Luca Serafini believes that Stefano Pioli remains the right man to lead AC Milan forward and also thinks the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will provide further assurances regarding the project.
Pioli came under fire in recent weeks after Milan went on a winless run of four games which included three defeats against Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Udinese, as well as a 2-2 draw against Napoli from a 2-0 lead.
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However, the win in the return game against PSG on Tuesday night has provided a big collective boost during a difficult moment in the season, and now the hope of everyone connected to Milan is that it can be a springboard from which to relaunch the season.
Serafini spoke in his weekly column for MilanNews and he addressed those who had sharpened their blades to go after Pioli at the first sign of trouble, while also stressing how important Ibrahimovic’s comeback could be.
“The more I think about the matches against Newcastle, Borussia, Paris St. Germain and the first half against Napoli, about those 7 victories in the first 8 league matches, the more I am convinced of the refrain that I have been reciting by heart for some time, let’s say even a few years: the more Milan’s biggest limit, danger, opponent and problem are injuries,” he said.
“Too frequent, too numerous, too penalising. No judgment can be complete and credible if it does not start from this assumption. Starting line-up, bench, substitutions, game system, are constantly conditioned by this falcidity which Pioli himself often places emphasis on.
“It is not an alibi nor a justification for the coach: he is responsible, he knows the situation, he must intervene. 360 degrees: injuries, lineups, changes, formation, attitude, results… Where’s the news? The coach is by definition, salary, role, primarily responsible and consequently lives on hot coals, on the gridiron.
“In March Simone Inzaghi was tied to the trampoline of the vessel, ready to become food for crocodiles, and at the first Nerazzurri difficulties he will return to centre of the viewfinder. Mourinho and Sarri always are, Garcia too, Allegri let’s not talk about it.
“Only Gasp lives in an inviolable curtain, among the top-class coaches: at Atalanta you live better between expectations, pressure and repeated sporting miracles (of work). It’s another story.
“At Milan, Sacchi, Capello, Ancelotti, let alone Pioli, walked on a tightrope. Who is not infallible, he makes errors of evaluation and stubbornness: I have not met a coach in my life who was not stubborn.
“And how could it? I don’t defend Pioli, I limit myself to analysing the path of these years in which, with players all to be evaluated and injuries that occur every week, he has given the Rossoneri team back credibility, results, competitiveness and a dignity that had been lost in the sense of affection and belonging.
“I repeat my opinion: he remains the right man who arrived in the right place at the right time. And as far as I’m concerned, it remains so. I would like to know, among the head-choppers scattered after the match, what the possible alternatives would be.
“Criticism is healthy, it is good, it helps, as long as it is not a priori, dictated by sympathy or antipathy. Or the mood of the moment. They must be based on clear analysis.
“The stories of arguments, rifts, insults, discussions, hands on each other in the locker room or even in the hotel, find neither proof nor confirmation and a proud performance like that of Tuesday evening certifies the unity of a group which – like many – suffers from discontinuity especially due to repeated absences.
“The bar talkers, who unfortunately also belong to a small representation of Rossoneri fans, according to whom the 2022 Scudetto would have been given to Inter and the 2023 Champions League qualification to Juve, do not belong to me: when one wins, there is always another that loses.
“So, where would be the need for public intervention for a company that has chosen a low profile from day one, not commenting on fake news, arbitrage, uncontrolled market rumours? Right or wrong, profitable or not, this is the attitude and this remains.
“Today we talk about Ibra’s return as a manager (or consultant, as you prefer): when he returned as a player in 2020, Mino Raiola told me that he believed in the project and was convinced that Milan would be great again. It was a relief because we had come after too many years of apathy, dismantling, mediocrity and confusion. He was right.
“If he now accepts a managerial role, tailor-made for him, it will be a further guarantee of the solidity of a project that continues: he will be neither a spy, nor a mental coach, nor a totem erected at Milanello. He will be a manager with experience, wisdom, desire to learn and grow in a new profession. Paolo Maldini succeeded with pride and passion.
“Between the league and European competitions, everyone has their say on the calendars. A topic that has never fascinated me in any way. Between alleged favouritism and back-of-the-envelope calculations, everyone must follow their own path and in the end will draw conclusions. If there is something wrong with the system, the issue must be addressed in June, not in November.”
Meh. If at the end of the season we get that star we want and play good football i might be open for him staying. Otherwise his time is up. Been up for a while.
3 sets of crysis in this the year of 2023. One is plenty, 3 times is a pattern. What good is a coach if he cant deliver on the goals the club has?
I’ve done my share of defending Pioli before. No more.
Right man, my asssss
I also want a change and i have a preferred choice, but this argument was good 👏👏👏, well articulated, insightful, wise piece
I thought he’s done better than I thought he would be at this point of the season. The first 10 league matches were kinda brutal, so to ‘somewhat’ still be in contention of Scudetto, despite embarassing losses to Inter and Juve, is actually quite decent. Of course, Napoli, Roma and Lazio’s slow starts helped. But we tend to do better when playing against ‘good teams’. Against the more defensive ones, now that’s gonna be worrying tbh.
Which brings me to the negative. I recalled the site quite stunningly mentioned that the management had given Pioli a ’70-goals-attacking squad’ to work with this season. Therefore, to only be scoring only 2 goals in UCL after 4 matches is piss poor. The team STILL seems to rely more on individual brilliance instead of well thought out plan to pry open tight defences.
Anyway, I’m kinda lost interest this season, and honestly at this point of time, I too am indifferent about Pioli. However, for those who are asking for us to replace the coach midways – don’t. He will be judged at the end of June, and shaking things up in the middle of a season usually is never a good thing to do. But is he the right man at the right place and at the right time? This statement would be accurate during the period in which he guided us to the 19th.
Pioli is an Interista in the first place, though he did deserve a spot in Milan’s hall of fame after all.
Having better cycles comparing to Seedorf, Inzaghi, Brocchi, Gattuso & Giampaolo.
Siniša is out of the question.
He has done statististicaly better than all of those you mentioned and allegri incuded as well so calling pioli an interista when he actually also played for juventus is just daft unless you can actually moster a quote where he says he is an interista himself.