AC Milan have made a poor start to the 2024-25 season and there is a collective responsibility to be shared, a journalist has written today.
It would be fair to say that things have not gone to plan for Milan since they had a brilliant preseason in the United States, beating Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona as part of the Soccer Champions Tour.
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The Rossoneri had to battle from two goals down against Torino on the opening day to rescue a late draw, and then on Saturday they were beaten by Parma 2-1 at the Stadio Tardini to make it just one point from two games.
Milan have registered their worst start to the season since the 2011-12 campaign, when they also claimed just one point from the first two games. While that season ended up being quite good after all, there isn’t a lot of optimism around this one.
Antonio Vitiello has published his usual weekly column for MilanNews and he pulled no punches regarding the decisions that have been made in the build-up to the season start.
“We suffer upstream, from Ibrahimovic’s choice to focus on Fonseca as coach in the summer when many other coaches were free. From Conte to De Zerbi and Thiago Motta, passing through other well-known faces, the idea was to trust Fonseca for the post-Pioli, also for a question of salary. And already here the choice was quite questionable,” he said.
“But after having made this type of preference, it was necessary to carry out a rapid mercato, to make players available to the new coach immediately ready, to give him the necessary time to work on his tactical ideas.
“Instead, the reinforcements arrived in mid-August, with the season practically underway. The strategy was to wait until the end of the market to have lower transfer fee costs, but by doing so the technical aspect was underestimated, and in the first two days we saw a lot of improvisation. Milan are not ready yet.
“Furthermore, the squad still seems incomplete, because Morata-Jovic is not that different from Giroud-Jovic, just a little better but no big leap in quality. Probably with the Spanish striker it would have been advisable to take another striker.
“There are 4 days left until the end of the market, we will see what happens. A lot also depends on Bennacer’s farewell, in that case something else can be done.
“The responsibility also lies with a coach who has not yet been able to convey his ideas after a month and a half of work, and already seems to be in difficulty. So much tactical confusion, the players on the pitch do not know what to do (by their own admission).
“The very high defence leaves the opponents the opportunity to propose themselves on the counterattack, taking on water from all sides. Here we are talking about a ‘defensive phase’, which starts from the attackers and then moves on to the midfielders and defenders. Bad feelings have arrived from Parma.
“Let’s move on to the players. If someone no longer wants to be at Milan, or prefers to start an adventure elsewhere, whether for economic or environmental reasons, let them say so. Milan needs people who play 100%, without walking around on the pitch.
“We need to talk to the players and understand their intentions. But who should do it at Milanello? Ibrahimovic and Fonseca are the only ones suited to this job. We need to get the players’ availability for a certain type of work, for sacrifice, as soon as possible, otherwise the season will go really badly.”
Motta? They should have decided on Motta basically in December last year when it became very clear that Pioli was heading out.
They didn’t and will suffer the consequences for a long time.
Well it didn’t only happen in coach recruiting, did it? The lengthy talk also happened on the new players recruitment. Like I said in the past article, there’s always a trade off for everything.
Ibrahimovic???
Well well well…
Why suddenly Ibra is being thrown under the bus?
Where is smart mouth Furlani?
Who was holding on for Fonseca because he is cheaper and ‘YESS BOSS’ type of coach?
Wasn’t it Furlani and Cardinale who didn’t want Motta because he has a ‘small’ resume and lack of experience and Conte because of his ‘attitude’??
Wasn’t it Ibra who was pushing for Conte?
Wasn’t it Furlani who was backing up Pioli in March and refusing Motta when we had the opportunity???
Why fingers are not being pointed at Furlani and Cardinale but Ibrahimovic?
That’s sad that there is no mole anymore at Casa Milan to tell us the mess that is happening there.
It’s all about ambitions in the end. They all like to repeat that they’re ambitious. It’s true. Jerry’s ambition is to make money, Furlani’s ambition is to please Jerry, Zlatan’s ambition is to learn the Wall Street business.
