It was a fantastic achievement by Monaco to win the French title last season, but this time around things will be a lot harder. Four star players left the club for bigger things, with Kylian Mbappe joining title rivals Paris-Saint Germaine perhaps the hardest thing to take. Those men have been replaced with promising talent however, so the Monegasques still have enough in their squad to challenge for the Ligue 1 crown once again. Can you get the best out of them to defend their title on Football Manager 2018?
Philosophies
Monaco Managing Director Vadim Vasilyev will welcome you to the club, and you can discuss the club’s philosophies with him. Currently, there are none meaning you can play the kind of football you want and can choose to either sign big names or nurture talent.
Expectations
Vasilyev will then present the expectations for the season. These are adjustable for a richer transfer budget, but the default is to win both Ligue 1 and the French Cup, as well as to reach the first knockout round of the Champions Cup. The Trophee des Champions and Coupe de la Ligue are marked as not important. If you target the Champions Cup quarterfinals, you will receive and extra £2 million in your transfer budget.
Budget
Transfer: £35.65 million
Wage: £1.46m per week (Current spend: £1.44m)
Formation
To get the best out of your wide players, and there are a lot of them at Monaco, go for a 4-3-3 wide system.
Danijel Subasic is in goal, with a back four of Djibril Sidibe, Kamil Glik, Jemerson and reserve call-up Jorge.
New signing Youri Tielemans joins Fabinho and Joao Moutinho in midfield, with Thomas Lemar and summer recruit Keita Balde out wide. Skipper Radamel Falcao leads the line.
The bench looks strong, and you should opt for Diego Benaglio, Andrea Raggi, Almamy Toure, Soualiho Meite, Boschilia, Rachid Ghezzal and Stevan Jovetic.
Key Players
Despite losing Kylian Mbappe, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko in the summer, there are still some players in the Monaco side capable of hurting any opponent.
Radamel Falcao – CA 4 star (159), PA 4 star (176)
A nasty knee injury in 2014 caused Radamel Falcao’s career to stumble and loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea couldn’t solve his problems. He returned to Monaco and found his form once again, returning to be one of the hottest strikers in Europe, netting 30 goals in all competitions last season.
On FM 18, ‘El Tigre’ has a 149 current ability rating, which can rise to a potential of 176. His best attributes include 19 pressure, 19 important matches and 18 heading.
Fabinho – CA 4 star (156), PA 4 star (165)
Fabinho’s importance at Monaco has been indicated by his move from right back to central midfield, and you now wouldn’t expect the Brazilian to play anywhere else. Real Madrid may now rue the decision to let the 23-year-old leave the club in 2015, and if Fabinho maintains this rise, he could go on to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
Fabinho has a 156 CA score on the game, which is still set to rise to a 165 potential. 19 penalty taking, 17 natural fitness and 16 consistency are his best stats.
Joao Moutinho – CA 4 star (155), PA 4 star (160)
Still going strong at the age of 30, Joao Moutinho provides the tempo to this Monaco side. The Portuguese midfielder has superb technical ability, able to hit superb passes and chip in with goals from the edge of the box. Moutinho should be the man in your side to find the pacey wing men to start attacks.
The former Sporting and Porto man has a 155 CA on FM this year, which has fallen by five from his 160 potential. 18 passing, 18 teamwork and 17 technique illustrate the quality he adds to the team.
Young Talent
Kylian Mbappe, Yannick Carrasco, Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Petit have come through the Monaco academy over the years, and there are some useful players you can call upon in the next few seasons.
Adrien Bongiovanni – CA 2 star (102), PA 3.5-4.5 star (140-170)
Attacking midfielder Adrien Bongiovanni made his debut for Monaco last season and expect the Belgian U17 international to be given more chances as the current campaign draws to a close. Three goals and four assists in five UEFA Youth League games this season indicates the talent he holds.
Bongiovanni’s 102 current ability score can rise to a fantastic potential between 140 and 170.
Loic Badiashile – CA 2 star (110), PA 2.5-3.5 star (130-160)
It’s always great to see a young goalkeeper coming through, and the 19-year-old Loic Badiashile is likely to take the number one shirt in a few seasons time. The French U18 international made two appearances for the club last season, and although the summer arrival of Diego Benaglio has harmed his immediate hopes for first team football, he will surely be given his opportunity in the next two years.
The youngster’s 110 CA can improve to a potential between 130 and 160.
Franco Antonucci – CA 1.5 star (98), PA 3.5-4.5 star (130-160)
Attacking midfielder Franco Antonucci arrived at Monaco from Ajax in January 2017, and although the 18-year-old is yet to experience life with the first team it looks to only be a matter of time. He has played 12 times for Belgium U17s, earning a call-up to the U18s, and now his settling in period in Monaco is over, exepct him to kick-on.
A 98 CA is on course to hit a potential between 130 and 160.
Team Report
Strengths | Weaknesses | |
|---|---|---|
| Scouting Staff | Left Back Depth |
| Youth Prospects | Wage Budget |
| Left Wing Depth | Overall Depth |
| Jumping Reach | |
| Leadership | |
| Passing | |
| Aggression | |
| First Touch | |
| Teamwork | |
| Decisions | |
| CentreBack Depth | |
| Star Goalkeeper (Danijel Subasic) | |
| Star Defenders (Djibril Sidibe, Kamil Glik) | |
| Right Back Depth | |
| Coaching Staff | |
| Transfer Budget | |
| Strength | |
Dynamics
Team Leaders - Joao Moutinho, Danijel Subasic, Radamel Falcao (C)
Highly influential - Andrea Raggi, Fabinho, Kamil Glik, Djibril Sidibe, Thomas Lemar
Dynamics is the big new feature for FM 2018, and it shows the atmosphere inside the dressing room at the club. Saying the wrong thing to an influential player can upset the entire squad, so choose your words carefully and do keep tabs on all your players regarding their happiness. Failure to do so could cause the performances on the pitch to decline.
