and this weird season that we’re in, AC are drawing some blood.
I’ve always been intrigued by Italian football, it was the first league that I was able to regularly watch on the TV. I was born in ‘93, and we only had channels 1-4 in my house. The ‘Football Italia’ show on Channel 4 was my only option for watching live football games (apart from on FA cup day). Fiorentina were the team I liked to support, they seemed to always be on and my dad got me one of those knock-off shirts on a family holiday in Greece, so that sold it. In the late 90s they boasted players such as Batistuta, Rui Costa & the infamous Tomas Repka.
As a result of those childhood memories, and watching footballing greats like Del Piero, Maldini and Zanetti, I have always had a fondness for the Italian game. Interest in Italian football has dwindled slightly in the last decade, with the tedious predictability of Juve’s success. However, this season is reigniting my passion for Serie A, with the most enthralling title race in years.
Serie-A Mid-Season Review
You’d be forgiven for presuming that Cristiano Ronaldo, winner of 5 Ballon d’Ors, was leading Juventus to their tenth successive Serie A title in 2021. However, for the first time since the 2010-2011 season, the Milan clubs are emerging into a fierce title race, and climbing back to the top of Italian football, once again.
What is most striking when viewing this table, are the points swings both negatively and positively across two clubs, when compared with the same point last season:
After 18 games
– Juventus: 2020 (45 points), 2021 (33 points & a game in hand)
– AC Milan: 2020 (22 points), 2021 (40 points)
So have Juventus slumped in form, or have AC Milan significantly improved? – Well, it’s a bit of both, and, we’ll look at Pioli, Pirlo & the infamous Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s impact. Whilst analysing two giants of the Italian game, it’s impossible to ignore another; Inter Milan, we’ll take a look at their chances as title contenders in 2021.
I am Zlatan.
Ironically, the man who topped AC’s goalscoring charts in their 2011 Serie A title campaign, is back, leading the Rossoneri’s as top goal scorer, once again. An omen for what’s to come? Maybe.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Milan in 2012, at a time which would become their longest period without a domestic title since the early 1970’s. Whilst Zlatan was winning trophies for Paris Saint Germain, Manchester United & LA Galaxy, and scoring 171 domestic goals along the way, Milan were sinking to their lowest league finish since the late 90’s (10th).
So then, you perhaps couldn’t blame the hierarchy at Milan, for wanting to bring a club legend home, to inspire a retrieval of greatness. The return of Zlatan, did however, raise eyebrows in 2019. At 38 years old, many deemed him past his best. However, the Swedish giant, initially given a 6-month contract until the end of the 2020 season, went on to notch 11 goals in 20 matches and was awarded with an extension for the 2020-21 season. Zlatan has thus far, repaid the faith, and sits joint 2nd in the goalscoring charts in Serie A, alongside Romelu Lukaku, and last year’s top goalscorer; Ciro Immobile.
So Zlatan is helping to turn AC’s fortunes around, but is it all down to him? – I’m sure he’d like to think so, but plaudits too, can be given to Stefano Pioli.
Stefano Pioli – from enemy, to new found hero.
Pioli’s appointment in 2019 sent ripples through the fan base, as an ex-Internazionale manager, who won titles with Juventus as a player, he wasn’t top of their priority list as Giampolo’s replacement.
In truth, the Ultras have struggled to get on board with any manager since the departure of Massimiliano Allegri in 2014, the last man to bring the Serie A title home.
Since, they have appointed 9 managers in the space of 5 years, including a 7 game stint for Cristian Brocchi, who managed a win percentage of 29%. It’s fair to say that the Ultras have been put through somewhat of an emotional mangle over the last decade, and so when Pioli was appointed in October 2019, you can understand their reservations.
The height of Pioli’s managerial success was leading Lazio to a third-place Serie A finish in 2015. Not quite the title winning manager the Ultras were hoping for. Fifteen months on from his appointment as AC Milan manager, his team sit 3 points clear at the top of Serie A, and are looking like serious title contenders.
So, how has Pioli managed to transform the Rossineri’s?
Pioli is historically known for his 4-3-3 formation which evolved to a 3-2-2-3 early on in his tenure with AC Milan. Maximising Theo Hernandez’ pace through encouraging him to get forward. However, since the arrival of Zlatan, the team have adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation, to enable the ageing Swede to remain up top with little defensive duties.