Pioli had one of the best records for a Milan coach ever. He won a Scudetto starting from scratch. He witnessed his team losing its best players year after year because of a cheap policy and had to craft with pedestrian players. Maybe it was right to let him go since he might have reached his ceiling as a coach but Fonseca is clearly a downgrade. With proper ambitions, investments and a wiser recruitment, maybe top coaches like Don Carlo would have been interested in the job. We will never know but that business first policy is killing everything that has been built patiently since 2018. And it’s not like you can’t do both, Gazidis is the architect of the impressive growth while Maldini and Massara brought the right players. I can’t wait for the team to relocate to San Donato so Jerry can go back to his widget factories.
It’s not Furlani, it’s Moncada who is to blame. It’s Moncada who always looks overseas and ignores Serie A talent and especially Italian talent. Moncada wanted Emerson, everyone was against the move because he’s garbage, he wanted Matty Cash, Fofana and I’m not sure who else. We could have signed Bellanova for a little more. The Fofana deal dragged on for a month, and we ended up paying Monaco what they wanted in the first place! Amateurs. Ibrahimovic has nothing to do with transfers, nor does Cardinale. Fonseca had 2 minutes to work with the squad, he’s not to blame. Now he’s under immense pressure and is lashing out. Pre-season was promising, we can’t ignore the positives from that.
Moncada needs to be fired for sure. Not sure if he is taking some bonuses from transfers but it wont suprice me if he does. He just brings players for the sake of bringing players, no quality no vision if the player fits in the system what so ever. I dais long ago that he is a fraud, supposed best scout and still haven’t found one big talent for us.
Well said.
Bellanova is a wingback do you ever stop to think before typing?
nah too hard
You either failed to read the article, didn’t understand it or just wanted to create your own bizzare narrative. Just weird mate. Pre-season??????
Funny how you only focus on the transfers that are questionable…. and only apparently Emerson.
What about all the scouting that Moncada got right? Conveniently forget about the likes of Theo, Leao, Pavlo, Reijnders, and so on?
yeaaaaa……
In fairness Moncada started well at Milan. Though I wouldn’t call finding Leao/Theo great scouting, they were hugely talented and expensive young players.
The likes of Kalulu was an amazing find and young Simic, unfortunately they have been dumped.
He has had quite a few stinkers, too many to mention
Bottom line is he should scout and someone else should be in charge of building the team, it’s getting very messy now, too many square pegs in round holes.
He has also had quite a few years to find us a striker and still has not. The likes of Leipzig have Openda and Sesko they signed for reasonable prices
“it’s getting very messy now, too many square pegs in round holes.”
Good one 👍🏻
Ibra only push for Conte and Van Bommel not Fonseca
Conte was never going to be appointed because he earns massive money and honestly even if he is good, he is terrible to manage. No thanks.
Motta was already in talks with Juventus from way long before. After that, not a lot of coaches were available or at least not in the economic aspect of the club. Who would be better? Italiano? Juric? Come on….
Honestly now!
Their first mistake in Milan was to fall into the old trap of changing coaches for trivial or hardly any sound reason or just because of one so-so season.
The squad did not need another revolutionary overhaul but the consolidation of the defence and some lustre in the attack.
Now we watch patiently.
All these negative articles need to stop. Journalist have no respect. Let the man work before we all crucify him . 2 games. It’s only 2 games
Agreed. It is gonna take a hot minute to get this thing into gear. Hopefully we aren’t too far behind in the Scudetto race by that point.
Milan is paying now for not firing Pioli earlier than they did.
I see you moved on from blaming Maldini to Pioli. You’re making progress. Real soon now you’ll actually stop blaming everyone who’s not at the club anymore and see actual clowns in charge of this circus.
You’re right. Let’s go back to the ownership of the Chinese that preceded these “clowns”, or go back massively into debt under Silvio’s latter years…
That’s a dedicated ownership! Can’t wait to have players like Constant and Emanuelson and coaches like Seedorf and Brocchi back in this club to elevate us back into European Apex.
Damn, you’re still with Chinese? And I thought this 🔴⚫️ is desperate.
Yea no, you’re right. Dodge the question. Throw more emoji’s in.
