Pseudo breaks and confidence blows [Newsletter]

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Nov 14, 2024

Just like the last time we had one of these international breaks, AC Milan’s confidence - and above all the enthusiasm among the fans - has been shattered by another silly misstep. First 1-2 against Fiorentina, now 3-3 against Cagliari, and Paulo Fonseca is losing more and more ground no matter how many ‘new’ things there are at the club, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic tried to pin it on.

Everything has already been said about the Cagliari draw, from the disappointing mentality to the questionable rotation in defence, so we won’t rub it in by picking up the magnifying glass once again. We will say this, though, in a season where the Scudetto race has been closer than ever - at this stage of the campaign - Milan still find themselves behind those at the top.

To say that it’s disappointing doesn’t even cut it, and yet Ibrahimovic has justified the slow start by pointing out that many changes were made in the summer. Changes which, by the way, the management chose to go through with and should have accounted for in their 2024-25 masterplan. The Swede might be right in the long run, but that still doesn’t excuse what we are seeing at the present.

In any case, another international break is now underway and as we always say, this isn’t really a break of any sort. You could definitely argue that it’s more negative for Paulo Fonseca as his key players still have to work hard, just not under his orders. When it’s all said and done, with a total of 15 players called up, the Portuguese manager gets about one or two days with a full squad before the next game.

Speaking of the next game, it’s a big one for Milan as they will be taking on Juventus at San Siro. The Bianconeri are currently six points ahead of the Rossoneri with one more game played, so you could easily look at the points tally and think that they haven’t been that much better. On the other hand, they haven’t lost yet (6W, 6D) and also have more than double the goal difference (+14 vs. +6).

This means a strong performance will be needed from Fonseca’s men, as we saw against Real Madrid, and the defence has been a huge topic of discussion in that sense. It looks like Matteo Gabbia will be back at the manager’s disposal for the game, which would be a huge boost, but the question is who will join him in the heart of the defence. Strahinja Pavlovic, Malick Thiaw or Fikayo Tomori?

Based on what we have seen in recent weeks, Thiaw has been the most reliable after finally regaining some form, somewhat closely followed by Tomori. Pavlovic, on the other hand, seems to bring chaos with him and that could be a recipe for disaster against Juve’s frontline. Nevertheless, regardless of the starting XI, it’s clear that a win is a must for Milan otherwise all hell will break loose.

News Bulletin

➤ Milan Futuro were so close to going into the international break with a fantastic win against high-flying Arezzo having twice led, but they conceded in the 89th minute to draw 2-2. Alex Jimenez scored a brilliant solo goal that has drawn comparisons with Theo Hernandez's against Atalanta.

➤ Milan Primavera clinched their third consecutive win after a strong performance against Cagliari, eventually winning 2-0 as Mattia Liberali scored. The other goal came from Alessandro Bonomi, and the Rossoneri are top after 11 games as a result.

➤ The AC Milan Women had their good run of form ended by Juventus, losing 3-0 in Turin. Girello, Caruso and Cantore scored for the hosts, leaving the Rossonere in sixth with 13 points from nine games.

➤ Most of the speculation going into the break has been about renewals, so here is the latest: Theo Hernandez is asking for double his current salary according to Sky, Matteo Gabbia is close to signing his, Tijjani Reijnders is happy and wants to stay despite interest from abroad, while the Mike Maignan update is positive too.

➤ In terms of mercato news, the management appear keen on signing a midfielder in January with a Genoa and a Verona star linked, Federico Chiesa could arrive on loan under the right conditions, Daniele Maldini's return cannot be ruled outand Geoffrey Moncada still likes Warren Bondo.

➤ Our features in the past week include an assessment of Milan's Champions League hopes midway through the 'league' phase, a look at what awaits with Rafael Leao's future, an examination of Moncada's position amid an expiring contract and a tactical analysis of the Cagliari draw.