Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Should Paulo Fonseca Be Sacked If AC Milan Lose Derby To Inter Milan? (Clip From Ep. 456)
2k Plays2 months ago
Should AC Milan sack Paulo Fonseca if the Rossoneri lose the Milan derby in the Serie A to Inter Milan?
This is a clip from the weekly Thursday episode of the Italian Football Podcast.
To get the full episode + NEVER miss an episode of The Italian Football Podcast (as well as support the show), go to Patreon.com/TIFP or on Spotify to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
Recommended
Transcript
Fonseca's Job at Risk
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. The big question is now, he's obviously under big, big pressure, and that is if Milan lose the Derby to enter, should Fonseca be sacked? I've been speaking to a few people that are kind of close to the ground and they do feel that if if Milan lose heavily to enter,
00:00:24
Speaker
that there is definitely a big risk that Fonseca will be sacked. We'll see if that happens.
Milan's Troubled Start
00:00:31
Speaker
You can kind of understand the situation he is in, that there starts the season, they've had one win in five games, two losses, you know all these problems that we've discussed structurally.
00:00:43
Speaker
The problems with the players you've got to remember that the dressing room is important and when there's such a big Controversy with what happened with Raphael and Teo Hernandez refusing to come over for the coding break against let's say I'm sorry But that you know that doesn't you can't just forget that that's that that wouldn't happen with a coach that that has The the trust and respect of his players is obviously that's a lack of respect He's obviously unpopular with the fans. They didn't want him in the first place, the team will boot off the pitch off the Liverpool game. And if you're if you're banking on Fonseca to turn things around, well, he doesn't have a history of success. you know he he you know he he Okay, with some of the lesser teams, yes, but you know he's not won anything um really with any big
Fonseca's Leadership Challenges
00:01:31
Speaker
teams. So you know I think that the decision is will be there to be made if they lose to so insert in the in the Derby.
00:01:40
Speaker
um I understand that Fonseca is very, very much liked as a person within the club. Everyone I've spoken to have said that this is a really great person. like He's a lovely guy, really respectful guy, treats people with respect. um He has good relationships with everyone within the club. um Maybe he's too nice. Maybe that's the reason why he hasn't got the respect of the players because because being too nice, sometimes you can't handle big personalities when you're too much of a nice guy.
00:02:07
Speaker
ah You need to have a little bit of be a little bit of fear there to command respect sometimes or at least ah ah be able to to to handle yourself. um I don't know. what What do you think? Do you think if and if Milan lose to Inter that he could be set? I think it depends on the manner of the defeat should they lose. I'm not entirely convinced they will lose. um I think it's going to be much tighter than people think because Inter are also very inconser had had have had a rather in you know inconsistent start of the season.
00:02:43
Speaker
um and i don't think this is an inter like last year that was firing on all cylinders from match day one um so so i should note by the way sorry that we are recording this segment before interplay against against man city so yeah that could yeah impact things a a little bit absolutely absolutely um but i i still think that regardless You know, an inter and and there is that aspect as well. Interplay Manchester City a day later than Milan. um So there's going to be fatigue involved as well. Yeah. Yeah. And underway. So it's um I don't expect a blowout win by any stretch of the imagination.
Implications of Losing to Inter
00:03:24
Speaker
I expect this to be a rather tight game, to be honest. um So i don't I actually don't think I think it's going to be a draw. And also the fact, like I said, that Milan players was going to be a question of pride here.
00:03:34
Speaker
um losing six Darby's, regardless of who the manager is, the previous manager did, they want to go into this and they, they you know, again, you know, football players have pride like everyone else. They had, the they watched Inter win the Scurrito and the second star in their faces, ah literally. um And that on the back of winning a previous five Darby's, including a double header in the Champions League semi-final. So there is an element of pride here.
00:04:02
Speaker
So I think Milan players will turn up to that game regardless of who the manager is. But the question then becomes, you know, can you know does that then become something that Fonseca can build around and build from? But that's a later later stage. I don't expect him to lose, so I don't expect him to be sacked. But if he were to be sacked, I'm sorry, but that just means Gericardinale, Fulani, Moncada,
00:04:31
Speaker
Ibrahim, in which all of them just made themselves look like giant idiots. Yeah. Absolute idiots. I don't blame Fonseca for that. I would blame them. So what the hell was the idea of you bringing in Fonseca in the first place if you're going to sack him after four games? Yeah, it's an admitance admittance of failure and incompetence on behalf of whoever brought him in. Yeah, that's what it is because you know the the you you you were so you had so You had a year to find the replacement. This wasn't a rash decision. Everybody knew Pioli was going to leave at the end of last season. Milan had a whole year to scout the replacement, and they came up with Fonseca.
