AC Milan: 5 Improvements Filippo Inzaghi Must Make After Cesena Draw
Filippo Inzaghi has lost the plot now that Milan has dropped points against two recently promoted sides in Serie A.
A 2-2 draw against Empoli last round was followed by a 1-1 tie against Cesena on Sunday, and Milan still looked out of sorts and searching for their true identity.
Milan underachieved and once again played down to their competition, even going down a man in the second half.
Here are five improvements Inzaghi must make to Milan as the club looks to get back into Europe after this season.
Find an Identity
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No one is really quite sure what type of football Milan wants to play.
The one constant has been atrocious defending for most of this season. But when they venture forward, it's usually an awkward array of counter-attacking, long balls or attempting to play the ball on the ground.
There isn't a set style for the Rossoneri yet, and it's unclear how Inzaghi and Silvio Berlusconi see this team performing with the players available at their disposal.
Don't Concede the First Goal
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Milan once again gave up the first goal against a provincial side and metaphorically shot themselves in the foot defensively.
Giving up these types of goals makes the entire team play more frenetically, where they don't seem to be enjoying themselves and rush into passes and shots.
When we've seen the Rossoneri take the lead this season, they've often gone into a more champagne style of football, bringing more class and technique into their game and not playing desperately.
With the defense tightening up and providing a clean sheet, expect the rest of the offense to improve.
Decide on a Formation and a Best Starting XI
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Inzaghi switched from a 4-3-3 to a Clarence Seedorf-esque 4-2-3-1, which allowed Giacomo Bonaventura to play as an attacking midfielder alongside Keisuke Honda and Jeremy Menez.
Fernando Torres led the line but wasn't able to combine well with his teammates except for an early chance where he had another glancing header on goal.
Nigel De Jong and Andrea Poli played as the two holding midfielders right in front of the defense, with De Jong often times drifting back to the back line as an auxiliary center back, and Poli making darting runs forward to the edge of the box.
We've seen very different looks from Inzaghi in all four Milan matches, so a bit of consistency is needed in the starting XI if the team wants to finally build a bit of chemistry.
Allow El Shaarawy to Grow Back into His Role
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Stephan El Shaarawy is very much the future of Milan but needs time to grow back into his role and reach the fantastic form he showed two seasons ago.
In the last campaign, Il Faraone barely got any time as a lingering foot injury kept him out of action for much of the year.
Now that he's fully fit again, El Shaarawy needs to be played consistently, as he's a pillar of this side going forward. He was fairly anonymous in Milan's last match against Empoli, but could have been brought in during the second half against Cesena when the match needed a spark.
El Shaarawy's characteristics could have been very useful Sunday, as the pace slowed down near the end of the match and his work-rate and pace would have caused problems for the home team.
Improve Concentration Throughout Match
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Mental lapses have been Milan's downfall this season.
Defensive errors, sloppy passes and tactical miscues have all led to the giving away of easy chances to the opposition.
Inzaghi needs to make sure his team stays lucid throughout the 90 minutes and gives it their best effort even when the game drags on and legs become tired.
If Milan can stop giving away so many easy chances, they can make it harder for the other team to go off on dangerous counter attacks and wreak havoc to a side that's still trying to find its way after yet another summer of wheeling and dealing.
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