MN: 12 months, 3 coaches, 1 message – Milan’s continued issue goes past coaching | OneFootball

AC Milan have had three coaches in the past 12 months, and each has struggled with the same issue. An issue which is far greater than who is on the touchline.

It can be argued that Milan’s problems stretch further back than this season and last. However, that is a story for another day. Right now, the club are struggling to match ambitions, and the signs have been there for some time.

Having three coaches each suffering from similar problems is not uncommon, however, it rises above a coaching issue.

Yes, the Rossoneri are poor, but what is the root of the issue, because appointments have differed, so it leads to questions.

Milan News, today, claims it is an issue with the squad, and the reasoning for this is the words of the previous managers, supported by the frustrations of the Diavolo’s new head coach.

“In the first leg, we had lost 1-0. In the dressing room before the game, I gave a stirring speech, one of the most heartfelt ever. I was sure we would go through. Instead, the team achieved nothing and did little on the pitch. There I realised that what I was giving was no longer enough. The empathy had broken down.”

Firstly, we have Pioli’s words about the ending of his time at the club.

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“I know that I work every day to do well and teach the team. I don’t know if everyone in the team can say that. We have the ambition to get here and give everything… and we didn’t. When we go into a decisive game like this and have this kind of attitude, without giving everything for this jersey, things are difficult. We have an obligation to give everything. You can miss a pass, but it’s difficult to watch this. I will never stop. I have a clear conscience. If there’s a need to bring in the Primavera or Milan Futuro boys, I’ll do it. Without problems.”

Then, the words of Paulo Fonseca.

“The first step to winning a match is to want to win. But what tiredness, what fuel, come on. The players have everything to recover from previous games, we must have an empty fridge at home to be more hungry.

“I had small teams when I started coaching 13 years ago, I had teams that on a technical level were not great but they had an incredible hunger and desire. That’s how it is in life, we have to have goals to grow.

“Once at AC Milan, we have to want even more because we have to continue success, hunger, desire with personal goals to get to the end of our career and be proud of what we have done. What I see is not new, I felt it before because I followed practically every Milan game.

“I am the one who has to change the attitude and mentality of the players. I am responsible, I am the coach and I take responsibility for this defeat because I wasn’t good at half-time with this drop then in the second half. OK, if we miss goals and the opponent was good it’s fine. But when we lack other things it’s difficult for me, it’s me as a coach who has to change the situation.

Photo by AC Milan

“If you don’t have the base, the desire, the hunger, the will to win the game and every duel, as if every duel was decisive: that’s what’s missing here. And I as coach take this responsibility to change this situation.”

Finally, the desperation of Sergio Conceicao.

It is bleak to read, and bleaker to try and fix because inter-squad issues are not a quick fix in the slightest. However, a ‘winter revolution’ could be attempted to slow the rot.