Consequences of Sacking Fonseca
00:05:18
Speaker
And if they have to sack him at the end of mid-September, that is a ginormous
00:05:28
Speaker
admittance of incompetence that's them basically admitting and waving a flag we're stupid we don't know what the hell we're doing yeah because that's why just to stop you know know that's why i think that that might save Fonseca and buy him some time that along with the fact that he is he is such a nice guy and ah and and you know that might buy him some time in that oh we really don't want to sacks Someone who is such a good person that might buy him a little bit more time and also we don't want to sack someone who well If we sack him then that puts our own positions under threat, you know, the the fans are going to be coming after us exactly
00:06:06
Speaker
ah Exactly. ah That's what I'm thinking. Because the fans have every right to come after them at that point. Because even the people who want Fonseca to stay and the people who who will will will attack them going, saying exactly what I just said now, saying, hang on, what was the idea? Then you had a year to prepare. This is the guy. And then you showed no patience whatsoever, got rid of him.
00:06:28
Speaker
And then you have the other people who go, you absolutely bleeding, blithering idiots. You had a year to prepare. You brought the guy that nobody wanted. And this was completely predictable. You're all incompetent, but but you know you're all incompetent at your jobs. And that's going to be the the the conclusion that all Milan fans make, regardless of if you're pro-Fonseca or anti-Fonseca. So it's it's it's a completely insane situation.
00:06:54
Speaker
And I think, yeah, it's a tough one because at the same time, how many more games do you give him? Do you wait until November when you're 13, 14 games in? That's it. You wait too long and then and then the the the season's over and then, you know, the person that comes in is, is well, what what's he playing for? Top four. Yeah, that's exactly what they're playing for. But I mean, you you have to consider the fixtures coming up and and that could potentially buy some time for Fonseca.
00:07:24
Speaker
because Milan have a very hard run of fixtures coming up. I mean, obviously they have Inter away in the Derby and they have Lecce at home. Then they have Leverkusen away, match day two of the Champions League. Fiorentina away, then it's the international break. After that international break in October, you've got Udenes at home, Club Bruges at home, Bologna away. Then you've got Napoli at home, Monza away, then Real Madrid away, then Callery away, then the international break and then Juventus at home after the immediately after the November international break. Among those, there's there's a lot of very, very tough ah fixtures. You've got Inter, Juventus and Napoli there in the next couple of months.
00:08:06
Speaker
And you also have Leverkusen away and Real Madrid away in the next three Champions League fixtures. So you're looking at the potential there.
Timing of Fonseca's Replacement
00:08:16
Speaker
I mean, realistically, if you're betting now, you're saying Milan from the first four from four of from the first four of the eight Champions League fixtures. Milan probably have at best three points, you know, which so like the decision to I mean, they've they've got a good the last four games are all all very you know, on paper, you think they should win, or you can't bank on Milan or anything now. But the point um I want to make is that that if you're making a decision on whether to sack Fonseca and bring in a new coach, do you want to bring in a new coach who's then thrown in to all these difficult games, you know, or do you want to wait a little bit and decide, well, if we are going to bring in a new coach,
00:08:58
Speaker
We bring him in maybe after these hard games have gone, and then after this Juventus game at home in November, there's actually quite an easy run of fixtures, four on paper, pretty easy Champions League games, some much easier Serie A games, and the new coach can really build something, build some momentum. And and do you know what I mean? that is That's a decision that often clubs make. They don't want to appoint the new manager until the hard run is over. But like you said, if you wait too long, by the time they appoint the new manager, the season could be over already. so It's a tough one, isn't it? it's is' What do you do? It's very hard. But it's crazy that we're in this position, that we should be having this discussion now. They shouldn't be in this position. I really don't think so. And and I think it's been very unfair on Fonseca too, because it's again, they had 12 months.
Lack of Vision Under Fonseca
00:09:46
Speaker
They literally had 12 months to get this right. And even if they were going to be teething issues, regardless of who came in with Sarri, Fonseca, Concisao, whatever,
00:09:56
Speaker
Even Conte has teething issues whenever he takes, or everyone has teething, it takes time, right? But for it to look this disjointed, this confused, with the fundamentals you can't even get right, such as defending its set pieces, is it's it's it's not good. It really is not good. The worrying thing is, again, to use one of your terms, like I don't even see an embryo here. That's the concerning thing. Because if you see something... I saw it against Venezia. Against Venezia I did see something. I saw how he wanted to attack in the final phase and they completely dominated Venezia. But Venezia, look, if Fonseca's brought... I mean, they didn't hire a coach to beat Venezia 4-0. Venezia are said to be a B-team and they gift-wrapped three of the goals, two of them penalties and one horrendous error by the goalkeeper. I mean,
00:10:47
Speaker
Yeah, it's, I don't see an embryo at all. I don't see anything like, if you look at Juventus, for example, like even after those two draws, forget at the PSV game and that he was getting some criticism on top.
