GENNARO GATTUSO SUFFERED defeat in his first Europa League game in charge as AC Milan rounded out an otherwise successful Group D campaign with a 2-0 loss away to Rijecka.
The Rossoneri’s unbeaten record in Europe this season came to a disappointing end in Croatia, leaving their new manager still waiting for his first victory since taking over from Vincenzo Montella.
Denied at the death by Benevento goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli’s unlikely equaliser on Sunday, Gattuso saw a much-changed XI out-fought and out-thought by a side with nothing to play for but pride.
Jakov Puljic’s sumptuous free-kick beyond stand-in goalkeeper Marco Storari gave Rijecka the lead after just seven minutes.
Mario Gavranovic’s first-time finish from a left-wing cross confirmed a famous win for the hosts, meaning Milan have now triumphed in just four of their last 15 outings in all competitions
While already certain of qualifying for the knockout stages as group winners, Gattuso had called for his players to show “desire” in his pre-match press conference, aware of the need to arrest a worrying run of form.
Yet his inspiring words appeared to fall on deaf ears judging by his side’s first-half display, even when taking into consideration the absence of several first-team regulars.
Sluggish from the outset, they fell behind in the seventh minute when Lucas Biglia’s foul just outside the area allowed Puljic to curl a free-kick over the wall and beyond Marco Storari’s desperate dive.
The scorer missed an excellent chance to heap further misery on the visitors before the break too, heading a teasing cross from the right narrowly wide of the target.
Milan created little yet still could easily have drawn level before half-time, with Andre Silva’s lob clearing goalkeeper Simon Sluga but ending up sitting on the roof of the net, rather than in the back of it.
Rijecka moved further clear just two minutes into the second half, Gavranovic’s rather scruffy finish from Zoran Kvrzic’s low delivery doubling their advantage.
Conceding for a second time seemed to briefly bring Milan to life as an attacking force, with Luca Antonelli seeing an on-target effort blocked by a home defender.
Patrick Cutrone wasted their best chance to half the deficit though, the forward seeing a downward header loop over after he’d misjudged his jump to meet Davide Calabria’s tantalising cross.
To round out a thoroughly miserable road trip for Gattuso, a late booking picked up by Manuel Locatelli means the midfielder will be suspended for the next game in Europe.
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Imagine if Paisley has managed.. and of course lived a bit longer. At least same or better success – and a more attractive way of doing it.
Big Jack wasn’t bad though! God be with the days… those halcyon days.
Would Paisley have gone after Aldridge and Houghton? Then Townsend later. We will never know but those 2 made a big difference
Jesus make me feel old!
I’m surprised you know how to use a computer.
Do you remember it?? I wonder what style of play they would have adopted if paisley was the manager. Thing is if you study the squad back then and the clubs they played for and the position of the clubs at the time it’s not hard to see how anyone with a bit of managerial noise could make something from them. A lot of quality throughout and some of it was world class. Brady for example (although he was on the slide), bonner was also arguably world class, McGrath was world class and one of europes finest defenders, Sheedy, Laurensen, beglin, Whelan etc etc. A great time for sure.
And then likes of Aldridge and Houghton who were with Oxford I think. Way down the divisions. Playing for Ireland opened opportunities in those days.
Charlton in hindsight you might say could have done better, But he started out with a group without belief. Great days generally.
Oxford were in the old first division in the 1985-86 season
Yes and they won the league (milk) cup that year
Paisley is the most underrated manager of all time. 3 European Cups in 5 years. When you think that the Brit’s knighted Ferguson despite he not being able to achieve that in nearly 30 years. Bizarre.
Jack would never walk away like Keane did. How things and values have changed in all the years, now the Irish promote and appoint a person who abandoned his team and his country. Jack would have done what Mick Mc Carthy did and let Keane piss off.
Jack did an incredible job and gave us many great day’s and memories. Can’t help but wonder how Bob Paisley would’ve done. One of the all time greats.
Bob would have had a great team to work with. Not knocking the lads we have now but it’s hard to think of any of them being in the same class. Maybe younger Irish lads now don’t get the same chances they once did to develop with big clubs across the sea.
He had us playing shyte football but what memories..
Two polar opposites as managers , Paisley was a very very astute football manager who learned from Shankly and then proceeded to take Liverpool to the Pinnacle of football . His famous quote after buying Kenny Dalglish from Celtic for 440 thousand pounds was , ” Lets get out of here before they realise what they have done ” , But Charlton was a better fit for that Irish team
Shankly wanted Jack to replace him at Anfield so his stock must have been fairly high even in the 70s.
Very good read
Very good article but Paisley didn’t win 6 titles in 7 years was 6 in 8 which is great considering the amount of different sides who won it in the years previous. Paisley won titles in 76,77,79,80,82,83. Forest and Villa broke their sequence in 78 and 81 respectively. They won it then under Fagan in 84 then Dalglish in 86,88 and 90. Thankfully they haven’t won it since
Time to get over this shite!win something for a change!!
matt you do know that would be impossible don’t you.
John Giles had his time as manager
Any truth in the long running story that Johnny Giles was in a hotel around the corner while the vote was taking place, all the time under the impression he was about to be announced as the next manager? Jack’s appointment was always believed to be another FAI calamity with Giles as the undeserving casualty at the time.
Should’a, would’a, could’a…… Bill$hit….
Yeah right….
Ok