AC Milan: 5 Worrying Signs After 2-0 Loss to Palermo in Serie A
It couldn't have been much more of a nightmare for Milan at the San Siro on Sunday.
After going down 2-0 early in the first half to Palermo, the Rossoneri failed to do much to get a goal back and make the game competitive. The players seemed to give up, and there was no apparent hunger in one of the most embarrassing performances from Milan in recent times.
Milan also failed to capitalize on another golden opportunity to jump to third place. They now sit right below the top two in an overly crowded area full of teams waiting to exploit their chances of climbing up the Serie A table.
Here are five very worrying signs after the 2-0 defeat to the recently promoted Sicilian side.
Filippo Inzaghi's Bizarre Tactical Moves
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From the very start, it was clear that Inzaghi had wanted to attack in this match, assuming he had the advantage of going up against a recently promoted side at home.
He used Riccardo Saponara in a role that still doesn't seem too familiar to him in the center of the park—in his first match back this season after an injury.
The most puzzling decisions came at halftime. Desperate for a goal, Inzaghi removed Andrea Poli, who was Milan's hardest worker in the first half alongside Nigel de Jong, for Stephan El Shaarawy.
This move meant that Milan dropped to a 4-2-3-1, and inexplicably, he used Saponara as a defensive midfielder right alongside De Jong. Saponara was used for the entirety of the 90 minutes, despite it being his first match this season.
Still searching for a goal later on, Inzaghi put in Giampaolo Pazzini to play alongside Fernando Torres, rather than make a like-for-like change. The two seemed to get in each other's way on several occasions, and the move failed to ignite much of anything.
Jeremy Menez Given Too Much Freedom to Do as He Pleases
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The Jeremy Menez show became one of the most infuriating spells in recent times. All too often, Menez would try dribbling around the entire field as his teammates stood still, watching on as spectators.
The fact that the other players didn't even attempt to make a run as he tried taking on four and five defenders at a time showed their resignation to the fact that he'd even try to pass the ball.
While Menez started off the season wonderfully, we're now getting a taste of the inconsistent headache that Paris Saint-Germain had to deal with.
There were no excuses for the selfishness of Menez and the abundance of wasted opportunities. Right now, there's virtually no chemistry between the Frenchman and his other teammates up-front, and he certainly isn't putting Torres in any opportunity to succeed.
No Hunger
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Perhaps the most worrying sign on this list, the players seemed to give up against Palermo. There was no fire, no hunger, no willingness to run as hard as they could to get the ball back and make a comeback against a modest side.
Players would stand around watching others, the runs would only come sparingly, and the facial expressions told you everything you needed to know.
This wasn't a side worthy of wearing the Rossoneri badge. While it's always going to be difficult to score against a team that closes itself with five defenders after taking the lead, the lack of effort from half the team was worrying.
Where was the pressing when Palermo was in possession? Where was the fight?
Still No Idea What Type of Football the Team Wants to Play
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The sloppiness in possession by Milan was highlighted once again by the fact that there is no semblance of chemistry or game plan, especially against provincial sides.
At times, Milan presses high; at times, they don't. At times, they just try the long ball unsuccessfully; at times, they play it short and try a possession game.
On top of this, the formation and the squad rotation is now seemingly changed on a weekly basis. Inzaghi finally realized that using three defensive midfielders and trying to play champagne football is an awkward mix, and he used Riccardo Saponara to play more of an attacking role.
This would've been fine, had Saponara not been used as a defensive midfielder for the entirety of the first half—a player in his first game back in months, who isn't in-form, being used in a new position for 90 minutes. Let that resonate.
2 Points in 3 Matches Against Recently Promoted Sides
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Milan has only managed to pick up two points in three matches against Cesena, Empoli and Palermo. These three teams were in Serie B last season and were expected to be the whipping boys of Serie A.
This is the biggest problem of all. The Scudetto isn't won by defeating Juventus or Roma; it's achieved by picking up the necessary points against provincial sides and knowing how to unlock them.
Milan has struggled the most against these small teams this season. They haven't been able to set the tempo at all or dominate in matches that should be won rather easily. Perhaps this comes from the Milan players not taking these types of sides too seriously and then receiving a rude welcome.
Even against Empoli, Milan were being beaten 2-0 but managed to make a comeback and finish the game off at 2-2. The match against Cesena was equally frustrating and really made it seem like there was no difference in quality between the two sides.
If Milan truly want to get into Europe, they need to learn how to get three points against beatable sides.
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