AC Milan suffered a damaging 4-0 defeat to Lazio on Tuesday night, adding further pressure and concern on Stefano Pioli and the squad.
That’s now three games without a win in Serie A for the Rossoneri, and combined with our exit from the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup defeat, we’re in a real slump and it has been difficult to see where the fixes and solutions will come from.
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As we now prepare to face Sassuolo on Sunday, Pioli has a big job on his hands to not only find the tactical resolutions to get us back on track, but also to restore some confidence as we looked like a side completely devoid of it in midweek.
After such a successful run which culminated in winning the Scudetto last season, this now is a real test of character and adaptability as we have to start finding answers and quickly.
Naturally, Pioli was bitterly disappointed in his post-match interviews, and he could only put emphasis on the focus to work hard and put things right in the next opportunity we get at the weekend.
“There are so many things that don’t work: mental, tactical,” he told DAZN, as per MilanNews. “I’m here to talk because I have to, because otherwise we would have to keep quiet and certainly work better. It’s a delicate moment. In the last two and a half weeks we haven’t brought home any performances or results and it’s clear that we all have to do better.
“The problem today isn’t too much when we have the ball, but when we’re without it, there’s no coverage and lucidity, we need clearer communication. I just know one way to improve: work. These are situations that have been repeated for several games and on which we have to work well, because continuing to make these mistakes means complicating the game from a tactical and mental point of view; all these negative results lead to negativity.
“We have to resume playing as we know how: this is our first goal and we have to do it as soon as possible. Let’s resume our journey and our path, I’ll try to talk less and work more.”
Milan have now conceded 13 goals in six games across all competitions since the campaign resumed after the World Cup, and that is ultimately where our problems begin.
We’ve lost the defensive solidity and reliability that we had last season, which acted as a foundation on which we could build and go out and win games.
Pioli’s priority has to be restoring that high level of organisation and discipline as a collective unit, making ourselves harder to beat and then finding ways for our creative players and goal threats to be decisive.
It’s desperately hoped that we get back to winning ways on Sunday, as the longer this slump continues, the more serious our concerns will become in the league in terms of a top-four finish while the Champions League will soon resume too.
