AC Milan were hoping to begin the new season with three points against Torino, but they ended up having to battle back from two goals behind to earn a draw.
As this morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) writes, Paulo Fonseca’s new era began with a 2-2 draw against Paolo Vanoli’s Torino and it was a game that brought Milan back down to earth after the USA friendlies.
As Lucio Dalla sang, ‘America is far away, on the other side of the moon’, and this applies to the Rossoneri who went from convincing victories against teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona, to a game against the Granata where they can feel fortunate to have got one point.
In the 90+ minutes yesterday we saw a two-faced Milan; one with Alvaro Morata on the pitch and the other without. The paper states that the difference was ‘abysmal’, given that with the Spaniard on the pitch the Rossoneri found an outlet through a real playmaker that was not in the starting XI.
The problem is that Morata doesn’t have match fitness yet and is not even ready to play a full half, which is why Fonseca found himself forced to mix up the line-up by starting Luka Jovic up front instead.
Alexis Saelemaekers got the nod at left-back because Theo Hernandez is also far from 100%. What the game taught us is that those solutions which gave good signs in the preseason victories might not be as convincing now competitive football has begun.
The starting line up was a mess.
I cant believe anyone playing a right winger playing as left back is gon be better than a tired theo. And thiaw is not good enough to start..that own goal was awful and is misstake you see on kid level.
Fonseca gave me good vibes at pre season.. but seeing him play this starting eleven makes my vibes go down a little and turned into worries.
Our problem here is that we complain too much. One minute we’re here singing praises then the next minute when things turn around we come back and start the blame game. Just because the squad did well in preseason doesn’t mean they’re on high spirit to crush anyone that comes their way.
If for any reason a player is not 100 percent fit and the coach decides to sideline the player there’s no issue with that, after all it’s better for a calibre of player like Theo Hernandez to miss a match than to be risked then ends up sidelined for a month or more.
What happened to Inter Milan on their match day 1. Did you see how they struggled with Genoa?
Please, give the coach and his boys some time to get back on the track……👍
I agree! But still playing a attacker as a left back is so wrong you could sense the conceding even before the game started.
What would you have him do? We stuck to Jovic when he has been abysmal whenever he starts. He only has a good game as a sub when the opponent defence is tired. The same management didn’t think to buy a backup for Theo. Reijnders was not 100%, Morata wasnt 100%, Leao missing those first half chances, Chukwueze controlling the ball outside the pitch like some kid, Calabria having his usual disasterclass. Thiaw being Thiaw. This goes beyond the coach honestly. I’ll judge the coach when the starters are 100% ready and we are still lacklustre
You start with best team possibly. Then you make changes and rest people when you are up 2 goals. I have a hard time believning theo is in such bad shape he cant play from start.
Also you dont start Thiaw when you have gabbia and pavlovic.
Tomori Thiaw partnership is guarantee goals conceded they have zero connection together.. just show match highligts of them two and put on the Benny hill theme and you will get it.
I agree with not buying a good sub for theo.. that is really stupid, but then again it seems good left back are really rare.
You’re absolutely correct
@Adewale, you’re absolutely correct, the coach is not to be blamed
Thiaw should never ever start for Milan again , never ever …such a jerk
The coach is not our problem in yesterday match, our players need to take responsibility, assuming Leao finished off all those chances in the first half, Mike really keep us in the match with those saves, all our prayers need to know the importance of the club
Let’s support them and stop complaining..it’s just the start of the season…the only wrong was starting thiaw ahead of pavlovic or gabbia..thiaw is an absolute disaster
We have a lot of players who are not match fit and the coach cannot risk any injuries to these key players like Reinjders, Morata, Theo, Pavlovic and our new signing Fofana.
But there some things that blatantly obvious. We need a good backup for Theo and this has the case going on 4 seasons now.
Players like Thiaw, Jovic and Salaemakers are just not good enough at this level.
Bennacer also has his best days behind him and he should sold this summer too along with Adli, Pobega, Thiaw, Salaemakers and Jovic.
Noah Okafor is a striker. I don’t get why Pioli and now Fonseca insist on playing him on the left wing. He is a striker for the Swiss national team and for his former club RB Salzburg.
Why is he not ahead of Jovic? We could started the game with a better lineup.
Call up Davide Bartesaghi to be Theo’s backup if we don’t go into the market for someone but Salaemakers is not the answer.
Is too early for blaming not too bad result from two goals down I know our next match we be differences 💯