AC Milan signed off a dreadful 2024-25 campaign in a somewhat positive way with a win and a clean sheet under Monza at San Siro on Saturday night.
The build-up to the game and the opening exchanges were dominated by the theme of protest. Thousands gathered at Casa Milan a couple of hours before kick-off to chant against the management, then there was a mass walk-out on 15 minutes.
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Those who remained inside the stadium got to see two goals in quick succession in the second half. The first was a Matteo Gabbia header from a corner, the second was a brilliant free-kick from Joao Felix.
It is most likely to be Sergio Conceicao’s final game ‘in charge’, and we say that because he didn’t speak to the media nor was he in the dugout due to suspension. Below are five conclusions, to round up the season.
1. Midfield revamp needed
The season has ended, so Milan will be looking to sort out the sporting director and head coach roles before addressing the summer window which they will, without a doubt, want to speed up in order to secure the needed reinforcements in time for a quality pre-season with the new head coach.
One area that needs a lot of reshuffling is definitely the midfield where Tijjani Reijnders was the only player to be consistent pretty much throughout the whole season. The Dutchman also won the ‘best midfielder’ award in the league and has been key cog in a failing machine.
However, the rest of the midfielders were a real disappointment, starting off with Youssouf Fofana. He signed for a fair amount of money and was expected to fill a void in the department – especially when it came to the defensive side – but the Frenchman failed to do so. Given he has only played a season he’s probably going to stay and he needs time to assimilate further.
Then there are players like Yunus Musah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Warren Bondo who have failed to really have an impact at all. They are arguably not good enough for the bench either since a team like Milan need more quality all around and the trio are just not the solution.
2. Too little, too late for two
Joao Felix scored a great free-kick in what is most likely his last game in red and black. The Portuguese has not managed to convince since arriving in the winter and will be heading back to Chelsea in the summer.
Samuel Chukwueze also came in with a lot of energy off the bench, played a good game and has been in form as of late, but given his struggles for two seasons now he is also likely to be sold before 2025-26.
The players to build the attack around are likely to be Christian Pulisic, Francesco Camarda and Rafael Gimenez, for whom a hefty sum was paid out in January but he is yet to take off.
Pulisic has been very consistent in his last two campaigns, hitting double digits in both goals and assists. Assuming that the management present a solid enough plan for him to continue, a summer without international football will certainly help.
Camarda was surprisingly energetic against Monza off the bench and came close to scoring a goal. He seems to be improving physically and mentally so it might just be time to give him some more playing time next season, especially given that Tammy Abraham is heading back to Roma while Luka Jovic’s deal expires.
Finally we have Rafael Leao, whose stay beyond the summer is also up for debate as he might be sacrificed so the management can address the losses from not qualifying for the Champions League.
The reality is that the Portuguese has struggled to take it to the next level for a couple of years now and has let his side down on multiple big occasions where he should’ve lead his teammates forward.
So, it’s more logical for the former Lille man to be sacrificed and not somebody like Reijnders, for example, who’s constantly improving and attracting interest from clubs such as Manchester City.
3. Finding his mojo
Mike Maignan wasn’t having the greatest of seasons heading into 2025, but he did manage to find his form toward the end of the campaign. This is partly because the defence also improved with a switch to a three-man defence, it must be said.
However, but the Frenchman has made multiple crucial saves in the last couple of months in both the league and the cup, and it was unfortunate that those saves were not enough for an extra trophy or a place in Europe next season.
The fact of the matter is that Maignan has shown just how good he can be and this makes it easier for the management: they’re in no rush to find a new goalkeeper and can work towards the Frenchman’s renewal, or if there are no openings then they will scan the market.
4. Defensive duo to build around
Given Milan’s season it’s no wonder that all areas are in a need of change and the defensive department is no different. One thing is certain: if no big investment is made in the centre-back position, then Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic are the duo to build around.
The Italian has been the most solid defender for a while now and whilst Pavlovic struggled in the first half of the season he showcased a lot of potential since the start of the year. He still has lots of room to improve given his age and potential, while stability in the midfield and on the flanks will certainly help too.
Then we have Fikayo Tomori and Malick Thiaw. With the Englishman having been in a state of steady decline since the Scudetto-winning season, this summer might just be the time to part ways with him.
