CM: Theo dilemma, a trophy and top four – Fonseca’s main targets after the break | OneFootball

The Christmas break came at a good time for Milan, following the 1-0 win against Verona, and the hope is that they have recharged their batteries. For Paulo Fonseca, there are some very obvious goals after the break.

Milan will be up against Roma this Sunday and as highlighted by Calciomercato.com, winning that game is obviously the first step towards a ‘relaunch’. However, there are four bigger targets that Fonseca will set his sights on.

Revitalise Theo

This is one of the biggest dilemmas currently, with the Frenchman performing way below his usual standard. His valuation has decreased as a result and Milan have also lacked their edge on the left-hand side of the pitch.

Fonseca has opted for the same treatment he used to revitalise Rafael Leao at the start of the season, and it seems it might be working. Indeed, Hernandez chose to spend a day off at Milanello to train and find the form needed to return to being a leader of this team.

Without a doubt, getting the No.19 back to top form is one of the main targets for Fonseca, seeing just how important the player can be.

Reach top four

It’s clear that Milan already find themselves too far behind the rivals at the top of the standings, especially when you consider that the Scudetto was mentioned in the summer. Albeit with a game in hand, the Rossoneri are in 8th place and missing out on the UCL is a concrete risk.

Failing to qualify for the competition is unimaginable for the ownership, not only from a purely sporting perspective, but also financially speaking. Climbing to the top four in the standings is thus the main goal, especially since Serie A might not have five spots this time out.

A trophy in sight

The situation in the league is clear, but the same cannot be said for Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia. Aside from the Scudetto in 2022, Milan haven’t exactly lifted a bunch of trophies and the two competitions are thus interesting opportunities.

As such, why not try to go all the way in these two competitions? Fonseca has already shown that he takes these competitions seriously, leaving early for Riyadh to properly prepare for the semi-final against Juventus.

Winning one of these trophies would be very important for Fonseca, especially with the absence of the Scudetto (yet again).

Champions League top 8

Last but not least, the Champions League revenue from this season is crucial. After the two defeats with Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, Milan have won their last four games in the competition (Club Brugge, Real Madrid, Slovan Bratislava, Red Star) and are serious top 8 contenders.

It would allow them to reach the knockout phase without the play-off tie, and it’s certainly possible since Girona (at home) and Dinamo Zagreb (away) are the final opponents. Fonseca just has to get his tactics right for these games, and the opponents cannot be underestimated either.