CorSport: Attack on fire, defense improves – Fonseca transforms Milan in seven days

Paulo Fonseca appeared to be on the verge of being released by AC Milan and has now picked up two big wins to cement his place.

As Corriere dello Sport recalls (via MilanNews), it was widely reported that Fonseca needed a positive result in the derby or he could lose his job after six games. But just seven days later, Milan are second in the league, boasting the title of best attack and having conceded just one goal in their last three league games.

Fonseca deserves credit for the turnaround. Milan aren’t perfect yet, but they have definitely started to move into higher gear and show their potential. The Portuguese’s move was above all tactical and very courageous: he deployed four attackers in a 4-2-4 formation, which guarantees a very aggressive and effective first line of pressure.

However, it was also a step that influenced the mentality of his team. After the win against Lecce, the coach admitted that the decision to have both Alvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham play at the same time was also dictated by the energy released to his team when the Spaniard and Englishman are on the pitch.

It’s also no coincidence that Milan also perform better defensively, as their higher center of gravity means they allow fewer dangerous chances. The Rossoneri have not only conceded one goal in their last three games, but have also scored nine goals, showing that the firepower is still there.

In football you are only as good as your next performance and Fonseca knows that, who has already preached calm, also because another very complicated test is coming up on Tuesday against Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions.