AC Milan resumed training at Milanello on Tuesday, beginning preparations for Sunday’s match against Cremonese.
The defeat against Parma on Sunday has pretty much put an end to the Scudetto pursuit, barring a miraculous run of form that would also have to coincide with Inter having a drop-off that they simply don’t appear likely to.
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As Sky (via MilanPress) reported in this evening’s broadcast, Massimiliano Allegri had the team back in training today and the head coach is already considering possible options for Sunday’s lunchtime match against Cremonese away from home.
Rafael Leao is still struggling with the inflammation that continues to bother him, while Christian Pulisic is trying to get back to peak condition but his minutes must be managed. Therefore, Christopher Nkunku could start again in Cremona.
The feeling of Allegri and his staff is that the Rossoneri didn’t play a bad game against Parma, but the result also came down to the performances of several individuals, who were less than decisive in crucial moments.
Among the many, Pulisic was lacking his usual clinical finishing, partly due to the physical problems he has been experiencing in recent weeks. Leao meanwhile showed some signs of the darts and dribbles we have become accustomed to over the years, especially in the second half when moved wide.
If Alegri isn’t a mad man, I don’t see why he insist on playing a player who isn’t fit from the first minute of every match. Of course Leao was bound to be injured again. The coach cannot seem to manage him properly.
Almost like Leao needs to rest or risk ruining his career. But anyone with a double digit IQ would know that
Please don’t have a Nkunku-Pulišić as a pairing attack…
Jesus. Leão, the so-called lazy player, visibly tried hard against Parma, even tracking back and recovering some balls; continues to play while never having the proper rest (how is a player who does that, lazy???), and predictably, he got re-injured.
Yes, soon enough the management and the coach will run him to the ground, instead of actually providing a proper alternative in the winter market (sorry but Füllkrug isn’t it).
Allegri of his own confession, has been playing Leão repeatedly although he is far from 100% physical form, and what is going on now, with the inflammation being back, was utterly predictable.
This is why Jovic and Abraham should have been retained, and Camarda shouldn’t have been loaned out. The stupid managers trimmed the roster down too much, and we are now facing the consequences.
With the offense falling apart more and more, the Scudetto is already gone, and now even the top 4 UCL spot is in jeopardy, because there is no way to keep up with the other clubs vying for these three spots (one already belongs to Inter) when we basically have no offense.
Great, just great. I’ve been saying forever and ever that our roster is too short even for only one competition, and now we are seeing why.
The stupidity of these managers is the biggest I’ve ever seen in Italy. We’ve seen Manchester United and Barcelona mismanaging their rosters too, but in Italy, people used to be a bit savvy. The American owners, though, remain clueless, and even after we hired Tare and Allegri, they continued to make stupid decisions and while Allegri visibly wasn’t happy with some of them, he will never speak up against the management so he pretended to agree with this short roster.
I agree with you. We should have kept Jovic and Abraham
I’d hardly call it mismanagement. They were counting on Gimenez and the idea was to try Leao as CF. Gimenez going down wrecked everything.
Allegri will force Leao into early retirement.
just like he did with Pato. My two favourite players of the last 20 years and the same guy is going to ruin them
If this is true, I expect the forward line to be much better.
Unless Füllkrug starts, I don’t expect the forward line to be better.
Pulišić-Nkunku would be as bad as Leão-Pulišić or Leão-Nkunku.
Either Pulišić or Nkunku has to be paired with an actual striker.
I thought Leão looked much better physically vs Parma. I’ve always disputed the view that Leão is lazy. I think as a sprinter he doesn’t have great endurance. Fast vs slow twitch muscles. I think he is a 70 min a game player if you expect him to make runs consistently and get back on defense. You’ll never see him running 6+ miles a game. The team has to decide if that works for them.
Very well said.
Jürgen Klopp:
“As long as you are not Leo Messi, you have to defend. He is the only one who is allowed to wait until the team wins the ball then give him to do what he wants.”
He doesn’t run and doesn’t have good endurance. He doesn’t have 70 minutes. He is only engaged for about 15-20 minutes per game the rest of it he is a non factor. And that’s the entirety of his career not this excuses people use to defend him because he has a chronic groin problem.
He is best suited to come of the bench when the other team is tired.
So according to Klopp, Ronaldo has to defend as well.
Absolutely. Why do you think Cristiano and even Messi don’t play in Europe anymore? They are still better players than the majority of the footballers in todays game if you don’t ask them to run and defend even at 40. But, you can’t play a man down on the defensive end. Younger Cristiano was absolutely running. Leao never ran
“Why do you think Cristiano and even Messi don’t play in Europe anymore?”
Because they can no longer produce the amount of goals that justify them not defending. Since they grew old, they can’t score or assist in bunches like during the last decade and are basically static without the ball. It’s one thing to not defend and have 60+ G/A per season, but with 30-40 G/A it’s not acceptable.
Furthemore, both of them were used to teams built around them, something that no top club is willing to do for players who are near retirment and medium clubs simply can’t afford their wages.
“Because they can no longer produce the amount of goals that justify them not defending. Since they grew old, they can’t score or assist in bunches like during the last decade and are basically static without the ball. It’s one thing to not defend and have 60+ G/A per season, but with 30-40 G/A it’s not acceptable.”
But thats the point Leao fangirls miss.
Even when Cristiano and Messi didn’t run back and defend they made up for that by scoring 30-40 goals a season. Leao cant score 10 goals in serie A but we should be OK with him not running back.
Cristiano and Messi can absolutely score15+ goals in this serie A today. If Modric can be one of the best players in the league at 40 so can they. But Modric still runs like he is 20.
Cremonese will park the bus. We will start with a 352 again and struggle to break them down. Wait until 75mns or so then throw on an extra attacker and hope for a solitary goal.
Rinse & repeat.
If we keep doing this, we won’t even make top 4.
OR
Cremonse will surprise us with an early goal from a throw in or a corner where Tomori, Bartesaghi, Maignan or all 3 will somehow do something stup!d and we will get in desperation mode as early as early second half.
Either way, we have all seen the script. It has always been this way since the beginning of the season. Allegri-can-not-break-the-low-block.
then, if we do get that solitary goal, switch to the trusty 5-4-1 immediately
Akanji chose inter over Milan so he can play in the champions league and get inter knocked out because of his stupidity.
Jens Peter Hauge.
Now an assist for Jens Peter Hauge.
Leao has probably not been 100% fit at any point this season. This dude has 8 goals, is not a striker and all at 65% match fit. He should be brought on with 20mins to go.
I doubt we’ll see him back to his best until next season.