DEFENSE AND midfield are still concerns for Milan, 5 games into this Serie A season.
At the start of the season, it seemed like Milan had turn the corner with two straight victories over Lazio and Parma, both matches decorated with plenty of goals – eight in total. While there were concerns over the number of goals conceded (5), this new enthusiasm was embraced by most.
Three games down the line and caution might be more appropriate, the Rossoneri have only picked two points out of a possible nine conceding 4 goals in the process (against average oppositions with Juventus being the exception). It is early days yet but it will be folly to ignore the warning signs. Highlighted below are two pertinent issues Milan must address to get out of this conundrum.
Defence! Defence! Defence!
The first five games have been laden with individual errors, from usual suspects Bonera and Abbiati to the usually calm De Sciglio; the defenders just cannot seem to keep their nerves. This precarious situation continuously deprives Milan of valuable points that would otherwise have cemented a top of the table standing for the Rossoneri. Inzaghi needs to resolve this quickly as failure to do so might erode the dream of European football next season.
Bonera should be as far away from the team as possible and Inzaghi should decide on his starting pair for the central defence. Consistency is one of the key factors in building a formidable defence, while De Sciglio’s talent cannot be questioned, a guaranteed starting berth even during his weak spells will only harm both the player and Milan. Armero must be given a run out thereby creating healthy competition between the pair.
Fluidity in Midfield
While our ball possession has improved significantly, there are still numerous moments in matches where the players are static. This usually leads to predictable long balls to the wings or upfront making it easier for defenders to close the spaces.
here must be continuous movement in midfield as this not only ensures possession but also creates more goal scoring opportunities. Every Milan player on the ball must have at least two pass options ensuring fluidity in our play. Teams like Juventus, Barcelona and basically all the top teams are good at this and Milan simply cannot afford to do less.
Our attack has been proficient so far but it can be better, fluidity in our play will definitely facilitate this. Milan must be unpredictable and lethal in possession as this is the trade secret of champions.
Forza Milan!
God articel and i agree! I would also add that our attacking problems may be caused cuz pippo play alot of our offensive players in roles where they dont shine as much as could do in their prefered roles, i am very optimistic for this season (think we as fans need to be) and i also keep in mind that many new players has arrived and they need to ajust to the team. It will be tough but 3rd place is possible!
Forza milan!
I agree with your analysis. I also think that there has to be a well established core group of player that Inzaghi can build the team around.
The core players should be:
Lopez
DeSciglio
Abate
Rami
Dejong
Menez
Torres
These players should be constant starters and the rest are players that will complement this core group.
————–Lopez——————
Abate—–Rami—–Zapata—DeSciglio
——-Montolivo—DeJong————
—-Honda—–Menez—–SES92——–
————–Torres—————–
well i guess MDS lost it this year….i would give chance to armero….exactly how it is in article….he needs competition
It’s too early to judge but the campaign so far have been reminiscent of Leonardo’s. Entertaining at times but lacking balance. I think it’s a deeper problem. What Milan have been doing since 2008 is patching things up with temporary solutions especially with players over 30 and mostly strikers. We need to go back and study the Ancelloti era. How he with specific purchases took us to the top of the world. It was a wave of incredible players. I unfortunately don’t see any long term solutions in the this squad except for MDS who started the season badly, SES… Read more »
Every successfull Ac Milan team through out our history has always been built on a world class defence that almost never made mistakes, now every transfer window our defence is always overlooked in favour of bringing in countless midfielders, why is that? I know this year we brought in Alex and amerio but let’s face it there hardly world beaters, even when Maldini and a short time later Nesta retired they still decided to sell silva who is the best center back in the world and loved and wanted to stay with us for life, silva and rami would be… Read more »
Well said! You could try to add spaces next time between sentences, so it will be much easier to read.
Just a tip 😉
Unfortunately Milan is a pathetic joke of a club. The squads full of fodder, free transfer trash and rejects nobody else wants. 90% of Milan’s entire squad would be bench players at Juve, Roma, Napoli etc. What’s worse is the non-existant ‘youth project’. Milan sold their 2 best young talents (Balotelli + Cristante) and DES has significantly declined. He’s looking like Constant out there at LB these days. Also, SES was a 1 season wonder who will NEVER regain his 1H2013 form. He’s too one dimensional and everyone has him figured out. Furthermore, Mastour hasn’t played a SINGLE senior/youth team… Read more »
@galianisux Ac Milan as a club is certainly NOT pathetic there actually one of only a handful of clubs left that have been hugely successful and won many many trophy’s without an incredible amount of sheik investment, if you want to look for a pathetic club then look no further than those clubs who you claim are laughing at us because I’d imagine there PSG, Monaco, Chelsea, Manchester City or any other club who now claim to be “giant clubs” who have zero history or soul and should crawl back down what ever shit hole they came from before some… Read more »
Well said nas. I despise clubs like that who have no history or meaning. They just have overpaid stars bought with ridiculous amounts of money. Which is why today, forza Roma.
