Rossoneri Round-up for 3 April: Gattuso blames fitness, not tactics, for draw

Gennaro Gattuso had some things to say about the draw against Udinese. The boss claimed that the squad suffereed from a lack of fitness and was hesitant to place any blame on the tactics.

Gattuso said:

Today was the first time that we suffered physically. We struggled during the second half, therefore, we gave them space. We didn’t have the strength to get back for their goal. We could’ve won but we also could’ve lost. The strength that we’ve had for three or four months was missing. We gave off the feeling of fragility. We must remain calm. We know that we’re going through a tough spell and we must get out of it.

There are still eight matches left. We know how many points are still on offer and how important they can be. We must recover mentally and physically. We’ve lost some certainties at this moment in time. Many people like to talk about tactics but the difference is made through desire and physicality. You could see this today. It’s not a question of our formation but rather how we play, how we can hurt out opponents. The team tried to do so but you could see that we were lacking that cutting-edge. We were waiting for an opportunity. When you win five matches but then face some difficulties, the ball starts to weigh heavy. Things that happen that should be prevented and this is the moment we’re in. We weren’t precise, we struggled and at the end these performances can happen.

Fitness issues a week out of an international break? Not putting anything in tactical decisions? Seriously?

Gattuso had a pretty decent run sticking with a 4-3-3 and the same personnel each match, but since the Derby della Madonnina defeat, he’s abandoned those principles and the result has been one point from two matches that should have been six. That’s just not good enough, and the only reason that Milan is still in Champions League spots is because of the ineptitude of the teams behind Milan. If Milan continue to drop points, then the Champions League isn’t going to be in the cards.

On to the links.

AC Milan and Italian Football Links

Juventus beat Cagliari 2-0 in a match marred by racist chants. [Black & White & Read All Over]

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri thinks that racist fans should be banned for life, and he’s not wrong. [Black & White & Read All Over]

Milan dropped points and had two players go off injured in a 1-1 draw with Udinese. [AC Milan Offside]

World Football Links

Five games into the season, the Philadelphia Union are about what we expected. [Brotherly Game]

A brand-new site for everything Women’s Soccer (Football) is here. [All for XI]

Club León’s Angel Mena named Liga MX player of the week. [FMF State of Mind]

Wolverhampton beat Manchester United 2-1. [BBC.com]

Fulham’s relegation officially confirmed after a 4-1 loss against Watford FC. [BBC.com]