AC Milan suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bologna in the Coppa Italia final in what turned out to be a bitterly disappointing night at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.
Dan N’Doye’s goal early in the second half proved to be the winner for Vincenzo Italiano’s side, and they deserve their praise and success after emerging as the better team on the night.
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In contrast, the Rossoneri managed just two attempts on target in a passive performance that lacked quality, and ultimately we got what we deserved having failed to deliver a good enough display to go home with the trophy.
Albeit there are still two Serie A games to go this season, this defeat sums up our campaign on the whole, and time will tell what it means for those at the club.
Absent owner, change must start at top
Despite the club being in a major final, owner Gerry Cardinale was not in attendance in the Italian capital this week in another show of his lack of involvement and perhaps interest in the sporting aspect.
Much of the fanbase’s frustration and disappointment has been aimed at him this year, and it’s felt that a change at the top in ownership is arguably the only way we’re going to break this cycle and spiral we’re currently in.
Whether that is a realistic prospect this summer is unclear, but it seems unlikely as long as the club continues to make RedBird money. Failures off the pitch with the new stadium coupled with our regression on it have created an anxious environment at Milan, and that is direct reflection of how individuals are running the club.
Sporting director appointment must happen
What is the identity of this Milan team? What is our playing style? While we’ve dug in, shown character and launched some stirring comebacks, there isn’t a long-term plan or vision in mind to make it sustainable.
The most competitive sides often have clear answers to the above, and while we’ve settled on a 3-4-3 system that brought us results, it’s a tweak that Sergio Conceicao made to address our defensive vulnerabilities and to make us a more solid defensive unit.
With players who were signed last summer either already moved on or struggling to prove their worth and subsequently face an exit this summer, the way in which this current squad has been built has been a fundamental factor in our failure. In turn, appointing a sporting director who knows how to do the job effectively and efficiently is a must.
Time to move on from Conceicao
Although we enjoyed a recent upturn in form to show that the Portuguese tactician is able to adapt and get the most out of his squad, we haven’t seen a sufficient level of consistent improvement since he was appointed to suggest he’s the right man for the job in the long run.
He filled an important void midway through the campaign as we needed leadership, resilience and a strong character to lead this side through a difficult period, but for some of the reasons noted above in relation to identity and style of play, it’s not enough for Milan.
Crucially, if a change is made though, the next coach has to be the right man for the job in terms of being the right fit for our club from a stylistic perspective, and one who can work effectively with our potential new sporting director to build a winning squad.
Crucial squad rebuild this summer
The list of players who are past their best, not at the standard required or are simply making up the numbers in the current squad at this point is alarming, and so it goes back to those responsible for building this group and being completely inadequate in their roles.
A sporting director and new coach must arrive first, and together they can build a squad that is suited to their style of play and identity, instead of this square pegs in round holes approach we’ve seen in recent transfer windows.
And if that’s not bad enough, speculation is linking another of our top players with an exit this summer in Tijjani Reijnders. There are some critical decisions ahead for Milan that will determine if we slip further or begin our recovery next season, and the choices we make in the transfer market will also be a reflection on how serious those at the top are about overseeing success.
Concerning time for Milan fans
As sad and disappointing as it is to say, this is a really concerning period now for Milan fans as we face a great deal of uncertainty heading into a pivotal summer.
Changes are needed from top to bottom to stop the club from slipping further into trouble, but at this stage, we don’t know if they’ll be made or if the incompetent team running the show currently will continue to drag us further down.
Although Conceicao and the players must take some responsibility and blame for how our season has gone, it starts at the top, and if the current structure and personnel remains in place, it could be another long year ahead as Cardinale, Giorgio Furlani, Geoffrey Moncada and Zlatan Ibrahimovic haven’t convinced that they know how to build a successful club.