Following the 2-2 draw against Napoli, the clash against Udinese appeared to be a less intimidating hurdle. However, it ended up being the complete opposite, with AC Milan’s vulnerabilities exposed in the 1-0 defeat.
Milan continued in the same toothless manner throughout the game and it wasn’t until the 90th minute that they actually put some pressure on their opponent. Still, it was too little too late for Pioli’s men who registered another loss and another dreadful performance.
Below are five things we learned from the disappointing defeat against Udinese…
1. Injury crisis doesn’t help, but not the main issue
Hernandez, Chukwueze, and Pulisic were all injured and that limited the attacking capacity of the team. Furthermore, Loftus-Cheek wasn’t fully fit either, although he did get some minutes towards the end (which was nice to see ahead of the PSG game).
Having said all of this, there was enough quality on the pitch to beat a struggling side like Udinese, but the performance was just disastrous. The players looked like they couldn’t be bothered throughout the first 90 minutes and only showed some desire to win in stoppage time.
To an extent, the injuries of both Pulisic and Chukwueze affected Leao poorly since the opposition put two or three players on him, knowing that there was no threat on the right flank. Still, the Portuguese winger managed to beat his man on several occasions but couldn’t get the end product, be that a pass or a shot, and was often greedy instead of passing the ball.
The loss aside, it’s more worrying that Milan created zero big chances for 90 minutes and this just proves the lack of quality in the substitutes, as well bigger issue related to motivation, tactics, and Pioli himself.
2. Hole in the middle
The midfield, in truth, was just dreadful. Despite a couple of tackles at the back, Krunic was a liability for his team as he couldn’t make a successful pass unless it was a backward one. The Bosnian continues to highlight what the management got wrong in the summer, failing to bring in quality for the No.6 role.
Reijnders was also disappointing as he struggled, once again, with his finishing at a time when Milan could’ve really done with a goal. His overall performance was also poor excluding a few passes and it’s worrying that he started the season so well, but now is struggling quite a bit.
Taking the whole department into consideration with Musah, Loftus-Cheek, Adli, and Pobega, this Milan midfield is just not good enough. Two seasons ago Pioli had Kessie, Tonali and Bennacer. Although depth was an issue the overall quality of the starting midfield was much better than now, which is another issue the management didn’t really address.
3. Questionable decisions
The loss and the poor display aside, Pioli also managed to make some questionable selections with his starting XI. Krunic looked dreadful and whilst Adli was at fault for the penalty, he played much much better, moving the ball forward with some nice long balls and showcasing his vision as well as passing abilities.
Jovic was also another disappointment on the night and one might ask why Okafor didn’t start the game, given that he can bring some pace and technique to the table. Jovic and Giroud, after all, are quite similar in terms of playing style.
Putting Musah on the right was also a bit questionable, with Romero on the bench. It didn’t really work out with the American looking rather flat, struggling to create anything dangerous on that right flank. Romero, as said, was sitting on the bench and ended up having some good moments during his limited time on the pitch.
4. Leao’s struggles continue
The Portuguese international failed to lead his team yet again as he just couldn’t deliver in the final third. He had some difficulties on the left and Udinese did double or triple down on him on several occasions, which did slow down the winger.
But when he did beat his man it didn’t lead to anything more than sloppy passes and selfish shots. In short, a disappointing display from Leao who is struggling on all fronts at the moment. He needs to improve in the final third if he wants to regain his past form and become one of the best in the world.
5. Only positives are at the back
Despite losing the game, the defence was probably the best-performing department on the pitch for Milan, excluding perhaps Florenzi who was poor defensively but did have some good moments going forward, and to be fair to him he played out of position.
Maignan couldn’t really do much on the goal as it was a penalty, but he did make a save or two to keep Milan in the game. Tomori and Thiaw did their job and even tried helping in the attack, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.
Calabria was probably the only Milan player really trying to make things happen for his side, as we saw his desire and passion a lot. The Italian had some good moments going forward and was solid at the back, building on his good performance against Napoli.
