Where Can AC Milan Improve Defensively in 2015?

Since Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva parted ways with AC Milan several years ago, the club has had a difficult time finding able replacements to carry on the club's longstanding tradition of fielding one of the best defensive units in football.

Ever since the departure of Nesta and Silva, it's been a revolving door of mediocrity. Gaps wider than the Panama Canal have opened up for opponents when they've ventured forward, and oftentimes Rossoneri matches have turned into shootouts, with the offense trying desperately to outscore the opposition.

So far this season, Milan have conceded 22 goals in their first 19 domestic matches, which is more than a goal per game. Their inability to keep a clean sheet is also worrying. We've seen Diego Lopez make spectacular saves time and time again this season, but he's often put under too much pressure and there's only so much he can do.

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The biggest problem has been consistency. The past three coaches for Milan have all continuously flip-flopped the centre-backs, always searching for the same pair.

If you go back through all of Milan's games this season, you'd be hard-pressed to find a two-game span where the same four-man back line started.

No one really knows who Milan's best defenders are at the moment. While Philippe Mexes has been a decent enough inclusion since being thrust into the lineup, he still has moments where he loses his head and puts the team in a precarious position.

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Other than that, Adil Rami and Cristian Zapata really haven't done enough to consistently play alongside Mexes. Zapata never looks comfortable in possession and is prone to unfathomable mistakes, while Rami has regressed since last season.

Alex on the other hand is reaching the twilight of his career and probably only has another season or two in him.

While the defenders are often blamed by the casual eye, the midfield also needs to take major responsibility for the goals conceded. This unit has had a hard time stringing together more than a few passes all season, and it often loses possession in dire circumstances, leading to a dangerous counter-attack, which puts an already porous defense in an even more vulnerable position.

Milan's inability to keep out headed goals is also a major handicap. For the past two seasons, there's no doubt that the team's greatest weakness has been their aerial defending. As a matter of fact, no team in Serie A has given up more goals from corner kicks this season, according to WhoScored.

So how can this problem be fixed? First of all, sticking with the same centre-back pairing should help. No other position on the field needs to be in such perfect symbiosis as the two defenders in front of the goalkeeper.

Going to a more obvious solution, a promising young centre-back either needs to be brought in or groomed. Unfortunately, there's a dearth of talent at that position throughout Europe. Any centre-back with ability is now overpaid. Just take a look at the David Luiz deal to Paris Saint-Germain, and Milan simply cannot compete financially with Europe's new lavish clubs. 

While tapping into the transfer market is more of an immediate fix, it's also an unrealistic one. The club needs to get back to turning their youth setup into a talent farm for the senior side, especially considering the history it has in creating its own world-class defenders.

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