As our season continues to descend into a desperate pit of disappointment, AC Milan face a pivotal summer which will shape the coming years.
Following elimination from the Champions League, our Europa League campaign came to a crushing end last week at the hands of Roma. Although our Scudetto hopes had long evaporated, there was further misery to come as the Rossoneri fell to defeat to Inter on Monday night, allowing the Nerazzurri to secure the title.
While Milan are on course to improve on last season’s showing in the league, both in terms of our final position and points total, there is no masking the regression and direction in which we’re going.
It’s important to stress that this isn’t all on Stefano Pioli. The construction of the squad has left a lot to be desired and questions should be asked of management about their decision-making, while the players have failed to reach the levels expected of them on a consistent basis.
Nevertheless, it does all come back to a fundamental point. Pioli’s cycle does appear to be over, and while it doesn’t come as much of a surprise given our performances and results for some time now, it certainly sounds as though a change will be made at the end of the season.
As per Fabrizio Romano, the Italian tactician will be sacked this summer and the search for his successor is already underway, with various names being linked with the post.
The touted decision is the correct one. Milan have lacked character, identity, a distinct style of play and structure for a long time, and although we’ve had positive results and form at times, it has been inconsistent and unconvincing, and we simply haven’t been able to break out of that repetitive rut.
Pioli has had ample time to find lasting solutions but they’ve evaded him. And while we should acknowledge and respect what he has achieved since he was appointed, it’s also important to recognise when time is up.
As we sit 17 points adrift of Inter with five games remaining, that tells us how far we’ve dropped off. A top-five finish is all-but a done deal and so a return to Europe’s top table is expected, but we’ll have a new coach leading the way come next season.
So, the question will soon be, who is the best candidate for the job?
As expected, there hasn’t been a shortage of potential options, with a whole host of names being paired with Milan. Xavi, Antonio Conte, Mark van Bommel and Paulo Fonseca are all being linked, but who is the right fit?
Milan need a fresh, progressive and inspiring appointment. A coach capable of implementing clear principles and a philosophy as to how he wants us to play, but with the pragmatism to pair that with structure and solidity and a winning mentality and culture. Further, he needs the full backing and support from the hierarchy to allow his vision to become a reality.
With other big clubs around Europe in the market for a new coach this summer and a number of free agents, it’s going to be intriguing to see how it plays out. That said, the Milan hierarchy need to be decisive and clinical with their choice and focus on the right candidate, as a post-Pioli rebuild could either see us fall further off the pace with the wrong pick, or close the gap and start moving in the right direction once again.
At this stage, there isn’t a huge amount of confidence that the Milan management will get it right, but it’s still a job that holds a lot of prestige and ambition, and we’ll hopefully land on the right candidate to get us back on track.
