AC Milan legend Mauro Tassotti has diagnosed some of the issues that Paulo Fonseca’s side are having in the defensive department, while also urging Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao to apologise.
The new coach Fonseca pledged to work on Milan’s defensive phase during the preseason, and yet the team have let in six goals across the first three Serie A games of the season, conceding two in each game.
The worrying thing is how many of the goals that Milan have let in have come from similar circumstances – crosses from the right side – which indicates a trend that they have failed to fix after other teams attempted (and succeeded) to exploit it.
Tassotti is someone who knows exactly what it takes to make a virtually impenetrable back line, and he spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport to pick out what he sees as the issues at present.
“Milan are struggling to be aggressive and dominate games It’s a tricky part of the campaign; the physical shape is far from ideal, and a new coach needs time to enter the players’ minds,” he said.
“The team is unbalanced and concede from counter-attacks. I think they want to defend as a unit, while we saw man-on-man defending last season. I don’t know how much time Fonseca has had to work on this. It takes time and hard work, it can’t happen from one day to another.
“Most importantly, Milan must defend as a team, and if they want to be attacking-minded, they need strikers to track back. I am not only talking about Leao.
“In modern football, you attack and defend with 11 men. Today’s defenders cannot defend with a numerical disadvantage, so they need help from everyone.”
The Leao and Theo cooling break saga continues to dominate the headlines after they refused to join their teammates and coach Fonseca during the Lazio draw, and Tassotti believes the pair should own up.
“It was not nice to see. The players should apologise, even if only just inside the locker room. It was a crazy thing, and Theo’s words sounded like an excuse. The attitude was wrong. There’s nothing else to say.”
“Most importantly, Milan must defend as a team, and if they want to be attacking-minded, they need strikers to track back. I am not only talking about Leao. ”
“In modern football, you attack and defend with 11 men. Today’s defenders can not defend with a numerical disadvantage, so they need help from everyone.”
Just last week, I had a few geniuses try to tell me that Leao should not track back because he needs to preserve his energy for offense so he can shoot the ball harder at the fans in the stands.
Inter, Juventus defenses are great because they defend with all 11 players. Milan is always at numerical disadvantage because some players think that they are too good to track back, but the midfielders and defenders get all the blame.
Milan earlier in the Pioli tenure weren’t better defensively just because of Kessie but also because of Rebic and Saelemaekers who pressed hard and tracked back.
Emerson is taking a lot of the heat for Chukwueze losing his man.
Man the issue here is that we can’t debate, express an opinion without being insulted or discredited.
You were right on that. I don’t think we can say that Leao is lazy as he’s always in top form. He’s nonchalant. I hated him the first two years because of that attitude but since he emerged as the top offensive target and there’s nothing to complain about. Maybe he could do more but Pioli knew how to use his strengths. He’s involved in almost all Milan’s goals, either because he’s involved in the playmaking or because the defense is focused on him, opening lanes somewhere else. He can’t play 90 minutes twice a week, with his electric offensive runs and defend at the same time without getting more exhausted and that could be detrimental to the offensive production of the whole team. Maybe Okafor could play more. Just my opinion here.
I agree on Chukwueze. Saelemaekers was good enough in Pioli’s system because he was defending on the right wing. Messias as well. Pulisic as well.
Yeah, but what does Tassotti know? Nothing. The internet-experts on the other hand know EVERYTHING. 🙂
fronseca needs to be shown the door. the managment need to be shown the door.
im glad leao and theo hernandez took a stand.I support leao and theo before anyone of the coach or managment because non of them have done anything of good for milan infact they are respobale for the regression of my club milan where as leao and theo are the main reasons we have come out of the banter era.
i would have done this to fronseca also if i were in there position. clearly this is a coach they see in training day in and day out and they see that he is someone who clearly dosnt know what hes doing and dosnt trust in him.
this fronesca needs to know that respect is earned its not given.
no matter what anyone thinks leao and theo are bigger then fronseca and earn 3 times what he earns. how is someone who earns less then you at your job going to do a power play on you… its not happening. in conclusion fronseca is a waste of time and leao and theo rightfully made a stand against the management and an incapable coach
Commendatore Mauro, one of the greatest defenders to ever grace our football club. Gli Invincibili. 37 clean sheets in one season. He knows exactly what he’s talking about.
Imagine that he only got 7 international matches in his career that is a pretty crazy thought.
Nooooooo!!!! He knows nothing. The internet-experts know better!!!