Time can tell us whether sheikh investment is good or not, same as milan in 86 berlusconi spent a lot to the team and the team become the dream team. I think we shouldnt memorize all the good things in past and we should see our future, money is important but not just about money we should have a good management, thats what we got in 86, money and a good management. Anyway i saw roma vs city today, roma played very attractively and i dont think that their player are much more better then us, then why we cant… Read more »
I to was cheering for Roma tonight and all true football fans like @Rkay should shout for clubs playing against those cheaters who have ruined football by trying to buy success, man city make me sick and they even have the audacity to include 3 stars on there club emblem which should only be assigned to clubs who have actually earned them by winning major honours, With a lot of hard work and determination clubs like ours can and will succeed against them as was proven by Athletico Madrid who just lost out on a champions league winners medal by… Read more »
Football have totally change but inzaghi didn’t know about that tribalism is not in football now there ‘s some players that will not supposed use for milan but inzaghi trying to give them playing time than others “bonera, abbiatti, pazzini, essien, even de sciglio is too sluggish it’s bullshit.
Fellow football fans, I want you to know this: one wrong move in football can corrupt the whole system. I was watching barca yesterday. What I saw was definitely not the barca I know. It was the martino barca. The defensive minded barca that was created because of corrupted mgt decisions. It’s going to take time for Luis Enrique to bring back the barca that we know. Coming to Milan. It was definitely wrong to hire Allegri. His mentality still lives within Milan. Seedorf was the complete opposite of Allegri and we fired him. Tassotti has made it no secret… Read more »
A GOOD COACH MAKES GOOD PLAYERS. When Seedorf was around even bonera was watchable. Taraabt was a benchwarmer in England but became our sensation with Seedorf and galliani became JEALOUS! I NEVER could’ve turn on my set to watch baryen Munich play, but now I don’t hesitate to do it. A GOOD COACH MAKES GOOD PLAYERS. Pato was a sensation with Leonardo, I won’t forget the our UCL fixtures with Madrid, right after ancellotti left and we were in trouble with aging players and an inexperienced coach and Pato put hope back into our hearts, he made us smile against… Read more »
Another biased piece from another biased milanista! Keep blabbing about Bonera while Rami keeps chickening out on one-on-ones and Zapata keeps making repeated errors. Keep blaming Abbiati as if it is his fault that his replacement miskicked an innocuous pass and ended up in Milan lab. Keep blaming Muntari while Poli keeps running around like a poor man’s Flamini (read: headless chicken). Face it, our CBs suck – Bonera or no Bonera. We will only improve defensively if we take a cue from Roma – defend as a unit. Forza Milan!
@ cyborg, u are wrong about Allegri. The same Allegri has 5 games in a row without conceding given the resources he needed. Let your Conte comes, he will be a flop too. You don’t sell your players without confirming replacements. Conte left Juve because some players are sold and no replacement yet. Seedof relieve of his duty with no wrongs(for telling the management the truth). Milan failure is not coaches fault.
Don’t hip praise on Allegri yet, his work is yet to be seen. What you see now at juve is Conte’s momentum. Wait till it runs out and Allegri mentality takes effect, then start talking. The point is the coach’s job is not just to pick eleven players from a pile of star players, like Mancini at city. He has to work with what he has, and be able to modify each player to make him better. Juve never bought conte any star players like everyone wants Berlusconi to do; he made the players he had look better. Take Matri… Read more »
In his first attempt as coach, Seedorf got 36pts in the last half of the season. If he had started with the season he’d have gotten AT LEAST 72pts, in Italy that’s probably good for position 4, and taking into account that teams usually get accustomed to the coach’s tactics as the season goes by, there’s a strong possibility that Seedorf would’ve gotten us into the UCL. When this situation accelerates to the worst there’s going to be a lot of friction between the now very close Berlusconi and the mgt.. I hope it will be last we see of… Read more »
@ Cyborg
I complitley agree with you. Let just hope Pipo makes wanders with Milan.
Here is the Rumors for January:
S-20 MITROVIC
S-23 LACAZETTE
S-23 KRAMARIC
SS-18 GABRIEL BARBOSA
AM-25 TAARABT
RW-23 SHAQIRI
RW-22 JOEL CAMPBELL
LW/RW-25KONOPLYANKA
M-22 BASELLI
M-22 GRANIT XHAKA
M-21 ADAM MAHER
M-21 NABIL FEKIR
DM-21 KRANEVITTER
DM-21 JOHANNES GEIS
DM-21 LUCAS SILVA
CB-22 FABIAN SCHÄR
CB-18 JONATHAN TAH
CB-21 LISANDRO MAGALLÁN
CB-19 MARLOM
CB-17 SEBASTIÁN VEGAS
LB-27 VANGIONI
LB-20 WILLEMS
Let see what Galliani going to give to Pipo.
Milan forewer.
@alluallu
Don’t be a fool. It’s going to be none of them !
Not that I wouldn’t like one of the signings, but its just not gonna happen.