Thiaw has also failed to impress and hasn’t really grown much since the 2022-23 season, but he might be given another chance given the lack of European football. The German does have potential and is very useful when it comes to playing out, but needs to be more solid defensively.
On the flanks, Kyle Walker is heading back to Manchester, then Emerson Royal was a disastrous flop and needs to be sold. This will require reinvestment in that position, to ensure there is someone to challenge Alex Jimenez for a starting spot.
Theo Hernandez’s fate is yet to be decided, but the feeling is that a poor season form-wise – where everybody, including the coaches and management were not at their best – doesn’t justify an exit for the Frenchman on its own.
The issue is his contract expiring in 12 months, and if that is not sorted then an exit might be a solution for Milan to not let him leave for free. If the former Real Madrid man walks away, then Milan fans better be prepared for the idea of seeing him excel elsewhere.
5. Two big needs
Following the very poor management decisions last summer, Milan need to react fast and bring in competency if they want next season to be different and in a positive manner.
A sporting director is a must and Igli Tare is pretty much confirmed. That should be announced in the next few days, and there will be a long list of tasks for him to tackle from the head coach to renewals and of course squad construction..
Tare will need to work on a coach to replace Conceicao. The likes of Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte (if he were to part ways with Napoli), Vincenzo Italiano and Maurizio Sarri have all been linked.
There is a key theme: the idea is to hire an Italian that knows the league and is already a proven winner. This should exclusive Thiago Motta given his poor half-season with Juventus, though his work with Bologna was impressive.
Whoever the coach is he will need to work closely with Tare to build the squad to their liking and have enough time to implement ideas before the season starts. Above all, this must preferably happy without interventions from Furlani and Ibrahimovic. Let the chefs cook and don’t spoil the broth again.
Conte will move to Juve, Allegri to Napoli. The deals have been done. Gerry is a bit too late. Had they hired Tare a month ago instead of waiting for nothing, Tare could have done a deal for Milan. Now Gerry has to make more gambles with young coaches. IMO, from the options left, Italiano is the most promising one.
Anyways, Allegri is a coach of the past, while Conte would hardly accept to coach Milan with this management.
“Had they hired Tare a month ago instead of waiting for nothing, Tare could have done a deal for Milan.”
This.
They missed on Andrea Berta because they started thinking too late.
They spent too much time between Tare and Paratici to then decide that they don’t like the latter because he is suspended ? (Have they not paid attention ?)
And then went with Tare because they had their backs against the wall.
Build the defense around Gabbia? If we want to finish mid-table again, then yes, let’s do that! Gabbia was solid? Our defense was horrible all year, and he was a big part of that mess.
Go check on stats with Gabbia and without Gabba in starting 11 and come back. I’ll wait.
Thanks for waiting. We came 8th. With and without Gabbia our defense was poor. Being better than the rest of this group does not make him a good player. We finished mid-table. He is a mid-table defender. He would not starter at any top 4 team in any top league. Sorry, He’s not that good.
“The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with limited competence in a particular domain overestimate their abilities. It was first described by the psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger in 1999.”
This is the best way to describe Cardinale and Furlani.
They have limited competence in managing a club and either think they’re geniuses or that the task is way easier than it actually is.
Ibrahimović might fit the description as well but I think he is probably just an imbecile.
💯
Although I’d cut Ibra a tiny bit of slack as he’s only been in the role a year and some (even if he’s made some terrible choices) . But the rest are atrocious. Moncada for all the “scouting” work he’s done gives up on his own findings a season or two onwards. This is not how football works. Moncada is what you get when you let the data nerds too much decision making power in football…coming from a data nerd but one who touches grass ever so often.. Furlani, biggest culprit and snake of them all. Wants ALL the power but is incompetent. And Cardinale somehow is drinking that guy’s Kool aid. All peas in the same pod who all thought top 4 was easy. They wanted to rid themselves of M&M to prove they were right so badly, instead it has backfired spectacularly.
“We’re more European” … And now we’re not in Europe anymore
I can build around Gabbia, even Thiaw. But Pav? Nah. He’s a backup at best. And the younger Thiaw is better anyway. We’d do well to get proper experience at the back and also help out in the dressing room.
