It's looking bad for Paulo Fonseca. He barely had time to enjoy the victory against Venezia before he found himself under fire from critics and fans once again.
After the match against Liverpool, for the first time, both the team and coach were openly criticized following a start to the season that has fallen well below expectations.
Now Fonseca's position is once again on shaky ground: let's see how the odds of Paulo Fonseca being sacked change as we approach the derby against Inter.
Fonseca's sacking possible?
Let’s start with what may seem obvious: losing to Liverpool is understandable, given the technical gap and wage differences between the two squads. What angered the fans, however, was the resignation with which the team approached a game that started off promisingly after just a few minutes, thanks to Pulisic’s opening goal.
The stats are clear: 12 shots from the Reds on target to 2 for the Rossoneri. The English not only scored three goals but also hit the woodwork twice and forced Maignan into a couple of saves.
On the Italians side, things were eerily quiet, as reflected by their expected goals of 0.60... practically an unconditional surrender, confirmed by the chants of disdain from the fans (fewer than 60,000 in attendance, signaling the loss of faith that was already evident before the game) who left the San Siro before the match had even ended.
With this backdrop, the odds of Fonseca’s sacking have plummeted again, down to 1.45 with Sisal and Snai and 1.55 with Gazzabet. The bookmakers are clearly convinced that a change on the bench is now inevitable.
Possible replacements for Fonseca...
The derby thus becomes the last chance for the Portuguese coach, who has managed just one win (against a weak Venezia) in five matches, along with two draws and two defeats. Far too little given the high expectations from the management (led by Zlatan Ibrahimovic) and an expensive transfer campaign, which has so far failed to deliver the expected results.
If Fonseca is sacked, names like Maurizio Sarri and Massimiliano Allegri, experienced profiles who might be a good fit for the Rossoneri to try to salvage a season that has started under a bad sign, are emerging as potential replacements.
Source: Gazzetta.it
