It would be a huge mistake to condemn Milan after just one league match, especially considering that last year Napoli lost 3–0 in Verona only to sew the Scudetto onto their shirts at the end of the season. But in the last 18 months the Rossoneri have gone through four different coaches, without showing any real improvement, if anything, they’ve regressed.
Even last night, against a well-organized Cremonese side, it was clear how heavily this team depends on Leao, on his bursts of inspiration, his sudden accelerations, the kind of plays that can completely split an opponent’s defense in two. It was a season debut to forget, just as it was a bitter return to San Siro for Allegri as a protagonist after 14 years.
The ex Juventus coach expected a very different type of match from his players, who in the span of a week went from the fairly convincing display against Bari, regardless of the opponent’s level, to a dark, confused, and above all immature performance against the grigiorossi. Max had hoped to start with a win, but instead a number of alarm bells have already started ringing after this first defeat of the season, as relayed via Milannews.it
One of the most evident concerns is certainly up front, with Santiago Giménez looking like a ghost on the pitch, devoid of ideas, grit, and above all, the desire to make an impact, despite a few bright moments early on, and partly overshadowed by a superb performance from Baschirotto, who also scored the opening goal. For a team determined to erase the memory of last season’s eighth-place finish, there could hardly be a worse start. Yet perhaps a result like this will push the management to make those final efforts in the transfer market, because a true centre-forward and a central defender are needed, no ifs, no buts.
