AC Milan, in the first three league matches, has offered the fans a subpar product.
Two points in three matches make Paulo Fonseca the coach with the worst start in the league in the club's last 40 years, and that’s a fact. It's also clear and evident that there are problems from the top to the bottom of Milan in the sports area. These issues are so obvious that not even the most optimistic person working within the club can muster the strength to raise a finger and say anything different from the reality.
This isn’t Hollywood; it’s Milan, and this club has always been a symbol of excellence in the city. But this statement is nothing more than one of the many commercial claims that can be used to try and appease those who don’t live in the reality of the situation.
Is this really the Milan that Gerry Cardinale wants?
The founder of RedBird, who arrived incognito at the Stadio Olimpico, without any communication, watched on as the Rossoneri drew with Lazio in a match where all the shortcomings and fragility of a structure that is too American to work in Italy were exposed, both on the field and in the stands.
As pointed out by Milan News, Cardinale was seated next to Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada, but his right-hand man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was not by his side.
There’s no point beating around the bush, and it’s equally pointless to look for excuses: Ibra isn’t acting as he should. He’s getting everything wrong, from communication (including on social media) to his actions in person. Ibra is the man in charge inside Milan, but if these are the results... Well, "Houston, we have a big problem."
His absence in Rome, due to vacation, is a grave act for someone who is supposed to be the on-field leader of the structure. Zlatan Ibrahimovic left the team and the coach alone in the match where the fragility of Paulo Fonseca’s appointment as coach was fully exposed. This is unacceptable, it hasn’t gone unnoticed, and it’s not the "Milan way."
Former club executive Adriano Galliani, his point of reference, would never have done such a thing. It’s evident that RedBird’s philosophy of not placing a true and credible field figure next to the team isn’t working. The problems are the same as last year and, in some ways, have been magnified.
On Saturday night, after the match, a heavyweight sporting director (like Giuntoli, for example) would have torn into Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, regardless of the official explanations given on state TV.
A strong director would have done so with the full support of the management because that scene, broadcast worldwide, caused a huge damage to Milan, its image, and its prestige, especially since it came from two players who had the honour of wearing the captain's armband. Massimo Ambrosini’s post-match thoughts on the matter were impeccable.
Fonseca is in tough a spot at Milanello...
The core business of a football club isn’t just the balance sheet but, above all, the results on the pitch. Coach Paulo Fonseca's choice, who is on the same level as Pioli in absolute terms, has been wrong so far. Hopefully, Milan will shift gears after the break, but Liverpool and Inter – after Venezia – could be 180 decisive minutes for the gaffer's position.
Milan, the gap with Inter might even be bigger now...
Then, there's a strong sense that the gap with Inter has widened significantly this summer, partly because a top coach wasn’t chosen. It’s true, top profiles are expensive, but they bring many benefits. First and foremost, they provide motivation and credibility with the players, who are far from foolish and know exactly how the world works and what kind of coaches are available. And they adapt accordingly. Conte, De Zerbi, Conceição, Xavi, and Sarri were (and in some cases still are) high-level profiles with justifiable demands to achieve victory. Instead, it seems here that they just want to participate. Please don’t talk to us about second-place finishes. Second place is the first of the losers.
The fans are restless, and the whistles at the Olimpico are proof of that. Be careful not to end the season in September because people will get tired, and San Siro could end up empty. Gerry, is this the Milan you want? Because if it is, then it's not good at all.
Relayed via Milan News
