It has been widely reported that Thiago Motta has a verbal agreement with Juventus ahead of potentially taking over there next season, and yet AC Milan have not give up.
A report from MilanNews starts by establishing a basic principle when it comes to doing business in football: long as there are no signatures, nothing is ever certain.
We have seen Franck Kessie declare that he will remain with Milan and sign a new contract after returning to Italy before then departing months later on a free, while Marcus Thuram reached an agreement with the Rossoneri then scored the goal to earn Inter the Scudetto.
Will it be the same for Thiago Motta and Juventus? We will see. However, the issue does seem more open than before and all while Motta’s Bologna are competing with Juventus in the race for a Champions League spot.
The story is that the Italian-Brazilian head coach reached verbal agreement with Juve chief John Elkaan without, however, putting pen on paper in any way. Could Milan get themselves firmly back into the running?
One thing is clear: the management are now back to evaluating other options to replace Stefano Pioli because of the backlash over the Julen Lopetegui news. Among the profiles admired is certainly – and for some time now – also Motta, who ticks a lot of boxes.
He has been a revelation with Bologna and is basically a perfect fit in terms of knowing the league, having an attractive playing style and the mentality of a player who didn’t retire long ago, plus a record of developing young players.
In short, he could be the ideal candidate to give new life to the project of Gerry Cardinale, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and co., if they decide to act on their interest and if they manage to overcome the competition from Juve.
Where the Bianconeri have stalled is related to Massimiliano Allegri’s future, who still has the esteem of vocal supporters groups like the Ultras and also has a contract until 2025 worth €9m net per season.
There is also the very concrete hypothesis that all Allegri’s staff would need paying off too, so it could become very costly just to sack him and try start afresh. In all this chaos, who knows if Milan might make their move.
Don’t consider. DO IT
Seriously. They can “consider it” all they want. Let me know if Motta is actually interested in coaching Milan. If he is, then make it happen!
If he is the ideal candidate (as I also think he is), then why did they hesitate before moving for him? Incompetence is probably the right answer…
You are correct. Everyone in Italy already saw him like the next coach of Milan. However Juve over take us cause we have incompetent management. And im honestly sick of Juve and Inter steeling our targets. Its time we return the favour.
Because Zlatan wanted Conte and, for some reason, could not add 1+1 to get 2, to realise that Conte did not fit, and could never really fit.
Why is Inter doing so well? Inzaghi took over from Conte. 352 system was already in place, he just continued and build on it.
It’s crazy to think they were talking with Lopetegui since December but never seriously considered Motta although he’s the perfect profile to take over. The system of 4231 is there to build on. Zirkzee is (reportedly) main target. Wtf?
There is no 4231 system. That was 2 seasons ago. Now we got a bunch of mezzalas and an ss wannabe instead of a proper AM player
Looks like something I would write🤣👍
Can you imagine a 433 with someone like Partey on DM.. just noticed today he’s on contract ’till 2025 and is getting scraps at arsenal. Hefty salary unfortunately
But on a serious note, you’re right. We’re more suited to build on 433 now with all the mezz’alas and b2b midfielders. A system I personally dislike the most.
It’s simple, versatile and efficient..what’s not to like. I’ve no preference for systems. All I want is something that brings the best out of the players.. if that’s S0S (it isn’t), let it be S0S
I struggle to see the real difference between 433 and 4231 except that the latter is slightly more dynamic because you have the AM who can move around more.
Defensively they both basically provide the same cover since they both end up as a 451.
Offensively you still have 1 person up front and some wingers and then it’s just what happens behind that.
With 433 it tends to be more rigid with those annoying triangles with the FBs, mezz’alas and wingers.
Whatever system we play it’s a given we need a DM.
You struggle to see the difference between 4231 and 433 because you lack fundamental understanding of football
@ flyingturtle
That response was a bit much…..
I admit I get bored playing Football Manager and prefer playing the real thing.
Haven’t played any fifa pes or football manager in over a decade. Nor do i intend to.
Most people play indoor football, or whatever you call it (5v5), twice a week and think they know about 11v11 football.. ridiculous
@ flyingturtle
Still struggling for coherence and relevance I see.
I mostly play and coach 11 a side and have played for over 30 years and coached for 10.
But I don’t pretend to be an expert – unlike you.
You seem easily triggered by formations.
Exactly.
Agreed.
And it’s here that fans should reserve their highest expectations for the owners:
a) because they are in charge of the overall strategy and therefore the actual short to medium to long term success of the club; and
b) because they are only there for the money, the ego or the sports washing;
c) because they are in general (former legends aside) nobody’s who we have and should have no real connection with (Berlusconi aside).
