Ever-present risk of setbacks [Newsletter]

Feb 21, 2024

Just when we thought AC Milan had gained enough momentum and confidence to really make things interesting again, everything fell apart as so many times before this season. The defeat against Monza had many culprits, and that in itself deserves a long discussion, but the main takeaway is that the roller coaster that is this Rossoneri season continues.

Heading into the clash against Monza, Milan were certainly flying high after the win against Stade Rennes in the Europa League. And with that win, it felt as though the Rossoneri fans were coming around to the fact that perhaps, yes perhaps, this season could be quite interesting after all. Then, as written in the stars, came another unconvincing display with many issues.

Pioli was certainly bold to make five changes to the starting XI, benching some of the stars albeit keeping Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the pitch following his brace. And while this was perhaps not ideal decision-making, the two goals conceded in the first half stemmed from really poor defending from Malick Thiaw. Probably the last out of the changes that Milan fans expected to have such a negative impact.

Then, of course, as the Rossoneri tried to work their way back into the match Luka Jovic was sent off. There wasn’t much to his slap on Armando Izzo’s face, let us be clear, but the Serbian still fell right into the trap. In spite of all this, Milan managed to equalise after a great display off the bench by Christian Pulisic. What an equaliser indeed, finding the top-left corner with his weaker foot.

The Rossoneri claimed zero points in the end, which was a great shame, and it certainly brought us fans down once again. Because this season has truly been a roller coaster in every way, from a plethora of injuries to the unexpected return of Matteo Gabbia (and his impressive performances). So where do we go from here, and how can we keep momentum even in the face of adversity?

There is no doubt that the game against Rennes will tell us a lot about the team’s situation. Just as it hasn’t been easy to support Milan this season, it cannot have been easy for the players either. This is something we must keep in mind as we analyse the remainder of the campaign, though coming back from these situations has always been Pioli’s strength as a manager. Unfortunately, he seems to be struggling with the rest.

Maybe this is all just rambling, but the point is that this season continues to be its usual self. Milan - as well as the fans - are constantly living on the edge, almost awaiting that next slip-up. This is obviously not a healthy outlook and the sad thing is that the Rossoneri probably need more than just a few weeks to change this. And beyond the time aspect, perhaps new personnel is needed too.

News bulletin

➤ Milan Primavera failed to bounce back from the collapse they suffered in their 3-3 draw with Sassuolo as they lost 2-1 away against Genoa at the weekend, and after the game Ignazio Abate had some very honest words for the team.

➤AC Milan Women haven't had much to cheer about this season but they recorded a much-needed morale-boosting win against city rivals Inter on Sunday afternoon, claiming derby bragging rights with a 2-1 victory.

➤ Milan made 10 signings during the last summer transfer window but they are planning further big investments in the mercato ahead of the 2024-25 season, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim. There are 3-4 positions targeted, and the spending could top €100m.

➤ Gerry Cardinale opened up about his first year and a half as the owner of Milan in an interview last week. He shut down the recent takeover rumours, also expressing his support for Stefano Pioli who has been doing ‘a good job’.

➤ Rafael Leao's autobiography 'Smile' came out on Tuesday, and there have already been a couple of interesting extracts relayed such as how he didn't get along with Pioli at first and also his account of the racial abuse incidents involving Mike Maignan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

➤ In our latest feature on the site, we took a look at Stefano Pioli's battle with rotating effectively during his time at Milan, including the alibis and the mistakes. We also had another analysis praising Matteo Gabbia's impact since returning.