AC Milan have been left dissecting yet another defeat in a big game, and comparisons have been drawn between Paulo Fonseca’s start and that of Marco Giampaolo.
La Gazzetta dello Sport report how the numbers say that Milan have returned to the pre-rebirth era, the years of Vincezo Montella, Gennaro Gattuso and Marco Giampaolo by being 11 points off top spot so early in the campaign.
In the 2017-18 season, with Montella on the bench, Milan were 12 points behind the leaders after ten games. In 2018-19, with Gattuso, it was -10. In 2019-20, with Giampaolo, it was -13. Under Stefano Pioli, everything was different.
In 2020-21 during the lockdown-affected season Milan were five points clear at the top. In 2021-22, the year of the Scudetto, Milan were joint-top alongside Napoli. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Rossoneri were three points behind.
There are certainly many factors, not one, and one of the main ones emerged strongly against Napoli: the team are too soft. Milan are not clinical and focused, they get distracted, they concede goals and they do not seize moments in games.
Fonseca’s messages instead talk about style of play and possession; almost never about fighting, grit and determination. It’s his way of coaching and perhaps he is doing right not to change his nature, but the team doesn’t have those values. There are no strong leaders, and no one to guide when the heart rate rises.
At the back Milan concede goals and chances: they are fifth for goals conceded and expected goals conceded. The centre-back pairing is a concern because Matteo Gabbia is irreplaceable and he could miss the next three games, leaving Thiaw, Tomori and Pavlovic who too often make serious mistakes.
Milan are not in a full-blown crisis like Roma for example, especially because we saw good things against Napoli, but the picture is sad. The Rossoneri have lost three of the last five games, five out of 12 in total, and the impression today is that they are heading towards a season of ups and downs.
Fourth place is the only realistic domestic objective. Inter are stronger and more battle-hardened, while Napoli do not play as well but have Antonio Conte, who has imposed clear discipline and defensive attention. Milan, in comparison, are not yet a team.
The players must take some responsibility, too. Rafael Leao is the most obvious case, a complex mix of motivations, relationship with the coach and public criticism. Yunus Musah and Noah Okafor must find consistency, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Theo Hernandez have played two and a half months well below their level.
Several players at times seem disinterested, never or almost never with the fire of a champion. While off the field the club celebrate the prosperity of the accounts, on the field the team are continuing to suffer and the fans only have so much patience.
Yes! The coach has not made a good connection with the squad – there is no team spirit, no grinta, no fighting spirit. It was a mistake not to go for Conte.
GIAMPAOLO FONSECA!!! LO DIJE DESDE Q LLEGÓ!!! 👍🏻🤮🤮🤮🤮🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🇺🇲🇵🇹‼️
Short memories. We were much much much worse under Giampaolo.. those games were unwatchable. Under fonseca we’re trying to play. Did we or did we not atk napoli and kept attacking napoli to get a goal? Before the second goal came one would say it was a matter of times before we equalis.
Also we are a game short. We might had 17 points right now. Or going into napoli game with 17 points with potential to close in with 2 points difference if we’d won…
Idk man
True Giampaulo was worse (trying to play suso as a 10 lol), and we had easier games back then. But it doesn’t mean that Fonseca isn’t a huge failure. I would swap him with Gatusso at this point, seriously.
Gattuso won’t leave hajduk and he’s doing great there anyway.
I say we let fonsy cook. And what we get in the end is what we’ll eat. Napoli last season is a good example that changing for the sake of it is not a good idea.
Thanks for saying this. My memory of Giampaolos football will never fade though cause like you said it was horrible horrible.
The main problem of this Milan teams the scout and management who kept buying players that are not suited to the :
1.Formation of the coach
2. Pattern of play of the coach
3. Lack of proper depth
4. The management are too distance from the team on like the time of Galliani and even Maldini to create harmony and make the boys feel needed and respect.
Even a 10yrs old child knows a Milan needed proper DM since departure of Kessie and Tonali. And bout 5 seasons they have failed to find a proper back up for the LB position… Tney have one in Karkez but have to let him go for peanut claiming he’s too young but overlooking his quality and room for growth…
I have come to the conclusion the Milan management just did not understand football and its world of market or I should say they’re not capable to handle and run a Giant club like MILAN⚫🔴
I just came to see if Pioli was out!
Have a nice day!