'You're looking for a problem that you don’t need to have' - USMNT icon Tim Howard questions AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao's decision to substitute Yunus Musah after just 23 minutes

Yunus Musah’s early substitution in AC Milan’s recent match against Fiorentina drew sharp criticism from former U.S. star Tim Howard. Musah was pulled in the 23rd minute after an error led to Fiorentina’s opening goal - a decision Howard felt was unnecessarily harsh.

“I feel a bit for Yunus Musah,” Howard said on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast. “I’d give a manager a pass if a guy is just a bad egg - crap in training, doing the same things - and then he trusts him to start the game. I’d give him a pass. That’s not Yunus Musah. That’s not who he is.”

“So I hate when coaches have this like, soccer’s not a game where your starting pitcher gives up a home run and next pitch you’re getting hooked - that’s normal. That’s not soccer. You can make mistakes in soccer and then be allowed to continue and go.”

Howard acknowledged that poor form can justify a substitution but criticized the timing: “If you’re just rolling one bad play after another, then of course - 60th minute or halftime - you’re going to get hooked. But like, it’s just messy and causes a problem where there just doesn’t need to be one, right?”

He added, “If you know Yunus Musah, he’s not trying to make a mistake and probably isn’t going to make another one. So let him ride that out and let him work through it. It just seems like you sub a guy right after a mistake and you’re looking for a problem that you don’t need to have.”

This incident is part of a larger pattern of Conceicao's management style at AC Milan. It's not the first time Musah has been substituted early, as a similar situation occurred in a match against Lazio a few weeks ago. The 22-year-old versatile midfielder has struggled to find footing this season, with managerial changes and other issues at Milan playing their part.

Following their 2-2 draw against Fiorentina, the Rossoneri have dropped points for the second consecutive game running in the Serie A and have thus dropped to ninth on the league table. They face Udinese next in the league on April 11 away from home before returning to the San Siro to host Atalanta BC on April 20.