Fabio Capello has provided a worrying assessment of AC Milan’s current moment, claiming that they are lacking rhythm above all.
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Capello was among the spectators at San Siro for Milan’s game against Udinese. The former Rossoneri coach was able to see firsthand the struggles of Massimiliano Allegri’s team, who suffered a resounding 3-0 defeat against the Friulian club.
This defeat jeopardised the chances of Champions League qualification, with a nine-point gap two games ago now down to five points, and it could have been less but for Inter’s comeback win over Como on Sunday night.
‘Let’s leave the formation aside’
The change to a 4-3-3 formation sparked considerable debate among Milan fans and didn’t yield the desired results. Capello gave his thoughts on another nightmare weekend for the Diavolo, speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Were you surprised by the match?
“Up to a certain point. I arrived at the stadium early and carefully observed Udinese’s warm-up: you could see a focused, on-point, and energetic team. And Zaniolo in particular, often criticised in the past for his attitude, had a perfect pre-match. It’s no coincidence that he was the man of the match.”
Allegri’s Milan, however, had not lost by three goals this season…
“Because they’ve always been compact and solid defensively. On Saturday, however, they allowed their opponents countless counter-attacks.
“It must also be said that incidents didn’t go the Rossoneri’s way: Bartesaghi’s own-goal, Okoye’s great save early in the second half from Saelemaekers, when I honestly thought the match could still be recovered.”
Was it a question of formation? The switch to 4-3-3 didn’t pay off…
“No, let’s leave the formation aside. The problem, if anything, was the pace. Udinese were one and a half times faster. They won all the tackles, attacked and countered with much greater intensity than the Rossoneri. So, you can play all the tactics you want, but you still lose games.”
How, then, do you explain this physical deficit?
“Given the premise that Udinese are doing very well and are a tough team to face, Milan’s decline can’t be justified. In a season without cups, with an early elimination from the Coppa Italia… I’m led to believe that everything starts in the head, rather than the legs.”
In what sense?
“Perhaps the Rossoneri players suffered the backlash of being dropped from the Scudetto race after the defeat in Naples. Or perhaps they settled into a position where qualification for the Champions League seemed assured.”
Allegri always warned his players that fourth place was the big goal and it wasn’t yet secured…
“Because Max probably sensed something was wrong. Someone with his experience senses certain things earlier.”
So was it worth experimenting against Udinese?
“Let’s not forget that Milan were coming off a defeat against Napoli and have been struggling to score throughout the second half of the season. Allegri clearly looked for solutions, which didn’t work. But the problem seems much deeper than an unlucky match.”
It seems the fans have identified Rafael Leao…
“I heard the boos too. And I read Rabiot’s words, where he instead urged the crowd to help Leao. Right, but I’d add that the Portuguese player also needs to help himself a bit.”
What’s happening with Leao?
“I’ve said it many times: I’m not convinced he is a centre-forward. But beyond his role, it seems to me that he just doesn’t have the ability to play like he once did.
“When he was moved to left wing in the second half, his favorite position, he almost never went one-on-one. He was the symbol of a Milan team that was lacking in pace.”
Now the Champions League is truly at risk. What should Allegri do?
“Milan needs to rediscover their spirit, unity, and humility. These are the qualities that characterized the Rossoneri’s excellent first half of the season and which have been lost in recent weeks. Max must ensure that the group is united again, that each individual sacrifices himself for the collective.
“Because the Milan team we saw against Udinese would certainly struggle to qualify for the Champions League. In fact, they wouldn’t even get there despite their current lead in the table.”
Could Milan-Juventus in two weeks’ time really be a Champions League play-off, obviously also taking Como, Roma and Atalanta into consideration?
“The Bianconeri struggled for a half in Bergamo, but then came out on top in the long run, securing a crucial win. Spalletti is absolutely in contention, and the match at San Siro will be an important turning point for both Juve and Milan. Even though there are six games left, one match won’t be enough to reach the goal.”