A bad loss on our part. One unexpected positive of our team losing is seeing the wackos here absolutely lose their mind and pretend they know what goes on at a professional club. The advice is terrible, which makes it hilarious. Calm down and try to enjoy the sport, you have no choice but to take the good with bad, but you do have a choice in posting explosive, insulting, and worthless opinions. Reading through these articles for years now and seeing the overall decline in intelligent discussion, I think I realized what happened: Milan has become a CL team in recent years and this attracts the plastic fans. The ones who think losing a game is an absolute disaster and that the manager should be sacked immediately. It’s pretty funny but it’s also a drag. Calm down and try to breathe through your frustrations, remind yourself that you don’t work at AC Milan and that your words have no impact on anyone, except yourself because your over the top, negative attitude hurts only yourself and the people around you. Disclaimer: if you’re 20-21 or younger, this doesn’t apply to you, that’s just wild youth energy. Anyone older needs to look inside their brain and wonder why they can’t control themselves
pioli needs to go not over one loss but red flags for it are all around.
If you can enjoy the udine match and others like it fine. You’ll get to see more of that. I for one did not. I did not enjoy the one agaisnt genoa, the one against P$$$G, the one against the merde juve.
This now is 6 games 2 goals scored and 7 goals conceived. Its not about just one game. So please rant some more how we’re just hysterical for no valid reason and need to touch grass
Yep, it’s all Krunic and Jovic fault.
Those 2 played only the first half and they are getting criticized even though it was 0-0 while they were on the field.
The 2 players that replaced them at half-time are getting praised even though Milan played worse in the 2nd half and actually lost the game in that half.
Apparently Adli who caused the penalty that lost Milan the game played much much much much much better than Krunic because he sent couple long passes and Okafor who we didn’t notice that he was even on the field until he squandered the only chance in the last minutes should have started over Jovic.
The player that should have been subbed at half-time was Giroud for Romero, not jovic for Okafor.
I’ll give Leao credit that even though he didn’t play well he actually was the only one trying.
The players have tuned out the coach. Ownership should stop being tone-deaf and get rid of the coach before its too late.
First it was Calabria, then Leao and Giroud and now Florenzi says that Milan lacks clarity.
The results are bad but the play is even worse.
Milan’s record in 2023 is rather dire: 45 games, 19 wins, 12 draws and 14 defeats. This means that Pioli’s men have won just 42% of their games since the start of the year, from the 2-1 win against Salernitana to the 1-0 loss yesterday.
How are you seriously advocating any team fires a coach when they’re in third place?
And what’s more most people on here will agree with you!
Stats are nonsense. In that 45 game period we reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and finished 4th in the league i.e. Pioli exceeded and met expectations.
In what world do managers get fired for meeting and exceeding expectations?
(And before you bang on about Juve’s points deduction, that could well have been factored into those games where Pioli rested players to focus on the Champions League).
And in what world do disgruntled employees get the manager sacked?
If the players are moaning then frankly they need to go.
We’re in this position in part because of THEIR mistakes – missed chances against Newcastle and sendings off against Juve….
Pioli’s Hair your comments are the same old, stale and predictable as Pioli’s tactics.
But it’s oh so original to jump on the Pioli out bandwagon……
I told ya in a pregame post, but ya don’t listen
You keep beating the Pioli drums and I kept telling you: mistakes, bad tactics, poor decisions, stupid decisions keep costing us – and lo and behold
SMH. Talk less, listen more.
@ Meez Well I can go back further than that because I was saying in the summer this season was going to be a disaster!
As for listening….well what about just looking at the league table?
Here you go for convenience:
Pos Team W D L F A GD Pts
1 Inter 9 1 1 27 6 21 28
2 Juv 8 2 1 17 6 11 26
3 Milan 7 1 3 18 12 6 22
Fine. Give one fûcking compelling argument, based on the results this season, why pioli should keep his job.
This season!
And we’re sitting 3rd wont cut it for this one…
Also , @Pioli’s Hair, one thing that you have problem comprehending is that sports and football are not the same as whatever job you do.
In your regular job a manager makes more money than the employees. In football most of the footballers make more money than the coach. That’s why disgruntled “employees” can get a bum of a coach like Pioli fired.
The sooner he gets fired the better for everyone involved at Milan.
The team needs new voice, new ideas , new energy. Pioli can take his high press and counter attack to a mid to bottom table team where he belongs.
So this ‘business’ of football that everyone likes to talk about is actually not like a business at all, is it?
Just egos.
That high press and counter won us the Scudetto….and got us to the semi-finals of the Champions League and qualified for back to backs in the first time in a decade….but still the insults directed at the man who helped deliver all of that….so again I ask…..what is the point?
You clearly didn’t appreciate the victories of the past (even a few months ago) so what are you hanging about for now?
Even if we win you are not capable of appreciating it so why stick around?
There must be other things that bring you joy. Go find it. Let yourself be free.
