I have never personally been in a situation like this one. AC Milan is now in the proverbial "lose-lose" situation or the Catch 22. The pressure is immense, the result: win, lose or draw is now an afterthought. Nothing this team can do is the right answer, and while I said last week it is not a matter of if Allegri get's fired, but when, and while ever "fan" seems to think his time up. The people that make decisions at this Club don't. As we enter a lengthy International break, his job is safe and while changes are surely on the horizon, the options to fill his shoes are as bleak as those in it for some.
The match in and of itself was nothing new for Milan, good possession, good chances created, but that final little bit lacking. Oddly this is not the first time someone has written that about this Club, nor will it be the last regardless of Coach or sporting director, the players have to finish. To watch Matri, Kaka, Poli, Robinho, and even Muntari come as close they did and not bury Chievo is a dilemma no Coach will solve. More alarming however is the frenetic madness that is the midfield. Montolivo has gone among the missing, I love what Poli brings but he often makes mirroring runs and robs channels, Muntari will always be inconsistent, and De Jong spends more time covering into the space left by Mexes than actually breaking up counters!? The real burning issue though is the lack of penetration in attack behind Matri, yes, this is a by product of the 4-4-1-1, something I will try to shed light on this week, but even with the ball at his feet Matri had few penetrating stretch runners. Kaka was great with the ball at his feet, but without it, he was nowhere to be found!?
I realize this was a bit harsh, for a game that Milan could have easily won had they finished early. Then again Napoli will say the same thing after the match against the Juve. The point being is execution continues to fail this team when it matters most, and the payment comes in dropped points. So as we enter an extended International break, with Milan off now for twelve days, we will talk about all kinds of things. The rule of Babs, the resignation of Fester, the future Coach, but at the end of they day it will not solve the issue that plagues AC Milan.