11 games, 6 losses , 2 draws , and 3 wins. Even the most pessimistic Milan fan wouldn't have predicted this disaster at the start of the season. The Rossoneri have now
experienced 3 back to back losses, fans of the red and black like me have
become accustomed to losses, going into every game hoping for a victory, content
with a draw, and deep down, expecting a loss. Like the fans, I’m pretty sure
the players feel the same way, and in my view, only a change in leadership will
break this psychological barrier to help Milan get out of it’s free-fall.
I was shocked last night listening to Champions League
commentary when one of the analysts said “Well, if they sack Allegri, another
coach is gonna come, and what’s he gonna do?” Well, another coach could do much
more. This is not a team that should lose half at its games. Yes the best
players have gone, and the squad has many average players, but there are still players
with great potential and every Milan fan knows that this squad is not playing
to the best of their abilities.
The passing is shocking the game plan is confusing, there
is no stability in the lineups, and the result is a lack of organization and
chaotic displays.
Let me start by what Allegri has done:
1.
He has played 11 different
defensive lineups in the last 11 games. Surely after a few games, a coach must
have an idea about who is the best person for which position. Not only does
this lack of consistency hurt the player’s confidence, it also makes it
impossible for the team to gel as every week a certain defender is partnered with
a different player.
2.
Milan have conceded more
than half their goals as a result of set-pieces which further proves that
experimenting with the defensive lineup hinders any chance of progress. Also,
conceding so many goals from set-pieces is
a direct result of the coach not addressing such a pressing, yet simple
issue.
3.
After the favored 4-3-1-2
lineup failed, Allegri switched to a 4-3-3 where the team showed signs of
progress, however, after the international break, the 4-3-1-2 was re-introduced
and resulted in a 3-0 lead for Lazio. The coach then changed to a Gung-ho
strategy to make the final score 3-2, and then claimed that we were unlucky
not to get a draw.
4.
The most recent
experimentation was a complete disaster when Allegri fielded a 3-4-3 last night
against Malaga. This was quite dysfunctional as Milan only created 2 or 3 goal
scoring chances while Malaga never looked like losing.
5.
Apart from the defensive
lineups, until the last match, Allegri has insisted on fielding Nocerino and
Boateng in the starting lineup when both players were extremely out of form.
Emmanuelson was in top shape in preseason, yet he only played a few minutes in
the past few weeks.
6.
Pazzini in my eyes is an
atrocious player. Little skill, can’t dribble , can’t finish, can’t press, can’t
hold up play, absolutely useless. Yet he plays every game.
7.
The Shaarawy and Bojan
partnership looked very effective when they played together. There was a
natural chemistry between those players. We saw those 2 pair up in 2
consecutive games where the team performance improved greatly, but then Bojan
was inexplicably dropped.
The list could go on and on about how poor Allegri’s team
management and squad selection has been. When he won the Scudetto with Milan,
the team had leaders on and off the pitch (Seedorf, Silva, Nesta, Gattuso, Ambro,
Ibra, Van Bommel). If he failed to motivate, then the senators would step in
and take charge of the situation. At the moment, Allegri doesn’t inspire
confidence in any of the players, and Ambrosini seems resigned to defeat. There
isn’t a Gattuso, a Nesta, or an Ibra to shout a battle cry to get the team back
on its feet.
What would a new manager bring? Well for starters, every
Milan player knows that Allegri will be replaced in the next weeks or months.
If the average employee knew their boss was leaving, they certainly wouldn't be
performing to the best of their abilities. On the opposite side, Allegri has
probably already packed his bags, and hence, he wouldn't put everything into it
either. A new manager would bring stability to the team, the players would
improve their performances, and the team would get a much needed injection of positivity.
Chelsea last season were collecting defeats with AVB, then
DiMatteo took over and won the Champions League with the same set of players. Yes,
maybe Chelsea had better players than Milan, but it still shows how a change in
leadership can improve the team. On the other hand, we have also seen teams
suffer after a change in leadership, however, after only 2 months into the
season, Milan have almost lost their chance of a Top 3 finish in the Serie A,
and if their current performances continue, will most likely be eliminated from
the Champions League. They have nothing left to lose.
Milan need to sign a great manager, someone who knows what
it means to be a part of this legendary club, someone who can instill
confidence and fighting spirit into the team, reignite the flame, and the will
to win in every player.
