A Progress Report on AC Milan Coach Filippo Inzaghi

An hour before doing his routine pre-game press conference, Pippo Inzaghi spoke on the phone with Silvio Berlusconi, the owner of AC Milan. 

Berlusconi has visited the team every week this season, flying to Milanello on most occasions to speak with the players. He is even at the home games, watching from above and casting his big shadow over San Siro. 

Inzaghi says he speaks with the 78-year-old often. It’s probably more like a one-way conversation, with Inzaghi doing the listening. Because coaching Milan is not just about results—it’s about pleasing the president, allowing him enough room for input and making sure he gets to see what he wants on the field. And Inzaghi seems to understand the politics.

Apparently, Berlusconi wants to see Fernando Torres. Milan have always played with an out-and-out striker under Berlusconi, dating back to Marco van Basten, with Andriy Shevchenko and even Inzaghi himself featuring up top since.

Torres is a part of the attacking football that Berlusconi craves, and the president even intervened at half-time on the weekend, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), demanding the former Liverpool poacher made an appearance.

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Inzaghi has thus far favoured Jeremy Menez, his first signing, as a false nine, and it is ironic that such a prolific striker in his day has chosen to play without one as a manager. But Inzaghi is all about balance and bringing the team together after one of their toughest years. You get the feeling that he does not want to exclude anyone as long as they are trying their best.

Torres, who has only scored once, is even on Inzaghi’s side, and that is probably because the coach recognizes the effort of the Spaniard, who stops to sign autographs and impresses “everyone in training, as he sets the example for the rest,” Inzaghi said. In return, the coach offers “valuable advice [and] is not concerned only with the attacking department, he is driving the entire group,” Torres told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

If there is commitment from his players, there is respect from Inzaghi. He has brought back some structure to a team that isn't used to having three different coaches in a single year. Diets are strict, phones are banned and training starts early. 

But it is not a dictatorship. Inzaghi listens to his players and communicates with them and “understands [their] needs,” said Mattia De Sciglio, per Corriere della Sera (h/t Football Italia), one of those players lost in the shuffle last season.

There was some friction between the players and Clarence Seedorf, the previous manager who “didn’t get on with some people,” said De Sciglio. No such friction seems to exist now. The players celebrate their goals with Inzaghi, in return he jumps on them and yells and patrols the technical box like he did the offside line. Inzaghi has worked hard to recreate a positive environment. 

“And best of all, he is one who teaches football, he makes you understand what to do, how to move, where to be on the field,” midfielder Sulley Muntari told SportMediaset (h/t Football Italia). “For two years all this was missing.”

Inzaghi has already reminded his players of past managers. Torres told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) that he sees the late Luis Aragones in Inzaghi, while Michael Essien told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) his coaching style is reminiscent of Carlo Ancelotti. It is high praise, but Inzaghi has to do a lot more to reach that level.

Some of his selections are still confusing—he's started the error-prone Daniele Bonera way too many times while keeping a competent defender like Adil Rami on the bench—and although he would like to play entertaining football, it is not yet a consistent product. 

But Inzaghi seems to be making corrections on the go. The defence is slowly improving and Milan have scored in all but one game. Milan are currently sixth on 15 points, but they have only lost once. It is progress.

And as long as Inzaghi stays on Berlusconi's good side and the pair keep talking, there is nothing for him to worry about.