Other teams and coaches watch what you do good as a team or as a player and they are trying to take away your strengths.
Your guy Pioli has been figured out by all of the other coaches and because he is and always been a limited coach , he can’t adjust to counter the other coaches tactics.
High press and counter worked 2,3 years ago and doesn’t work anymore. How long you going to tall about the fluke 19th scudetto.
Sacchi tactics who were revolutionary at the time worked for about 3 years, he also got figured out, couldn’t adjust and retired from coaching in his 40’s.
In football just like in life you either get better or you get worse, There is no status quo. Since Pioli is stuck on the only tactics he knows, tactics that has been figured out, Milan as a club is getting worse under him.
But there are still people like you who like to rest on old laurels.
Pioli has only won 1 trophy in his life, and that’s the trophy that you can’t stop talking about.
Led Milan to the worst month in 125 year history of the club.
5 straight losses to Inter in a row.
5 straight games without a goal in the UCL.
2 straight home losses without scoring a goal in serie A.
Lost to a team that hasn’t won a game in 3 months.
Finished 5th in serie A, and thanks to the courts qualified for the UCL, not based on merit.
But hey, let’s keep him and allow him to continue embarrassing the club because 2 years ago he won a fluke scudetto.
Is there some way of switching off replies???
How do people do that?
So this ‘limited coach’ is still only 1/4 current Serie A coaches to win the Scudetto so how limited are the other coaches including the imaginary coach that sits in your head?
How limited is Inzaghi (very in my mind)?
I am not resting on my laurels I am just making the most normal statement in the world – clubs don’t sack managers when they’re in third place.
But again the thing people like you who live in their imaginations (and bang on keyboards) struggle with is…reality.
This week when Milan steps out against PSG Pioli will be manager so you better get supporting or else find another club/past time/life.
Pioli’s results last season we’re not based on merit, they were based on SHEER LUCK, pioli secured a 5th place finish on the pitch, playing in the champions league this season was out of other factors but not his coaching….and the Current ucl group is now showing why Milan doesn’t belong in the champions league this season….and last year’s ucl campaign was pretty impressive right? Winning against an extremely struggling Tottenham, plus Milan was Napoli’s, Achilles heel last season, so yes sheer luck, then Milan met a real team in Inter…fact is, Milan had the easiest ucl campaign last season, if they had Man citys fixtures I guarantee you Milan wouldn’t even have made it out of the round of 16… pioli brought Milan back from the brink I agree…but how can you excel if you can’t evolve, maybe he is like Moses in the Bible, lead the people out of Egypt but won’t set foot in the promised land…think about it
@Z oh I should have read your post before i posted mine. Basically the same. Why Jovic and Krunic getting all the flack? Someone gave up the goal that made us lose all 3 points but somehow Jovic was the worse player?? At least Jovic tried..where was Girold?
My god. Still defending these terrible, useless players. Yes, they were worse. Yes, players that actually try to do something positive on the pitch are going to make mistakes from time to time. You seem to prefer players like Krunic who never try anything because they are so scared of making a mistake, or just don’t have the ability to pull anything off. They also don’t contribute anything. They are just taking up space on the pitch. I don’t want players that are scared to have the ball at their feet, who’s just looking to pass it back and get rid of it every time. No thanks.
That’s why people like Adli and Musah. Musah may make some mistakes now and then but he gives 110% out there and is at least trying to make something positive happen. Same with Adli. I’m sure if he just passed backwards every time like Krunic he wouldn’t miss any passes but nobody wants to see that except for you.
And Giroud did force a great save from the keeper late in the game which is why he is in there. Even in games where he is not doing much he can always get his head on the end of a cross and change the game. Just needs someone to deliver a decent ball. Jovic on the other hand can’t control the ball, can’t pass the ball, I’m not quite sure what he’s suppose to be good at. You, like Pioli, seem to have an affection for useless players from the Balkans
Reply to Z, not me if you disagree with him. I dont read your posts
Clearly you do, as you make sure to reply to every one. 😉
In the beginning of the new season ,the new arrivals brought with them enthusiasm and conviction and we started seeing a more varied and unpredictable team, even though it was obvious from the start that the team was not solid and too offensive.
Two months later and everybody is ball-watching while Leao tries individual moves that never really incorporate the other players nor lead to goals.
A midfielder that protects the defense and wins the ball back is a must, as this midfield is lacking at it’s base, then Musah, Reijnders and Loftus can emerge and be consistent.
