Ligue 1 Uber Eats 05 October 2023, 15:51

Wilfried Singo: “I like getting stuck in to duels, it’s part of me”

Two days before the trip to Reims, the Ivorian defender from AS Monaco appeared at a press conference to talk about this match which will take place before the break.

He has played all the matches since his arrival in Monaco. Installed on the right side of the team’s three-man defense, Wilfried Singo has not needed any acclimatization time to achieve good performances. Very solid at the back, especially in the air, he has also very present on offensive corners, as shown by his goal against Lens, at the beginning of September. Ahead of the trip to Reims, the Ivorian spoke at a press conference to look ahead to the match and at his performances.

It’s true that I really like getting stuck in to challenge, it’s part of me. This is perhaps explained by having played in Italy, a very physical league. The coach tells me that we have to win all these duels and he often talks to me about making a physical impact.

Wilfried SingoAS Monaco defender

His appetite for a challenge

His aggressive play

I find that the referees are more severe with me here than in Italy. They whistle more when I go into a tackle, it’s a little different from the Italian league. It’s up to me to make the right decisions at the last moment. In Nantes, for example, I was afraid of gettin a red card, but I did well. I have to try to adapt as quickly as possible.

Integrating into the squad

All of my new teammates have welcomed me well, the group gets on well with a good spirit and in a good atmosphere. We must continue in this way. In the locker room, I talk a lot with Denis, he’s a good person who I already knew in Italy having faced him in the Turin derby. He does us good in midfield or in central defense.

Offensive competition

They are very good players and when we come home from training, we have headaches (smile). They do us a lot of good in attack. Competition is positive in all positions and this helps to push the group to the top.

Already 9 different scorers this season

We work a lot in training to have many offensive weapons. It pays off because nine players have already scored, including me against Lens, so danger comes from everywhere. Plenty of players are also showing formidable efficiency in front of goal, like Wissam Ben Yedder and Folarin Balogun. We are difficult to get a handle on.

Quoi de mieux que le premier but de Wilfried Singo sous le maillot de l'AS Monaco pour commencer la semaine ? 😋#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/PplHNpnC1y

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) September 4, 2023

Goals conceded at the start and end of matches

This is something we need to correct. We often talk about it with the squad because it’s annoying to concede goals in the last minutes of a match. We need to improve our concentration at certain key moments but we work in training to avoid this.

I like the way he defends. He has a good mentality and I know he will always give his all for AS Monaco. He is a strong, fast and always positive player. He is very good in duels and in his aerial game.

Adi HütterAS Monaco manager on Wilfried SIngo

The evolution of Soungoutou Magassa

Soungoutou is an excellent player and he plays in a position that is new to him. He has performed well since the start of the season and I have no doubt that with his young age, he will progress even further.

His role as a central defender

At Torino, I had already played a little as a right-sided defender even if I was used more as a wingback. At AS Monaco, I have arrived at a very big club and the coach gave me this position, he trusts me. I know that I still need to improve my passing quality, my vision of the game and be more aggressive against the ball carriers.

A full away end in Reims

This will be additional motivation. Since the beginning, our supporters have supported us enormously, both at home and away. It’s a real pleasure to always have them by our side.