AC Milan’s defeat against Udinese has thrown Champions League qualification into further doubt, and Adrien Rabiot’s comments have caused alarm.
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As Calciomercato.com write, the Milan world has been shaken by this mini-crisis the team has entered with three defeats in their last four games (against Udinese, Napoli and Lazio), interspersed with a difficult and hard-fought victory against Torino.
The boos aimed at Rafael Leao are a clear indicator of how the crowd and supporters are feeling in this difficult moment, but beyond the Portuguese’s role and performances, there’s another, more serious alarm bell that Rabiot sounded.
The former Juventus and Marseille star highlighted after the match how the team has lost a crucial factor in such a difficult race as the one Milan faces between now and the end of the season: the desire to help each other on the pitch.
Rabiot’s concern
Speaking to SportMediaset after the 3-0 defeat against Udinese, a match in which he certainly didn’t shine, Rabiot first of all apologised. He then defended Leao from the boos of the crowd, and finally shed some light on what he perceives to be a mentality issue.
“I’m angry because I, personally, could have done much better. I know the team is behind me, and if I give something more, it’s better for the team. As for me, because I’m very honest and clear-headed, I can say I could have done better,” he said.
“As a team, we could have done much better, like we were before: more united. We lost that on the pitch: the desire to work for our team-mates, to come back together and fight together.
“We need to rediscover that: it’s what’s done us good up until now. It’s not the formation, but the desire of the players, of us on the pitch: to show determination, to chase the opponent, to do things well.”
The problem isn’t technical or tactical therefore in the eyes of the Frenchman, but rather one of attitude and teamwork, something that’s much harder to work on and therefore even more serious for Massimiliano Allegri.
Rabiot spoke of a mental ‘switch’ being needed because a lot is at stake, given the Rossoneri are now fully embroiled in a battle for a Champions League spot that seemed to be sewn up a couple of weeks ago when the gap was nine points (now five).
The schedule awaiting Milan from now until the end of the season will not help the Rossoneri, who next week will face a Verona side desperate to avoid relegation. More importantly, in two rounds they face Juventus, and Atalanta come to San Siro too. Milan must listen to Rabiot’s alarm.