One of the key questions that Massimiliano Allegri must come up with an answer to is where to play Luka Modric.
As Tuttosport (via MilanNews) write, Modric is approaching 40 years of age, but the numbers show that he is still in fact playing at an elite level. He has shown he can handle a certain pace, even if logically he will need to be preserved.
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Decision made
This will be the Livorno coach’s task: to bring out the best in the Croatian champion. The big dilemma he has is whether to use Modric as a regista – or a deep-lying playmaker – in a three-man midfield, or if he would be better used as a box-to-box player.
The paper claims that Allegri is now ‘certain’ that he wants to use the former Spurs man as a regista. Indeed, the coach will use him in the center to exploit his ability to manage the flow of the game and also to preserve his physical condition.
With one game a week, it will be difficult to keep the former Ballon d’Or winner out of the starting line-up. The idea is that Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Youssouf Fofana and Ardon Jashari guarantee physlicality, energy and pace. What it means for Samuele Ricci remains to be seen.
So he will be shifted to a position he played maybe 10-20 times in his 20 year career? Doesn’t really make sense, it should be Jashari Ricci Modric as starters.
Tuttosport probably made it up. They love to do that.
I told you this guy will not have the legs for a regular Serie A season, dropping him in the deepest role possible makes sense. But expect a lot of hard work needed from the rest of the team to carry his defensive shortcomings, Allegri is good at that. So let us see
As he should.
In the regista role you need a player that can actually pass the ball forward, not just back to the goalkeeper/CB or sideways.
Have him play and pass on his knowledge and expertise to the other midfielders. He needs to up his fitness level, it is inadequate at the moment. Serie A is physically demanding. Don’t just play him for his name, he must be 100% ready or else the kids will not see the best of him.
A midfield of Jashari on the left, Ricci center and Modric on the right makes more sense to me.
Modric always played left for some reason.