It’s more a question of (missing) results than anything else: the Rossoneri’s complicated week, without victories against Juve, PSG and Napoli, generated dramatic discontent – which later subsided – due above all to individual competitiveness. Further clarifications will arrive at Milanello
All in all, putting the pieces back in place is as quick as the outbreak of problems. A question of goodwill, perception of the collective, humility and obviously common sense. On the other hand, quiet locker rooms – and sometimes not even those – usually belong to the teams that catch the right monsoon and cross the ocean without a hitch. So it doesn’t seem particularly strange if some players at the Rossoneri have recently shown signs of nervousness. Just think about the progress of the season, which basically remains positive – three points behind the top after facing five big names in the first ten games, it is certainly not a bad result -, but it saw the team fall against opponents who caused injuries especially to the soul.
coup de grace
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Milan technically recovered from the five defeats in the derby (four victories in a row after the meeting with their cousins), but some dross inevitably remained. However, that result was a hard-to-digest boulder, also because it created a tactical involution. Then there was the defeat against Juve, who continued to climb until they took second place. Then came other slaps – heavy ones – in Paris. And finally, the disappointment of the match in Naples where the final blow was missing in a match channeled in the best possible way. In short, in the Devil who completed the toughest week of the season without a victory, a certain nervousness may be legitimate. Victories make the difference, especially in luxury crossovers, and another difference compared to other delicate moments during the Pioli management is that this year the discontent is quite visible. In words, in gestures. Three cases in four days did not go unnoticed.
explanation
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The first was Calabria after the Paris match, where – let’s say so – Milan didn’t make a great impression. “Every day we go to work our asses off at Milanello, now those who no longer believe in us can stay at home, and we believe in it – the captain’s immediate words -. The problem is both psychological and tactical. We were unbalanced, accepting one on one against these players”, Calabria closed the argument. Reply from Pioli (who, at that moment, was missing the important part of “we believe in it”): “Davide was wrong, there is no one who works at Milanello with little attention or little availability”. Beyond what seemed at the time to be a finger pointing at his teammates, the tactical reflections instead seemed to have the coach as the recipient. However, the matter was resolved very quickly: player and coach clarified before even getting on the plane to Milan, Calabria explained that it was self-criticism and the misunderstandings disappeared instantly.
frustration
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Maradona’s substitutions then started the second round. Also because it was impossible to pretend nothing had happened in front of Giroud who, upon seeing his shirt number on the fourth official’s electronic board, shouted an angry “no!”, slamming his hands on his legs and looking for a long time, grimly, towards his coach. Then he went and sat on a cooler next to the bench, and remained there until the end of the game. After the match, as in Calabria, the common good prevailed and Oly publicly closed the episode: “I am very disappointed and frustrated because these are two points lost. My reaction at the moment of the substitution? I’m not a robot, I’m human and I have emotions. I thought I could still help the team, the coach makes his choices, I have a lot of respect for the coach and after five minutes I calmed down. I felt like continuing, that’s why I didn’t want to leave. I I’m competitive, I always want more.” Reasonings that are flawless and that Pioli has understood and accepted. On Wednesday, when work resumes at Milanello, it is reasonable to think that there will also be a chat with Leao. He too was removed from Maradona by the coach at the end, and for him too it was a decidedly unpleasant choice. Plateau, in different ways, like Giroud. However animated by the same feelings: anger at a badly lost match, and personal competitiveness, the desire to make a decisive contribution. Rafa left the pitch with the rapid pace of someone who is very restless, Adli, Pobega and Florenzi tried to calm him down (and tackle him) in vain: the Portuguese shot straight towards Pioli, spreading his arms wide and asking him several times why he made the substitution. . Pioli also spread his arms, as if to say “I took you off in the 80th minute, you were tired, what’s the problem?”, and then after the match he made a clarification that applies to both: “We needed fresh energy, we have played a lot in the last period. The changes are made to improve the team, they were a bit tired. If they want explanations, I’ll give them to them.” As always, Pioli’s office is always open for his players. Talking is usually the best way to clarify things and perhaps avoid certain scenes repeating themselves in a short time, especially within a group where human management and technical-player empathy have always been among the cornerstones. Furthermore, Milan has a brilliant guiding light to get back on the correct course: the first half in Naples.
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