AC Milan have put themselves in a rather difficult situation in this finale, now at risk of missing out on the Champions League after all.
Another defeat, their third in four games, has given Juventus and Como a real chance of snatching the final spots for the competition. Considering that qualification felt almost done a few weeks back, it’s nothing short of a major setback for Milan, as Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo below) highlights.
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Alarm bells ringing
Jeers, jeers and nothing but jeers. Udinese played some of their best football and San Siro protested against Milan in a way that hasn’t been witnessed in some time. When Leao left the pitch, a storm of disapproval engulfed him. Are we approaching the end of a story? Possibly.
The No.10 botched almost everything, starting with a mocking applause for the referee, which led to his booking, and the goal he missed with a clumsy move at 0-1. Naturally, this didn’t exactly help Milan, who registered their second consecutive defeat and their third in four games.
In short, the Rossoneri have been plunged into a sea of anxiety, with growing fears of missing out on the Champions League. Will the work of Allegri allow them to remain within the top four, or in the worst-case scenario, finish just behind for the Europa League?
Juventus won their game in Bergamo, now three points behind as said, and with the direct clash coming up in two weeks. Furthermore, if Como were to beat Inter tonight, they would be just two points behind the Rossoneri…
4-3-3 without success
Allegri started with a 4-3-3 and confirmed Leao as centre-forward, despite left-wing being his best position in this system. The result? The No.10 looked trapped in a role where he doesn’t belong, while Milan lacked a presence in the box.
At half-time, Zachary Athekame made way for Niclas Füllkrug. Leao moved to the left and Christian Pulisic to the right. The correction just barely worked as Milan at least created chances: Modric (a superb Okoye save), Saelemaekers (via Okoye to the crossbar), Füllkrug (off target from close range), and Pavlovic (a ball into the side-netting).
These four missed chances frustrated the Rossoneri, and Udinese made it three instead. At that point, the criticism started raining down on the pitch, with hundreds of disappointed fans leaving well before the end, dissociating themselves from the massacre.
Immediate action plan needed
In the immediate future, a return to the 3-5-2 formation seems inevitable to secure a Champions League spot, which is a vital objective to avoid another season with uncertainty and below-par performances.
As for Leao, the end of the line seems near. Both the Rossoneri and Rafa have the right to make a new life. It was beautiful, not wonderful. More regrets than memories.
Maybe, say 5 years down the line, missing UCL next season and getting a new manager & sporting director is better than scraping a 4th place finish and:
– Get humiliated in the UCL on a global scale Napoli style
– Allow Allegri to build his “project” around Modric, Goretzka, Lewandowski & Spinazzola – crippling the squad for years
– “Coach” Leao and Pulisic into leaving
– Play the worst football known to man, reinforcing every negative stereotype around Italian football
Sounds like a great plan. But hey, at least the Allegri-fanatics will be happy.
Alegri should leave he failed to do his job imagine milan failed to score single goal from 3 matches Lazio Napoli and udinese enough is enough we need better couch xavi hernandez, xavi alonso, fabrigas all of thse are better couches
they probably know English unlike you
wait I thought someone in the fan comment section here was cheering for the previous director to leave 3 years ago.
the mad dude is still around? look at Top 4 in UCL vs. fighting Top 4 in serie A. We are getting much better right?
hilarious