No longer relying on individual moves is the real challenge for Pioli, who after all the transfers is back to a predictable and blunt attack. Leao for all is his talent is not evolving into a killer who gets a goal a game as that would make Pioli’s life so much easier.
the commentary said that milan doesn’t have an idea what they’re doing. hearing that it hurts. the whole game there is no conviction from the way they play. this must change going forward. or they can say goodbye to any trophy and be content with whatever finish they achieve.
honestly the whole situation remind me how the start of 2023 goes….
I feel Okafor, and some players has zoned out, you can see this from thier body language. Imagine a coach telling a player Adli to be specific “you won’t be playing much” I just hope that is not what he has told the new signings already, l cus they seem to be putting the barest minimum. We need a coach right now to help salvage the already disastrous season.
Hole in the middle… Newsflash, it’s been since the start. They spent 60 millions on new midfield but did not adress the main position to play 433. A proper DM. Now we have a midfield full of Bertolacci’s and Poli’s running around the field not knowing what to do. And we’re depending on Krunic and Adli to hold the middle together. Wow.
Injuries IS the main cause, I don’t know how someone can’t see this – 2 injuries a game, in the last couple of matches, not to mention all our injuries coming in?
No matter what you think of Pioli, maybe the injuries are his fault (and they are at least partially his), no coach can properly manage a team with such a high injury rate, and so early in the season.
And injuries have always been a major problem for us, already from Montella’s day (Montolivio, Menez, Bonaventura,…), and also later on with Calabria and Benasser. But the current patch is perhaps the worst yet.
Some of this is just bad luck, but most of it isn’t. How do you solve this problem I don’t know (add a durability factor to the scouting algorithm?), but if we do solve it we take three steps forward in our to be the best team in the world.
One thing to note about Milan over the years is that players who did well and were rarely injured at other clubs came to Milan and their injuries increased and form dropped, and then in some cases when they left the club they had fewer injuries and better form!
El Shaaraway actually had fewer injuries since he left Milan. Same with Bonaventura.
So there’s a major issue with Milan’s medical team going back probably 15 years. And that is the single biggest issue that has impacted our competitiveness (other than the ludicrous number of transfers, mismanagement of youth players, and hiring coaches barely qualified to coach youth teams).
Injuries are always a problem but these last 3 or 4 seasons set a new record.
We are already at 20 injuries, more than half are muscular injuries. Some of our injured players never had a history of injuries before coming to AC Milan.
In these last seaons, we were always crippled because of injuries, and I think it’s no coincidence that it started with the athletic and medical team that came with pioli.
The sooner we adress these problems, the better.
Five things we really learned..
1. The team’s complete lack of clear ideas in the attacking phase was never due to the holes in the squad. It was always the coach’s absolute inability to drill the squad in a attacking gameplan.
2. Pioli’s nonexistent ability to read games and re-adjust tactics won’t improve. Ever. His mind just shuts down in the matchday and he thinks the gamplan he prepared before the game with the first 11 should be the only one that the team needs. if it doesn’t work, too bad, we get wrecked 5-0 and that’s okay for him.. The idea of changing tactics to counter opponents plan is way above his calibre as a coach. It means…Scudetto in now way shape or form can be attributed to Pioli’s credit anymore.
3. 4231 is the only formation he can play. Perhaps “Pioli’s” 433 worked against small teams by sheer individual quality of the players compared to the other teams.. but against big teams.. we got wrecked badly. I won’t even gonna talk about his 442.
4. Clearly.. Pioli’s antics didn’t win us the scudetto. There is no way it was Pioli with tactics this full of $hite. . It’s evidently Ibra’s guts and Motivation we are badly in need of now again. Cardinale figured it out. So, gotta give him the credit there. Waiting for Ibra’s return. It probably won’t change the disaster that is this season for Milan, but hopefully, Ibra’s push can get these guys to play a bit better.
5. Despite the awful performances, We are unfortunately stuck with Pioli. Changing coach in the middle of the season is suicide. Pioli knows the squad inside out, and he has the best chance of turning the season around statistically. Hope he does it.
Forza Milan.
“Clearly…Pioli’s antics didn’t win us the scudetto”
Clearly. That is how confident you are of your opinion that is contrary to recorded history…..
Well to counter your oh so confident opinion – there is no universe where the manager of a team who picks the team, chooses the tactics, motivates the team, selects the backroom team, selects the training regime does not have an influence over the performance of a team over a 2 YEAR period when we had title winning form.