This change in approach not only benefitted Ibrahimovic, it also enabled Hakan Calhanoglu to be played in his preferred number 10 role, as playmaker, providing 6 assists in 20/21. Also benefitting from this change, is the young Ivorian central midfielder; Franck Kessie, sitting in a double pivot, he has been able to dominate games through the middle, and also notched 6 goals and 2 assists in his 17 starts.
Whilst Pioli has managed to get the best out of his attacking players, he has also inspired an impressive display in defence, with Donnarumma currently in pole position for the golden glove with 7 clean sheets. By comparison, last seasons title winners, Juventus, have only managed 3 clean sheets as it stands, and find themselves with several other problems.
Andrea Pirlo – proof that great players can’t always be great managers, or a work in progress?
Juventus sit fifth in Serie A, 10 points behind the league leaders, and rumours are circulating that Pirlo’s job could be at risk, if he can’t find a win against Napoli, in the Italian Super Cup Final, on Wednesday evening.
In the summer of 2020, Andrea Pirlo was appointed in his first managerial role as head coach of Serie C club; Juventus U23. Nine days later, following the dismissal of Maurizio Sarri, he became head coach of the Juventus first-team. Four days before his first competitive match as head coach, he received his UEFA Pro License.
In England, we considered Chelsea’s appointment of Frank Lampard as head coach a little premature, so too, Mikel Arteta, with Arsenal. However, both managers had spent time in coaching roles, with other clubs, prior to their appointments. Andrea Pirlo, the man taking over the giants of Italian football, the team who had won the league for 9 successive years, had never managed a professional team, prior to his arrival. Just let that sink in.
It’s hard not to have sympathy towards him, given his inexperience, and somewhat thrust into the managerial limelight by the powers that be at Juve. You’d think those in the boardroom in Turin, would have been aware that hiring a great player, with no managerial experience, would require time and patience.
Where is it all going wrong?
Whilst inexperience is a key factor, the Juventus squad are largely the same to the one whom clinched their 36th Serie A title in 2020, so what is going wrong?
There are three obvious differences, when looking at their performances across the two seasons;
Clean sheets
In 19/20, Juventus had a clean sheet percentage of 34%, in 20/21, that has thus far, been cut in half, to 17%. Indicating a big change in their defensive capabilities.
Discipline
Under Sarri, Juventus received one red card, in the 19/20 season. Under Pirlo, after 17 matches, they are already on 5 red cards. In those 5 matches, they have dropped 9 points.
Draws
In 19/20, Juve were held to a draw in 5 of their 38 matches. They have already reached 6, in 17, in 20/21.
Whilst these three areas are obvious differences, there are smaller, less evident issues arising too. Pirlo’s inability to stick with a formation (switching from 3-4-1-2 to 4-4-2 regularly), means there is an air of inconsistency in the team. His use of quick full-backs such as Alex Sandro as a centre-half, are deemed wasteful by some. A failure to use Paulo Dybala (2nd top goalscorer in 19/20, has only started 7 games this season), effectively, has led to only Ronaldo scoring more than 4 goals this season. Ronaldo too, has become relied upon too heavily. CR7 has scored in only two of the eight games that Juve have dropped points this season, indicating a lack of attacking threat when their main man is not in form.
It is evident that Pirlo’s naivety is impacting on the old lady’s success, and the hierarchy may need to accept that they are not going to achieve title number 37, until they have enabled a legend to shine, or removed the legend from the podium.
Internazionale – Serie A contenders again
Much like their rivals, Inter have been unable to find success and topple Juventus off top spot, for quite some time now. They have failed to win a domestic trophy since 2011, after 5 successive Serie A titles between 2005 and 2010. Their best league finish in that time was qualification for a 4th Champions League spot, until Conte arrived, and they find themselves in 2nd place, three points behind Pioli’s men.
Inter have been fairly consistent this season, only losing twice, and scoring the most goals in the league. They are however, 5 points shy of the total they’d amounted to this time last season. A big performance is needed at the San Siro, when they face AC, in the Derby Della Madonnina, in February. AC beat them 2-1 in the reverse fixture early on in the season, and if both teams can remain close in the title race, it is set to be a fascinating affair.
It is no surprise that Antonio Conte is finding success with Inter, as he lives and breathes Italian football. He boasts 3 Serie A titles, 2 Supercoppa Italiana trophies, and has been Serie A coach of the year on three seperate occasions.
In his first season back in Italian football, after a stint in the premier league, he took Inter Milan to a Europa League final, and led them to their highest finish in Serie A, since 2011.
Conte and Pioli look poised for an enthralling title race, and it’ll be intriguing to see who comes out on top, come 23rd May.
FPL_LiverGirl 