Yet again AC Milan fail to exploit their Champions League rivals mistakes and continue to lose valuable points against small teams. Is there a the recipe for success?
Another 2 points dropped with another good performance. This is perhaps the most painful conclusion about yesterday’s encounter. If you do not win when you’re close to your 100%, the problem is serious. The Rossoneri should have had six points from the last two games against opponents like Cagliari and Atalanta but the 2 draws are not a coincidence. They are a testimony of the problems that AC Milan has and that probably Gennaro Gattuso can not solve.
His desire to make a modest squad (Higuain apart) to play “good” is commendable but maybe it’s time even for him to accept the mediocrity of the group and start playing to win 1-0, not 5-4. Today, Milan needs to be more “ugly”, solid and compact. The philosophy of the Row Z, as Guardiola calls it, must also be used. Meaning humility to understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of putting it precisely in Row Z sometimes. The value of a good old-fashioned Row Z clearance should not be underestimated.
This regarding the attitude, then sometimes football is much more simple. If you don’t substitute the best midfielder on the pitch certainly helps, and yesterday Gattuso unfortunately did the opposite without a logical reason. Giacomo Bonaventura is one of the few irreplaceable players of this team, even more so if the alternative is a natural defensive midfielder like Bakayoko.
The 29 year old Italy international, ironically former Atalanta, is the most creative midfielder in the squad. Perhaps in similar situations Rino should change formation rather than opt for head-to-head substitutions. Today, it hurts me to say, but it is clear: Gasperini overturned the game with two moves, Rino did the same, but in negative.
