The French midfielder has opened a significant chapter of reflection within the Rossoneri locker room.
Milan’s defeat against Udinese is having significant repercussions in the Rossoneri environment, shaken by this mini-crisis with 3 losses in the last 4 games (Udinese, Napoli, and Lazio), interspersed with a hard-fought victory against Torino.
The whistles directed at Leão are a thermometer of how the public and the fans are reacting to this negative moment, but beyond the Portuguese player’s role and performance, there is another, more serious alarm bell that has been sounded by one of the locker room’s veterans, Adrien Rabiot. The former Juventus and Marseille player highlighted post-match that the group has lost a fundamental factor in a race as complicated as the one awaiting Milan until the end of the season: the desire to help each other on the field.
RABIOT’S WORDS
Speaking to Sportmediaset after the 3-0 loss to Udinese, in which he himself did not shine, Rabiot first offered a mea culpa, then defended Leão from the crowd’s jeers, and finally sounded the alarm about how the group is experiencing these matches.
“I am angry because I myself could have done much better. I know the team follows me, and if I give something extra, it’s better for the team. Honestly and clearly, I can say I could have done better. As a team, we could have done much better, like we were before: more united. We have lost this on the field: the desire to work for our teammates, to get back together, and to battle together. This is what we need to regain: it’s what has served us well so far.”
THE FORMATION IS NOT THE ISSUE
It’s not a problem with the formation, nor with the switch from a more compact 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3. Rabiot himself confirmed this: “It’s not the formation, but the players’ desire, ours on the field: to put in determination, to chase the opponent, to do things right.”
A SERIOUS PROBLEM
The problem, therefore, is not technical-tactical but one of attitude and team cohesion, something much harder to work on and thus far more serious for Massimiliano Allegri, as it’s not something he can influence with a substitution or a tactical choice. Rabiot spoke of a mental “switch” that needs to happen because a lot is at stake, not just for the present, but also for the club’s future. Milan has suddenly found itself embroiled in a fight for a Champions League spot that was entirely unforeseen, and they will have to fight with all available weapons.
THE SCHEDULE DOES NOT HELP
The schedule awaiting Milan from now until the end of the season will indeed not help the Rossoneri. In the next matchday, they will face a Verona fighting for survival, but crucially, in two matchdays, on Sunday, April 26th at 8:45 PM, they will face Juventus at San Siro in an authentic Champions League direct clash, a match they could have approached with a much wider advantage. The alarm has been sounded, and Allegri will have to draw on all his experience as a manager to rally the group and finish the season strongly, as they cannot afford to miss out on bringing the Rossoneri back to the Champions League.
MILAN’S SCHEDULE UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON
Verona vs. Milan
Milan vs. Juventus
Sassuolo vs. Milan
Milan vs. Atalanta
Genoa vs. Milan
Milan vs. Cagliari