Yahoo Sports ‘Certainly a step forward’ – Sacchi provides positive outlook on Fonseca’s Milan
Arrigo Sacchi has given out his report cards for the first part of the season, and he has awarded a passing grade to AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca.
It has been a difficult league campaign for Milan so far, who find themselves heading into Christmas in eighth place and further away from the Champions League places than they would like to be.
That means that for many the jury is still out on Fonseca as the head coach, especially given the handling of star players and the lack of consistency when it comes to domestic results.
However, the new year could also bring a turning point and the Champions League run of four straight wins is another positive to cling onto.
Sacchi spoke in his weekly column for La Gazzetta dello Sport and he decided to focus on the seasons that Milan and Juventus are having so far under their respective head coaches.
“For a few weeks I have been following with curiosity the path of Juventus and Milan, both in the league and in the Champions League. When I saw the direct clash live, at San Siro, they had made a bad impression on me: a match with very little emotion,” he said.
“Since then, however, I have noticed that something is moving, that the two coaches Motta and Fonseca, are trying to impose their ideas and the players are showing that they are willing to accept them. It is certainly a step forward.
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“Milan’s situation is quite particular. They have changed a lot on the market and decided to entrust the bench to Fonseca after Stefano Pioli’s cycle which I consider very positive, and not only for winning the title.
“The Portuguese coach has the difficult task of turning this group of players who have rarely found consistency of performance throughout the season into a team. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t give Milan a high rating: let’s say a 6 minus minus… Which means that there is a lot of room for improvement.
“Unfortunately I have seen few convincing matches, eighth place in the table is not exactly the best for a club like the Rossoneri. In addition, there are players like Theo Hernandez and Leao who were previously the leaders of the group and now, instead, are struggling to fit into the project.
“The defence, if I have to say it all, is not insurmountable and even those who are showing off, like the Dutchman Reijnders or Pulisic, do not always have the consistency necessary to reach great goals.
“Fonseca has the duty to insist, he must transmit his ideas, he must make his style of football enter the players’ heads. If he succeeds, the Rossoneri fans will also get closer to the team: the Milan fan asks for fun, emotions, he is educated in harmony and beauty.
“Little by little, with their own times and methods, Fonseca and Motta are getting back on their feet. Maybe they will struggle to reach the levels of Atalanta, Inter and Napoli, but I feel like saying that they will be positive protagonists in the second part of the season.”
