Instead of restoring their three-point lead at the top, AC Milan dropped two important points last night and are thus just one point ahead of Napoli. It has given Stefano Pioli a lot to think about.
On more than one occasion this season, Pioli has used Franck Kessie in the attacking midfielder role. He didn’t do it against Cagliari, though, and he decided to give Brahim Diaz the nod yesterday as well.
As explained by the journalist Mario Sconcerti, in his column for Calciomercato.com, the manager was in too much of a hurry last night. He started the game with four forwards and two of them (Diaz and Messias) didn’t contribute much to the team.
This left Bologna with a numerical superiority in midfield and that made things necessarily difficult for Milan. The decision to not start Kessie resulted in the opposite of what Pioli wanted: to overwhelm Bologna, instead the latter handed it well.
Pioli rarely makes these mistakes with the starting XI but perhaps a little pressure is getting to him at this stage of the season, as the journalist concludes. Milan will take on Torino on Sunday this weekend and it remains to be seen what decision he will make then.
He’s rigth as we all could see how Diaz was bullied throughout the game yesterday ,Pioli need to play Kessie Bennecer and Tonali for the rest of our games,Diaz as a sub plays better always .
The ball are played in middle of picth not up front please, we can’t drop points like that. We need more gaols
totally agree
Even if you don’t want to use Kessie, please play Krunic instead along with Tonali and Bennacer. Brahim Diaz is useless as a starter. He can probably be effective against a tired defence.
we urgently needed better AM & RW next season..
4 forward? No..last night we only played with one pure striker the whole game.
With the second line(leao,diaz,messias,rebic) not brilliant, i hope ibra and giroud played together to try unlock it..
Exactly my point…I was thinking pioli will sub brahim for zlatan to put more pressure on their defense…
I remember the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, using 2-3 striker in the box will produce goals in those period.
Don’t renew ibra get belotti and origi combined with giroud and lazetic we will have a far more dynamic attack with more solutions instead of just throwing in another fairly slow and immobile tall player hoping for a different result.
Keep ibra in preferably the coaching staff or maybe in some capacity within the management if he actually has the motivation for such roles in the club.
Pioli sent out an attacking minded team because he wanted assurance we get the 3 points.Let’s look at the number of chances created…..It isn’t his fault the boys played without any composure and failed to finish. Ilicic in a game like this would have made the difference.
It is mystery why he don’t sub junior until end of match. Junior are awful and disaster in that match ,always lose ball possesion and no vision. Just change the formation that not need RW if our RW are mediocre like 4312 or 442 with Ibra/Giroud infront pairing with leao/rebic as SS
What are you talking about junior messias was replaced in the 46th minute. with rebic who then was moved to the left wing and leao to the right one.
The biggest mistake was not taking off Diaz who was extremely ineffective against a more physical defence. I thought Kessie was going to come in to replace him but unfortunately Pioli stuck with Diaz. Even Saladmaker would have been better
True.
Excactly
I don’t think it was Pioli’s error. Milan created 33 shots. Personally I think it’s time for Rebic to be sold. Don’t renew Messias. Add two new wingers who are creative and daring.
Whatever mistake that was made, was made in the Mercarto before the season started. Let’s not fool ourselves. Milan has been riding on good fortune for most of the season, and help from our rivals too. And we intend to ride that luck till the end of the season and see where it leads us. Then next season, we will experiment with other low cost signings and hope we win the Serie A.
What good fortune are you referring to?