Milan's Collapse: Can They Still Make Champions League?

0:00 at this moment right here as I introduce of course my Italian

0:02 brothers oh here in arms Marco Tony and of course Mike

0:06 in the middle um at this moment I haven't really seen

0:09 the sansero have that level of energy and I knew that we went

0:11 into this and we spoke about how the intensity and the question

0:15 marks over whether or not they could handle these occasions whether

0:18 they could close out the season were all there I think we're

0:20 all disappointed after looking at what we saw there from Milan today

0:24 yeah the expectation has always been this season that it

0:27 would improve and get better as the season went

0:29 on and of course we talked about the objective

0:31 for Max Allegri was to get the Champions League, right?

0:34 I completely understand that.

0:35 But when you're just looking at it from a pure football

0:39 uh you know from the eyeball test um it doesn't look good.

0:43 It doesn't look good.

0:44 I mean the the one thing I will say today and it's something

0:47 and then I've said it I I see you guys every week talk about it.

0:50 There's oftentimes no no reference point up top for Milan full crew came

0:55 in and make an argument for how you want to argue one way

0:58 or the other but what he does is occupy center backs and when

1:01 he came in today it opened up the game I thought a little bit

1:04 I agree with what Tonyy's saying the the one silver lining is

1:07 that they changed the shape for me they went to a you

1:09 could look at any way you want but just to make it

1:11 more clear in your mind like they still kept that back five

1:13 with the three center backs and the two wing backs but then

1:15 they went to two center midfielders and they allowed two wingers

1:18 and a center forward which I think is it's the way they

1:21 won the scetto when we covered it years ago when they have Jirua

1:24 in in the front and Liao on the left right so now

1:26 Liao becomes a more natural position and Kungu came into that position

1:30 as well he was on the right side as well so now

1:32 you've got the wingers it suits Pulysic better when he's healthy it suits

1:35 Liao better it suits Kunku better and then you have the reference

1:38 point in Fukrug or Jimenez or whoever you want but at least

1:41 now you can build from there and they showed in the second

1:42 half in the next 45 minutes that they created chances they created opportunities

1:46 it's May that shape it's May we got two games to go how are they

1:49 figuring it I totally agree that those are the questions you have.

1:53 But if you want to take the server lining, you could say okay and this works I

1:56 think against Allegri because it's May and because also

2:00 that means you you have the guys but you're putting them in the wrong spot.

2:04 For sure the answer is not Pulysic and Lia.

2:06 For sure that doesn't take a genius.

2:08 Well, we've said that forever, you know, but then the table lied to us.

2:11 The fact that they play one game a week lied to us

2:13 because it was like well but what do you mean they're right there?

2:15 They're right there.

2:16 But the truth of the matter was always

2:17 that that you have to and Angelotti has said this before

2:20 and I consider him one of the greatest managers

2:22 in the world in history of the game by the way.

2:25 So he has always said you have to look at what you

2:27 have and put them in the best players and positions to succeed.

2:30 Allegri is doing a little bit the opposite and he did it at Juventus

2:32 with KZ as well where he tried to make him play as a wing back, right?

2:35 He's KZ is picking up the ball 70 yards away from the goal.

2:37 You have to look at what you have and say, "Okay, this is what we can make.

2:41 This is Liao is my best player.

2:42 Pulysic's my best player, right?

2:44 Mold is my best player.

2:45 what is the what is the way that I can make them look the best?

2:47 He's done the opposite.

2:48 He's put them in a in a position in in a formation

2:51 in a in a mode of playing that's like so grind gear grinding,

2:55 so reserved, so defensive.

2:57 You know, when you're playing at home and and the game

3:01 starts in Sans and you give them the ball and you go in your own end and pick up

3:04 the line of pressure 10 yards within your own end, something sits wrong.

3:08 I think for me fans as well, you know,

3:10 I'm I'm a neutral as much as I obviously want to be.

3:14 If you're a Milan fan like Tony or Mateo

3:16 or whoever or all the great Milan fans out there,

3:18 even all the great legends that play the game,

3:20 you play in zero and you play, you pick up the the point of pressure,

3:23 10 points in your own end, that sends a message to everyone.

