Boy, this is fun, right?!…*facepalm*
Another 3 points lost and Milan is reeling. The Milan Twitter group, predictably, was immediately on the #PioliOut schtick but as usual they don’t really know what they want or offer up anything remotely resembling a plan rather than a knee-jerk reaction. I personally don’t think sacking Pioli does anything of substance mostly because who’s going to come in worth having long term? If it’s just a caretaker, (1) who’s going to take that gig, and (2) would it really be better than Pioli? My answer is no.
As for this game, Milan is in an injury crisis and Pioli ended up starting the game in a 4-4-2 since he was so thin in the attack and the midfield seems to be the only unit with enough bodies at the moment. I saw some people complaining about this decision but to them I ask, is your memory so poor that you already forgot the 2-2 draw to Napoli? The 4-3-3 in the second half of that game couldn’t hold a 2-0 lead but you expected them to produce vs a boxed-in Udinese? In either case, Pioli was going to have to deploy something other than a 4-3-3 if he started subbing players because again, he just didn’t have to bodies up front to play with 3 attackers all game. So, this decision didn’t bother me and the logic for why he did it was sound even if it didn’t produce. Sometimes the best laid plans don’t work much less those forced by necessity.
What this game and formation did crystalize for me was something I have been hinting at for at least the last month and that’s the midfield’s lack of productivity. Let’s look at the numbers from 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 and see how this team compares to the previous two after 14 games across all competitions:
A couple of things that are very striking to me are the goals conceded, which are nearly the same for all three years and kind of knocks down the whole Krunic is the problem narrative I’ve been seeing. The other striking thing is the drop-off in goals and assists coming from the midfield, which has cratered. The defense hasn’t been as prolific offensively either, producing about 50% as much as the previous two seasons, but the midfield is about 33% what it was last season and about 25% of what it was two seasons ago (the attack has remained consistent for all three years.). I will concede that the goal tally for the midfield in 2021-22 is a little inflated due to Kessie being the main PK taker that season, but that’s only a little bit of that total after 14 games. One other stat to help bang this home this dropoff: first 3 games of this season the defense and midfield contributed 1 goal and 3 assists. In the 11 games since? Just 2 goals and 2 assists.
So what’s causing this? I think there are a couple of things at play and it’s something I brought up in the season preview. Essentially Milan is suffering from too many of the same type of player in the midfield and it’s resulting in the team missing vital components needed to play at a high level. Milan basically have a bunch of guys who run and run and don’t do much else.
On the playmaking side, Reijnders looks promising, clearly has talent, but he just isn’t working as the creative force in the midfield and it’s cascading down and rendering the midfield flaccid. I mean look at those midfield numbers up top…Yikes. Someone said in the Udinese matchday chat that it might take him time before he really starts to produce, similar to Tonali’s progression when he arrived. Sure, but with Tonali Milan had Kessie, Bennacer, and Krunic to help cover until he started to produce in his second season. Milan doesn’t have that luxury now. So far he’s played in 14 games, 1118 minutes, and just one assist to show for it. This is not good…not good at all.
The other factor I think most impacting the lack of productivity in the midfield is the lack of players making runs into the box. RLC was doing some of this earlier this season but it started to taper off before it fell off a cliff once he got hurt. Now no one is doing it. Krunic? Nope. Riejnders? Not really and when he does we’re all reminded that he has Saelemaekers finishing boots so that’s no good. Pobega can but doesn’t play and Adli sits back and is probably too slow to do it anyway. Last season Brahim made a lot of these runs and even Tonali and Bennacer were pretty good at taking turns doing the same. Brahim, Tonali, and Bennacer all had multiple goals and assists by this time last season.
Hopefully RLC will get back to making those runs but Pioli needs to make sure all of his midfielders are doing and contributing different things particularly if he’s not going to compensate by having the defense, say the wingbacks, playing more advanced and making runs that are absent right now. Pioli needs to make sure there’s a creative one where that’s his main job. If he sticks with Reijnders then Reijnders needs to focus on attacking and almost nothing else. I like that he runs a lot, and helping in defense is important, but Milan needs him advanced and contributing there, creatively. If not, play Adli but play him with a DM next to him because he’s going to keep being a defensive liability either via cards (accumulation or straight red) or giving up PKs like he did vs Udinese.
