Tijjani Reijnders has become the latest AC Milan player to suggest that the team did not show enough aggression during the defeat to Feyenoord tonight.
Milan have left themselves with it all to do in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie against the Rotterdam club as they lost the first leg 1-0 at De Kuip, and it was deserved too in truth.
The only goal of the game came in the opening few minutes and in truth it will be one that Mike Maignan will feel bitter about as he let Igor Paixao’s shot from range beat him at the near post after an awkward bounce.
Nonetheless, the Rossoneri had the chance to create chances and get themselves back into it in the remaining 80+ minutes, and yet they remained lacking in composure and killer instinct, eventually losing without scoring.
Reijnders spoke to Sky Italia after the full-time whistle and offered an honest reflection after what was another disappointing game to kill any momentum that was being generated. MilanNews relayed his comments.
What went wrong?
“I think I should have shot less hastily. We allowed counter-attacks and we knew they were dangerous there. In the end our aggression wasn’t enough.”
How do you rate the starting line-up with four forwards?
“I don’t think the problem was the number of attackers, everyone wants to work and fight for the team. I think there wasn’t enough aggression and we have to change this next game.”
Do you feel comfortable in a two-man midfield?
“Yes, of course, now I have to control the game more in midfield but I still have the freedom to go and attack. I could have done it more this evening. I have to look at my game again and see what I can do better.”
Have the signings brought personality?
“Yes but it’s not a problem: the new guys have the desire to fight for the team and have many qualities. Today we didn’t show these qualities as a team.”
“now I have to control the game more in midfield”. Exactly but you suck at that. Midfield was the problem and has been. No controller. You’re often nowhere to be seen with Fofana trying to be Pirlo. Udinese level midfield partnership.
Rant you rat
Asked what went wrong?
“I think I should have shot less hastily“ You see you don’t even know the problem. You don’t need to shoot mate you need to be the playmaker
If you see that direction in which you go.is wrong, no matter how much you invest in that direction you need to change the course of it, and not protecting the investment by staying in same direction.
That’s how gambler stays without everything …
I have said this before, if we must field our “fantastic 4” and play effectively, we must have a strong double pivot physical enough and cover a lot of grounds. In such a setup, I’m sorry but Reijnders has no place, we need another physical number 6 to pair with Fofana, maybe Bongo. Conceicao knows this, but he lets his emotions guide his decisions.
It’s kinda difficult for Conceicao though. If we play 4-4-2, Leao is gone. If we play 4-2-3-1, Reijnders is gone if he’s not the AM. The only steady formation for this team right now is 4-3-3, but then again his emotions will prick him as it may mean sacrificing either Leao, Gimenez or Puli for J.Felix or he will sit on the bench. I will opt for the 4-3-3 because J.Felix can play across the front 3, and having such a quality on the bench would create competition for whoever isn’t playing well during the match. Especially Leao.
There is something terribly wrong INSIDE milan – do not know exactly what it is but this lack of drive and consistency, this flip flopping, this lack of interest and aggression, this confusion during play, this lack of hunger and bite, this timid acceptance of defeat, this inability to fight back, this lack of killer instinct are all greatly worrying signs.
We had pioli, fonseca, concencaio …. but still play very, very disappointing games with no remedy in sight. Even pulisic seems to have gone off these days.
There must be some toxic element in the milan and milanello environment – possibly the current set up and management do not inspire any confidence and trust.
Since maldini was kicked away it has been one huge tumble all the way and we have only played 2 good games – when we beat PSG some time ago and real madrid in madrid a few months ago. Otherwise it has been one huge yawn.
Unless this rot WITHIN and INSIDE milan is identified and removed, we will continue to disappoint.
Please rest with the Maldini card all the time, the problem has been there since before Maldini joined the management, and when he joined the coaches he gave us couldn’t change it either.
Conceicao has tried really hard to change this, he clearly knows what he’s doing. In his first few games in charge, we could see milan playing aggressive and pressing style of football, but everything seems to have just collapsed of a sudden.
Milan have a spoilt and lazy set of players, and the demands from Conceicao seems to burn them down easily.
I can categorically tell you, it is a fitness problem, from our fitness team. It has been very obvious in years that our fitness team, our medical, the MilanLab has been mediocre.
For us to effectively play Conceicao’s football, our players MUST first and foremost build their fitness and stamina levels.
But as always, MilanTillTheFvckingCasket!
Shut up bro nobody wants to hear your negative comments
I think the problem is the mentality of the players we have, for me we need players like jeao felix and bondo, leao and his likes in Milan should try to fit Into Milan team and not Milan building a team around leao, anyone who can’t fit should go.
J.Felix said his dreams in Milan is his icon kaka, he wants to be another kaka in Milan, although he may not win a ballon d or but u can imagine d work kaka does for Milan, that’s a good motivation for him, Bondo is called a double of gattuso and zeedorf and he said he really wants to help Milan do a lot that he’s needed in that midfield, am sure he would perform when he comes into playing.
Milan needs such quality mentality players who already have great agendas to achieve in Milan and not mediocres who just wanna play
This should be what Acmilan must do pulisic will replace leao then chukwueze will return to starting lineup with Felix
M.maignan
Walker,thiaw, Pavlovic, Hernandez
Fofana, Reijnder
Chukwueze, Felix, pulisic
Gimenez
This should be our line up when Feyenoord will return to san-siro for return leg leao was the problem of our game he not performing is duty as a winger he doesn’t push front to score goals he always drop back, dropping back is Good but not all times you drop back.
he need to learn to control from the midfield. to dictate from his position. i don’t know what his ‘aggression’ include, but he need to be more intelligent and be creative. he probably know that the pitch not just left there is right as well as center. he just need to learn to use it.
GM
This is ACM fan site, isn’t it?
Me want to asking about ACM in the comment
All right then
What with coaches and players these days coming out and saying what’s wrong and they have the power to change it. Happened under Fonseca when he used to be saying stuff about the team as if he’s not in charge. I’m like dude if the team isn’t following instructions you have the power to put the ones who follow instructions on. Deers here talking about not enough aggression….as one of the least aggressive players on the night. Buddy you be aggressive and the others will follow. And they want to compare him to Seedorf. The only comparison is that they’re both Dutch. Smh 🙄