Ahaha so basicly the management was wrong and the fans were right about hiring the new coach. So much from Cardinale supporters argument that the management know better just cause they are the management lol. Well, Fonseca can still turn things around, but Motta is on a different level and not even in his prime yet as a coach. Milan missed on a great coach.
At pre season we play without Theo and Leao and with players who gave 100% for club,and we play great. Now Fonseca put at team Calabria( who not renew contact), Theo( who want left club) and Leao( who think is a star and dont need run at game) and we have what we have,disaster game with Torino and Parma. He need put those 3 at bench and we will play more better and we will win im sure 100%.
Fonseca need take response and move this 3 players from pitch or he will be sacked,because they never play good anymore at our club.
“Leao( who think is a star and dont need run at game)”.
Good one pippo 👍🏻
Clowns trio Furlani-Moncada-Ibra…viaaaaa !!! Incompetenti !
Very good assessment of milan’s current situation. Spot on.
If milan really want to compete with the very best in europe (at least this is what they seem to say), cardinale and his management need to use the same strategy as other successful teams ….. invest millions and get the top cream and not aim for ten big names and then get a cheaper eleventh one after haggling for four months!!!!!
Thank you for these “told you so” articles. It makes it easier for us “doom&gloom” squad not needing to say it.
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!
Giampaolo is Real!!!
Everyone was screaming to bring Motta yet they decided to bring a downgrade to Pioli.
The most painful for Milan supporters is gonna be the end of the season of Juventus wins the title (most probably they will win it) knowing we could have Motta if it wasn’t for our clowns directors. They keep talking about winning and taking the club to the next step but what are they doing? They got us Musah, Loftus, Royal, Morata and not paying more than 20 mil for a player. Oshimen is on his way out from Napoli why they don’t put some effort trying to bring him to Milan? We need a top striker. Atalanta made a better transfer window than us and seems to have bigger ambitions.
Atalanta will smash us this year
Yes. Atalanta has big chance qualify for champion league next season.
They mercato is really great. Bellanova, bresciani, bayer leverkusen centre back, retegui, patricio as second goal keeper, samarzic, and the others. At least they get grade 8 for the mercato.
Stop smoking that sht 😂😂😂
That display from theo was shocking. I really hope hes knackered and its not a clash with fonseca. Anyone of us couldve ran faster than him. Even in that heat. Maybe he needs more rest. Or is sulking cause no ones noticed his new hair. We laughed at the saelemakers choice playing lb. But maybe its still a better option after the parma game. Or we bring in bartesaghi from futuro. Anyone deserves to play there over theos performance. Even ballo toure!
Thất bại đầu tiên là trong suy nghĩ của ban lãnh đạo… Họ chỉ muốn lợi dụng hình ảnh Câu lạc bộ để kiếm lời (tiền) chứ không có mục đích tìm kiếm danh hiệu…
A good team can get away with mediocre signings and ambitions for so long. The few quality players will carry the group.
Eventually there is a collapse.
Maldini knew we needed a leap in quality, so they fired him.
Now we see good proven players shown the exit in exchange for mediocre and most importantly CHEAP alternatives.
Of course 1 or 2 will do well but overall the squad will diminish.
Juve brought in a quality young manager and are now on the verge of signing Koopemeiners, they are making a leap in quality.
This is gonna be a long season!
Maldini again! This is so embarrassing wth these little fanboys that have to bring Maldini in to every conversation.
You know Maldini’s tears can cure cancer.
Maldini was going to bring peace to the middle East but those darn American owners fired him.
Maldini was going to end world hunger but the evil American owners fired him.
No. Maldini was fired because he made a bunch of mistakes. He let our most valuable players leave for free so we didn’t have the money to properly replace them. Then he made a whole list of terrible signings. Do we need to list them all again? There were plenty of reasons to let Maldini go. Grow up and get over it.
LOL what a rant!!
My post was not about Maldini! But I guess you can’t make a coherent point to defend the mess that has been made by management.
How many players have been signed between last summer/winter/this summer 16? 17?
