Inzaghi must cure AC Milan’s inferiority complex

Date: 22nd September 2014 at 8:30am
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Filippo Inzaghi knew how to deliver on the biggest stage during his playing days. His brace against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final propelled AC Milan to what was their last European triumph and his wonderful hat-trick against Bologna guided Juventus to a Scudetto in 1998.

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Nowadays Inzaghi cannot influence such matches in the same way, but he can still influence them from the sidelines. After making a strong start to his tenure as Rossoneri head coach with two thrilling victories over Lazio and Parma, Inzaghi came up short when faced with his first real challenge this weekend at the San Siro. What was evident from Juventus’ 1-0 win on Saturday night was that AC Milan are still a long way from regaining their status as one of football’s big-match teams.

If AC Milan are to challenge Juventus for Serie A supremacy then Inzaghi must instil confidence in his players that they should respect no team. After all, they are AC Milan. It is not an easy job to breathe new life in a sleeping giant, especially after a prolonged period of uncertainty, but Inzaghi needs to rid his side of the inferiority complex which was clear throughout their loss to Juventus.

AC Milan vs JuventusThe Bianconeri were far from their best but they still exuded the confidence of a team with a stronger mentality and character than Pippo’s AC Milan. They dominated possession and created more openings as AC Milan sat back and invited the Juventus onslaught. In the end, Inzaghi hung his head and cut a forlorn figure as Juventus’ persistence paid off through a Carlos Tevez strike with twenty minutes remaining.

The contrast was stark between the sides, not in terms of quality, but in their belief. Juventus were also underwhelming against Malmo in their Champions League opener mid-week but dug in and came good thanks again to the brilliance of Tevez. It is characters in the mould of Juventus’ match-winner that are required if AC Milan are to fully rid themselves of their psychological ailment. Their purchase of Fernando Torres shows that the club’s hierarchy are aware of the need for a consistent match-winner, similar to the man who now patrols the touchline, and thus placed their belief in the man dubbed El Nino.

After the match Inzaghi said that beating Juventus would have been “asking a bit too much” but, as head coach of a team who have won seven European Cups, those are words that should simply never be uttered. It was Inzaghi’s post-match comments which showed the crux of the problem.

They have won impressively twice this season, playing some fluid attacking football in the process but it will always be overshadowed if they do not perform against their more formidable rivals. The Milan derby against Inter, Juventus and Roma are all matches which Inzaghi should see as opportunities to impress, not matches to merely get through unscathed.

pippo inzaghiAC Milan were lightweight in comparison to Juventus last night but it can be rectified with the appropriate philosophy and confidence in their abilities — that is what will distinguish Inzaghi from Clarence Seedorf, Massimiliano Allegri and Leonardo — and make people mention the former Rossonero in the same breath as Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Capello and Arrigo Sacchi.

What is important now for the 41-year-old is getting the AC Milan campaign back on track with the series of matches against Empoli, Cesena and Chievo Verona to come. These games can act as a platform to make the statement that should have been made against Allegri’s Juventus, and confirm AC Milan as serious Scudetto contenders this season.

Follow Matthew Gault on Twitter at: @mattgault11

 

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