Save all our anger, abuse, and demands for the owners, and support the manager and the players who have to work under that dysfunction!
pioli always change formation whenever he loose a match and also rest players for no reason
At the end of the day, the directors didn’t have the courage to formalise the deal at the time when Bologna’s season represented a ‘decent’ over achievement.
Instead of focusing on things like the style of play, the combination of defensive substance, ball control and attacking patterns that sets Motta apart from guys like RDZ whose teams tend to be brittle, and the development of players like Calafiori, Bekuma, Zirkzee and a few others, the ‘brains trust’ got spooked by the usual clichés (relating to a lack of experience and winning) because they are incompetent.
Notice that none of this applied to Giuntoli whose problem here is having at least 1 hand tied behind his back on account of Allegri’s massive contract for next season.
It’s now become an embarrassment to our management due to the extent of Bologna’s overachievement.
Motta should be smart enough to know that we are a better job for him than Juve. He comes here to build on the foundation Pioli basically tailored for him. At Juve he is almost starting before the ground has been broken.
We are very lucky that Allegri’s contract makes the deal for Motta such a difficult one for Giuntoli and Juve. Hopefully, this will save our management from themselves.
What makes motta such a good choice and de zerbi not? Every team de zerbi has coached he’s gotten better and better. Thiago motta is a huge gamble as he’s only had one year. I wouldn’t mind either one but motta is clearly a bigger risk, de zerbi more expensive. Don’t forget, de zerbi has been linked to Liverpool, barcelona, and city for a reason. He’s one of the most interesting up and coming managers and it’s just a meter of time before he gets to take over a big team
I don’t think RDZ would be a bad outcome.
But his record is questionable and it remains to be seen how he can handle adversity. Current indications are that he’s not doing it well (given repeated heavy defeats). He’s never really faced it before.
Motta kept Spezia afloat comfortably. In the 2 seasons since he has left they’ve been relegated and are now relegation threatened in the Serie B.
The current and wild overachievement with Bologna speaks for itself. Bologna was not the Brighton RDZ took over. Motta has built that Bologna over 2 seasons now. Even back at Sassuolo, RDZ took over a well oiled machine which EDF had in Europe. His career does not support the hype.
The key tactical difference is the way RDZ sides wilt. Motta plays progressive football but with a very solid defensive structure. That structure is what you need when **** hits the fan.
When you put it all together Motta has done more, plays a more reliable brand and has been tested in adversity in a way that RDZ is currently not coping with.
Well taken!
That is well said and in de zerbi’s defence. He lost his two best players last season which were the pillar of the midfield. Put that with also playing European football for the first time in their history and what manager won’t fail? Look how milan lost tonali what it did to us.
Motta and de zerbi are my top two targets at the moment.
I know what you mean but honstly as a manager you cant be a one year wonder.Its not like he is a tactical genius this year and then has no clue next year.More common for players to be a season wonder
Stop “considering it”. DO IT ALREADY!
To be honest foot has revolved and the most common tactic is the box middlefielder. The simpler formation to have a box middlefielder is 3421 formation. 433 is used by best managers in their league with the best players in the world.
Alberto Gilardino is one name I would like to be considered, Thiago Motta too, Italiano. I guess they fit our profile.
Roberto Mancini if we can afford him
As much as I would like to see us get Motta – and truly hope it happens (as we aren’t paying 15M for De Zebri) – the fact that we were going to sign Lopeteugi until the fans protested (and with good reason) is pretty comical and shows the lack of experience this current management team has. If we allow fans to influence our biggest decisions we are in big trouble.
In the end I hope we get Motta – BUT if we are serious – then make the fkn offer and hurry up about it while we still may have a chance. The decision to replace Pioli has been made so let’s hurry up and go after Motta hard if he’s the guy and get someone we really want for a change.
I’m finding it hard to understand why everyone is sold on Motta? Yes, Bologna is going well THIS season, but to make him a mastermind of coaching seems to me a bit blind.
No one is making him a mastermind. He knows Serie A as a player and he’s overachieving with Bologna fighting for a CL spot. And they play solid football.
If anyone is being overhyped like a prodigal son, is De Zerbi. There’s the hype over stats.
We’ll see about that. De Zerbi was in this exact position when he was in Sassuolo. Overachieving. Fighting for a CL spot. The difference is that the one is more recent, and easier to remember.
It was Eusebio Di Francesco who built a team before De Zerbi. Eusebio took them to Europa League. He gave him the foundation. Where was Bologna before Motta?
Bologna has for the past 5 seasons, at least, been in the upper middle table. It’s one of the most consistent teams in serie in that regard. Last season was not different.
This season they’re having a great campaign, and to Motta’s credit. But to think that he has proven himself enough to consider him the beacon for coaching Milan seems a bit strange to me.