Time For Ancelotti To Leave AC Milan?
Ancelotti is somewhat of an anomaly. Ever since the turn of the millennium, 2001 to be exact, he has been at Milan. It is now his 6th season at Milan. Not since Sacchi and Capello, has anyone had such a long stint at the club and this is in no short measure testament to his abilities as a manager. However, considering the circumstances now, could it be time for him to go?
Despite what Galliani and Maldini want you to think, Milan are in a crisis, if only somewhat. Losing 0-1 at home to Empoli is a disastrous result no matter how you look at it. The 5-1 and 4-1 wins over Lazio and Shaktar Donetsk respectively might have lighten things a bit, but these are still dark times for the Serie A giants.
Most of the fingers are now pointing towards the players. Dida especially, has borne the brunt of the fans’ anger and disappointment. However, surely it won’t be long until fans start pointing and directing their discontent towards Ancelotti.
Let’s be honest, Milan, from a tactical perspective have been relatively stagnant. This is in large part due to Ancelotti, who has practically used the same system throughout his 6 years. Granted, he might be one the who invented the deep playmaker role, but by sticking to the same tactics over and over again, opponents are better able to figure out its weaknesses and hence come up with counter-measures. This makes Milan very predictable and that can be a serious problem, especially in Serie A, where there is more emphasis on tactics and movement.
Maybe it is this issue of predictability that prevents managers from having extended tenures at clubs. In fact, the only two managers that I can name whom have been at heading their clubs for more than 10 years are Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
Apart from Milan’s poor run of performances there are another two reasons as to why Berlusconi might decide to do away with Ancelotti. These two reasons are Marcello Lippi and Jose Mourinho. These two are absolute world-class managers with proven track record and their availability is without doubt a tempting prospect.
Perhaps this is what Milan really need – a new man at the helm.
Maybe he just needs money for a new squad? So far, Ancelotti has gotten away with topping up his squad with veterans, but it can’t last forever. It’s not his style, but sooner or later, he’s got to start building another team up from scratch.
Reinvention takes some time, doesn’t happen in one season.
It may be too early to remove Ancelotti, he is still one of the best coach in Serie A and with the greatest success in the last decade.
It is true that the team needs rebuilding as the average age of the team is too high.
What Milan really need are the men at the top to provide money so that Ancelotti has a deep squad of stellar players rather than a set of players who are burnt out from league, euro qualifiers and champions league matches without suitable players to replace them and allow them to rest.
It’s not Ancelotti’s fault, and Mourinho’s boring style of football will ensure that he is never at the helm of Milan.
Ahmed, so are you a big fan of ‘team in transition’ too?
Milan will never go for Moro, for the reason that Berlusconi has the same prejudice towards “attractive” football that Abramovich and Calderon possess. Much likelier a destination for Moro is Juve at season’s end…they love their catenaccio in Turin.
Kenny:
He coaches as he played at Parma, AS Roma, AC Milan, and for the Azzurri. He was a very adequate midfielder, but precise and cautious.
His coaching philosophy, as you probably know, was concisely stated in the following quote:
“If you want entertainment, go to the cinema.” Carlo Ancelotti
Don’t get me wrong. As a fan, I would hate to see him go, but recent events suggest that there is a likelihood that this season might be Ancelotti’s last and all I’m trying to do here, is explore that possibility.
AC Milan are ingrates if they get rid of him. It’s not his fault the team is playing that badly. He needs more money to get a younger, newer squad.
And what about Fabio Capello?
Milan need new ideas, more young players, probably a younger coach (Van Basten or Rijkaard? Berlusconi seems to prefer formal player). Maybe Berlusconi should allow Ancelotti more freedom & money in signing new players. Btw, Brescia’s coach Carlo Mazzone was the first to play Pirlo as the deep-lying playmaker, not Ancelotti.