There are several players who can be key for AC Milan this season. However, there could be two pillars already standing out.
Before Massimiliano Allegri arrived, there were a few suggestions about who could be pivotal for the Italian. Rafael Leao was, as you’d imagine, a mainstay in these suggestions, but past that, there were no common themes.
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Two stars
So far, two players really stand out and can actually be the pillars of Allegri’s team, as Gazzetta dello Sport writes. Those are, of course, Leao and then Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has been fantastic in pre-season so far.
Both were heavily involved against Liverpool on Saturday, and the former scored once and then assisted Loftus-Cheek for the second goal of the game. Both are in ‘a category that surpasses the norm’. However, their issue has been consistency through the season, even if the reasons differ.
Allegri has already laid out his project, and the pillars could already be present. However, the real money is in translating their situations into Serie A. After all, pre-season is only a glorified training game, as the manager stated after the win yesterday.
For now, though, the ideas are flowing and players are already buying into Allegri’s ideas.
I mean, spending 40M on a new midfielder after signing two doesn’t scream ‘pillar’.
Methinks you’ve taken a good friendly performance and are now trying to spin articles from the recency bias.
A fit RLC will be a great option for Allegri, but I doubt he’s going to be an immoveable object… or fit for the whole year.
It’s so hard to put a finger on RLC…. Here but unfit. Or half a season fit half unfit… Or fully fit but one PSG level performance then the rest forgettable…
We can’t seem to get a full season worth of accomplishments out of him, except for maybe the season under Pioli with 10 goals?
If Loftus is our pillar then we are way down.This is like Krunic and Pioli
The greatest love story ever
I remember when Pioli put him at CB and he got cooked, that’s when I realised how much he loved this guy
Opinions are like a*#holes but people who don’t understand Krunic or RLC seem to be people who don’t understand football at all, and are the sort of teammates I find myself screaming at to pass the ball as they dribble around in circles in the corner.
Your takes are so tribal… Those for Calabria vs Against… Those for Krunic and RLC VS those against… There has to always be a side with you…. There can be no criticism whatsoever. You either absolutely worship a player or you hate him.
If it’s not my opinion, it’s “…people who don’t understand football at all…”
Not tribal.
Krunic controlled the pace of the game, and RLC can break the lines.
Maybe two Scudetto winning managers know more about football than a much ungrateful fans who mock their own players.
Speaking of mocking own players you mock the whole club last season by wanting us to lose games. Hypocrite
Gimenez will be a decent second striker but his lack of pace will make him a liability. To my surprise he was pretty good at being the guy who drops deep and spray through balls or forward passes. I think there is a place for him to do that part with Leao. But of course another tall, strong, fast and technically gifted forward is needed and chiesa is someone who is out there who has played there and done well. So who knows with Okafor and Chukwueze possibly out the door there is a good chance of Chiesa coming through.
It may just be another long season where the fans know better than the manager 😅
Of course! That’s why we are here, to armchair the unattainable dream job.
So I guess after Pulisic being the best player over the past two years he isn’t a”pillar” going forward. This is a silly post Ben.
Until you perform against a bunkered team…no one is a pillar. When teams go all out in attack Milan looks great (friendliest last year, Real Madrid in the CL, and now against Liverpool) but who is playing well against a bunkered teams? That is 85% of the teams we face. Rafa has the ability….RLC? I’m not so sure.
Yeah I kept thinking the exact same thing as I watched the game. Liverpool were happy to attack and stay on the front foot, Serie A will be a completely different story.
Lol pillar…RLC
Ok then ….
He’s got all of the characteristics to be a great midfielder, and he had a great first season and last season was a write off for nearly every player.
If anyone can bring the best out of him it’s Allegri.
He’s the only midfielder Milan (I’m still not saying ‘we’) has who can great the lines.
Why are you here? Your allegiances now lie with Como! There’s nothing changed since last you left to seek a more “Italian” team…hence Como….sarcasm included
If will are talking about pillar of Milan is leao n pulisic,our coach should just build on them.
I don’t see Pulisic fitting into Allegri’s 3-5-2 system. Two attackers would be Leão and Jimenez. Three midfielders- Modric, RLC, Ricci or the new Brugge player. As Pulisic needs playing time before the WC it’s time to look around for a transfer. I hope he sees the writing on the wall.
He had a really nice assist for Rafa on that first goal, and multiple shots on goal. He’s versatile, he’ll find a place for sure.
I think you are miss reading the design. If we move to a 352 we will play counter attacking football and having Pulisic and Leão both of the left side you’ll see more connection between the two. Not saying I endorse this or what I would do but I think this is Allegri’s idea.
RLC a pillar? We have fallen so far.
Maybe he meant pilar… ’cause Rueben does have a nice set of hair.
Everyone hating on RLC is the least surprising thing ever.
The actual facts are when he is healthy and used in a way that emphasizes his strengths then he is an effective player worth of Milan.
My concern is more about his injury history. I’m just not confident he will play more than like 20-22 games until he actually does.
It seems Allegri views RLC in the same way Pioli did, wants him in and around the box and not dropped back in midfield. He certainly has many of the tools to be a mobile second striker, let’s see if he can score goals like he did two years ago
Be careful allegri, RLC has injury phrone. Only Good performance for 2-3 games and then gone. That’s why Chelsea sell him. Anyway the new signing Ricci being silent performance. Not give some difference on Milan midfielder.
Lotfs of Cheat is pillar??
Biggest joke for the whole week. If that’s the case, Milan will have a troubled season.
Put aside the skepticism around him, Technically speaking, he won’t work well with Modric given both on the field. That’s another problem
Milan used 442 in the beginning of the second half. Tomori-Thiaw-Gabbia-Bartesaghi
Saelemaeker-Ricci-Musah-Okafor
RLC-Leao.
No wonder RLC scored with assist from Leao after the set up passing from Okafor.
Allegri is smart in applying formation and plotting players in their best roles.
The third goal was also derived from Leao touch to RLC and passed it wide to Saelemakers before he assist to Okafor.
442 can be used beside 361/541. I haven’t seen the 433 yet.
Leao is a one trick player
Burst of speed and cut in.
Better to sell and cash in before he becomes another Theo
Some people just come to this site to make comments without looking at the implications of there comments. Someone is saying Leao is a one trick player and want him sold. If you sell Leao ,do we have money to buy an all round player ????. Imagine just to pay 40M for Jashari is taking us more than two months for finalise and someone is saying we should sell Leao. Is it not sensible to keep the little assets we have and strategies until we can start competing with other top clubs,?? It’s better to read others posts and learn from them rather than to come here and make unreasonable comments.
Rubben is a very good player,but he got injured so many times,let us give support to the team we love AC MILAN,like every players there are times that they can give there best and on the contrary times that they are not playing to there level RLC can contribute a lots for the team,he is strong and can score goal,he must improve more on his passing,he can score many goal if he makes good decision,he will play well this season we pray that he stay fit.Another player who plays his heart for Milan is PULLISIC a courageous player,he will bring his speed and the goal for this season he will fit well in this current squd,There are many things to fix but we are show some good progress,it’s pre season game practice it is very important to start well,the defeat against Arsenal had show the team weakness,with some new arrivals it was time for them to understand their teammates and in other games the same but there was great improvement amongst the team defence and offense and team works,some very good individual plays,on the whole there are rooms for improvement BUT I REST ASSURED THAT WE ARE MOVING IN A VERY GOOD DIRECTIONS….THE ROAD IS LONG.. WE WILL BE BLESSED….MY ❤️ ❤️ FOR MILAN FOR EVER..