Two seasons ago, Massimilano Allegri stepped into a press conference ahead of the Trofeo TIM and said: “this is year zero AC Milan.” In 2014, after having fired Clarence Seedorf at the end of last season and bringing in Filippo Inzaghi as the new coach, it very much still feels like year zero.
AC Milan had seen no less than 12 players leave during that 2012 summer transfer window. Although the Rossoneri did not suffer a similar exodus this year, the club finds itself in just as dire straits as it did then.
So far the club has brought in Alex and Jeremy Menez on free transfers from Paris Saint-Germain. Michael Agazzi arrived from Chievo Verona, as well as Diego Lopez and Pablo Armero from Real Madrid and Udinese respectively. Adil Rami’s loan from Valencia was made permanent and M’Baye Niang was repatriated from Montpellier.
The team had many issues last season and still does today despite the aforementioned players, thus leaving Inzaghi with a tough job ahead of him. The defense was porous and proved particularly inept at properly defending set-pieces. The midfield was pedestrian and struggled in terms of creativity. As for the forward line, it was too reliant on the volatile Mario Balotelli. These are all the sectors Inzaghi will be expected to have an impact on and make corrections to.
Realistically however, is it fair to expect so much from Inzaghi? The answer is probably “no” but supporters will be forgiven for their lack of clemency. On a tactical level, it is very difficult to make projections on what Inzaghi will do or is even capable of. After all this is his first coaching stint in Serie A, after coaching the AC Milan Primavera the season prior. However, the key contribution Inzaghi could make might be in attitude.
Beyond losing supremely talented players and battle-hardened veterans, AC Milan have lost their big-club DNA of sorts and have been hopelessly looking to regain it. It is something former player Gennaro Gattuso had opined to in an interview with France Football, following his departure in 2012. “I left Milan because I didn’t enjoy being in the dressing room any longer,” Gattuso said.
“During my last few months at Milan I saw things that I’ve never seen before in my 13 years at the club … there was a complete lack of respect for the rules at Milan during my last year at the club … I didn’t feel like I was capable of handling the situation at Milan. That’s when I realized that it was time to leave,” Gattuso said.
A return to the kind of professional attitude Gattuso referred to is what AC Milan fans can expect from Inzaghi. Indeed the problem has not only been the quality of players AC Milan have recently bought, but it has also been about the psychological profiles of these players. Signings like Adil Rami, Adel Taarabt or Mario Balotelli bring with them a bad-boy image and a professional attitude not in phase with the club’s ethos. Silvio Berlusconi famously spoke out against Balotelli prior to his transfer from Manchester City, calling the mercurial striker a “bad apple.”
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It will be difficult for Inzaghi to bring about any sort of consequent improvement in terms of results on the pitch. Although the crop of players at his disposal is far more capable than the eighth place finish it managed last season, one cannot hope for miracles from the novice coach either.
On the other hand, Inzaghi and his experience as a winner with AC Milan can imbue a new, more professional attitude into this team while instilling in it more humble virtues of self-sacrifice and hard work. If Inzaghi can bring forth a better attitude on the pitch, then it is something the AC Milan supporters should feel more willing to show clemency towards.
Follow Ogo Sylla on Twitter at: @RossonerOgo_3
