Arrigo Sacchi has named the players that he believes the current AC Milan squad are missing in order to take the next step and push for the Scudetto next season.
Milan are approaching a very important summer window, and while the expectation is that the management will not bring in 10 players as they did last summer when Sandro Tonali is sold, there is still some room to improve the squad.
For example, a new striker will be needed. Olivier Giroud is expected to soon sign an 18-month contract with LAFC in Major League Soccer, which means there is a hole there to be filled in terms of goals but also leadership.
In other departments, there have been calls to sign another central defender and central midfielder too, to try and add a bit more balance to areas that have been stretched at times.
Sacchi spoke during an interview for La Gazzetta dello Sport about the planning phase that the Milan management are currently involved in ahead of the summer mercato.
“In the spring, usually, the future is planned, players are chosen for the following season, evaluations are made, also based on how the current season will end, and important decisions are made,” he said.
“Milan, who are in second place in the league and who will be involved in the double match against Roma in the Europa League, are certainly already laying the foundations to build something important.
“The fans, in this period, dream, just as happens in the summer: famous and less famous names are circulating, possible signings are discussed, the desired teams are drawn.
“It’s logical to imagine what Milan could be like tomorrow, but first I would like to take a step back and remember what happened when I landed on the Rossoneri bench. The previous year’s defense was made up of Tassotti, Bonetti, Baresi and Maldini: it had conceded 21 goals.
“I didn’t want to keep Bonetti, who was already in the national team, and replaced him with the one who until then had been his reserve, namely Filippo Galli.
“Result? We conceded only 14 goals, we won the championship and for almost the entire championship we were unable to use a certain Marco Van Basten.
“This is to say that it is not the individual who determines the fortunes or misfortunes of a department: we defended with the team and attacked with the team.
“Even though I know that making a speech like this in Italy is practically useless, because no one wants to listen, I insist: you never know when someone will open their ears.
“So, before asking ourselves about the possible signings that Milan can make, let’s ask ourselves: do the Rossoneri defend and attack with the team today? No. Or, at least, not always.
“So, this is an aspect that needs improvement. Because the four back there, if they are not adequately protected and supported, get into difficulty, lose confidence and everything gets complicated.
“And the same goes for attacking action. Milan must become a single, compact block that moves in perfect harmony and where all the players have a function.
“It is said: the Rossoneri will need a centre-forward. True if Giroud, who has done very well so far, decides to leave. The Frenchman was very useful and when choosing a successor we will have to listen to the coach’s requests.
“If it is still Pioli, as I hope, I believe he will aim to have an attacker with movement characteristics, also willing to sacrifice himself when not in possession. Often meeting Milan fans, I hear myself asked this question: would Zirkzee be good? The answer is not simple.
“The boy is talented, he is part of a group that is playing excellent football (Bologna are the real surprise of the season) and he is an attacker who loves to build the action. This means that he participates in the build-up and communicates with his team-mates.
“He has already scored ten goals with Bologna, and that’s a lot. I see him doing well at Milan, as long as the Rossoneri team truly become a collective. In the mercato, instead of the feet, you need to look at the players’ heads: you need reliable and intelligent elements.
“I wouldn’t exaggerate with many signings from abroad: it always takes five or six months for kids from another country to settle into our league and Milan have no time to waste.
“Basically, looking at this year’s squad, I would aim to make at least four purchases. I would say a striker, and Zirkzee would be a great profile. With Pulisic and Leao on the wings, the department would be fine.
“And then you need a very intelligent midfielder who is very willing to run. Finally, I would look for two defenders: perhaps a winger and a central defender. Obviously you can use names, but to do so you must first know the budget available to the managers.
“I believe that Pioli’s team should not be overturned, but only retouched. And I think that we must then work to acquire those gaming principles suitable to make the squad increasingly European. In the long run, when they are good, ideas make a difference.”