And there is also no universe where the manager of a third placed team gets fired.
So you better stop moaning and start supporting.
I have been a critic of Pioli for quite some time. I’ve never hidden it. Pioli is mediocre at best. Our results last January are an easy indicator that something was seriously going the wrong direction. My guess is we keep slipping. All the way to 5th.
I loved our scudetto. However, I’m honest on how it happened. Inter lost the scudetto more than Milan won it. That own goal sealed it. Ibra had such a HUGE influence on this team. It felt as though he was willing the team to wins.
Ibra’s mentality is sorely missed. Maldini’s father mentality is also missed.
I’ve loved this team since I first saw them in the early 90s. I will always cheer for them to win. I will however, call bad points out when I see them. I a, not an optimist. I am not a pessimist. I am a realist. And I have a bad feeling by the end of this season I’ll be proven right. My opinion is that these players need a new leader.
Inter did not lose the Scudetto. Milan WON it.
We have picked up almost the exact same number of points as Inter over the past 2 years.
Milan’s Scudetto winning form lasted over 2 years. It was no flash in the pan.
And it really shouldn’t take one fan pointing this out to another fan.
Inter fans should be dismissing our Scudetto win not our own fans, particularly when it’s not even supported by the facts!
Bayern fired Julian Nagelsmann while first or second.
Real Madrid also fired Ancelotti in 2015 (an UCL winner !).
And some times you have to predict, Milan is sinking, acting like we’re still ok because we haven’t sank yet is mind blowing for me.
I don’t say we should sack pioli right now, but clearly whatever won us the scudetto is not here anymore.
@Maldinis Heir
Pioli DIDN’T pick the team. It was picked for him.
Chooses the tactics? What tactics? lol
Motivates the team? Ibra did that. Pioli said it himself. He said training was different when Ibra was in. There are VIDEOS of Locker room with Pioli standing far in the back.
selects the backroom team? Not sure what you mean by it tho.
Training regime? Oh yeah .. the one that is getting players murdered in training? lol
OH Pioli does have an influence.. that is a negative influence unfortunately. The moment Ibra left, look at this team. Cardinale is hell bent of getting him back. Pioli Must be one legendary coach. lol
There is no denying that Pioli is a good man manager. He built a team out of players who had no chemistry. But that’s about it.
“So you better stop moaning and start supporting.”
I do. You support Pioli more than Milan. But my Loyalty lies only in MIlan. Not Pioli, Not Cardinale, not Furlani.. Just Milan. I call $hit a $hit instead of trying to accept it.
This season is the first one Pioli got to pick the team and LOOK AT THIS SEASON.
5-0 to Inter.
3-0 to PSG
1-0 to Juve
Throwing a 2-0 lead against Napoli.
Not a single goal in UCL.
His selections are too damn good lol
How can a manager make wrong subs EVERY game for 5 years and get credited for Scudetto is beyond me.
Didn’t sign a No 6?
I thought, according to this website, this summer was the best transfer window since we signed Van Basten!
There was so much activity. 10 in/lost count how many left!
We sold Tonali and signed three brand new spanking midfielders. So what gives?
And if in doubt, call for more transfers!
“New No 6 please”.
“No not that one, not that that one, let’s try this one, not too sure it doesn’t go with my current wardrobe, not that one, not….erm…not that one”.
Oh we’re NOT talking about fast fashion?
So let’s say we sign a new No 6, what happens when Bennacer is fit?
And presumably Adli – who got write ups on this very website – is finished along with…Krunic!
I always said you can’t win titles with players like Krunic. (I never said that because Krunic has actually won the title – playing 28 games in fact). No. It’s the new signings that have never won anything (Pulisic aside).
It would help if the media took some responsibility. Bashing our opinions one minute that it then pretends never happened.
The season is going better than I expected in the circumstances where we randomly changed half the squad and fired most of the back room including the revenue guy (???).
How anyone thought we’d saunter through our champions league group is beyond me. But this is the thing, everyone got oh so excited about the transfers because there were lots of them. So expectations were blown out of proportion.
And Pioli will be the fall guy.
I have to say sir that I didn’t expect a “saunter” but I did expect beautiful football and 1 goal per game. I would have been thrilled to get out of this group.
Today given all three other teams look vulnerable in both the group and their own leagues, I’d say the above expectations were more than fair?
If ‘beautiful football’ is your thing then Serie A might not be for you…
Now that Spalletti is gone and Sarri has lost his mojo, none of the Serie A teams play great football.
