A lot of managers and head coaches in football have a preferred formation, but Stefano Pioli has altered the system that he has used several times while at AC Milan.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have outlined Pioli’s journey from playing a modern version of the ‘WM’ formation to using a three-man defence and different ways of building from the back.
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Build-up: The first time the Milan boss used a 3+2 in build-up was on 20 October 2019, during a 2-2 draw against Lecce which is ironically the same as the last result. he 3-2 build-up structure entails having a consistent back three with two players ahead. This typically manifests itself either in a 3-4-3 or a 4-2-3-1 with one of the full-backs moving over.
Familiar beginnings: The 4-3-3 was the first formation used by Pioli, above all to avoid damaging Giampaolo’s work too much, which lasted only seven games. The Rossoneri coach’s first move was to remove the attacking midfielder and create width. From here, three-pronged attack with two midfielders, Kessie and Paqueta.
After about ten games played in this way he switched to 4-4-2, with Leao and Ibrahimovic up front and two full-backs, only to then launch the 4-2-3-1. The first match played like this was the 2020 derby, which ended 4-2 to Inter after Milan were 2-0 up.
Three-man defence: Three at the back appears for the first time in 2022 in the 0-0 draw against Cremonese. This refers to the basic formation, not the build-up phases which remained as used previously.
Pioli fielded Thiaw, Kjaer and Tomori. In the defensive phase it is clearly a four-man defence with the German tucking in and Ballo-Tourè moving in to form a four. It is the first experiment of a module that will be used again above all a few months later, this time with success.
On 14 February 2023, Milan beat Tottenham on Valentine’s Day and achieved qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals, achieved thanks to the 0-0 draw in London. The return to the 4-2-3-1, after a series of mixed results with the three-man defence, came in the match against Napoli and the 4-0 win.
Scudetto formula adapted: In the summer Pioli returned to 4-3-3. A question of interpreters, obviously, because you can’t do without two midfielders like Loftus-Cheek and Reijnders. In this way Pulisic and Leao are also freed.
The constant tactic is almost always the same: Milan builds with a 3+2, the full-backs invert to play the ball in midfield and the team moves wide, with the midfielders attacking the line. By now the scheme is well-tested, even if on a couple of occasions Pioli slightly modified the tactics.
Against Verona he deployed a sort of 3-4-3, while against Udinese we saw a disguised 4-4-2. A cross between 4-3-3 in the non-possession phase and 4-2-4 during the attacking manoeuvre. Against Fiorentina, after Lecce’s 4-3-3 formation forced by absences, there could be another change.
Piolimust be fired before next game.
I Recomemd Acmilan to appoint Either shavi Alonso or Zenidine Zidane
We can’t afford any of them.
And I’d love Guardiola but this isn’t a Disney cartoon.
Our 4-2-3-1 is useful for acmilan because our defensive Midfield Is Good but we need to focus in building the attacking midfield to make it solid so our wingers and striker will start scoring goals