Former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini has highlighted some of the tactical instructions that Stefano Pioli has given to the current squad so far this season.
Milan have drawn a lot of praise for how they have started the season having won three games out of three. They beat Bologna 2-0 in the first round, Torino 4-1 in the second round and then Roma 2-1 in the most recent game on Friday night.
The victory in the capital was the most significant not just because it came against the best opponent so far (at least on paper) but also because the performance level once again increased and the Rossoneri seemed in complete control until Fikayo Tomori’s red card.
Ambrosini spoke on DAZN last night as part of the coverage of Inter’s game against Fiorentina and he picked out some of the tactical solutions Pioli has used in the first three games so far, with his comments relayed by Radio Rossonera.
“In Loftus-Cheek and Reijnders, Milan made two good signings. We knew Loftus-Cheek, but he is expressing what he has failed to do in the past. Milan have variety, a lot of variety of attacking solutions, Pioli explained it yesterday,” he said.
“If they had signed Taremi, who in my opinion is even more functional than Jovic, Milan would become even more interesting. The theme from now on is the same: international break, then another 7 matches in 21 days.
“Inter have alternatives that seem more ready… Frattesi, Arnautovic, the wingers. Milan have Chukwueze, Okafor and Jovic to evaluate, and in the middle they have fewer alternatives than Inter.
“What did Pioli show differently? Already last year the idea was modern: occupation of spaces and interpretation of the match depending on how the opponents come at you. Modern coaches try to give more solutions into the hands of the players, players who then have to choose which position to occupy on the pitch.
“This from Calabria is a very precise indication, Pioli himself said it in the press conference: five of them build the play, the other five go to occupy the attacking areas of the pitch.
“It must be said that Milan have recruited smart players to recognise where to position themselves, intelligent. Reijnders is an intelligent and essential player, capable of interpreting this type of football in a constructive way.
“In Pioli’s journey on the Milan bench, the only major moment in which there was any discussion was in January last year. The decision to have the team play like this raised some doubts. But the work was excellent from the beginning.
“We talked about it a lot last season, in Pioli’s coaching career, if we also evaluate the improvement of the players, you can’t think that he didn’t value the players that he coached.”
Source sempremilan.com
