Arrigo Sacchi believes that the AC Milan directors made a mistake by not hiring Sergio Conceicao in the summer over Paulo Fonseca.
Milan made the decision during the summer to replace Stefano Pioli with Fonseca, something that drew scrutiny at the time given the other names available. Just 24 games later, the Portuguese was sacked and replaced by his compatriot Conceicao.
However, as Dinamo boss Fabio Cannavaro stated, the same problems have continued in the sense that the Rossoneri spend large portions of games asleep and they have required four comebacks in the five wins under the new coach.
While Conceicao has only had nine ‘normal’ training sessions due to how hectic the schedule has been, there is an expectation to see a semblance of his vision in the coming games, starting tonighyt.
Sacchi spoke during an interview for La Gazzetta dello Sport about the final round of games in the Champions League, and he of course comments on where Milan currently stand.
Your beloved Milan are playing away against Dinamo Zagreb. How do you see it going?
“The opponents are not exceptional, I think they can qualify among the top eight. However, Milan, in this period, must be very careful. It seems to me that they are looking for a solution to the many problems, but they do not have very clear ideas.”
Can you explain?
“Given that I have Milan in my heart and that I would like to help them achieve great things, I must admit that a coach like Conceiçao should have been brought in at the start of the season, so that he could build the team based on his needs.
“Here, instead, after the experience of Fonseca, he finds himself managing a group of guys that he did not choose. And, logically, he struggles. Milan need reliable players, I will repeat this until I have a thread of voice.
“I was sorry that Conceiçao was criticised for his reaction with Calabria: things that can happen. An exaggerated attitude, probably, but he is trying to give a spirit to the team and the club must help him in this work.”
stupid ass management
should have brought him in the summer
From Lopetegui, Allegri, to Fonseca, but when there’s Conte, Xavi, Motta, Conceicao offers, they ignore ’em. Dunno what were they after btw.
“Here, instead, after the experience of Fonseca, he finds himself managing a group of guys that he did not choose. And, logically, he struggles.”
I would say not only that, but he also didn’t get the luxury of a pre-season, however short it is. If the articles are to be believed, he barely had 9 training sessions since he took the team and sometimes barely 40 minutes of actual training between games, that’s not enough to work on stuff.
For those who compare Fonseca and Conceição and say that the former produced better quality that the latter, bear in mind all of the points mentioned above.
If it was Fonseca, not Conceição who took the team in late december, we might be losing games day in day out now.
We might be losing games day in day out?
Milan lost 2 of the last 15 games they played under Fonseca.
To Atalanta in the last minute and to Napoli when they played without Reijnders, Theo, Pulisic while Leao came off the bench.
Pay attention to what I wrote please.
I said IF it was Fonseca, not Conceição who took the team in LATE DECEMBER, we might be losing games day in day out now.
Those 9 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses under Fonseca happened with him taking the team since july, having the luxury of a pre-season however short it was and not yet exhausted Reijnders and Fofana, so we had something ressembling a midfield then.
A lot of IFS and BUTS.
Fonseca also didn’t choose his players. 99% of the players were chosen by Pioli before him and the management.
There is absolutely no change from Fonseca and Conceicao. They just look different, the results and performances are the same because neither one of them picked the players they work with, except for maybe Tammy.
Milan wanted Emerson while Maldini was there 2,3 years ago. They wanted Fofana way before Fonseca came into the picture. Pavlovic, based on how much was used under Fonseca, wasn’t his choice.
Fonseca also didn’t have the luxury of pre-season since most of Milan players were gone on the international duty. He was working with mostly Primavera players ans that was the only time Milan looked like they have something resembling a team playing style.
There are a lot of excuses now for Conceicao that were not there for Fonseca.
You’re too hung up on this ifs and buts, I said IF then MIGHT, it was something to think about, not even a full argument, as it can neither be proven nor disproven.
A preseason, however short it might be, is still better than no preseason.
Almost every new European coach suffered from the same issues we had with the Euros and the players coming late, it was the same for Arne Slot, Antonio Conte,… and here they are with a clear style and dominating their league whereas with Fonseca until december we had no identity, no cohesion, no defining style,…
Under Conceição we had 9 training sessions and 40 minutes between the last game and tonight’s game, how do you build a team like that ?
Fonseca wanted a left footed CB, because he is a possession based coach, that’s why Pavlović was acquired.
Emerson being in Moncada’s files since 3 years ago doesn’t mean we wanted him and it was again Fonseca who encouraged this transfer and now we had yet a new RB. Talk about money thrown out of the window…
Fonseca also wanted Abraham, although you can agree he also wanted to keep Saelemakers and Cutrone.
Very few coaches come during the winter and are actually able to make changes in the team however good they might be. Fonseca had the team from July till December, maybe we should give Conceição at least HALF that duration before judging him.
agree. People make too much of the whole “group of guys he did not choose”. Every coach deals with that. Or are you telling me Conte and Motta “CHOSE” all his players. they get one or two and that’s it. 90% of the squad is not his.
More emphasis should be on the preseason. Conceicao joined during our busiest part of the schedule. It is evident he is in a reactive mode, just trying to get results to get us out of the hole. Let him get settle and THEN we can judge.
Did you not see what Conte did. Napoli had the balls to ship out their best player to get the players conte wanted
“I was sorry that Conceiçao was criticised for his reaction with Calabria: things that can happen.”
Was that a retort aimed at Capello? Because I agree Milan need reliable players not these guys that melt as soon as the temperature heats up…
Fonseca didn’t even have the luxury of choosing a single player.
The problem is the management