Former USMNT defender offers insights on Rossoneri's recent poor form and also talks about the club’s American stars and their struggles.
Lalas addresses AC Milan's inconsistent performancesDiscusses impact on key players like Christian PulisicSpeculates on Conceicao's future amid mounting pressureGetty Images EntertainmentWHAT HAPPENED?
Former U.S. Men's National Team defender and current FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas has shared his thoughts on AC Milan’s struggles under manager Sergio Conceicao, as well as the challenges facing American stars Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah. While he didn’t directly address Conceicao’s future, Lalas' analysis highlighted the difficulties Milan is facing and the potential ramifications for the coaching staff.
Speaking on hispodcast, Lalas also weighed in on Musah’s first-half substitution, noting the significance of the move—especially since it wasn’t injury-related.
“When it comes to Musah, I still think his best position is in a three in the middle of the park and I know he has had some success out wide but just from a pure, American perspective, obviously getting taken off. It is rare that you see a player get taken off in the first half where there isn’t something going on either. When you’ve gone down a man or usually, it’s an injury type of thing,” Lalas said on Musah.
“It just says to the player, it says to your team and it says to everyone watching that this is not good enough and by the way, it says that I screwed up in making this 11. And I can respect when coaches do it but it is a very visual reprimanding of a player when it happens.”
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“Yeah, you know we talked before about management has to have the guts to do what’s needed even if doing so means that you made a mistake. And but then there’s the opposite side of giving managers enough time to do what they need to do and that balance that you’re sitting out,” Lalas said. “I get it (when referring to the Milan fans’ protest) and certainly after the window, after the talent that you brought in and the changes that you made, there was a renewed faith that things were going in the right direction.
“But it’s completely fallen apart. And again, we talked about the American players and I don’t think that this is on the American players by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, I think they have and certainly when it comes to Pulisic, has shown well they are not the problem but there is a problem right now. Just remains to be seen whether they’re looking at it as we made a mistake with Sergio Conceicao or we just need to give him the time right now.”
Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
AC Milan's struggles this season have been well-documented, with the team facing inconsistent performances in Serie A and an early exit from the Champions League. The pressure on Conceicao has intensified asfind themselves outside the European qualification spots, raising questions about the Portuguese manager's long-term future with the club.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
The Rossoneri enjoyed a good start to life under Sergio Conceicao but have won just one of their last six games across all competitions. That run includes three consecutive losses in the league that has dropped AC Milan from eighth to ninth, putting them six points off a European qualification place. They face Lecce on the road next before returning to Milan and San Siro to host Cesc Fabregas’ Como on March 15 and then go to Napoli to face Antonio Conte’s title challengers on March 31.