Monaco is floundering and needs goals fast from new signing Mika Biereth
Sturm’s Mika Biereth celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Champions League soccer match between Lille and Sturm Graz at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, outside Lille, northern France, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
PARIS (AP) — Mika Biereth’s career resembles that of a journeyman despite him being only 21, and when the London-born Danish striker joined Monaco last week it was already his fifth club.
He started out at Premier League Arsenal, where he did not play, followed by loan moves at Dutch club Waalwijk, Motherwell in Scotland and Sturm Graz in Austria, where he signed permanently.
He netted 14 goals in 25 games in the first half of this season for the Austrian side, earning him a four-and-a-half year deal with Monaco, and he made his debut in Tuesday’s French Cup defeat to Reims.
Monaco coach Adi Hütter said Biereth needs time to settle in. But he may not get much of it because third-placed Monaco is out of form and needs goals from him fast.
After going unbeaten in the first 11 games of the season — winning eight — Monaco is now floundering.
Hütter’s side counts only two wins from the past 10 games, and one was against a tiny amateur side in the French Cup.
In the league Marseille has pulled ahead of Monaco in second place, while Riviera rival Nice is only one point behind in fourth place. Lille is two points back in fifth and on a 20-game unbeaten run ahead of Friday’s home game with Nice.
Although Monaco looks to set to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League, it is in danger of not being among the eight seeded sides. There are difficult games ahead against Aston Villa and 2023 runner-up Inter Milan.
Monaco really needs to strengthen its flagging attack.
The club’s main forward, Folarin Balogun, could be out for another three months following shoulder surgery and other players are not scoring enough.
Midfielder Eliesse Ben Seghir leads with five league goals, followed by Breel Embolo on four. Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena has not seized his opportunities, scoring only once, but he is only 18 and lacks experience.
It’s a far cry from the past five years at Monaco when Wissam Ben Yedder, who is no longer at the club, averaged nearly 20 league goals per season.
So for Biereth, whose modest career tally stands at 31 goals in 76 games overall, the pressure is already on.
He may feel confident of adding to his goal tally on Friday with Monaco playing at rock-bottom Montpellier, which has conceded a Ligue 1-worst of 42 goals from 17 games.
After joining Monaco, Biereth described himself as an “old school” striker focused on positional sense rather than flamboyance and skill.
“The striker who inspires me and resembles me the most? I would say Erling Haaland for whom I have great respect. He manages to focus on his positioning in the box and not only when he has the ball,” Biereth said at a news conference. “When I was younger, I was a fan of Didier Drogba because of the intensity he put in.”
Those are some references.
Haaland has bullied defenses since joining Manchester City three years ago, scoring 111 goals in 126 games, and is already Norway’s all-time scorer despite being only 24. Drogba, meanwhile, scored 157 goals in 341 games for Chelsea and was a feared Premier League goal predator.
If Biereth goes on to achieve anything like that, Monaco will be happy. ___
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