ensuring that we perform well every weekend and that there are results when we play. We finished third last season, so the logical next step would be to do as well.

It’s true that it would be disappointing to finish in fourth place, given the ambitions and the discussion among the club’s leaders. But you have to do things on the pitch so that it translates, and for that we still have enough matches left to address the situation.

The team’s goals

I am someone who is optimistic in life (smiles). I trust my squad, my team. Over the last two seasons we have shown that we can perform very well at the end of the season. It makes me say that we can repeat this performance. I am confident for the run-in, and I think that past experience, and our way of managing emotions will serve us well.

💥 Contrôle poitrine, frappe puissante…l’enchaînement parfait d’Axel Disasi

2⃣-2⃣ #FCNASM pic.twitter.com/rAdr2Rdbap

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) April 10, 2023

Difficulties in defending

In our most recent games, it is true that we have conceded avoidable goals on set pieces, where we have been rather efficient for the moment offensively. We’ve discussed it among ourselves, because we want to remedy this. The objective over the next few matches will be to concede fewer goals, and to be more solid on defensive set pieces. This concerns everyone, though, not just defenders, but also midfielders and forwards. It’s a group effort, and it takes a lot of things, a lot of effort, to stop opponents’ attacks.

On an open style of play

We are a very offensive team. This is why we are sometimes exposed to rapid transitions from our opponents, who study us and therefore know us well. They sometimes play in a low block to draw us forward and then surprise us on the counter-attack.

We will have to work to correct our weaknesses in these phases as well. Last year, defense was our strength. But from talking about it as a weakness this season, I find it hard. Each season does not necessarily resemble the previous one.

Managing setbacks

After the our elimination from the Europa League against Leverkusen, we had a pretty challenging month of March. But I didn’t feel the team wavering psychologically either. We are all professionals and ambitious enough to give our all until the end of the season. Frankly, I don’t have the impression that involvement in one competition or the other is less important, on the contrary, there are still good things to be had.

Having more consistency

We play as well as we train, as we often say. Performing well in training and in matches are two different things, though. Maybe some players feel more comfortable during the week. In any case, in terms of my own sense of things, I do not feel this difference. We have also come up against very good opponents in recent games, such as Strasbourg and Nantes. It’s up to us to be more consistent across a game. It’s up to us to perform well in both matches and training

His experience with France

It’s always an honor to be called up. As I said previously, the French team is the holy grail for me! I go to national team camps with great pleasure and great pride. The two times I had the opportunity to join Les Bleus, it was thanks to injuries. So it’s up to me to continue to be efficient to be called the first time next time. I am aware that there is a lot of competition in my position, so it is motivating for me to get a place.

On Lorient

It is a team that has lost important players in the transfer window, but whose playing philosophy is still there, as Chrislain (Matsima) told us when he returned from his loan. Lorient has always had played well this season. There will also be the return of Vito (Mannone), who played here too, and will be eager to put on a big display.

They are a difficult side to play against, they are very brave and very efficient in transition. They proved against Marseille last weekend that they can be very difficult to play against. We expect a lot of intensity, but it’s up to us to put the ingredients together to get off to a good start as the end of the season approaches.