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Reviewing AC Milan’s Tactical Improvements Since Vincenzo Montella Took Charge
- Updated: December 15, 2016
Having taken charge in June, Vincenzo Montella has now had six months to instigate tactical change at AC Milan.
The head coach, who previously had spells with Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Catania and AS Roma, has brought with him a clear style of play, albeit one that perhaps doesn’t quite correlate entirely with initial expectations.
This is primarily due to what he inherited.
Montella took over a team that previously, under the auspices of Sinisa Mihajlovic and then Cristian Brocchi, had little cohesion in its attacking phase—often having default possession but being unable to utilise this effectively when up against defensive-minded opposition.
There was also a general lack of structure to Milan in 2015-16, something that was perhaps not helped by the constant changing of formations. They started off last term in a basic 4-3-1-2, which was quickly abandoned in favour of a 4-3-3. They then had greater success within a 4-4-2 before reverting once again to a diamond midfield.
On top of that, their passing was inconsistent and often took on an inefficient U-shape, as the ball was passed horizontally from one flank to the other without threatening the opposition.
Defensively, Milan were functional under Mihajlovic—only six teams in Serie A conceded fewer goals last season. However, the problems seen in the attacking phase remained relevant when the Rossoneri didn’t have the ball; the structure was frequently poor with occasional open spaces between the lines.
Montella may not yet have fully implemented his philosophy, but he has improved the team in all of these areas, even if only slightly.
Certainly in terms of overall cohesion, his Milan are a different animal—compared to this stage last season, they have lost less, and won and scored more. This time last year they were seventh on 25 points; currently they sit third on 32.
Here we look at the tactical changes underpinning the progress.
Defensive Phase
In the defensive phase, Montella’s Milan generally operate in a medium block. This is a compromise between a low block that wouldn’t suit the coach’s attacking preferences and a high block that would only emphasise the vulnerabilities of a defensive line without real pace.
The rough shape is a 4-1-4-1 with 18-year-old Manuel Locatelli, who took over the deep-lying midfield role following an injury to club captain Riccardo Montolivo in October, taking up a central position close to the defensive line. The back four remains horizontally compact, although when the opposition have the ball on one flank, the relevant Rossoneri full-back will move out to press the opponent in possession.
However, there have also been occasions when Milan take up a rough 4-4-1-1 shape in the defensive phase, with the left-sided central midfielder—usually Giacomo Bonaventura—pushing up to apply pressure to the opposition’s deep-lying playmaker. Andrea Bertolacci supported the press in this manner in the recent defeat to Roma, as discussed in this post.
Since his appointment, it has been clear that Montella instructs his side to use a fairly low-intensity middle press with man-orientations. This involves allowing the opposition to pass out from the back before engaging them in the midfield area, man to man, the aim being to contain and force the opposition back …
