GdS: ‘The 4-4-2 doesn’t work’ – Amorim’s Tactical Tweak Exposes Milan’s Mental Fragility in Sassuolo Draw

FolioPitch.com – 12 October 2026 | AC Milan‘s latest setback, a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo, has once again highlighted the team’s recurring issues. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the analysis points to a familiar theme: GdS The 4-4-2 doesn t work Amorim tweaks again but Milan s mental fragility shows. The Rossoneri’s inability to hold onto a lead, their third draw in six Serie A games, has left fans and pundits questioning the team’s mentality and tactical flexibility.

Milan were not at their best on Sunday, but just when they seemed to have steered the match in their favour – following a sterile first half and a slightly livelier start to the second – their inherent weakness surfaced again. After Adrien Rabiot’s goal, they failed to manage the game, allowing Odenthal to equalise from a corner despite a packed box. A mere five minutes had elapsed, laying bare the team’s lack of a ‘big club’ mentality. As GdS The 4-4-2 doesn t work Amorim tweaks again but Milan s mental fragility shows, this mental fragility is the primary culprit for Milan’s dropped points.

Gerry Cardinale, who visited Milanello on Saturday wearing a cap emblazoned with the slogan ‘Make Milan Great Again’, might have been left pondering the timing of that greatness. The fans, too, are growing restless. A chance to draw level with Roma and stay within two points of Inter and Lazio was squandered, and while Milan remain unbeaten in the league, they are making too little headway.

Half-time shift: Amorim’s tactical tweak

Milan broke the deadlock when reverting to the system used at the start of the season. Ruben Amorim shifted from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-2-1 after half-time, though the rule remains that attitude matters more than formation. In 2026, clinging to a rigid framework is anachronistic. Any formation is fluid: a man-to-man approach drags defenders into the opposing box, while zonal marking allows for different setups depending on whether the team is in or out of possession.

The switch from Milan’s early-season setup to this four-man defence and two-striker attack – a change called for and already glimpsed in the previous match – should not be hailed as a watershed moment. Indeed, Amorim himself had second thoughts about it. One hardly needs a coaching degree from Coverciano to realise that leaving attacking players isolated on the flanks would have played right into the hands of the opposing wide players, as had happened on several occasions prior to the Lecce game.

The alternative set-up Milan attempted was a carefully considered move aimed at blocking passing lanes and building creative freedom. Yet, if Christian Pulisic drifts too close to the striker, one flank (Samuel Chukwueze’s) ceases to be productive. Without creative playmakers in midfield, the team’s quality cannot improve. This tactical conundrum is central to the issues highlighted by GdS The 4-4-2 doesn t work Amorim tweaks again but Milan s mental fragility shows.

Dilemmas in attack and defence

Another issue is whether Goncalo Ramos doesn’t score because he makes so many mistakes in front of goal (like against Venezia, before his first and only goal) or because he isn’t served frequently and with quality. The doubt remains, but the Portuguese does nothing to erase it. When a perfect cross came to him at the end of the first half, his header was straight at the goalkeeper. Then, too many other remnants of his games were in the shade.

Diego Moreira’s moves managed to liven up the tail end of a flat first half in which health news had the upper hand due to the injuries of the central defenders Matteo Gabbia (who left on a stretcher with a serious problem in his left flexor) and Leysen (sprained left knee). For a long time, confusion and errors reigned supreme in a contest that was also interrupted by too many referee whistles and fouls to which one was no longer accustomed. Milan lacked the necessary class in the middle to dominate and control the game.

When Luka Modric came on after the break, removing Pervis Estupinan and bringing Moreira and Chukwueze back to full range, it led to the first goal with the Croatian serving Rabiot. Then, Sassuolo improved when Aquilani swapped Bowie for Sebastiano Esposito.

If Berardi was not the usual punisher of Milan, a badly-read corner is enough to restore a balance in a game that did not deliver the spectacle that was hoped for, despite the two goals. This latest episode reinforces the narrative of GdS The 4-4-2 doesn t work Amorim tweaks again but Milan s mental fragility shows.

Conclusion

Milan’s draw against Sassuolo is another chapter in a season that threatens to slip away if mental fragility and tactical indecision persist. While Amorim’s tweaks show a willingness to adapt, the fundamental issues remain: a lack of killer instinct, defensive lapses, and an inability to manage games. Until these are addressed, Milan will continue to drop points and frustrate their supporters. The question posed by Cardinale’s cap – ‘Make Milan Great Again’ – will remain unanswered until the team develops the mentality of a true big club.