No Backup LB
No proper DM (or back up)
A child as back up keeper
A 32yo striker with no back up
About 75 box to box midfielders
Oh and a manager who has achieved nothing
Oh and least I forget
No CAM or backup CAM
Though we still play 4231
It’s like someone through a pile of sh1t at the wall and called it art
Exactly. The article is not about Maldini but somehow no matter what the conversation is about the same people always find a way to work Maldini into the conversation. It’s so tired. He’s gone. Move on.
ANd what about the signings? You don’t think the squad is improved over last season? Really? You don’t think Fofana was good signing? Say it now.
You don’t think Pavlovic was a good signing? You don’t think Morata is an upgrade over a 36 year old Giroud?
I want anyone to try and make the argument that the squad is not stronger now than it was last season.
Jiminez is a backup LB
Fofana is our DM
Our child backup keeper looked great so far so who cares about his age? Didn’t Donnarumma start for this team when he was 16.
A 32 year old striker is an upgrade to the previous years of starting a 38 year old striker and a 36 year old striker. And we have a backup, you may not like him but he’s our backup.
And finally the manager. We had a manager that had accomplished something, and in the last 4 seasons finished 2nd, 1st, 4th and 2nd again, but everybody wanted him out.
Maldini’s leap in quality was CDK, while Dybala was available. And he got fired for speaking out publicly against the management, like Boban did.
Maldini wanted Dybala, ownership said he didn’t fit the model. It’s all very confusing really as now we have Morata
That doesn’t play out, because CDK cost more in transfer fee than Dybs, who had higher wages.
I 100% agree.
I thought at the time it was foolish not to sign Dybala a proven high class player, still in his prime.
Many people here kept bringing up his wages (€6m).
Anyway in the end the management preferred to invest in a young player with potential resale value. Pity
CDK proved out. 14 goals and 11 assists last season?
Dybala was 29 yrs of age and makes 7M season and Redbird would not approve as it was over our wage cap and youth policy
But yes, correct – Maldini was fired for calling out Redbird after semi-final defeat when he said we had to spend more $ to complete w the best.
Well written article. Pretty much spot on. Says what a lot of had already said on this chat. Now the season isn’t yet over after 2 games – BUT it doesn’t look good and IF we continue like this we will be out of the Scudetto race after round 5 (Inter) and lucky to hold on to top 4.
It’s pretty comical to read the responses from the Redbird Lovers. No blame for Ibra, Furlani, Gerry etc….and the SOLE blame now is for Monacda- the lone holdover 😂😂. It’s pretty funny because Ibra takes credit for signing the coach and players; Furlani and Gerry control the transfer spend and wage cap spend – but apparently they are not to blame and it’s all Moncada’s fault. Those are the same donkeys who said previously that when M&M were here – Moncada just suggests the players to buy but it’s was M&M who decided. LOLOLOLO. How convenient. Someone better tell Ibra to stop taking credit publicly for these wonderful sporting decisions or he will be next on the chopping block – if you can find him that is – heard he still hiking in the Alps – its Day 7 after all.
Apologies I forget there are so many Xbox geeks on this chat who don’t understand the game of football. Heck one genius even referenced the PRE-SEAON as an indicator of our future success in the league LOLOLOLOLO Ya because the pre-season where most players are still getting in shape; youth team players make up the majority of the team and stars barely play and winning games (as opposed to avoiding injuries) is meaningless / ya that is always the best gauge to judge a teams readiness 🤡🤡
Truth is the choice should have been Motta. We had him he wanted to come – but then Mr Pioli went on a 7 game win streak against a bunch of mediocre teams and the genius management team decided to pause talks with Motta and WAIT. Great decision. The result is we picked a mediocre coach with a mediocre history who would only ask for a mediocre salary to lead our team. Genius. But ya it’s all Moncada’s fault LOL
It then begs the question: when Moncada is scapegoated and fired – and we are still in this mess – whose fault will it be then????
Good times
Also – wasn’t it Gerry and Fulani themselves that said this is a COLLECTIVE management team??? That Fulani Ottavio Moncada and Ibra ALL have input and they work collectively?????
