AC Milan and Juventus were both linked with hiring Thiago Motta during the summer and it was the latter who eventually got him from Bologna, while the Rossoneri went for Paulo Fonseca.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, three games is not a big enough sample size to draw any definitive judgements and yet in round four Milan will host Venezia while Juventus travel to Empoli, which precedes Inter-Milan and Juve-Napoli the following week.
The contrast at present is obvious: Motta immediately put Juve on the right track with seven points from three games, Fonseca remained ‘entangled’ in the confusion of his side. Juve ‘expressed a clear idea of football’, while ‘it is not clear what end destination is for Milan’.
Nobody gets access to the Milan dressing room but the players and staff, but from the outside Fonseca’s approach seems different to that of Motta. The Portuguese went with a softer tone, handling issues like the cooling break saga with calm and composure, while the Italian was more ruthless in banishing certain players like Federico Chiesa.
Then there is the technical aspect, the pitch. Motta’s side are showing exchanges of positions and good passing networks, which will please him because his teams must work to create spaces to fill. He is very careful about the organisation of the defensive phase too, as shown by the zero goals conceded.
In the first three matchdays, Milan did the exact opposite. The promising patterns of possession seen in preseason have vanished while the Rossoneri let in six goals in a very similar way: via crosses from the left. Fonseca did not remedy these errors, he repeated them.
Juve and Milan share the 4-2-3-1, but today they are divided by their identity. The Bianconeri are ‘well defined because Motta knows what he wants’ while Milan wander in a labyrinth and Fonseca ‘has not yet found the exit’ and is already under pressure, hoping the break has provided some clarity.
It makes no sense. Look at Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, they built a winning team with average no names. Juventus did it all wrong by buying expensive top players and hiring one of the most promising coaches on the market. Milan should be cruising toward the three peat in UCL right now…
I love Bartholomäus
Hmm – I think Motta’s Bologna came second or something last season in the least goals conceded. Something which you’d have thought management would’ve put at the top of their list of potential managers over stuff like “works well with young players”… Such a dumb mistake letting Jube get him imo. Oh well, I’m sure the other genius signing, Emerson Royal, will sort things out…
They came 5th but I agree
Yep, I said 2nd in some defensive record, not the league.
We were to busy being short sighted with Pioli after a run good results in the winter, while Juve were looking past their nose an got him… I don’t have much faith in Fonseca so far base on what I’m seeing from the team.
But I also think he needs more time – I just don’t know if we can afford to give him more time without writing off this season. We do have the weight of unmet expectations from Pioli’s tenure that we are unfairly piling on top of Fonseca I feel.
I was hoping for more common sense, due diligence and timely adjustments from the Portuguese.
We aren’t piling the big expectations on Fonseca, everyone knows he hasn’t achieved anything in big 5leagues.
We dream of a coach that can fill the void of Pioli has left with.
But no one has belief on Fonseca and we are asking wins against small teams atleast. No one would believe Milan can believe Inter and Liverpool even before season starts but a hope new coach would do something better atleast draw with good defensive approach.
Teams like Milan cannot give lots of time for coaches, it could effect a lot financially and mostly it should be best coaches in Italy atleast. Not sure anyone would rate Fonseca in top 10 coaches available or active coaches in Italy.
De rossi is much better with a weaker team than Milan.
I like Motta, he was my choice to be Milan’s new coach, but there is more to it than just new coach comparisons.
Juventus is winning thanks to their defense. They were great defensively last season as well under Allegri. They gave up only 31 goals, 2nd best defense behind inter. Milan in their scudetto season gave up 31, while Juventus finished 3rd last season with only 31 goals allowed.
Juventus had the same start last season. 7 points after 3 games 6:1 goal difference, this season is 6:0.
Offensively Juventus is one of the teams with least chances created and goals expected in the whole league. They are still relying on Allegri’s principles, because they were great defensively under him but couldn’t create offensively.
Motta has not even been using many of his new players either. Same players Allegri played + some youngsters.
Milan was awful defensively under Pioli and are still bad, while they have no problems creating chances. They are among the top when it comes to shots creation and goal expected. Finishing is an issue though.
Good analysis
Predictable. Motta is competent. Fonseca is mediocre. Hire competent people, expect competent results. Hire mediocre people, expect mediocre results. It’s actually quite simple.
When our amateur management hires the man who came 4th in the mediocre League 1 to replace the man who came 2nd in the tough Serie A, did anybody expect a miracle?
Pioli wasn’t doing well, but our clueless management actually did something rather hard to do in an end of season that saw several competent coaches willing to leave their clubs: a downgrade! With several upgrades available, we hired the very worst coach in the market. Remarkable!
I suspect that Fonseca is lazy. He took one month and a half to arrive to Milano. One would expect that he would have watched film during this time to prepare himself to take on a big and prestigious club instead of just enjoying vacations. He should have watched all games played by Milan during the 2023-24 season to have a sense of each player’s capacity. This would have avoided the repetition of mistakes that had been already tried and didn’t work. I mean, Rafa as center forward? Alexis as left back? RLC as CAM?
Motta obviously knew Juve players. From day one he said, “I want this player, I don’t want that player” and his wishes were executed. I’m sure that Fonseca didn’t watch any tape or wasn’t even respected by the very people who hired him. He said, “I like Kalulu, he can play RB. I like Saelemaekers, he is versatile.” Next we see both players shipped out.
The one wish of his that management did fulfill, was Emerson Royal. He expressed admiration for Emerson since Fonseca’s name surfaced for the Milan job. Well, he got Royal… who is a horrible player. Great. Just great. Great judgment, Paulo. Tottenham says thanks.