We can sign Haaland, Saliba and Rodri but under Pioli we will still look like a rag tag bunch. His time is over, was over last season..
half disagree, half agree. lol Some players have blossom under him. Think of Leao, Tonali, Bennie and Kalulu, Tomori. They all have potential but bloosom under him. What bothers me is two things
1. They played because at the time injuries forced pioli to play them.
2. For some reason everyone bar few exception takes a year to settle in. as in WTF. Some do, i get it, but most of them….. i put it on Pioli
There could be an argument made that they are just such high quality players that would’ve blossom anyway anywhere and Pioli had little to do with “making” them. Not kalulu tho. He was good for about 4-5 months
“Because the four back there, if they are not adequately protected and supported, get into difficulty, lose confidence and everything gets complicated”
DM anyone?
“would Zirkzee be good? The answer is not simple.” …”I wouldn’t exaggerate with many signings from abroad: it always takes five or six months for kids from another country to settle into our league and Milan have no time to waste.”
True true and true!
I’m not sold on Zirkzee or Sesko (who looked ordinary vs Real first leg esp). The new guys are finally finding their feet ..it does take 6-8 months to get accustomed. Things we’ve been saying all along.
“Basically, looking at this year’s squad, I would aim to make at least four purchases. I would say a striker, and Zirkzee would be a great profile. With Pulisic and Leao on the wings, the department would be fine.”
Sacchi still likes Zirkzee. You can’t call him a “kid from another country” any more.
““Because the four back there, if they are not adequately protected and supported, get into difficulty, lose confidence and everything gets complicated”
DM anyone?”
Not needed if everyone plays as a team. Just like Sacchi said. Defend as a team, attack as a team. That simple.
But for a kiss-ass-Pioli it’s easier to get a DM than ask politely for everyone to participate in defending and attacking.
Yea but that’s the problem, we don’t defend as a team. No one wants to defend in the middle. We don’t have mids that want to do the job. They all want to attack attack attack
Agree, Sacchi was right on the nose with that comment. Difference between Inter and Milan is the team aspect of defending and attacking. Pioli is capable of enforcing that team aspect in both phases but he experimented with this extreme version of 1v1 moments and it worked in a lot of ways but the one negative aspect overshadows all the positives. If he can be convinced (by Zlatan I’m sure) to change, they can just touch up the squad and we’ll be ready to challenge for the Scudetto next season. The biggest question in new signings is replacing Giroud’s productivity and glue he provides in build-up play. To attack as a team, we’ll really need a solid striker than can finish chances and one that can help link the wingers and midfield. That’s going to be hard to do but with Zlatan and the “promised funds”, anything is possible.
Well Sacchi had a legendary midfielder named Rijkaard to work with so…
Also to defend as a team, you need a midfielder than can defend even if it’s not necessarly a defensive midfielder and currently, the best we have defensively wise is an out of shape Bennacer. Someone once remarker that inter, the best defensive team this season, has no true defensive midfielder, but the truth is, all their midfielders defend better than ours.
Pioli seems to want everyone to attack and defend but this man marking approach is simply not working. Too much confusion, players having to step out of position, sometimes marking a player then another, leaving holes and opponents unmarked and an over-reliance on duals which is the last thing you’d want to do. Defending in a more zonal way can do us wonders for starters.
Rijkaard is so soooo underrated. Kept things tidy and quiet. He allowed everyone (Basten and Gullit I’m looking at you lol) to do their work in peace. Kinda like Kessie did…and that’s the problem we’ve had since.
“Someone once remarker that inter, the best defensive team this season, has no true defensive midfielder, but the truth is, all their midfielders defend better than ours.” Couldn’t have said it better.
The defending by Reijnders and Adli is lightweight and RLC only comes back to defend when he feels like. Otherwise he’s up there loafing for a tap in goal. His physical presence can and should be used better in the defensive phase (cuz when he does we always win) 🤷♂️
Sacchi as per usual, talks out both sides of his mouth.
He says that Milan should defend as a team and attack as a team, but then he says that he hopes Pioli stays even though Pioli is the opposite of defend and attack as a team.
Having being a coach before, you certainly don’t expect him to go to the rooftop shouting that a coach should be sacked.