Again very convenient that the Redbird Lovers somehow gloss over that fact and now try to blame just Moncada. Hilarious
Real leadership starts at the TOP. All should take responsibility when they fail and all should be praised when they succeed. It’s a TEAM effort – not solely one man. Grow up
I once asked this question and am. Yet to get a reply. When things go south again, whose fault will it be then.
Because it seems everything is an excuse for something else. First
Milan wants this macguffin
Certain lovers get hyped and say this and that gloom and doom, watch Milan do this and then keep shut.
Milan do not get that, but use a thinly veiled excuse for not getting it. Previously mentioned group buys the Kool aid and says so and so we’re overrated and we are good.
But for two seasons, Milan has not been good.
We do need to chill and see the way the season plays out. BUT AND A BIG BUT when things go sideways, who would accept the blame. Because now the new format is hangover from. Pioli time and Fonseca been made the scape goat.
Motta wouldn’t be able to save this Milan with lazy Leao and Theo in the team.
Motta’s teams, the ENTIRE TEAM, embrace collectively attacking and defending as a TEAM.
When you have lazy arses refusing to make an effort to run back to block a cross from reaching opponent goal scorers, even Motta’s tactics would fall apart.
Motta already mentioned that in his last interview after match day 2. His tactics would fail in Milan simply because Leao, Theo are lazy and refuse to defend properly.
In a glass half full kind of view, he actually can. He’s never afraid to field young and exciting talents. Even as the starting line up. Just look at Juve’s line up in the first two match. Something that I really hope that Fonseca dare to do. And he can make a strict and somehow not very popular view in the case of Chiesa.
But in reality many of his words don’t match with his action. He said players dint have age, yet in the season’s beginning he said our young players should be monitored and protected carefully. He said he needs a balance in the full back department, yet he signed Emerson. He said he will have a different approach in defense. In reality, well, this one is correct tho. We did defense differently, in a worse way.
Ummmm no buddy
Well you just said it and contradicted yourself at the same time – “ Motta’s teams, the ENTIRE TEAM, embrace collectively attacking and defending as a TEAM.”
Yes – Motta seems to get anyone to buy in to his playing style and tactics – last year was proof of that and so far Juve look great without any of the new signings contributing – using YOUNG talent with early success.
BUT then also according to you – he can do that with anyone BUT Theo and Leao????? Which one is it?? He can or cannot get everyone “ the ENTIRE TEAM, embrace collectively attacking and defending as a TEAM.” lol
And NO there is no interview where Motta said his that it wouldn’t work at Milan because Theo and Leao are lazy lol. That is completely made up
Come on bro
So obviously the C-suite team have talents but none of them know football on the ground level and Ibra isn’t wise enough yet to tell them. Maldini did, but he did it in an unprofessional way, so he is gone now. But you can’t bring players in so late in the off season just to save some money in the short term, you’ll lose more money in the longterm if it doesn’t work. This includes finishing in lower places, not progressing in UCL, and having to sell players for less and hire a new coach, thus paying 3 coaches at once. Moncada, Furlani and the rest should be held accountable, but let’s focus on their actual short comings, I don’t think talent scout is one of them. You can find really good talent but that doesn’t mean it will always gel and perform together. Maldini knew this and so did Boban, b/c they played at the highest levels. Ignoring that is as bad as the Maldini obsessed fans that want him back. To be honest, I’d take him back now too lol. Ideally, he’d join the team and work with Ibra but I don’t see that happening. I think Furlani is a rat, he has been around since 2018/2019 but I think he’s jealous of real footballers and he thinks he can use his intellect for all situations. I think, he’s the one who back stabbed Boban and wanted Leonardo gone again. I don’t have any proof, just a feeling. If anyone should be given his walking papers, it’s him.
the problem was to bring fonseca even tho is only 2 games we had so many better option and the signings we made we still dont have any real dm or a backup no world class rb or even good no theo back up and brahim was our last real cam but right now we dont have any cam or any backups these owners are so cheap buy avarage players at best while competing for serie a and ucl. look at juve they got a good coach a good dm douglas luiz and close to getting koopmeiners meanwhile milan got emerson that is awful morata isnt to bad but the problem is his age stahinja pavlovic is pretty decent and fofana is a another box to box midfielder