Bonazzoli’s goal symbolizes a defensive phase that needs to change. Max wants to see as few mistakes as possible and has always relied on strong center backs: the worst characteristics of the two starters
Max Allegri may have added a new term to the barroom soccer dictionary. “Short nose” is unbeatable, but on Saturday night, Max obsessively repeated a concept: “Recognize danger.” It’s not used much, but it risks becoming a classic. The meaning is clear: the important thing for him is that the defense is attentive and always focused. Defenders must mark, read situations, and avoid any distractions. There is a lot of work to be done.
Federico Bonazzoli’s goal is symbolic of Milan’s defensive problems. Cremonese pressed in Milan’s area and recovered the ball with Baschirotto, who took advantage of the first in a series of chain errors: Gimenez tried to escape the pressure with a backheel. The number 7 stumbles on the ball and—second mistake—does not return with competitive aggression but at half speed. Baschirotto then spreads the ball (with his heel…) to Pezzella, who crosses unchallenged, while Saelemaekers watches him from a safe distance, respectfully. The final mistakes are in the middle of the box. Milan are in a superior position – five against three – but mysteriously leave Bonazzoli alone, who rises with class for the overhead kick. Fofana realizes the danger too late and Pavlovic looks elsewhere, towards Okereke. A disaster.
The story of Max— There were years when Allegri only had to keep an eye on his defense. A defense with Barzagli and Chiellini doesn’t need reminders about marking: it has champions who have made concentration in marking their daily bread. In 2021-22, the first year of his second life at Juventus, Max raised his voice with similar reminders, and Juve, not surprisingly, finished with the fourth-best defense. For him, rightly so, it wasn’t enough. That team still had De Ligt, Bonucci, an injury-plagued Chiellini, and Danilo on the right. In the following season, Bremer struggled at first, but then he asserted himself and Juve, with him, climbed back up to third in the league’s defense rankings.
Tomori and Pavlovic— The current Milan team does not have marking specialists like Chiellini, Barzagli, and Bremer. The starters today are Tomori, Gabbia, and Pavlovic, and two of them in particular, Tomori and Pavlovic, have made a lot of mistakes in the last year. Mistakes in reading the game, concentration, and marking, which is exactly what Allegri cannot stand. On paper, Tomori and Pavlovic are more suited to a coach like Gasperini, who loves aggressive defenders who are good at defending with thirty meters behind them. The challenge for Allegri, then, is less straightforward and can be solved in two ways. By intervening in the transfer market with another center back, an investment that Milan does not seem willing to make at the moment. Or by working on the team’s progress. Everyone will need to lend a hand, considering that the bottom of the midfield – Modric, Ricci, or Jashari – in this Milan team is a technical player, not a physical one. Ah, a clue: De Winter, if the situation remains the same, has a good chance of finding space soon.
