Hi all,
First time poster, but long time lurker (probably since 2009 or so). I feel compelled to post and express my thoughts following the January disaster.
We've played like crap since the beginning of the season really. We were staying afloat, but it seemed clear that eventually we were going to hit a wall. We desperately needed reinforcements. Seeing Kessie rot on the bench at Barca when he could be a wall in our midfield yet again has been really disappointing. To fill this gap, I would have expected Pioli to modify the tactics to play a 3 man mid much earlier in the season. This should have been tested in pre-season frequently at the very least. I've also noticed we haven't even tried to play a 3rd mid in the cam role almost at all this year. Playing Krunic or Kessie there last year was very effective and allowed us to grind out results. It allowed us to essentially have a 3 man mid defensively, but also a mid higher up the pitch who could provide needed pressing. We don't have this at all when playing with Brahim or even CDK at CAM. It's crucial especially when playing with Giroud who can't provide the pressing energy of Rebic, for example, up top.
Just to throw out some more opinions of mine:
Dest has been a complete disaster and one of my least favourite Milan players in years. I never want to see him wear our shirt again. I would have liked to see Kalulu shifted back to RB in some games with Thiaw partnering Tomori.
Back-up LB has also been a disaster with FBT being pretty much unplayable. Putting it all on Theo is too much.
I agree that RW is a paramount need, but I also think that what Salad provides when he's on form gives us balance and is manageable. Too bad he's pretty much forgotten how to play the past year or so.
I also fully believe in CDK. He needs both time and playing time. I see the flashes like we saw with Tonali (albeit different) in their first disaster seasons. Not willing to comment on his subpar performances until half way into next season.
Back to the crisis: I strongly disagree with the Maldini haters. For me, it's all on ownership and Pioli. Maldini clearly has nothing to work with. Yes, he's made some mistakes, but all directors do. He got us to a Scudetto and he's still new to the job. Ownership silence has been disgusting, and I hope the pressure piles on when they realize some investment is necessary. They seem rigid, and they must understand that sometimes intervention is necessary even when you're following a specific growth system.
I want Pioli gone (his decisions tactically and team sheet wise this year have been baffling). But, I also don't think it would do anything at this point in the season. For me, he should get a bit more time this season. Bringing someone new now wouldn't help our chances at Inter next game in my opinion. Assuming he recovers soon, he should still be gone at the end of the season. Now is the time in our project to bring in a manager who can take us even higher (not sure who that is yet). Perhaps Gallardo, previously from River? I've watched a decent amount of South American football, and his team set ups were very impressive.
I hope to contribute more in the future, Forza Milan!
