Arrigo Sacchi was bitterly disappointed following Milan’s Derby della Madonnina loss to Inter, suggesting that Stefano Pioli’s tactical changes have caused the team to regress.
The Rossoneri looked a shadow of the team that flew to their first Scudetto in a decade last season, being thoroughly outplayed by their intercity rivals, who secured all three points thanks to a Lautaro Martinez header in the first half.
Milan have only picked up two points from their last five league outings and anxiety is starting to emerge in the Lombardy capital ahead of their Champions League knock-out clash with Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi first analysed the Derby della Madonnina and highlighted why Milan deserved to loss the match.
“Milan are no longer a team, especially the one in the first half. Inter did not play against an opponent, but against a sparring partner. Milan only ran after the opponents and always arrived late.
“Never a hint of pressing, never an advance, always bland marking. Switching to a five-man defence created confusion and wiped out the last few years of work. This is my idea. Any idea of play has also been cancelled out.
“How many shots on goal did Milan take in the first half? Zero. It was a monologue for Inter, who did not struggle much and ended the first half dominating the pitch. Inter played on velvet because Milan allowed them everything.”
The former Rossoneri coach then underlined why Pioli is to blame for the team’s quick collapse in 2023.
“Pioli did a great job, this should never be forgotten. But in the derby, we must be honest, with his choices he cancelled all that work. In my opinion it’s a mistake to change ideas and system of play.
“It’s true that Hernandez and Giroud are squeezed like lemons after their World Cup adventure, but that doesn’t mean you have to change the system.
“You can cover them, but also in other ways. Instead of playing with two midfielders, put three.”
Finally, Sacchi commented on the limited impacts of Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud, as well as Milan’s other tactical issues.
“Help them with an extra man in the middle. But deploying a five-man defence means losing certainties. Milan seemed frightened, even terrified.
“The real problem is that the coach must be the first to be convinced of his own ideas and has the duty to transmit them to the players. If he changes system, it’s as if he were saying: I was wrong.
“That’s not good enough. The task of a coach is to convince his players, he has to get inside their heads and hammer them until they do what he wants.”
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