Pippo magic ineffective on disenchanted AC Milan

Date: 25th January 2015 at 11:02pm
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Filippo Inzaghi AC MilanThat Filippo Inzaghi comes across better prepared in his post-match interviews when compared to his tactical readiness on the football pitch is alarming on many levels.

He has spouted the same monotonous speech after every game, not straying even in the slightest in what he wants to communicate.

Mostly, what he is saying is that it’s not all too bad at AC Milan and that it can be fixed. More importantly, he suggests that ‘he’ can fix what is broken.

If only that was true. Looking at his forlorn figure on the sidelines last night against Lazio, appearing utterly lost and confused, one must truly wonder if Inzaghi believes the words he speaks.

His cringed expression every time Lazio shredded AC Milan’s defence, his statuesque stance when Philippe Mexes lost all sense of dignity, indicated rather strongly that Inzaghi has lost control.

It’s not entirely his fault, though. A rookie tactician replacing another rookie tactician, reinforced with over-the-hill football mercenaries hardly provides the right platform for a promising future. But, even with the talent available, Inzaghi has dramatically failed to secure adequate results with this team.

Miroslav Klose LazioTo put things into perspective, AC Milan haven’t won a game in the league in all of January, having lost thrice and drawn once. The context worsens when the teams AC Milan have lost to are taken into consideration.

Sassuolo and Atalanta are in the bottom half of the table. Torino can also be taken into account, even though AC Milan fortuitously earned a point against the Granata. Lazio completed the rout in what was, largely, a one-side affair. This bearing in mind that the Roman side were missing their most influential player — Felipe Anderson — when they were taking AC Milan apart last night.

The situation could worsen if Inzaghi stays. Before this team can sink any further, a capable coach must be appointed. Reports indicate that the management has shortlisted a particular bald Italian by the name — no, not the one you are all thinking about — Luciano Spalletti. The club had apparently tried to sign him in the summer, but Spalletti couldn’t leave his employers (Zenit St Petersburg). The possibility of Spalletti making a return to Italy seems more plausible under the current circumstances.

According to La Repubblica, Silvio Berlusconi will personally meet with Spalletti in order to convince the former Roma coach to take over the reigns at AC Milan. Spalletti has a history of walking into turbulent clubs. Roma were in a state of disarray when he became coach in 2005. His success with Roma remains a matter of debate however, but there appears to be a great deal of sense in appointing him as AC Milan coach.

Luciano Spalletti.Moreover, Spalletti is well acquainted with playing a ‘striker-less’ formation. This current AC Milan side has played much of this season with Jeremy Menez as a ‘false nine’.

Spalletti had previously worked with Menez, and even if that relationship wasn’t necessarily fruitful, the two have a chance to correct that at AC Milan. Spalletti is also a proponent of the 4-2-3-1, a formation this AC Milan squad is ably equipped to play in.

Since Carlo Ancelotti’s departure from the club, the management has experimented with four coaches, each with limited coaching experience. The tactical naivety compounded with limited investment has brought the club down from it’s lofty heights.

AC Milan fans might not see big money transfers like they were so accustomed to. But, it is entirely justified to request for a seasoned coach to manage the mess this team is in.

Follow Rajath Kumar on Twitter: @rajathkumar. You can read his work on his AC Milan blog “Milan and Me; The Love Affair” — http://rajaththemilanista.wordpress.com/

 

2 responses to “Pippo magic ineffective on disenchanted AC Milan”

  1. Carlton says:

    Good piece again, Rajath. Completely agree with this. Now that the squad has been strengthened & Milan have the players to put in a positive run in the second half of the season, it’d be a shame if Pippo doesn’t deliver. And Spaletti would be the ideal candidate to replace him, although Prandelli could also be a good option. Let’s just hope neither of them are needed, though. It’d be great to see a pupil of Ancelotti help the club rise again. After all, he’s also a legend of the club.

    Forza Milan!

  2. Rajath Kumar says:

    Hello Carlton, thank you for reading the piece. Glad you liked it.