3:25 Hey, we're scared.

3:26 Hey, we're on the back foot.

3:27 Hey, we're going to be a little negative today.

3:29 I think that's uh that falls on Allegri for sure.

3:32 Men lie, women lie, but numbers never do.

3:34 In the matter of the dominance,

3:35 in terms of what Milan were able to create today,

3:37 the most important stat on this sheet is a two to three

3:41 in terms of losing at home once again in match day 36.

3:45 And when you look at their stretch overall in terms of where they've been,

3:49 and this is not an anomaly,

3:51 this is really a consistent run of form that Allegri finds himself in.

3:54 And since the derby, where we were all sitting here, we were all pumped.

3:57 In fact, I feel a few of us

3:59 were on the ground enjoying this moment and thinking,

4:02 was the Scadetto up for grabs.

4:04 It really has gone south since then.

4:06 Only two wins out of eight and that really does identify

4:10 the struggles that Milan have faced in closing out this season.

4:15 Yeah, you said it.

4:16 Numbers don't lie.

4:17 Look at them.

4:17 The the one that the one that concerns me

4:19 the most is the six goals scored in eight matches, right?

4:21 And this is historic for Milan and the the poor form that they've had.

4:26 So, uh, if if you look at any of those numbers,

4:28 certainly the record's not good enough, but guys,

4:30 the teams go through stretches like

4:32 this, but the fact that they're not scoring goals,

4:34 the lack of creation of goals, uh, I I think that's what concerns me the most.

4:38 I I made a point at the beginning of this, which

4:40 was that I've never seen the San like this.

4:42 This is one of the historic stadiums across the world of football,

4:44 you know, the passionate fans.

4:46 You've alluded to a couple of that of course we work with, but in terms

4:48 of the energy and watching them walk out of that stadium after 53 minutes,

4:52 it it really does speak volumes about

4:54 the direction this club is going in right now.

4:56 And Marco, it feels like there's some deeper issues at play as well.

4:59 Yeah, we saw the Kasud even before the match

5:02 uh protesting um their their CEO as well.

5:05 So, it's it's not good times.

5:06 They're not happy with the direction.

5:07 They're not happy with the decisions that have been made,

5:09 not just this season, but over the past years.

5:12 Umare might also be leaving their sporting director.

5:15 So, it feels like they're up in the air.

5:17 And I think to the greater point of yes, Milan,

5:20 they still have to achieve their objective of getting Champions League football,

5:23 but if they play this type of football next year in the Champions League,

5:26 it's it's going to be more embarrassment.

5:29 It's just going to be if they're tired

5:30 after only playing one competition all year long,

5:33 what are they going to do when they add in Champions League football,

5:35 which is additional matches since the last

5:37 time they've been involved in the competition?

5:38 So, it just feels like we have a higher expectations for where

5:41 this team should be and uh and it leaves you wanting more.

5:45 And the scary thing is their next two games,

5:47 they look winnable on paper because it's Genu and Kaden.

5:50 I think that Milan will be in Champions League football,

5:52 but those next two matches are actually against teams that they struggle with.

5:55 They struggle against teams that are not in the top six.

5:58 They struggle against teams who can stay

6:00 tight defensively and who don't need the ball.

6:02 And it would also be ironic with uh with Genoa and Daniela Deosi who was a Roma

6:07 legend if he could help his former team

6:09 out by getting a result against his Milan side.

6:11 Gre I feel like it's a conversation we've

6:13 been having since the turn of the year.

6:14 Who's going to finish in the top

6:15 four positions especially looking at the remaining fixtures.

6:17 Do you have a nudge either way now you can see sort of the home stretch.

6:21 We're now down to the final couple of games.

6:23 Who who's who's giving you the flavor and who's

6:25 giving you the form that they're going to finish strong?

6:27 Yeah, neither of the teams were really convincing.

6:29 Roma had the chance against Juventus and they and they and they they were up

6:32 by two with not many minutes to go and so that was a big opportunity.

6:35 Juventus have been there many situations before and year

6:38 after year even when they play so poorly

6:40 and they've had poor transfer windows and the merrygoround

6:42 with the coaches and identity and all that.

6:44 They found a way to get the top four.

