Stefano Pioli has attempted to dispel some of the myths surrounding his use of different formations and the way that AC Milan play.
Milan had a dreadful start to 2023 which included a seven-game winless run and a stretch where the team conceded 12 goals across three games against Inter, Lazio and Napoli, which saw Pioli revert to what many dubbed as a three-man defence.
That involved the insertion of another centre-back in Malick Thiaw, but in actual fact the same positional rotation has been present as it was before with Pierre Kalulu encouraged to push up and give width.
Pioli spoke to the reporters who gathered at Milanello for his pre-match press conference on the eve of the trip to the Dacia Arena, and he was asked about the possibility of reverting to a four-man defence starting from tomorrow.
“We’re not playing with an extra defender. Even when we were playing a four-man, the right full-back followed the opponent’s full-back and our right-back was central, making a three-man defence,” he said (via MilanNews).
“The important thing is to continue to lead the games. We’ll come back to four when it’s needed to face certain teams. The important thing is to play well.”