I understand the appeal of a manager who puts a huge emphasis on fitness, physical prep, and bringing in staffers who prevent injuries--especially after the last four plus years of Pioli's track record in these areas.
However, I don't think our team lacks discipline, they lack organization. Our players are trying, they work hard, they try hard, but the lack of organization hurts us--in delicate moments in matches, to keep our shape, and when on the front foot to provide a direction to maximize their talents.
There's been
a new video on Pellegattis channel today where he had his weekly talk with former Serie A match analyst Luca Diddi.
It's again a super informative talk. It got even a little bit heated this time. The sauce of this 20ish minute video is basically this: What we lack is not organization per sé, it's balance. But with the current squad, balance is not possible, no matter the formation, system or organization.
During our Scudetto season, especially in the final stretch, Leao would be basically freed from all defensive duties. We could sustain that because in midfield, Kessie was covering and giving us balance in the midfield as well as Saelemaekers or Messias on the right wing. Usually, when retaining possession, Kessie would then move out wide on the left, Saele or Messias would cover the right flank, while Leao and Giroud would be the only ones staing upfront, forming kind of a very narrow 4-4-2.
Last year, we lost Kessie and didn't replace his characteristics. The only players left to give us balance were Saele and a Messias in poor form. We saw that system crumble already. This year it's even worse: We play Giroud, Leao, RLC, Pulisic, Adli and Reijnders
at the same time. That's only sustainable if those players are as gifted as Barcelonas 2008-2012 squad (their players were so good at keeping ball possession while scoring goals they barely needed to worry about balance) or your squad is fit as fuck and able to run
a lot. We saw that in the first few months of this season, we looked intimidating, but as soon as the fuel was empty, injuries hit us hard and since then the team hasn't physically recovered, thus resulting in us looking so inbalanced.
Now all of that isn't particularly new to folks here. The reason I'm quoting you is because you mentioned organization. Diddi was asked by Pellegatti how he'd solve our current problem if he was in Piolis shoes. He then said since Leao is not good at doing both phases (specifically mentioning that's not an excuse for him, it's just an explanation) by getting a player who can give us balance, whether it's a midfielder like Kessie and/or a maybe not so shiny, but functional winger like Saele and drop one of RLC, Puli, Adli or Reijnders. Pellegatti then replied
no no, tell me what you'd do with this squad. Diddi then reluctantly replied the only thing we could try is to change the current module, but truth is even that wouldn't help much, the bitter truth is with this squad,
there is no balance, and he can't figure out why Pioli not only doesn't seem willing to acknowledge that but he even publicly sais in his interviews that
this is how he intentionally wanted his squad build.
Carlo, you're asking me how I'd make Spaghetti with tomato sauce, he said,
the answer is there are no Spaghettis, I can't tell you how to make Spaghetti without Spaghettis.
