How Milan have transformed under Paulo Fonseca

Following a disturbingly slow start to the season, Milan were reportedly willing to give up on the whole Paulo Fonseca experiment. However, a little tactical tweak has done wonders for the Portuguese tactician.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) explain, the 51-year-old’s bold tactical switch ahead of the Derby della Madonnina could go down as the pivotal move that truly brought his managerial stint to life.

Amidst sack reports, Fonseca would have been forgiven for adopting a cautious approach against Inter. But on the contrary, the Milan manager unleashed an ultra-attacking formation containing four forwards.

Instead of choosing between Tammy Abraham and Alvaro Morata, he started with both strikers on the pitch, supported by Rafael Leao and the in-form Christian Pulusic on the flanks.

As the source notes, this system caused confusion for the Nerazzurri who failed to build from the back due to the suffocating pressing. This proved to be a key factor in turning the table on Simone Inzaghi’s men who had been reigning supreme in this fixture over the previous two seasons.

This Friday, Lecce suffered the same fate, conceding three goals in a late-first-half onslaught. The report also highlights how at least two of the goals were prompted by Milan’s new-found ability to swiftly retrieve the ball while applying pressure.

The pink newspaper also heaps special praise on Morata who introduced himself to the Rossoneri with great humility and a vast desire to work hard for the cause.

On the other hand, Pulisic has been in a devastating form, racking five goals and two assists thus far this season, in what could go down as the most prolific campaign of his career, at least based on this early evidence.