Former AC Milan head coach Fabio Capello believes that a third-placed finish in Serie A this season would constitute a failure, given the quality of the squad available.
Milan are eight points behind Inter – who have a game in hands – but also 11 points above Roma in fifth place which means that the second half of the league season could be quite dull.
Stefano Pioli’s Milan are firmly in third place in a very fluctuating Serie A season which has had a lot of ups and downs, and crucially too many dropped points to mount a serious Scudetto push.
A Coppa Italia quarter-final exit to Atalanta saw another trophy chance vanish, while the Rossoneri will go as far as possible in the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group.
For Capello, who was interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the idea of celebrating a third-placed finish is something that should not even come into the minds of the leadership.
Milan are currently the most certain team of their destiny. The Scudetto is a mirage, the threats far behind them…
“Milan cannot think of racing for third place. I remember my fourth year, when we finished fourth, 13 points behind Juventus: the club didn’t accept that position in the standings.
“This Milan came from a Scudetto and a strange season, with the semi-final of the Champions League and fourth place achieved due to Juve’s problems.
“And they carried out a significant summer transfer campaign, I think. There are many points separating them from the leaders.”
Comeback impossible?
“I overcame Barcelona with Real but there was only one team in front… and it fell asleep. Here Milan has two teams in front.”
However, the squad is inferior to that of Inter, don’t you think? And how do you evaluate it in relation to that of Juventus?
“Inter is out of sight in terms of the value of the squad. However, for me Milan have a superior team to Juve. In short, they have the second-best squad in the league.”
What was the problem then?
“Several players signed took a long time to integrate, to understand Italian football. Then the injuries, which must be highlighted. ‘Warum’, they would say in Germany. Why?”
Exactly, why?
“It’s not for me to say. I don’t know how many responsibilities the trainer has, whether they worked too much or too little, whether they went to play matches on tour instead of preparing.
“I’ll just say one thing: the incidence of certain muscular problems makes you think.”
The AC Milan fans are already discussing the coach for next season. What would you do?
“I won’t answer a question like this about a coach, but you can see that now the players are integrated… and in this you can see the hand of the coach. I expect the results in the next few months.”
So do you see clear progress thanks to Pioli?
“I see clear progress, yes. If the penalties are missed…”
Let’s talk about individuals. Who have been the best this season for you? Who impressed you?
“Theo Hernandez had a unique personality as a central defender. He thrilled me with a humility that I thought he didn’t have. Loftus-Cheek has shown he has a sense of inclusion. I liked them more than anyone.”
Leao?
“Leao has crazy qualities but now he is a bit confused. Of course, even in the confusion it is almost always he who comes up with the ace and solves the games.
“If nothing else, the opponents against him must move the entire defence to one side…”
Milan sacrificed Tonali last year to revolutionise the team. Between Leao, Theo and Maignan, the big names of this team, who would you sacrifice if necessary?
“Great question with a great answer: the coach knows it. I think that a coach can lose a key player, a strong point, only if he knows that two reinforcements will arrive to solve two problems.
“The difficulty, however, is another. Finding the players who make the difference. In my opinion, Milan cannot make signings hoping that they will grow over time.
“Milan must take guaranteed players who will change the team. Look at Inter. Inter spends money in another way.”
If you don’t want to name a name, can you tell us what type of player you would immediately buy for Milan? A No.9 like everyone thinks?
“A midfielder who takes charge of the team, a player with personality to put at the centre of everything.
“Inter win their matches with the midfield, it is in that area of the pitch that makes the difference. And Rabiot is also fundamental for Juve.”
And the centre-forward?
“I have great respect for Giroud, for what he has given and for what he is giving, but given his age…”
So where did Milan go wrong?
“Milan had Calhanoglu, Kessie, Bennacer and Tonali. That was the strongest midfield in Italy and Milan had it at home. There’s almost no one left.”
Signor Capello! This actually reinforces what Braida said yesterday! Out of the mouth of two witness, Truth is established…. Thanks for reinforcing and re-affirming this that this coach is just as mediocre as the team play! I hope Pioli fan boy wouldn’t object and said Capello is also a clown seeing this is one of the greatest coach Calcio had ever produced!…Forza milan
Braida said that Milan has a mid table squad,
Capello says that Milan squad is 2nd best, only behind inter and superior to Juventus.
Either way, something is lacking and change is needed ASAP.
Sacchi has been implying it all season and now Capello flat out said it. It’s the midfield. They are not compatible and in terms of skill, a downgrade. The reason we are third is because the other departments are performing better than last season. Giroud, Okafor, and Jovic are all contributing with decisive goals. Pulisic’s overall play is another level to what we had and he has been productive and decisive when it comes to goals and assists. Leao is scoring less but is still involved in a lot of our attacks and goals. I am actually very impressed by our defense this season considering all the injuries and the lack of protection from midfield.
Yes, the Tonali sale basically paid for the midfield so it’s not a financial loss in the short term, but long term, we lost a good player and a fan favorite (shirt sales and butts in seats) and we’re going to have to pay up to replace these guys if we want to win the Scudetto any time soon.
History, Records, stats and experience has taughts that it’s ” defence that wins championship”! Capello being a students of Sacchi ,saw it first hand, Capello himself went a whole season without loosing a single match( we all remember that stingy defence) the Inter of Mancini and Mourinho won trophies because of that crazy defence that stunned Camp nou.
