GdS: Cardinale will return to the USA ‘disappointed’ after witnessing Sassuolo draw

Gerry Cardinale was present at the Mapei Stadium hoping to see his AC Milan win, but he instead left the ground deflated.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) point out that Ruben Amorim is yet to taste defeat in Serie A, remaining unbeaten just like his seasoned counterparts Cristian Chivu, Gian Piero Gasperini and Gennaro Gattuso.

Yet, having surrendered a lead – failing to show the killer instinct to put the game to bed and then carelessly losing their defensive shape during a corner – Amorim would gladly trade that zero in the loss column for a few more points on the board.

He operates according to his own logic: the team’s position isn’t bad, but from his perspective, the current Milan side are capable of more than the one seen in the opening weeks. The team appear more dynamic and disciplined, but they are still lacking in the management of certain moments.

Yesterday’s team successfully handled one-on-one situations against Laurienté and Berardi, players who are lethal on the counter-attack. Yet, they got ahead and conceded nearly instantly. In short: the draw feels like a defeat, but the work does seem to be slowly bearing fruit.

Cardinale underwhelmed

Cardinale’s feelings are mixed: the owner had described the Milan side that beat Lecce before the break as the finest and most clinical of his tenure. Yesterday’s performance, however, felt unfinished once again, so much so that he headed back to the US feeling rather disheartened.

He will return for the Atalanta match, hoping to see the improvements that the break failed to deliver. For Cardinale, there is work to be done, and he accepts no excuses, even regarding certain refereeing decisions.

Yesterday, the Rossoneri chief felt that Laurienté’s foul on Gila warranted a penalty, yet the Sassuolo forward was not even booked, just one of several contentious incidents.

Amid all the talk that the RedBird Capital founder has injected €50m in equity in order to finance more reinforcements in the winter, it would be nice to see signs that the summer investments – like the €75m man Goncalo Ramos – can take the team forward too.