There have been a few different reviews of AC Milan after their defeat on the opening day, and some have been more brutal than others.
After a summer of change, there was always going to be a period of settling. However, Milan could not afford to start the season with a poor result, yet they did. Saying it was poor, perhaps, is a little generous, too.
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After all, Cremonese are newly promoted from Serie B, and the Rossoneri have aims of the Champions League, at least. Nevertheless, they were punished at San Siro on the opening day, and there must be some reaction.
Ambrosini’s scathing words
Whether it comes from the mercato or the manager, there is work that needs to be done. After all, it was believed before kick-off, and after it, it had only been proven more. Massimo Ambrosini spoke to DAZN after the game to review the performance, as Calciomercato.com relays.
“It was a truly awful and unexpected match from my point of view due to the weakness on the pitch. Milan lacked both technically and emotionally. The players thought they were going to play a different game, but achieved little, giving credit and credit to Cremonese, who played a careful game.
“Fofana and Loftus-Cheek are midfielders who run into the box, and they struggle in tight spaces. In those situations, you need technique, which Milan didn’t have. Pulisic was there in flashes, and Gimenez did very little. Among the full-backs, Tomori doesn’t push forward; Estupinan had great difficulty.
Speaking about Modric…
“The class is there and it shows. He even tried to change his range of action a few times. But in terms of charisma and leadership, he didn’t have a bad game. In terms of technical polish, there’s nothing to complain about; if you put him up front, the defence can be less decisive.
“At Real Madrid, he sometimes played in front of the defence, but he was at his best a few meters further forward.”
Estupinan’s debut…
“Clearly, he’s had his difficulties. All the mitigating factors of a new championship must be taken into account. This stadium also puts pressure on him, but it’s clear that he needs to be reassessed in a different match context.
“He’s played some high-level games against Brighton and Villarreal, but he struggled tonight.”
Ricci
Modric Jashari
This has to be our midfield 3 if all 3 are fit and healthy. RLC can be useful coming on late in games or against teams that don’t sit back.
Fofana = Musah, just with better PR because he is French
musah is not as bad as fofana…fofana makes many defensive mistakes leading to goals and doesn’t cover enough ground to play as a box to box…people do like him because he’s French and musah is Italian but maybe because musah trained in London he is disliked.
He’s just a result commentator. Sacchis opinion was much more balanced and to the point. The defensive awareness wasn’t great, but the main problem was that we were missing a striker. It was Gimenez who lost the ball for the 2nd Cremonese goal. If you have a striker that can actually hold the ball, that never happens. And we would have probably scored more ourselves. If Milan win the next game, Ambrosini will probably say they’re title contenders.
There is a reason why Vlahovic or Chiesa were struggling under Allegri. Gimenez and Pulisic are way ahead of Cremonese’s level of talent and experience. That’s just Allegri’s football. Obsessed with defense and uninspired offensively.
Offensively inspired Milan also struggled against the low black, even back when we had Kaka.
Any ball-holding striker could have lost the ball. The issue was that there wasn’t enough reaction to mitigate the threat. I strongly believe in 4231 or 433. Ricci Jashari Modric in midfield then Leao, Gimenez and Pulisic is a good offense in this Italian league. There would be fluidity of play and enough chances creation which will mean less offensive work for the left and right backs. Gabbia and De Winter should be tried in our defense for few matches. Ricci screening them should give enough confidence. The coach got it all wrong with his formation.
Blame coach for his selection, our midfield should be modric, jashara and ricci.
I totally agree with you
We need new cbs Tomori should be sold, I never thought Pavlovic was good enough from the jump and there was a reason Villarreal don’t rate Gabbia, I’m glad thiaw is gone but we need better at the back. we’re starting to see clearly, we need an actual cdm not sure if ricci and jashari fit the bill, we need a new striker. You can’t have a midfield including both fofana and rcl that was Allegri biggest mistake
Keep Tomori, he is our best at 1v1, he is fast and recovers well, aggressive and good with the ball at his feet. Gabbia is none of those things….Well he’s ok with the ball, but that’s it.
I always thought defending was about teamwork, decision making, positioning, marking, anticipation, tackling. Never knew it relates with skills on the ball, fast, aggressiveness. Furthermore, I’m not sure on rating a defender on level of recovery, as if you could notice such a trait, it means he always make mistakes that require corrections.lol
Well individuals make up the collective don’t they? individual qualities utilized by the coach for the betterment of the unit? Otherwise, anyone could do it right? Recovery =recovering yours’ and others’ mistakes. a great quality to have for a defender. Remember that was an evaluation of Tomori, not the solidity of the entire team, which by the way is not great.
Well it has to be said, Cremonese had their curva with them and they made their presence known. We, on the other had, opted for a theater kind of atmosphere. Maybe we need a big screen for our tourists who attend the match, to guide them to cheer. Maybe start with something like “Dee-fense”. You know like they do in US and A.
Thank you Amborssini, spoke like the true Rossonero that you are unlike Sacchi playing the Italian card with Allegri. If Milan was coach a by a non Italian yesterday will Sacchi say the same thing?