Getting through the group was always going to be tough. We certainly couldn’t afford to miss open goals….which might be one reason why the goal count is not what it might have been.
But the season started well and we’re now in a horrible period for form. If we don’t recover soon everyone will have their wish and Pioli will be sacked. But really for me the responsibility rests with Cardinale and this website failed to hold him account for this summer’s chaos.
Adli needs to play his defence outside the box. Love the guy, but that’s 2 pks now. he’s too big to get away with anything, when chasing a dribbler in the box.
All the possession, but no goals. It means someone needs to run at gaps in the middle of the defence and disrupt their form.
If Pioli doesn’t win trophies knocked out of UCL group stage, and keep on losing key features. I think Cardinals will pull the plug.
If you listen to the Podcast, Adli is a darling of SM. That’s fine, we all have our favourites but I think the issue there is that he’s being compared with Krunic who can’t pass the ball.
In reality Krunic and Adli are half of the player they need to be because Adli doesn’t bring the physical presence nor does he provide defensive cover, while the only thing Krunic seems good for is a defensive screen.
However, it seems to me that the biggest issue we have is the inability to maintain field position in the attacking third of the ground. This is what I expect to see from a side which is still fundamentally a high pressing side. It’s not like we rely on passing quality and creativity to create chances. It’s speed on the wings on the counter or turning the ball over and scrapping goals that has been our go at all times under Pioli.
But we play with a 193cm Pippo Inzaghi, which is what Giroud is. He’s not a target man in the sense that he effectively absorbs the physical pressure and zonal presence of the CBs to distribute to bring the rest of the attack into a phase of play. He’s a pure poacher.
Flicking the ball looks good but it comes off about 1 in 10 times. What we need from him here 7/10 times (I appreciate there is need for creativity) is to take the ball absorb contact and then distribute, usually back a few meters or to the wings. It’s Plan A for a side taking and holding territory. The 3-man midfield can then press up.
I’m watching 3 to 5 games a week, following Azzuri and potential Azzuri as much as possible.
Without wanting to dredge up the Scamacca debate, which I’ve won (along with anyone else who wanted him), you need to watch his whole games to appreciate how good a #9 he is. I would say that 1/3 of the shots he has starts with him coming almost to the halfway line, taking the ball, under pressure, and then distributing in 360 degrees. He’ll ping passes to either wing. If there is a change to progress forward he’ll take it. He’s creates chances as much as he takes himself.
Zlatan was immense. Thuram isn’t a targent man but Dzeko was. It’s not just about being big. It’s this aspect of his game that has me convinced that Pellegri will end up being a quality player.
The whole narrative surrounding strikers is goals. It’s half the story at best. It’s ironic that the blowtorch gets turned on to Jovic whose job was to play off Giroud who cannot really be played off.
Can we dredge up the Cutrone debate???
He scored a beauty on the weekend….
When Pioli is sacked and if we hire Conte then I might just give up on Milan and start supporting Como…..
With you there….100%
The thing with Adli is he plays the right way, he’s a deep lying playmaker and that is what we need. I’m a fan, he’s not the real deal yet, but has shown the right way. He looks forwards, he tries a range of passing he switches play, he can play a long pass, he looks to slip balls in the Channel between CB and FB. He also puts his foot on the ball, looks up and isn’t afraid to slow the tempo. We don’t have anyone else like that.
@Bruno 100% facts again. Even Jovic tried at the very least and somehow got lambasted for trying (I guess he exposed himself for trying and failing…but to me that’s the path to success). About Scamacca I don’t even want to go there. I’ve been watching Atalanta games too and exactly what you’re saying about his build up play is spot on. The stats are only half of the story. And he’s not even 100% his max yet
Passed his first big test, didn’t he?
Every part of his game translated against the Inter juggernaut. He just had less space to operate in so he wasn’t as prolific as he was against Monza and Empoli.
And as you’ve said, he’s building to 100% fitness, etc so the best is yet to come.
I wish Zaniolo ended up under Gasperini. Gas is the guy the future hero goes to for the training montage in a 1980s action movie. He just knows how to get the best out of players.
