AC Milan lost last weekend 5-1 against their bitter rivals. But, the big and heavy loss must quickly be put behind as the focus should be on Newcastle now.
In fact, even the club management wants to turn the page as they place their trust in the coach and team. According to what is reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport this morning, Geoffrey Moncada had a conversation with the head coach after the loss, but he also talked to the technical staff and the players.
The former Inter and Fiorentina boss is not under discussion. However, it was recognised that the derby was a very bad moment for the club and that the good signs shown in the first three games of Serie A have been 'shaken'. To find out if the match against Inter was just a stumble, they will need to take the field: tomorrow, Milan is called to react against Newcastle in the Champions League. There is support to the coach, but an immediate reaction is needed. The coach from Parma will not only have to rely on the new players, who for the first time did not have an impact in the derby, but also on the charisma of the "veterans" of the team, hoping they can pull the Rossoneri out of the quicksand they suddenly found themselves in.
To turn the page, the Rossoneri problems exposed by Inter must confronted and, in a way, disproved once again. Not only must continuity be found for the newcomers, especially those like Chukwueze and Okafor who have played less, but defensive solidity must also be regained, and the available alternatives must be exploited. In the first case, against Newcastle, a more attentive Milan in the defensive phase is necessary, taking fewer risks: not leaving the flank exposed to the opponents. Against "smaller" teams, you can get away with it, but against Inter and in the Champions League, you almost systematically get punished: the defensive structure needs to be rebalanced, involving the midfielders as well.
As pointed out by the Italian newspaper today, the ball movement was slow in the derby and it's now becoming a habit for Pioli's team against Simone Inzaghi. However, even alternatives were not efficient. Olivier Giroud was left alone and was replaced by Luka Jovic, who only trained at Milanello with his teammates only three times.
The alternatives need to be integrated more consistently if they are to become a factor in the game.