Back to Ambrossini, when you are on the Felld with Pirlo, Serdorf, gattuso etc our Team never ever chickened out. When we lose a match we know it is simply football you can’t win it all, but what we saw vs cremenose is not Milan level and that must be clearly stated.
There’s no Italians in the side (bar Gabbia), and no players with a real understanding of Serie A.
Serie A is a different sort of league.
You don’t get matches like these in other leagues. Against sides that live for defence, that are cynical, and can produce moments of magic.
Milan has very little connection to the league or the country so this will keep happening.
Just make to practice your really surprised face.
4 Mercati focusing only on players outside Serie A, it’s time to target just players from Italian League.
Gabbia does not have an understanding of Serie A either. That keeps getting proven over and over again.
The team which you support, Como, had zero Italians in the starting XI and brought on zero Italians as sub. Stop making that as an excuse.
Lacking character, aggression, decisiveness and focus….all ways RLC has been described thriughout his career. You get one game where he plays to his potential he shows on training grounds to fool coaches into selecting him for his size and skill, then the game comes for him to vanish.
Alegri is at fault. Pairing Fofana and RLC is a big error. Last season it didn’t work and this season it will never work
Nosso meio campo a exceção de modric foi horrível, Fofana não ataca não defende, ele não pode ser titular, precisamos de um atacante de maior qualidade, temos q iniciar jashari e Ricci junto com modric no próximo jogo , também acho temos que contratar pelo menos um zagueiro comprovado kiwior seria ótimo, o treinador tem q avaliar melhor ao fazer as substituições como pode Fofana e loftus ganharem 90 minutos
Pairing RLC and Fofana was not the reason we lost this game.
Milan had 64% vs 36% possession. 15 shots, vs 4 including 6 on target vs 3. 9 corners vs 2.
Our midfield did exactly what they were supposed to…dominate and control possession and create opportunities for the ATTACKERS. Clearly they did that.
Our defense was woeful with Gabbia once again at the heart of it. No leadership, no organization, no one commanding the penalty area…2 decent CB’s and neither goal is scored. A decent striker and we open their defense.
They are still supposed to mark their men on crosses…RLC has a tendency not to do this so the first goal wasn’t surprising. Fafana getting caught ball watching on the second was slightly more surprising. But Milan would have had a better chance to win if those players were covered and didn’t score. Possession is cool but when you don’t have it…midfielders need to defend too. The cbs weren’t great but neither goal was their fault…
Rafael Leao’s injury proves that Milan needs attacking wingers…players that can take on defenders 1v1. No team can do well without wingers….Even the blind can see that Milan lacks this features…you don’t have to keep depending on Leao every season
There is no way that ball into the box should not be attacked by Gabbia or Pavlo, both were ridiculously duped by the decoy runner, that they left a gaping hole between them. neither attacked the ball. Kjaer would have gobbled up that cross up….Bonucci, Chiellini, Van Dijk would have commanded that penalty area and attacked any and everything that enters that area, leadership, command a control of the penalty area. We don’t have that. Defending 101. When we get a REAL CB things will change, until then…more of the same. Gabbia is not it.
Time: 27:16 – you have Gabbia motioning to Tamori to retreat into the box because he’s not covering anyone he and Pavlo are defending 3 attackers…could Thiaw have made a play with his height if he were in for Gabbia…maybe…but there is no reason for RLC and Tomori to be standing at the penalty spot watching the play happen…Maybe word class defenders would have changed things…Van Dykes salary is only 13M net if you are offering to cover that…but Bonucci and Chiellini played man defence, the first video i pull up Benfica in champions league, Bonucci gets pulled near post and they give up an easy header…having 3 defenders for 3 attackers is always gonna be your ideal scenario…
I agree the midfield can do more, but that is actually a big part of the problem. Milan’s defense is so weak, so average, that we NEED the midfield to drop into CB positions to make up for the clear lack of quality we have there. I’m not suggesting we buy Van Dyk. I’m only contrasting between an excellent CB, World class even, and what we have. The gap in quality is there for all to see. And until that is fixed we will concede silly goals. No Emerson Royale or Musah to blame this time.
4 at the back please.
I think what Milan needs is a number 7.allegri should also work on his wingers to pass the ball to the incoming teammates in the box.also Milan need a midfield that can create and score goals.one of the obvious problems last season and is also showing this season is Milan inability to open up defence or suck them in to create chances.also this individual mistakes that they players are making are costly and must be work on.also on the number 9 I think if they can get mateta it will be good.even thot he is not a ib box striker.
Leao and Pulisic will likely play out wide once we solve the striker role. Maybe.
“Fofana and Loftus-Cheek are midfielders who run into the box, and they struggle in tight spaces. In those situations, you need technique, which Milan didn’t have.”
U know who’s good in tight spaces? Ahhh nvm
I bet the answer you’re looking for is: Krunic! 😀
LMAO 😂 leave my dude out of this
Estupido is not good enough. He offers nothing more than Musah. I have no idea why we bought him.
So… We’re still conceding the same old easy goals. The coach is different, there’s Ricci, Jashari etc. so what gives? The defense is the same and Fofana & RLC are still there. Especially the midfield duo is trash when it comes to defending. And attacking too. So. What is the point of playing them 90 minutes when there are more useful players available?