Reflecting on when Milan won the Scudetto, it’s more a matter of mentality… 1. Champion Mentality Milan still has Maldini who comes to every training. And there is also Ibra who, even though he doesn’t play, can still kick you in the head when you are not serious during training. Imagine training with champions like that… 2. Defense Even though they had difficulty scoring goals, other teams also had difficulty doing the same against Milan. Tomori, Kalulu n Kjaer are at their best. 3. Luck Somehow, that season, all the top 6 ranked teams experienced difficulties except Milan I support Pioli, although sometimes annoying, he is still the current Milan coach. Even if he ends up being fired, that means I will support the new coach. But for those of you who are still lulled by memories of the Scudetto, there is a sentence I once read on this site. Everyone in the Milan team is judged based on CURRENT results, not PAST results. Everyone in the Milan team, except the medical team seems…
I agree with what you said about the Scudetto winning team but CURRENT results have us third….
And Pioli has got us those results despite Cardinale’s decision to fire Maldini and sell Tonali in the full knowledge that Ibra was retiring.
Based on where I thought we’d be this season, we’re doing better than I expected after the summer of chaos.
Maybe that’s the difference with me. I thought our transfer market was a disaster whereas most people thought it was amazing and are now disappointed. It’s always harder to deal with the come down….
Mate, a lot of what you say is true. I also wasn’t happy with most of the transfers, specifically the midfield. Reijnders was the sort of signing who under Ancelotti or Capello when we already had Albertini, Rijkaard, or Seedorf, Pirlo would have been worth the long game, to integrate an lad see as a potential talent.
Straight away I said the midfield is weaker and I got lambasted by the fan boys, apparently when 3 seasons ago Krunic was a backup to Kessie, Tonali and Bennacer, it’s now fine that he’s a starter and he’s three years older. RLC always had
Talent there is no question of that, around 2018 he looked like he’d be the real deal, but then injuries and the curse of Chelsea….
Midfield is the engine room and most important part of the team, history tells us that, Seedorf/Gattuso/Pirlo…Keane/Scholes/Giggs/Beckham…Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets….you can go on, midfields win titles and CLs. We started a new season with a very unknown and entirely new midfield.
I am heavily on the Pioli out side though, he’s never been good enough, sure he won the scudetto, we suspect heavily influenced by Zlatan, but one Roberto Di Matteo won the CL as coach, Ranieri won the Prem with Leicester. One scudetto doesn’t exonerate all his failings. His biggest failing for me is his inability to evolve these players.I’ve said it many times, Leao and Theo look uninterested, their levels have free fallen. We need a coach who can continue to improve and evolve players, like Pep has with Grealish, Walker, Sterling, Foden. If we don’t then these players will leave and fulfil their potential elsewhere.
When you change coach you always get a positive bounce back, we need that right now, it is more likely to send us up the table than Pioli’s tactics. He is clueless. The amount of times we creep forwarded and then fly backwards with the ball is horrendous. Their is no cohesion, no tactics, no plan B. It is obvious that against Udinese we were going to lose. The panic on the players faces when they got their penalty showed that, it was like ‘an!t we need to score now’.
Let’s spend a moment in fantasy land…let’s say Ferry went out the got Zidane…do we think Zidane wouldn’t improve and get 10 times more out of these players than Pioli? Of course he would. Other than Tomori Pulisic, Florenzi, Maignan and Calabria (mainly based on sheer heart and determination) NONE of these players should be playing. I give Musah a pass as he does play well, although not with any cohesion L, but that isn’t his fault. Giroud is too relied upon, it’s his age catching ups right him.
The collapse against Napoli was pathetic, Pioli didn’t react, he sat their hot my to see the game out, or as usual hoping and preying for moment of Leao magic which seems to be his main tactic.
Summed up it up well mate. I understand your pov about our situation even if I’m not in the Pioli Out camp as yet but those are solid points. 👍🏼and for me it boils down to stability and disrupting things mid season. Plus the lack of availability of good coaches currently and the standings being decent still. But I def do get your points
Yes mate, and your points are equally valid.(lack of coaches and mid season disruption) It’s a sh!t show currently with no real way out. First the Pioli fans said it was he didn’t have his own players, now he’s been given a very decent amount of players in the summer the failings are still there. He just doesn’t have I’m game thinking.
Without hating on him, I think Pioli is a decent manager, I think he’s fiorentina/lazio level personally. He’s not good enough to take a too club forwards
Spent majority of $$ on mids yet it’s weaker – no DM; no mid playmaker to feed the strikers; no new striker (passed on Thuram, Lukaku, Taremi); no backup LB; main signing (Chuk) has contributed zero; no new RB (passed on Singo); fired the man who protected Pioli from management and dealt with the players; gave Pioli all the power despite being ill-equipped; failed to realize impact Maldini had with players and didn’t replace him immediately and now are begging for Ibra to save them; didn’t realize how much chemistry matters and bringing in 10-12 new players may take time to gel….
