In addition to hoping for a stable back four in terms of selection choices, AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has changed the instructions for the rearguard too as per a report.
According to what is being reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport (as seen below), Fonseca knows that conceding six goals from the first three league games of the season does nothing to show defensive improvement and thus he must adapt his previous teachings.
The paper claims that he will ask the back line to defend deeper, he will lower the risk factor involved and they will be less aggressive. With a high line comes more space in behind and more chance of being caught out in transition, two things the Rossoneri have suffered from.
Fonseca and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer spoke of a dominant team and the path to achieving the goal was clear: ball possession, aggression, recovery of the ball in the opponent’s half of the pitch.
However, Milan do not have players particularly suited to that type of football and a result of that type can only be achieved with well-tested mechanisms and optimal physical condition. For now, both are absent.
This is why against Venezia – and especially against Liverpool and Inter – you will see a Milan more similar to the first half against Lazio than to the first half in Parma.
The plan is to create ‘a more attentive, prudent Milan’, who do not defend two-on-two and three-on-three but have numerical superiority in defence.
Good. I think this is what we need at this moment, given the top heavy sloppy team we have.
Wasting 7 points before changing the tactical approach to something that is obvious from, like, last December, speaks horribly about this coach. I am against quick judgement and scapegoating (especially considering all the circumstances around the management), but the guy is either lazy or clueless.
Totally agree. I don’t get why any coach would want players to adapt to their style of play instead of adapting to the players we have in squad so that we have the right balance for the team.
We don’t have a number 10 and we didn’t sign one in the transfer window but Fonseca and Pioli insist on putting square pegs in round holes.
RLC is not an attacking midfielder and he’s not a number 10 but Pioli and now Fonseca insist on playing him there instead of playing 433 which is better for the midfielders we have.
Either they are ignorant or clueless. This team is good enough to compete with Inter. If Bologna and Sassuolo can beat Inter then I don’t see any reason why Milan can’t especially considering that we have better players than Bologna and Sassuolo.
So obviously Milan problem is more a coaching issue than a problem with the players.
Exactly. The big fail this summer wasn’t in the transfer market, it was in the coach appointment. While he may be different, Fonseca doesn’t seem an improvement over Pioli at this point.
Spot on – you’d think this would’ve been the first thing he’d have done considering the amount of goals shipped last season… Something tells me there’s going to be yet more chopping and changing of the line up though which doesn’t help 😬.
Rudi Garcia @ Napoli 2.0
Problem is everyone wants to try to play like Man City, without Man City players. Rather than playing to the strength and weaknesses of the players they have. Only when their job is on the line do they take the common sense, practical approach. Milan could actually be a devastating counter attack team like in the Scudetto season with the players they have. Play a deeper , compact line and hit on the counter. Possession is overrated anyways.
For starters, it seems more and more obvious that he didn’t do his homework when he started coaching us.
I don’t think he watched many of our games and thus didn’t see what generally works or doesn’t work with our players.
Hypocrisy at its finest folks. You are definitely about quick judgement and scapegoating…
Evidence: see above
It’s clear this side needs to sit deep and counter attack. The high press only works when you have wingers that are committed to pressing and high work rate, which Leao and Chukwueze are not. Sit deeper, play 4-3-3 and punt the ball upfield and let Leao and Chuk chase it.
This is a very accurate take on our team vs what our management wishes our team would be.
So many things to pick up on here. Firstly, if the coach has a style of play that is a high line with pressing, why wasn’t the summer recruitment based around that? Why are we here, 3 matches into the season saying the coach can’t play his preferred style because he doesn’t have the right players for it? This only goes to show that the players signed are not based on what is the right fit, but what can be bought at a ‘value’ of 15-20m…and we all wonder why we are in this mess. When you hire a coach more often than not, you inherit a style. This is why when Pep took over at City, many deemed to be top players were sold. Not because they couldn’t press, but because they weren’t ball players. Anyone can run and press!
Surely this conversation was had between Fonseca and management? Either Fonseca said this is how I want to play so I will need X Y and Z, or the management turned and said, you aren’t getting XY and Z so you will have to play another way. Either way it is a clusterf@ck.
I can’t accept that we can’t play a pressing style because of the wingers. How about you get paid a king’s ransom to kick a bag of wind about, you are capable of running so get on and do it…….Henry changed his style, Grealish and Sterling. The common denominator there is Pep, we don’t have Pep and can’t afford him, but the point is it can be done.
If i’m honest I don’t think Fonseca knew what he was getting, nor Redbird….
Don’t think this going to change, 41221 with Fofana before defense is the best option. Reiji should play more advanced role and Zeroli should be the third doing Box to box duty.
I think given the Bennacer injury you are probably right. Go 41221
People say we don’t have a no10 but then we hear reports that Reijnders was outstanding for the Dutch… We need to strengthen the pivot and play Reijnders as a 10….The worry is the pivot as now Bennacer is injured we don’t have the players as management didn’t address the no6 issue.
Play RLC in the pivot or play Musa and let them adapt it. RCL as an AM is a waste of space and player advantage. We are still working in Pioli’s blueprint of square pegs in round holes. We have the players but not the manager.
neither of those give me confidence there……it’s a bad situation. I think i’d rather give Eletu or Vos a go
“However, Milan do not have players particularly suited to that type of football and a result of that type can only be achieved with well-tested mechanisms and optimal physical condition. For now, both are absent”
Poor recruitment and poor planning from players to coach. Second summer in a row.
It’s a step in the right direction from Fonseca but as others have mentioned here , also very late.
I agree he was to busy with Lille to really know our team and probably didn’t do enough research on the past season.
That’s why I was flabbergasted when he wanted Pulisic as a no.10 ,he was making a very offensive team even more offensive and making the middle even softer in the defensive phase. I honestly thought this guy doesn’t know the team to attempt this.
I do not know if Fonseca has the personality and Authority to gather his players behind him and make them carry out their duties. We will see but he has a mountain to climb judging from the first 3 games.
Makes perfect sense to sit deeper with our front line anyway.
Chuk, Leao and Theo are all most dangerous when comning from deepo with space in behind the opposition defence. Defending higher up the pitch takes that away from us.
This would also assist in closing out some of the defensive fraility of Emerson by allowing him to play deeper or adding more balance by using a better defender on the right in Calabria.
We have a medicore players and coach. Good for mid table…period…Milan Is not made to be just medicore