Sunday will mark the start of Stefano Pioli’s reign with AC Milan, his side facing lowly ranked Lecce at the Stadio San Siro.
The Italian recently replaced Marco Giampoalo as Rossoneri coach – just over 100 days after the former was given the hotseat – with many hopeful the appointment of the ex-Sampadoria coach would take the Rossoneri to the next level, some early season predictions had them to finish in the top four.
Milan currently sit 13th in the Serie A table – just three points above the relegation zone – having won three and lost four of their opening seven matches this season. Results have not been the only problem, Milan under Giampoalo looked lost and played four different formations over the first seven games, as a lack of conviction and trust in his own methods became apparent.
Pioli needs to steady the ship and the obvious place to start is with discipline. Pepe Reina, Mateo Musacchio and Davide Calabria (twice) have all been sent off this season, and in only three of seven Serie A games have they finished with their full complement of players.
“We have to become a united team as soon as possible,” said Pioli. “My aim is to improve each and every player, to bring out their best.”
Poili is renowned for his man management skills, creating deep and affectionate bonds with his players. He has a similar range of characteristics to Jurgen Klopp, his ability to be empathetic and caring is something which players have admired about him in the past.
Pioli wasn’t the name many Milanisti would have preferred, this was made abundantly clear on Twitter as the #PioliOut hastag was trending worldwide even before the coach was appointed, and was used in over 34,000 tweets.
Pioli has mainly deployed his teams in a 4-3-3 formation, favouring two fast and technical wingers, centrally between the wingers there is usually an all-round striker. This consistency will likely help the Rossoneri build an identity on the field and help the players understand their tactical roles and responsibilities.
Despite this initial reaction, Pioli’s record in relation to steadying the ship has been positive, he has managed to do this at two other Serie A clubs. Inter brought the Italian in after Frank De Boer’s catastrophic failure, winning just five of his 14 games in charge. He also guided Lazio to a third place Serie A finish.
The most important stat come the weekend will be that Milan go home with the three points, Lecce have not won an away Serie A game since they defeated Brescia 1-0 back in January 2005. Form is also in the Rossoneri’s favour, given they have lost just two out of their 30 Serie A meetings against Lecce.
Milan’s problems run much deeper than performance on the pitch. They have gained a reputation, over the past few years, for taking risks with player recruitment. The club’s hierarchy has also been an issue, seeing eight coaches through the doors over the last five years, in addition to the three different owners.
Consistency is key for a side to build something special, a value which the Milanisti have not seen at their club for many years, and whether or not Pioli will be the man to provide it, remains to be seen.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com