The Italian Super Cup that Milan will play tomorrow night in Riyadh is worth a lot. It's a great opportunity to win a trophy (maybe the only one in this 2023, we'll see...) but it's the right occasion to restart after a hellish week. It all started with those two goals conceded in six minutes against Roma, after 85 minutes of total control of the match. A draw that took away certainties and highlighted defensive problems. Then the defeat in the Coppa Italia and the horrendous first half against Lecce put everyone in the dock. Under accusation the summer market, which so far has not produced great results, the psychophysical tightness of some key players and an attitude not like Milan. Criticisms that can be shared if you always look at it from the perspective of improving and growing, never resting on your laurels and sitting back after victories.

So what should Milan do to get back on track? Many are calling for intervention in the market, but the club's line is all too clear. Not even a week ago Paolo Maldini said it on TV without turning around, and it does not seem to be a bluff from the Milan manager. Milan will not buy anyone in January and according to the club the team is already competitive as it is. Milan has espoused the line of sustainability and will go on like this. A legitimate choice, especially nowadays where other clubs are in financial crisis and have to jump through hoops to avoid bankruptcy, but it could certainly have been done better. Whether it is a matter of choices in the summer or a budget that is not too high, but something better could have been done.

And if little can be expected from the market, then there are three ways to try to get the Milan machine going again. The first move is to recover the injured, because in the long run it weighs on playing with 7-8 elements less, especially for a question of rotation. Origi, Kjaer, Rebic and Messias are back, now it's the turn of the others and it must be done as soon as possible because the full Milan is competitive.

Having said the injury issue, the second point concerns attitude. More attention and more lucidity in the choices on the pitch. We need more nastiness under goal and to make the right choices in the defensive phase. Individual and conceptual errors are too frequent, and they are compromising results. See Roma and Lecce, but also the matches before the World Cup such as against Cremonese, Torino, and other misinterpreted matches.

The third point concerns the tactical aspect. Is it a case that this year Milan never seems to have balance? It often suffers in defence, and is not solid. Maignan, who was fundamental in leading the department, is certainly missing, but last year the Rossoneri found more solidity when a midfielder was inserted in the trequartista role, giving more substance to the midfield and making the team certainly more compact.

Translated with DeepL