Ya management really “cooked” this summer.
Can we turn it around. Sure. Is it the end of the world? Not yet. But we better get “cooking” real quick or it’s gonna get a lot worse – players who feel disenchanted in the project may ask to leave – Theo, Mike, etc…
Let’s hope Pioli turns it around.
Agreed!
(Except for Singo who would have undermined our captain who is one of the last remaining continuities we have left).
A player has to earn his place, you don’t avoid signing depth because you are afraid your previous player will get benched.
Leao will do decent for a normal team. He is not the type of regular game changer.
60 millions spent on midfield yet it’s no better than Bertolacci-Montolivo-Poli trio. At least Montolivo was natural DM.
he was not. He was a horrendous DM. Top 5 worst Ac milan players of the banter
It has more to do on how the players are being used rather than the players themselves individually.
I think a better coach can bring more out of them.
I don’t like having a new scapegoat every week. We all know what the real problem is. The club fired a winning management team and followed that with errors in midfield recruitment which destabilized the team. These are the players we have now, and it’s up to Pioli to bring out the best in them. I thought we found something against Napoli so the performance against Udinese was a shock. I didn’t mind seeing a 4-4-2 considering our injuries and schedule but I thought it would be used to rest Giroud and Reijnders. I don’t think Pioli will be let go mid-season, but I expect two starters being signed in January.
I’m tired of this nonsense. This is fast becoming a blame Krunic, praise Adli everytime site. It seems it doesnt matter if Adli causes dropped points or goals conceded, he will ALWAYS score better than other mids. How does the person that caused us to drop points play “much much better” because he has “some nice long balls” and got some passes off???? Sure that’s one part of the game he gets right and probably better than not only Krunic but Reinjders, Musah and RLC but the other part of the game of football which is defending especially for a midfielder in THAT role is highly suspect. You can’t just turn a blind eye to him giving up goals like he did here and against PSG. Calling Krunic a liability when Adli was the one to not only give up the ball up the pitch but also following that play gives up a penalty too…come on guys! What are we really doing here?
Also why is Krunic “dreadful” and Reinjders isn’t? We know Krunic is defensive and did his defensive duties well. But isn’t Reinjders supposed to be the better offensive player and playmaker? Where’s his stats? Oh, well let me oblige. Reinjders was a paltry 76% pass accuracy (25 of 33) and progressed the ball forward the same amount as Krunic (yes you read it right) AND passed the ball backwards and to the side MORE than Krunic (in terms of distance). Matter of fact all the other midfielders passed backwards MORE than Krunic so WHY ARE WE PICKING ON KRUNIC!!! ”
Krunic “couldn’t make a successful pass unless it was a backward one” but yet passed the ball back less (yardage) and has a decent 87% pass accuracy (25 of 29, second best among midfielders in this game incl. Adli).
I really don’t get the hate. He’s a defensive mid and did better offensively than the offensive midfielders in the team. Do you guys hate positional play or something??
Side note, while Jovic wasn’t great, at least he tried and was the better of him and Giroud. At least Jovic wanted to create something. But somehow got the worst rating everywhere..wow lol.. I really don’t know what’s happening. He was worse than making the team lose 3 points singlehandedly…ie somehow he was better off letting someone score on us to win the game….How???
Oh and just to add….we need a proper DM (I’ve been saying all summer given the change in formation) and neither Adli nor Krunic is reliable for that role.
Honestly, the Udinese game was so bad and the tactics so over the place, it’s hard to give a definitive note to any player.
Yes, pretty much everyone was horrible, but all of them can (and did) play better even against better team.
So yes I agree it’s bad to blame a specific player for this particular loss.
Blaming Pioli is however correct, but he is not the only one to blame.
Totally agree. I hope my post doesn’t mean I’m “FOR ” Krunic’s performance. They were all inadequate but the constant focus on him only gets to me. I can’t see how Adli gets a pass (“much much better”) on this I’m sorry. But also if prefer Adli to start somehow 🤷♂️ I thought Krunic was rushed back in too quickly from his injury (also shows a lack of confidence in Adli to begin with) and as Adli was picking up form, gets canned for Krunic which means retweaking the team to play with him. It’s just being poorly handled. There’s no trust by Pioli with certain players and that also leads to injuries through over reliance and overplaying. Then add poor tactics on top of that smh 🤦♂️