Pioli will also need to make sure there’s a box-to-box one to do that dirty work (this shouldn’t be too hard since this is what most of them are doing now) and make sure there’s one to do the DM work of breaking up play and helping protect the backline. All three need to be mindful and take turns making smart runs into the box during the attack to drag defenders, make themselves available, or even just to give the defense something to think about.
I know many of the midfield players are similar but this is what Pioli wanted. It’s up to him to make adjustments because the midfield of the previous two years was less talented but I think was a better whole because they had important and differing characteristics that facilitated them playing important roles for the team and more complete football.
Now, onto ratings.
Player Ratings
Goal Keeping
MAIGNAN 7 Not a whole lot to do as Udinese only got one non-PK shot on target. Guessed wrong on the PK but that’s always a tough proposition
Goal Keeping Overall: 7
Defense
FLORENZI 7 – Solid if unspectacular. Damn near had a wonder goal
TOMORI 8 MOTM – Doing everything right at the moment. Challenges when needed, clears when needed, covers when needed
THIAW 7.5 – MUCH better. Played it very differently when isolated 1:1 and was much more solid because of it
CALABRIA 7 – Milan has adjusted by covering for him when he gets more advanced so he’s not being asked to chase down and cover his side. This has meant when he’s back, he’s more often than not fine, or when advanced he’s able to cross and contribute offensively without exposing Milan on the counter. Good adjustment by Pioli when he’s in there
Defense Overall 7.5 – Solid game for the defenders and were the best unit on the pitch for Milan
Midfield
LEÃO 6.4 – Was Milan’s best offensive threat when good, was garbage when bad. I did like him staying wider in this formation and some of his most promising plays were him using the pitch and speed to deliver dangerous crosses
REIJNDERS 6 – CDK 2.0?
KRUNIC 6 – Krunic has been running hot and cold of late, so he’s either pretty solid or pretty bad. He was pretty bad on the day and ended up leaving injured
MUSAH 6.3 – He’s got the box-to-box part down, would like to see him getting more advanced and in the box when Calabria is staying back
Midfield Overall 6 – Just not good enough and they are really costing the team
Forwards
JOVIC 5 – Was more promising after his first couple of showings this season. Since then? Nada. Never seems to be in the right place or where his teammates think he’ll be
GIROUD 6 – No service so not going to ding him too much on his rating
Forwards Overall 5.5 – Bad
Subs
ADLI 6 – Can’t let this guy play defense. Just can’t. He’s terrible at it. It was his challenge that led to the PK and subsequently the only goal of the match. I don’t mind him playing but it’s gotta be with a DM along side him
OKAFOR 6 – Not great but better than Jovic!
LOFTUS-CHEEK 6 – Looked rusty and tentative but glad to see him back out there. Hope he’s feeling confident come Tuesday and PSG
ROMERO NA – Much better than his cameo vs Napoli. Still, looks more flustered than in the preseason. Need him in games where Milan isn’t scrambling
Subs Overall 6 – Came on and delivered much of the same as the starters, so the lack of a dropoff is good. The problem? The starters were just average at best
Coaching
PIOLI 6.5 – I didn’t hate the decision of going with a 4-4-2. That was the only positional unit with enough warm bodies. But there’s definitely something missing and Pioli’s going to to have to strategically compensate for it or get players who don’t inherently do certain things to start doing them as I spoke about up top
Final Thoughts
I said what I needed to at the top. Milan is at a critical junction in the season and how the next few weeks go will dictate what Milan is playing for come 2024. Whatever it is that Pioli decides to do he needs to do it with conviction and get his team to buy into it. It’s the only way it – whatever it is – is going to turn this around.
Next up: PSG tomorrow in what could be a must win depending on what Newcastle and Dortmund do.
Forza Milan
gillis
