While a defeat in the Derby della Madonnina could prove to be the final nail in his coffin, Paulo Fonesca can still rescue his Milan tenure, argues La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The 51-year-old is enduring a miserable start to life at Milanello, registering a single win in five competitive matches. Nevertheless, the pink newspaper insist that all isn’t lost just yet for the former Roma and Lille manager.
In fact, tonight’s Derby against arch-rivals Inter could serve as a launching pad for the Portuguese manager. But in order to pull off an upset and put an end to Simone Inzaghi’s dominance over the fixture, the source believes Fonseca must make five important steps.
First, the team’s attitude on the pitch must change, regardless of the result. For instance, Milan fans didn’t jeer the team following the midweek defeat against Liverpool for the defeat, but rather for the lack of desire and tenacity the players displayed while trailing on the scoreline.
Second, the Rossoneri must avert lapses of concentration at all costs. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, the team tends to concede avoidable goals, like the two set-pieces that turned the result upside-down against the Reds.
Third, Fonseca must come up with creative solutions up front, as it’s not enough to field a flurry of attacking options. The likes of Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Alvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham have often resorted to individual solutions rather than playing cohesively.
The fourth aspect that the source tackles is the formation. Fonseca has been adopting a 4-2-3-1 system, while GdS suggests a change to 4-3-3 in order to strengthen the midfield. Several sources in the Italian media are expecting the coach to go all-in in attack by switching to a 4-4-2 lineup spearheaded by Morata and Abraham, with Leao and Pulisic on the flanks.
Finally, the newspaper advises the manager to keep the likes of Leao and Theo Hernandez under his wing rather than alienating them, as the locker room is in dire need of unity in this delicate period.
