There was one Milan up until the beginning of March, and there has been a different Milan over the last eight matches. Paradoxically, there are more similarities than real discontinuities, yet we became so quickly attached to the team from the first half of the season that the current one seems unrecognisable, as relayed via MilanPress.it
And yet? And yet, as predicted, they are more alike than one might think. The recurring theme of the low defensive block is not a media invention; it is something that was carefully planned in a settled environment, which initially brought rewards but is now instead consuming the team from within.
The blame
When so many aspects stop working, there is never a single major fault. There is a combination of factors that today presents us with a side that is barely watchable, beyond the individuals involved, with very few exceptions.
Because the real major collapse is that even the defence no longer works, which is the very foundation that, one way or another, kept Milan in Inter’s wake up until the return derby. 12 of the 32 goals conceded have come in the last eight matches, essentially 37.5% of the entire season in that stretch alone.
The trend in performances and results over the course of the season tells us that Max was able to instil confidence and compactness while the target still felt distant, but he has not found a credible way of interpreting things when it would have been enough to consolidate the league position with a slightly more carefree but still courageous approach.
No certainty
And now it is difficult, because the only true leader has been Modrić and, barring miracles, he will at most be available for the final home match against Cagliari. Genoa is a crossroads to be faced with a depleted squad due to suspensions and a lot of confused ideas. There is not even certainty about the formation, let alone the names.
Allegri has been coaching in Serie A for 18 years, apart from 2024–25 when he has been a spectator. Unfortunately, collapses in the second half of the season have sometimes happened to him, both in his first spell at Milan, which cost him a league title, and in his final Juventus sides.
All this despite him being the first to argue that championships are decided from March onwards. He has repeated it many times, but evidently not always does repetition help.