The irony once more in having the best midfielder in the league but still need a midfield revamp. We’ve been revamping the midfield for what.. 2 or 3(?) windows now? Goes to show the people who are managing this club have no idea what they were doing. The midfield never needed to be dismantled like that. It’s a shadow of it’s former self, the one that won the title, and that’s not a good thing either. Each year, same sh!t. Hope Tare is smart enough to know we need some defensive minded players into he middle. They can’t all just be attackers.
I also don’t understand what happened with Fofana under Sarge. He was ok imo under Fonz but somehow ran afoul of Sarge’s methods. I think he’ll come good with a new coach.
PS as I’m watching the Roma game, would be a nice touch if Saladman helped Roma into the UCL . Would cap off the the hilarity of our transfer strategies.
Exactly. People need to check numbers before they speak on Gabbia. Him and Thiaw paired had best outcome this season. Pavlo is overrated, he’s all intensity and no IQ.
On midfield, we all know we don’t have one. Our midfielder offer no cover to our defense and they do not produce anything for our offense. No structure, no positioning. Just headless running up and down the field, carrying or chasing that ball. Midfield wins you games, it’s the area a team must dominate. And we lack. Completely
I don’t understand why Thiaw was sidelined for last 8 weeks
You may be comparing Gabbia to his defensive teammates. I’m comparing our defense against the competition, which are the numbers that matter. We conceded more goals than 9 teams in Serie A and we conceded 13 goals in the CL, which is somewhere in the middle of the road. Our defensive struggles were a major reason for the 8th place finish. He may very well be better than Tomori and Pavlovic. Our defense, not just Gabbia, was a clear weakness and Gabbia was there and as culpable as the rest. He would be on Inter’s bench. He was a starting player in the team that came 8th. Those are the numbers I’m looking at.
If you watch Milan last game, camarda has been improve and if he play from first minute he can score a goal. Hes been more useful than jovic. Next season he can play regularly
Let’s not forget everything what Elliott Redbird did to club.
It’s obvious that Pioli, with Maldini, Massara and Bob and than make huge job and that americans to fuk up.
After sacking trio, to “save money” they released Hakan, Donnarumma, Romagnoli, Kessie.
They never found left CB. Even not with Pavlo. Kessie – new never arrived. We can remember what Pioli had problems with defence and without back ups.
Americans use connection to bring Chelsea flops, and only Pulisic improved by lot. Now many of those flops stayed at Milan on huge cost. Like Ruben and Tomori.
What they did effectively is sacking.
“It’s obvious that Pioli, with Maldini, Massara and Bob and than make huge job and that americans to fuk up.
After sacking trio, to “save money” they released Hakan, Donnarumma, Romagnoli, Kessie.”
Wrong, wrong, wrong!!! After sacking the trio??? REALLY??? Just stop with the lies and BS.
5 things we never learned … Hehehe
I find the following 3 players most frustration and just can’t make up my mind about where I stand with them. Joao Felix, Chuck, Fofana are the kind of players that will open the window just enough to let in a stray of sunlight and close it again. The talent is there, hidden somewhere deep inside them and I don’t know if a different coach or different environment will help unlock these talents. I like them on one front but they frustrate the daylights out of me with there inconsistencies and poor decision making at critical stages of the game. I honestly can’t make up my minds about their long term contribution to a team like Milan and taking the project forward.
I would get rid of Leao and Theo and rebuild from there. They are not leaders. The rest can be OK. We have a pretty solid set of CBs for a back 3. I like Pavlovic, but he really needs solidity around him – much better as LCB in back 3 than back 2. I don’t see a need to bring in more. We need a new LWB if we are dropping Theo. I actually think the MF is OK. Dropping Leao would allow us to go box midfield with Puli left and one of Chuk or RLC on the right. Getting rid of Theo and Leao will allow the new coach to start without the malcontents. This team had enough talent to contend for Scudetto. I honestly think if we had kept Pioli we would have made a race of it. But no. Yes, we beat Inter multiple times, but we finished way off the pace. Neither Inter nor Napoli was that great this year. Switching coaches was a gamble and it did not pay off. I said at the beginning of the year that only one of Leao and Fonseca would make it to January. Leao and Theo are making this team uncoachable.