Former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi is not a fan of the tactical tweaks that Stefano Pioli has made and even sent him a warning.
Milan had a simply dreadful start to the new year as they conceded 18 goals across their first seven games and also had a winless run of seven matches across all competitions, invoking what many described as a full-blown crisis as the team dropped from second to sixth and lost in two cup competitions.
Pioli then made the decision to switch to a three-man defence to try and add some more protection in front of the back line and it has produced three straight 1-0 victories, including one in the Champions League against Spurs.
However, the performances have been far from dazzling in that run of games and Sacchi has told La Gazzetta dello Sport in his weekly column that he is not a big admirer of how Pioli has changed things.
“Something happened and it was difficult to predict. The syndrome of success has blocked Milan. They were not accustomed to winning and Pioli started to have fear, so he relied on tactics to stop bleeding,” he began.
“Therefore, he used a three-man defence which in reality is with five men because the full-backs often track back. With this, they don’t have a numerical advantage and playing well is hard. The use of tactics always pays off in Italy but remember that a tactician always loses against a strategist.
“Pioli was a strategist and I’d be sorry to see him on the list of tacticians. Which Italian club has won the Champions League the most? Milan, because they’ve always played strategic football.
“A strategist always puts playing style at the core of the project. The tactician must buy big name players to compensate for the lack of general organisation. Milan were on the right track, but then they went backwards.
“The founding fathers had thought of an offensive and team sport. Here we have lost these original characteristics, transforming it into a defensive and individual sport.
“But this is not the path to follow if you want to continue entertaining the public. Pioli was the architect who designed the beautiful creature of last season and was able to win through intelligence and ideas, generosity and courage.
“His Milan played with eleven men always in an active position, as Napoli do now. So I hope he will return to that path, which can only be followed if one strongly believes in his ideas.”