6:45 So Juventus looks like the one for me Milan also was nailed on for me as well.

6:50 I thought a couple weeks ago it looks like Milan Juventus and now all

6:52 of a sudden Roman Ko back in the conversation in a big in a really big way.

6:57 So, it's it's a toss up.

6:58 Two games, no easy games in Syria.

7:00 Um, so everything to play for for that final spot for sure.

7:04 I'm going to defer to what my brother Tony spoke about earlier.

7:06 And as much as we can talk about the disappointment of Milan,

7:09 we also need to give the flowers to what

7:11 Atalanta and Paladino did today in terms of their performance

7:13 away from home knowing that their form guide

7:15 and their confidence probably wasn't where it has been previously.

7:18 How impressed were you of what you saw?

7:20 Impressed for 60 minutes.

7:23 Okay.

7:22 Right.

7:22 going up three-0 and then I think they took their foot off the pedal a little

7:25 bit and and you got to give credit to Milan like we have right they

7:28 stepped on it but like when you're three down like the the stakes are different

7:32 right you can take chances yeah you risk more and I I think the frustration is

7:38 what takes so long to risk more if you're if you're Milan

7:41 you look at the players right and I think if you look

7:43 at these rosters I I I'm not quite sure that many people

7:47 would pick atalanta's roster in general on paper over over Milan's roster.

7:54 But when you look at the way that they play,

7:55 Atalanta is a more favorable side to watch if

7:58 you're just a neutral and you just took names off.

8:00 You took history out of the the equation.

8:03 Uh today Atalanta was for the most part a more fun team to watch.

8:06 But again, this has been a growing concern for quite some time with Milan.

8:10 This didn't happen.

8:10 This is an Atalanta side who made

8:12 a managerial change who started to go like this.

8:14 They had a little bit of a dip,

8:15 but now I think we're seeing um the fruits of their football.

8:19 My question would always be and I ask this all the time.

8:22 What was Milan trying to do today?

8:25 Ask yourself, you can you have a clear

8:27 picture of what Atalante was trying to do.

8:28 Movement up top, patterns of play, ball into the forward,

8:32 run off of forwards, get the ball wide, intricate passing doesn't always work.

8:36 It doesn't always come off all the time.

8:39 But if you ask if you ask me, we just watched 90 minutes.

8:41 I'll ask you guys, what was Milan trying to do today?

8:44 What was the mission today?

8:45 Okay, in the end, they were fighting to get another goal.

8:47 I understand that part,

8:49 but what was the mission when they came on the field today?

8:51 For me, it's to not concede first and to hope

8:53 that the quality up top will score a goal,

8:55 which is pretty much Allegrey's philosophy, his theory on football.

8:59 And when you have a team that is so aggressive

9:01 and beats you to every 50/50 ball, and by the way,

9:04 we haven't mentioned the name of Luca Modric

9:05 when you don't have him on the field,

9:06 you see the way that their quality has did.

9:08 So that's why I think the overarching theme of this meal is interesting.

9:12 My thing too is is just quickly is we're not crazy, right?

9:15 we cover this, we understand it.

9:17 We we we don't expect that we're going to get the Milan

9:19 from the two early 2000s that are going to win the Champions League.

9:22 We understand that the players are not the same caliber of players.

9:24 We understand all that, but also there's there's not playing at all.

9:28 And then there's, you know, the Milan of the early 2000s.

9:30 There's somewhere there's a land in the middle, I think,

9:32 that Milan have to strive to get better for.

9:34 And I I get it.

9:35 Ninth place last season.

9:36 and Algree makes him defensively sound,

9:38 but still you want to see the project just move ever so slightly in the right

9:43 direction like like find the fluidity a little bit so that Milan fans could look

9:48 and say yeah we're not at our best but we're getting better but this is where

9:50 we're going right now it just it's it's

9:53 hard to find those uh those those examples

9:56 of hey listen we're getting better right now it actually looks like it's going

9:59 a little bit the other way and if

10:00 they don't get Champions League football it will

10:02 be look like looked at as an absolute

10:04 failure uh because no Champions League Football

10:06 with only playing one game a week is not good enough with the money they spend.