For AC Milan, with more than two-thirds of the league already on the schedule, they seem close to the title and seem far away. To say that Pioli's team is close to the championship is because they are the leaders of the league, the initiative is largely in their own hands, as long as they perform well enough, it is difficult for other teams to take the championship from them; saying that they are far from the championship is because the team's competitive state in the past period is really not flattering, they have lost points on the weak team in two consecutive games, and these 2 points are likely to eventually determine the championship.
Originally, compared to the other two competitors, AC Milan did not need to be distracted in European competitions, which was a big advantage for them, but from the current situation, Napoli has ended their European journey, and Inter Milan seems to be only one step away from being eliminated. When both teams return to the league, the competitive pressure on AC Milan is bound to increase significantly. Moreover, from the perspective of the schedule, AC Milan is not easy to deal with. In the next two matches, they will play directly against the above two competitors. The Coppa Italia final will usher in the Milan derby, a key match to help Pioli and his team achieve a breakthrough in the championship this season, and the outcome of the match will also directly affect the morale of the team, which in turn will affect the team's performance in the final stages of the league. The league match against Napoli is a game that determines the situation, and the team cannot afford to lose.
If the above two matches can not come up with a convincing performance, AC Milan is likely to end up in both competitions with no grain, which is undoubtedly the last thing AC Milan fans want to see. However, judging from the performance of the team in the past period, although the team's poor performance has been affected by some objective factors, from the team's technical and tactical level, they have not done well. For head coach Pioli, his platooning seems to be increasingly a disadvantage that constrains the team's ceiling. Especially with regard to the use of Díaz, Pioli seems to have some obsessions. Although the young striker seemed to have shown signs of "opening up" at the beginning of the season, he fell silent again for most of the games that followed. In all competitions of the past seven games, he has averaged below 7 points per game. Specifically, what makes Díaz most constrained is his lack of physical confrontation ability, and his role will decline significantly when opponents defend him closely or give him a certain amount of defensive pressure.
In addition, in terms of on-the-spot command, Pioli also showed obvious shortcomings. Especially when the team is behind, he is rarely able to achieve the effect of "willow dark flowers and bright villages" through substitution adjustments and changes in tactics. In the use of substitute players, Pioli's choice also seems to be problematic. Although Daniel Maldini has scored goals this season, he is still a clear gap from the level of the first team in terms of overall performance, but Pioli has been insisting on giving him the opportunity to play. For other substitutes, such as Kalulu and Florenzi at right-back, Pioli seems to have somewhat forgotten them in these games. In the case of Calabria's poor form, it seems that Pioli should make sufficient rotations, forming a healthy competition in this position, prompting these players to play better.
In addition, Pioli has also suffered some criticism for Casey's use. Judging by his performances this season, Casey never seems to have integrated into the team's tactical system. He seems to have obvious problems with the positivity of the game, the rhythm on the field is delayed, and the awareness of moving forward is obviously insufficient. In the eyes of the outside world, Pioli let such a player who has no intention of playing is irresponsible to the entire team. According to transfer expert Pedura, Casey's future looks set. It is reported that Barca is willing to match his salary requirements, providing him with a fixed annual salary of 8 million euros plus a floating clause of 2 million euros, and the two sides have reached an agreement. This means that the core player of AC Milan has already confirmed a move to Barca.
Next season, with the loss of Casey almost certain, coupled with Díaz's performance not meeting expectations, AC Milan will certainly not be able to cope with the entire season by relying only on Tonari and Benacell in the midfield position. According to Western media, Ceballos has difficulty getting enough appearances in the team, has never been given a chance to start in the league this season, and his contract has more than a year to expire, basically confirming that he will leave the team at the end of the season. AC Milan are interested in the 25-year-old Real Madrid midfielder and hope to sign him. On the transfer market, he is worth 18 million euros. From the technical characteristics, Ceballos can play a good role at both ends of the attack and defense, has a good pass on the offensive end, and has a very positive defensive attitude. (The picture comes from the Internet, if there is infringement, please contact to delete)