Paulo Fonseca has proudly declared on multiple occasions since becoming AC Milan head coach that he will stay true to himself and his playing principles, but he has had to navigate choppy waters early on.
After all – La Gazzetta dello Sport writes – when a coach finds himself close to being sacked as he reportedly was after the Liverpool game it is natural to change the methods a bit. The rebirth of Milan obviously passes through Fonseca’s tactical work, but this is only part of the reconstruction.
Behind the scenes there is also work on the minds, on self-esteem, on the collective spirit. If you think about it, even the novelty of the two centre-forwards has implications that go beyond the strictly game benefits: it is a message to the whole team to tell them that courage is needed. Having done it in the derby is proof of concept.
Stefano Pioli loved to lock himself in the office with his players to discuss and get a feel for the current situation. Fonseca may prefer group analysis, but he also pays a lot of attention to the psychological aspect.