Transfer Targets
£35 million in the transfer budget is a lot more than many clubs in Football Manager 2018, and you should look to use this to bring in one name for your starting lineup.
Left back – Sergio Escudero (CA 149, PA 152)
Left back is the weakest position at the club, with the management failing to adequately replace Benjamin Mendy who left for Manchester City over the summer. Sevilla’s Sergio Escudero would be a great fit, and he will only set you back £13.25 million on FM 18. His wages of £36,000 a week are likely to increase, but you will get your hands on his 149 CA rating and 152 potential. The 27-year-old’s best attributes include 17 long throws, 17 stamina and 17 adaptability.
Alternative options:
- Domenico Criscito – Age 30, Zenit, Italy, CA 147, PA 153, Value: £7.5m, Wage: £38k
- Lucas Digne – Age 23, Barcelona, France, CA 147, PA 157, Value: £12m, Wage: £86k
- Faouzi Ghoulam – Age 26, Napoli, Algeria, CA 146, PA 151, Value: £11m, Wage: £25k
- Marcel Schmelzer – Age 29, Dortmund, Germany, CA, 146, PA 146, Value: £15m, Wage: £43k
Players to sell
It’s a relatively large squad, and if you identify the players you will struggle for game time this season, you could even bring in one more signing.
Rony Lopes
Thomas Lemar, Keita Balde, Boschilia, Rachid Ghezzal and Jordi Mboula are five great options out wide, and having Rony Lopes in there as well is overkill. If you sell the right winger, you can take in close to £5 million for him and save £20,500 on wages.
Finances
The finances at Monaco aren’t as strong as you would expect. With the overall balance of the club on the decline. The clubs losses are set to worsen, but will improve once again at the end of the season. As for your transfer budget, it will hang around the £30 million mark for the foreseeable future, but the £160 million fee for Kylian Mbappe goes through next summer, which could be a real game changer for your career at Monaco.
Defend the title against the odds
Yes, Monaco have lost a lot of talent over the summer, but they have bought well and kept hold of some very valuable players. They may not be able to go toe-to-toe with PSG in all areas of the pitch, but if you manage your squad well, there is no reason why you cannot defend your title. Combining this with a French Cup win is very tricky, so perhaps one or two signings in the transfer windows could provide the difference and add that slight depth to your squad.
Monaco first team squad, player roles and ratings
Player | Age | Pos | Role | Duty | Role Ability | CA/ PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting Lineup | | | | | | |
Danijel Subasic | 32 | GK | Goalkeeper | Defend | 3.5 star | 151/ 151 |
Djibril Sidibe | 24 | DR | Full-Back | Attack | 3.5 star | 147/ 154 |
Kamil Glik | 29 | DCR | Defensive Centre Back | Any | 4 star | 152/ 152 |
Jemerson | 24 | DCL | Ball Playing Defender | Stopper | 3.5 star | 146/ 154 |
Jorge | 21 | DL | Full-Back | Attack | 3 star | 135/ 158 |
Youri Tielemans | 20 | MCR | Advanced Playmaker | Support | 3 star | 140/ <180 |
Fabinho | 23 | MC | Box To Box Midfielder | Support | 4 star | 156/ 165 |
Joao Moutinho | 30 | MCL | Advanced/ Deep Lying Playmaker | Support | 3.5 star | 155/ 160 |
Thomas Lemar | 21 | AMR | Inside Forward | Support | 2.5 star | 149/ 172 |
Keita Balde | 22 | AML | Inside Forward | Support | 4 star | 149/ 169 |
Radamel Falcao | 31 | STC | Complete Forward | Attack | 4 star | 159/ 176 |
Substitutes | | | | | | |
Diego Benaglio | 33 | GK | Goalkeeper | Defend | 3 star | 139/ 153 |
Andrea Raggi | 33 | D (RLC) | Central Defender | Stopper | 2.5 star | 132/ 136 |
Almamy Toure | 21 | D (RC) | Full-Back | Attack | 2.5 star | 131/ 156 |
Soualiho Meite | 23 | DM M (C) | Ball Winning Midfielder | Support | 2.5 star | 127/ 142 |
Boschilia | 21 | M (RL) AM (RLC) | Winger | Support | 3 star | 133/ 158 |
Rachid Ghezzal | 25 | M (R) AM (RL) | Inside Forward | Support | 2.5 star | 130/ 135 |
Stevan Jovetic | 27 | AM (LC) ST (C) | Complete Forward | Any | 3.5 star | 148/ 163 |
Reserves | | | | | | |
Terence Kongolo | 23 | D (LC) | Wing-Back | Defend | 2.5 star | 131/ 147 |
Adama Traore | 22 | M (C) AM (C) | Advanced Playmaker | Support | 2.5 star | 124/ 152 |
Rony Lopes | 21 | M (R) AM (RLC) | Inside Forward | Support | 2.5 star | 128/ 149 |
Jordi Mboula | 18 | M (R) AM (RL) | Winger | Support | 2 star | 112/ <170 |
Guido Carrillo | 26 | ST (C) | Target Man | Any | 3 star | 137/ 140 |
Adama Diakhaby | 21 | M (RL) AM (RL) ST (C) | Complete Forward | Attack | 2.5 star | 126/ 148 |
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