Arrigo Sacchi has ramped up the pressure on AC Milan ahead of tonight’s match by claiming that the outcome of the season could well rest on how the games against Udinese and PSG go.
Milan welcome a Udinese side that are winless so far in 2023-24 to San Siro, knowing that they need to put an end to a difficult run of form that sees them without a victory in their last three.
The Rossoneri emerged from the so-called ‘week of fire’ with just one point to their name, having lost 1-0 to Juventus and 3-0 to Paris Saint-Germain before letting a two-goal lead slip against Napoli to draw 2-2. However, the schedule now gets a bit easier, at least on paper and in Serie A.
Nothing is ever dull, and during the week there has been talk about a loss of dressing room harmony as well as the never-ending injury crisis, so there is an opportunity to put that to bed with a good performance today.
Sacchi spoke during a column for La Gazzetta dello Sport about the importance of the two games that Milan will play in four days at the San Siro, with his comments translated below.
“During the course of a season there are moments that suddenly become important just when one least expects it. This is the case of Milan. First the league match against Udinese and then the very difficult Champions League match at San Siro against Paris Saint Germain,” he said.
“The future depends on these two matches, there’s no point in beating around the bush: if they go well, then we can think about a certain development in the coming months; if, however, they go wrong, we will need to think about what went wrong.
“One thing about the Rossoneri needs to be clarified immediately: they have shown that they have partially absorbed the two defeats against Juve and against PSG, playing an excellent first half in Naples.
“Then there was the comeback of Garcia’s team, this is true, but I liked the way in which Pioli’s boys faced the challenge: they tried to play, to dominate, to put their opponent in difficulty with courage and with appreciable ideas. It is from this aspect that we must start before entering the pitch against Udinese.
“Another issue that I would like to underline: that Milan only think about the match against the Friulians and not let it drag them further, because I know that this can happen. Champions League matches, and the one against PSG is a kind of in or out, always take away physical and mental energy, and this happens before, during and after. European competitions are deadly, there’s no denying it.
“Therefore, starting from the fact that the draw in Naples said that Milan is still standing, it is essential to focus on the style of play. The Rossoneri have only one path if they want to go far: be a team, behave like a collective, eleven players always active with and without the ball.
“The compactness of the team is essential: the shorter you are and the narrower you are, the less the opponents will find spaces to create problems for you. For this reason, the distances between the departments, which Milan have not always managed to respect at the start of the season, become decisive.
“In essence, therefore, I would say that Milan have the duty to focus first of all on themselves. But I’m sure that Pioli has hit on this issue a lot: when you are convinced of your ideas and are able to apply them, you go onto the pitch with greater peace of mind.
“There is the problem of injured players in this period and the coach will have to manage his energy as best as possible. Don’t be too surprised, however, by these setbacks: when you acquire players from abroad, accustomed to other training methods, injuries are the order of the day.
“There is discussion about whether or not to return to the market in January. Pioli knows the situation very well and is in constant contact with the managers who are ready to satisfy him.
“Returning to the match against Udinese, the only one the Rossoneri have to think about (and I insist on this concept), I see that there is the possibility of deploying the double center forward, therefore the Giroud-Jovic pairing.
“I don’t know what Pioli’s ideas are, who is on the field working every day and has the perfect picture of the situation: if he believes that this attacking solution can produce results, he is right to try it. The important thing is that he conveyed the message to the whole group and that the group received it.
“In the league, in my opinion, Milan can still have their say in the title fight and the match against Udinese is an important turning point. Inter goes to Bergamo and facing Atalanta is never easy. Juve awaits a real duel in Florence.
“For the Rossoneri, in theory, there is the possibility of closing the gap, provided they do things intelligently and aim to play ‘as a collective’. Whoever succeeds, in Italy, makes the difference and Napoli last season is proof of this.
“And then, if they manage to overcome the Udinese obstacle, Milan will have the chance to charge up as best they can in view of PSG: a complicated match, there’s no point in hiding it, but the Rossoneri can surprise. Obviously in a positive way. And then the season would certainly take the right path.”
All this sensationalism…. ‘NEXT TWO GAMES DECIDE IT ALL…” Calma, Ragazzi….. Calma…..
Plenty of games to play. Maybe not in CL, but domestically for sure…