Former AC Milan midfielder Paolo Di Canio has provided a rather critical assessment of how the team started the season against Torino, and even cast doubt on the signing of Youssouf Fofana.
Milan had a good preseason in which they beat Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona, but San Siro was stunned into silence on Saturday night as Paulo Fonseca’s side found themselves 2-0 down.
The first goal came from a Malick Thiaw own-goal after he didn’t quite manage to scramble a ball clear off the line, and then Duvan Zapata was left wide open from a cross to head in a second.
Milan roared back thanks to goals from two substitutes inside the final 10 minutes. Alvaro Morata redirected a shot from Tijjani Reijnders to pull one back, then Noah Okafor volleyed in to equalise in the 95th minute.
Di Canio spoke on Sky Calcio Club and was asked for his thoughts on Milan after they had to make do with a draw on the opening day, with his comments relayed by Radio Rossonera.
“Milan conceded a lot of goals, especially in transition. Against Torino the same, it’s the same thing we were talking about last year,” he said.
“Fonseca has the ambition to make them more aggressive, but due to not physical but mental characteristics, this team, in several players who played yesterday, does not have the aggression. And if they try, they don’t get there.
“Loftus-Cheek cannot play in the two in the middle. Every coach can aspire to do something different because he feels different abilities, but yesterday you had to have two midfielders who do a job like that to free up Leao, instead there was Musah.
“Nobody acts as a filter. Bennacer is not the same as he was 2-3 years ago, because between injuries and other things he is no longer so punctual.”
Di Canio was also asked about whether Fofana could help bring some of that balance and protection in transition that he believes has been lacking since the start of last season.
“Fofana could be a good fit for Milan, he is the real midfielder that Fonseca was waiting for: by sending him forward a lot he gives balance. He can make the difference as a characteristic to send the others,” he said.
“At San Siro it’s a different story, it’s not the Casino of Monte Carlo. Due to his characteristics, he could be very functional because that type of player is missing in the middle who knows how to dictate the tempo in a clean way and without losing the ball, because in the middle, for example, someone like Loftus-Cheek likes himself, loses the ball and then struggles.”
Gundogan might leave Barcelona. He should be our primary target if we sell Adli and Pobega. We need players with strong mentality and experience otherwise this team will never reach its full potential.
I’m in favor of Leon Goretzka who is also on his way out at Bayern Munich and he’s younger and he plays in double pivot.
We can barely sign Fofana and these guys are dreaming about Goretzka and Gondugan 😂
Goretzka was thrown out of the Bayern team and 10 days before the transfer window. He would join Milan in a heartbeat and it is possible we could get him on loan. Gundogan is too slow, we would take in 5 goals per game if he played instead of Pulisic. He defends less than Leao.
Goretzka is surely a nice dream. But do you know how much he earns at Munchen? Then we can get back to reality.
Di Canio takes sense. That coach is different than pioli. Time will tell
Oh yes please.
Milan in doubts while Genoa who lost every star that they had also played 2-2 vs Inter… no media bias at all
He isn’t doubting the Fofana signing. He is just saying that we don’t know yet whether Fofana will be able to perform well at San Siro.
Remind me if it was his Swindon Town or Sunderland management that he gained the best insight to be criticising Fonseca after 90 minutes?
Either way, do I read it wrong or isn’t it RLC he’s criticising, not Fofana?
Title is wrong. Why are you reading what he says if you don’t value him? What is the point? So you can argue? 😀
trolololololol at Di Canio expertise. However, I am not in complete disagreement with him. He makes sense in these comments