AC Milan scored three goals against Cagliari but also let three in, with the left side in particular symbolic of an evening with positives and negatives.
As Calciomercato.com recall, it is a draw that feels like a defeat for Milan given that they led twice and were ahead in the 89th minute. However, they ended up being undone by goals from Gabriele Zappa that were almost carbon copies.
If a team with Youssouf Fofana, Malick Thiaw, Strahinja Pavlovic and Theo Hernandez loses 69% of the aerial duels, it is the mentality that makes the difference because the size is certainly not lacking.
In Sardinia the flame lit by the remarkable performance against Real Madrid was extinguished. Fonseca feared this match for a clear reason: he still does not trust his team in terms of mentality, and he was right.
The technical ability of the players might be there and the attack still flourishes, but it is not combined with the hunger to fight for every inch in every game. The weak point of this Milan is the defensive attention and the break will hopefully serve to improve certain mechanisms.
Much will also depend on Theo Hernandez: the Frenchman, at this stage, is a shining example of a team that mirrors itself from one game to the next.
The only positive note for Milan remains the performance and brace of Rafael Leao. The Portuguese winger showed against Real that he is clearly strongest player in the squad and he kept that up in Sardinia.
They were inconsistent under pioli as well. If anyone remembers..I do.
Not really inconsistency but rather a sistematical problem. One thing is Fonseca plays high line football with all in and so we suffer on counters. Pioli went same way last season and we got badly exposed. Second thing, Theo was never a defender on that flank. He cooks up front with Leao. We need a system that will protect our backline when Theo goes roaming.
So either Fonzy backs the f off with high pressure football as it’s clearly not working, or they sign a proper DM to sit back with defense, or just go 343 and let Theo and Musah roam the flanks.
I never understood why a coach who found a winning formula for a big game against Real Madrid, basically decide to drop this same idea for a setup that either failed (Napoli game) or looked horribly bad (Brugge, Udinese and Monza).
It will be one thing if Musah was not available but he was.
Milan’s left flank was at his best back in 2021/22 when most of the team was made up of defensive minded players who could cover up for them. During the scudetto season, we started some games with all of Saelemakers, Calabria, Tonali, Bennacer/Krunic and most importantly Kessié so Leao and Theo not defending well was less of an issue. Since then we lost our most important midfielder in Kessié, some of our players (Calabria, Tomori and Kalulu) regressed and most of the new players we brought were offensively minded meaning that we cannot afford to have a left flank that doesn’t defend anymore.
Furthemore, in 2021/22 Theo and Leao were young rising stars, haven’t played for their national teams yet and weren’t seen as leaders. So they had to do their best to earn a new statue. Now that has been accomplished and that both of them are asked to perform as leaders in this new team, both basically crumbled and failed to do so.
In terms of defending, TH is the worst fullback we’ve ever had.
Dramatic. You clearly having been watching Milan of the last decade, huh…
Djamel Mesbah says hi
Theo has single handedly cost Milan 5 points this season. His runs are for nothing as he no longer has any semblance of awareness. The guy plays with his eyes closed and his ego turned to 11. I’m very upset with everything he’s brought this season, and hope with my full heart he is sold asap. He’s one of those players that in spite of the talent he brings the whole team down.
Milan conceded goals against Cagliari was from crossing ball from right flank.