The beastly juventus of that claimed 9 scudetto were built on that BBC lineup(Bonucci/Barzagli & Chiellini)…even our recent scudetto was based on a consistent solid backline/ Napoli success was the work of Kim/di Lorenzo/ Rhahamani/Rui) consistent and stable …..but this season I wonder what had come upon this man such that our defence had seen the highest number of starters and positional changes! All in the name of INGENUITY! no wonder we are such a mid-table team leaking in goals anyhow! Pioli your ingenuity is gradually making you a fool… Study history man- watch inter/ watch juve…how many of them changed and chopped line up like you do? Yet none is as smart as you
Short version..no dm no party. I still can’t wrap my little head around how they thought they can make a 433 without a DM.
Naaah, no creative midfielder no party. You can defend as a team but Milan lacks creative players AND any attacking tactics. And the opponents know this. They can focus on defending Leao and let Milan keep the ball and hit them on the counter attacks because they know Milan don’t create ****. Get someone Modric-esque in the midfield and the opponents wouldn’t be able to exploit this fault of Milan anymore.
Last creative midfielder we had was Hakan so idk if we need one.. We need a Dm to stay back while we commit our runners forward and ofc a coach who will give proper tactics to the team not this ‘lets give the ball to leao’ pioli style we been doing
Anyone can learn to defend while creativity cannot be taught. I’d rather watch us keeping the ball and scoring than chasing the ball with defensive-minded players. 🙂
Bennacer and Reijnders are plenty creative. We need a DM to back them up.
Bennacer is quite Modric-esque in his skill set
“Bennacer and Reijnders are plenty creative.”
Nope. I’m talking about players who can open defenses with perfect passes once or twice a match. Benny gives such passes maybe once a year and so far I’ve yet to see any brilliant defense-splitting passes ever.
They’re both OK spreading the passes horizontally but take look at the pass Adli gave to Jovic in the Coppa Italia (I think) where Jovic wasted the breakaway with a poor shot. I’m talking about those kinds of passes. And even more of the passes in the final 1/4 of the pitch when the opponent has parked their bus in front of the box. Benny or Reijnders can’t do **** when that happens. We need a player who can do that.
I frankly think it’s more of a defensive midfielder problem. All these players, Adli, Bennacer, Reijnders are creative or supposed to be at least. Adli in particular has one of the best stats in Italy in some aspect related to playmaking (but I forgot which one).
Our problems are:
– we don’t defend well in the midfield, Pioli insists on man oriented marking/pressing in the midfield while a more zonal approach where each player is responsible for covering a zone rather than following a player is perhaps better (at least in open play).
– Our midfielders score poorly where it comes to tackling, winning ball,… Also aside from Loftus Cheek who is injury prone, all of them are weaklings. We simply didn’t replace Kessie. And before someone uses the argument of “inter don’t have a defensive mid”, inter plays with 3 defenders and 5 men in the midfield and sits behind. Also Barella, Mkhitaryan, Brozovic in the past and even Hakan have better defensive abilities than all of our players aside from maybe Bennacer.
– We play in systems (4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 with a high line and lots of pressings) that requires certain types of players that we don’t have or don’t have all the time.
– Also this problem against teams parking the bus because we don’t create can easily be solved if we learn how to score from set pieces. Score 1 corner or 1 freekick against them, they will have to leave their shell and expose themselves.
That was an exceptional pass Adli made in the Copa I agree.
However Bennacer is a seriously high class midfielder and is very capable at making acurate through passes.
Anyway we also have Adli who as you say can do it.
Put a proper DM beside them and you have a midfield
Some will say did I not see the injuries, then the natural back ups( simic, bartesaghi) why not use them in their natural position consistently? After all maldini was equally young even when Calcio was fierce and at its peak! He formed the famed formidable backline even at 18years! So what’s wrong with Pioli….play this boys in their natural position and the results, cohesion and understanding of play will ensue….
I will keep saying this coach is the root of all our problem both with training method and playing style..
To be sincere, Cahalnoglu, bennacer, kessie & Tonali was our best mid field. We would have been great had it being there is continuity with this four players.
M&M tried to keep them and ready to pay them a little bit higher from what they are earning for those who wanted increament but the stingy owner we have could not give them what they want.
I guess this is where the problem started from.
“A midfielder who takes charge of the team, a player with personality to put at the centre of everything.”
This says it all and what I amongst others have been banging on about!
I hope Pioli/Management read this!
Capello is one of the greatest managers ever and knows how to build a team.
Get the kind of player he is suggesting and watch how much better our defensive and offensive stats improve.
We cannot undo the trashing of our once strong midfield, the 1 department that was complete, but we can learn and improve.
Sign a bl00dy DM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“So where did Milan go wrong?
Milan had Calhanoglu, Kessie, Bennacer and Tonali. That was the strongest midfield in Italy and Milan had it at home. There’s almost no one left.
Milan must take guaranteed players who will change the team. Look at Inter. Inter spends money in another way.”
If you don’t want to name a name, can you tell us what type of player you would immediately buy for Milan? A No.9 like everyone thinks?
A midfielder who takes charge of the team, a player with personality to put at the centre of everything.
Inter win their matches with the midfield…”
Basically been saying this for a while now. Ppl still believe we have the same quality or better in midfield?!really? . If it isn’t then why are we all waiting in anticipation for Bennacer’s return 🤷♂️. Can’t wait to have him back, right?
Out of those Capello mentioned only one remained and the others not even mentioned, Krunic was the capable backup and Adli the emergency option. Now Adli starts and Krunic previously started. We have different players, not necessarily better players because the tactics were different this season up to a certain point.
I believe there is a simp test to settle it…
Leave aside Krunic, Pobega,
From
Kessie, Bennacer, Tonali, Hakan
Musah, RLC, Reijnders, Adli
Who would start?
For me the first 4 names up there play ahead of the others every day of the week
Give me the team with Kessie and Snake any day lol 😂