00:10:59
Speaker
you You still have things to, you thought, right, they they can build on the fact that their defense is solid, they a goal. Exactly. You can build on this, you know, they're having more, position they're dominating possession, so they're controlling game. Like, there's things to build on. Do you know what I mean? Whereas with Fonseca here, after some negative results, you're thinking, right, what can we actually latch on? There is nothing to latch on. And the weird thing is, is they actually look good in preseason. Yeah. That's the bizarre thing.
00:11:28
Speaker
They look good in pre-season. And they were using some of the youngsters, like Liberale, who'd just been abandoned. to the to the i mean one one I mean, why not play him? you know what, obviously, they're not going to now because when you're in a crisis, you're you're not going to, you're not going to throw in youngsters. But you know, I mean, I just I don't know what he can change. That's the point I'm making. I don't see how he what changes he can make in terms of personnel to, to kind of kind of turn this around. I i don't see it. I mean, Maratas back, hopefully, he can do something. cause He's got the experience. But yeah, it's
00:12:03
Speaker
It's a mess. It's an absolute mess. and i Do you think he turns it around? What's what's your feeling? Is there hope here for Fonseca fans? Of course there is. Of course there's fat as's hope. There's always hope. but it But it would require quite a bit of hard discussions and difficult debate and discussions inside that Milan dressing room, where perhaps I think a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be involved.
Zlatan's Advisory Role
00:12:32
Speaker
I keep saying this. I know he's a senior director and a senior advisor at Redbird, but it he needs to go into that dressing room and back the manager the way that he did for Pioli. I think the key is that, I think the key goes through that.
00:12:49
Speaker
Maybe he just laces his boots and goes there and has a few training sessions with them to start to structure this up. Honestly, I'm not saying you should stop playing, but I'm saying given what he last did at Milan and how well it resulted, you know,
00:13:07
Speaker
how well that ended up being, maybe the solution to this out of this crisis is simply him going into the dressing room and taking on a more more advisory role with a technical team to help Fonseca get over this and to and to make to understand the dynamics of the dressing room so that the hierarchy becomes clearer. Because when Zlatan's in that dressing room, he's the boss. So simple as that.
00:13:33
Speaker
And that's what I think could be the key out of this. I really think that. I know people are going to like probably, oh, Zlatan's 42. What is it? 43? Why should he not know? If it's a crisis, it's a crisis and it's all hands on deck and it's the right person at the right place. And everybody knows, Ibrahimovic in a dressing room,
00:13:53
Speaker
everybody sorts themselves out because he doesn't accept nonsense. He didn't take it even from Wayne Rooney when at Manchester United, for heaven's sake. You know, that famous clip of Rooney joking about before a game and Zlatan basically telling him to shut the hell up and focus on the game. I mean, you know, this is this is the winning mentality that he has. And I think I think at this point, I do think there's hope. But I do think Zlatan needs to be more involved in this aspect, whatever else he's doing.
00:14:21
Speaker
let that leave that aside and focus on this now because they the confusion, well he will help remove the confusion by simply just being around the dressing room, maybe even lacing going on and having a training session with him. No one's expecting him to play, but maybe helping out as as part of the technical staff during training.
00:14:46
Speaker
Do you just see what I'm saying? Yeah, I mean, possibly. and But it's, I don't know, at the end of the day, I think these are these are problems on the pitch structurally and tactically that, you know, that that is for me is the most important in addition to like, yeah yeah, but if he does this after he'd if he were to do this, and after he were to do this, this still it still looks just as confused, then it's on Fonseca. I'll, you know, I'm not saying that it's not now, I'm just saying, well, then at least you would have given him a fair chance. But As things are right now, he feels very, very left alone. He feels completely abandoned. And I don't think that's very fair to him.
00:15:27
Speaker
Even though I was completely against his appointment and I didn't think he's who I would have gone for, I would have gone for Sari or Kante. If you're going to break or if you want to continue, you take someone who's an evolution or or you break completely with like by bringing in Kante. They didn't want to bring in Kante, fine, but but My issue with Fonseca has been partly what you're seeing, but I can't blame him too much because I feel that this is a man that's been completely abandoned.
00:16:00
Speaker
After big characters left that dressing room, like Olivier Giroud was. yeah so and And also surrounding Milan as ah as a club as well, where it just, we saw Zvonne Mir Boban tongue in cheek or whatever it was saying, just not done.
00:16:15
Speaker
You know, whatever your role is, I hope that you know what it is, even if people outside don't know what it is. you know This isn't something we're
Drastic Measures Needed
00:16:22
Speaker
making up. This is being discussed openly to Zlatan and Milan directors when they talk to the media.
00:16:30
Speaker
So it's, it's, it's serious and it should be taken seriously. And I think the only way out of this is drastic times need drastic measures. And one drastic measure might be the last time one last time has to lace up his boots and go into that dressing room and start kicking ass. Yeah, for sure. very simply Yeah, for sure.