MN: Power, pace and predictability – several critical flaws in Milan recently exposed

AC Milan lost for just the second time in 26 league games against Parma on Sunday, yet it did highlight some issues that must addressed.

MilanNews write that the bitter defeat at San Siro has laid bare several of Milan’s critical issues that the draw with Como had already begun to highlight on Wednesday and that had been evident throughout the season.

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Last season was a chaotic one that resulted in an eighth-placed finish, so to be second in the table at the end of February is not a disaster, assuming the Rossoneri achieve their objective of a Champions League return from here.

Deep-rooted issues

However, the loss to Parma showed problems that had already been seen before, like against Cremonese or Pisa. The mantra ‘don’t concede first’ is strange and borderline unacceptable when your name is Milan and you have that kind of attacking firepower at your disposal.

In the first half of the season, Allegri rightly hammered home the fact that in Italy, the team that concedes the fewest goals wins. The numbers all point in that direction, and it’s undeniable that huge strides have been made in this regard, but it is not enough.

The flip side is that the squad risk getting bogged down in this cautious mentality, which can sometimes seem excessive. Against Parma, at San Siro, it was sad to see a team with a monotonous pace, incapable of increasing the pace and asking more questions.

Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao are weakened in a 3-5-2 against teams that defend deep. On Sunday night night, only the 40-year-old Luka Modric, and to a lesser extent Ardon Jashari, managed to raise the bar in terms of physicality and pace.

The biggest worry

The play was predictable, easy to understand, and lacking in flair. There was very little endeavour nor intelligence to break down an obvious five-man block, where service from the wide areas and smart link-ups in the half-spaces are usually required.

Post-match, Landucci admitted that during the week he thought the team had worked well in terms of off-the-ball runs into the box, but in the match, this was completely lacking. In the first half, crosses were wasted due to the lack of presence in the box, except for Pulisic’s chance. In the second half, with Füllkrug’s on, the team instead persistently sought to pass the ball off the ground.

There was something symbolic in the second half too: Strahinja Pavlovic’s introduction in the second half. The Serbian is one of the few players capable of disrupting opposing defences with his progressions on and off the ball. If there is a need to bring on a central defender to try to be a bit more dangerous, it means something is seriously wrong.

From now on, Milan will play once a week until the end of the season. There’s time and the opportunity to explore new solutions. Obviously, no one expects Allegri to revolutionise the team, but new keys must be found to shape matches like Sunday’s.