Capello labels Fonseca’s tactics ‘a waste of time’ in Atalanta-Milan: “The usual mistakes”

Fabio Capello didn’t hold back with the criticism after AC Milan’s 1-2 defeat against Atalanta, stating that Paulo Fonseca got the approach all wrong. Indeed, the fact they had just two shots on target back that up.

Fonseca was furious with the referees after the game, which he made clear in the interviews, but the feeling is that he should have been upset with himself instead. Milan clearly played for a draw after Alvaro Morata’s equaliser and as expected, they were punished.

In his weekly column for Gazzetta dello Sport, the former manager Fabio Capello discusses Milan’s errors in the game and the approach of Fonseca. He didn’t hold back on the criticism, stating that it was ‘a waste of time’ by the Rossoneri as they often just gave the ball to Mike Maignan.

“What can we say about Fonseca’s team? They did little, too little, especially after Pulisic’s injury. And not even because of Loftus-Cheek, who wasn’t poor by any means. It seems to me that it was the wrong set-up for the game.

“Maignan, the goalkeeper, played more balls than many of his teammates. That’s not good. That’s not ball possession, but a waste of time and a symptom of little confidence in their own abilities. In fact, Milan were slow, held back and only shot twice on goal, once at the start with Pulisic and the other on the goal, born from an exceptional acceleration by Leao.

“In the second half, the Rossoneri never troubled Carnesecchi and when there was the possibility of setting up Leao vertically, they always went back. You can’t play like that. Then there are the usual mistakes, even by individuals: we talked about Theo, but on Lookman’s goal that decided the match, Emerson Royal made a big mistake.

“The Brazilian should be told an old football saying: in the penalty area – especially on corners and free kicks – you look at the man, not the ball, even if you mark in a zone. And instead, Lookman appears from behind and fools Maignan.

“This defeat is heavy for Milan. It’s not me who says it, it’s the standings. Fonseca is now 12 points behind Gasperini, but more than the distance from the top, it’s the distance from the Champions League zone that’s worrying.

“It’s easy to repeat that it’s still early, but by saying it’s early too much, it becomes too late. Especially if Serie A  won’t have five teams for the competition next season,” he writes.

Now 12 points behind league leaders Atalanta, it’s clear that the Scudetto hopes have been put to bed and the Champions League isn’t even a certainty either. Something needs to happen in January, therefore, whether that be a new manager or some signings.