Sky journalist Manuele Baiocchini has explained the key causes behind AC Milan’s poor start to the season under Stefano Pioli.
Speaking outside of Casa Milan for Sky Sport 24 (via Radio Rossonera), Baiocchini took a look at what has been going wrong for Milan and Pioli so far this season and what needs to change after the international break.
He outlined that fact that this is the worst start to a season for Milan under Pioli, with just 23 points having been obtained in the first 12 games. That is nine less than the year in which he won the Scudetto.
He then went on to explain that injuries have certainly been a factor for the team this season, and the incredibly difficult Champions League group that Milan were placed in.
“So far this is the least exciting season for Pioli, with only 23 points obtained in the first 12 games… a good nine less than in the year of the Scudetto. The average has dropped so much, there are extenuating circumstances such as injuries, which were also present last year, and the iron round in the Champions League, so playing every three days against teams like Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Newcastle is clearly more complicated,” Baiocchini said.
“A further mitigating factor is that Milan have already faced five out of six big teams in the first 12 days. Having said that, Pioli will have the task of relaunching it…in these days he is working a lot with the team with the aim of putting fuel in the legs but above all ideas that can lead Milan to be more offensive and prolific in front of goal. Regardless of the physical decline in the second half, I believe that the figure of goals scored is absolutely to be improved.”
Milan are still within touching distance of Inter and Juventus but they are going to need a serious upturn in form to get back into the thick of the title race going forward.
It’s hard to excuse Pioli on the injury front. I understand that he’s not running around at practice, kicking players in the shins, but we have suffered FAR more than “normal” injuries over the entire span of his tenure as manager, AND he has been openly defending his training staff from the sack.
If Pioli was open to management recommendations regarding sacking the training staff and upgrading, I’d give him grace on this issue, but instead he has insisted on sticking with failure, as he has with several other issues.
As with many other issues, it’s not ALL Pioli’s fault, but he IS a significant contributor to the failure in question.
We have suffered FAR more than “normal” injuries for over a decade now…..
Another poster pointed out the demise of Pato after Stefano Mazzoni joined.
The media don’t want to talk about the transfer market that they got oh so excited about….
He is bald but not bold