For any team to dream big, the whole squad needs to contribute. Finally, AC Milan are getting answers from their ‘reserves’.
La Gazzetta dello Sport write that there is ‘life beyond the usual suspects’. The likes of Pulisic, Leao, Modric and Rabiot will always be the pillars of this side, but what is comforting for Massimiliano Allegri is that the deputies are contributing to the cause too now.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
The importance of changes
On the eve of the match against Lecce, Allegri rightly emphasised the importance of substitutions, harking back to the Como games. In today’s football, five substitutions truly have the potential to transform a match when they’re executed correctly.
For example, Milan defeated Lecce thanks to a goal from a reserve player in Füllkrug. It could have been better too, had Ruben Loftus-Cheek not failed to bundle in a corner from a yard out, and had Christopher Nkunku not been denied twice in the closing stages.
Nkunku had already done his part in Como, converting a penalty just before half-time. So, Nkunku and Füllkrug are the answers to the lack of goalscoring in recent times from Pulisic and Leao, who have still scored 15 league goals between them.
The same applies in midfield, but in this case it’s not about substitutions, but rather about sanctifying a starting role that until now had been made free by the coach sparingly. This is the case with Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari, who are often fighting for the same spot.
The Swiss delivered a solid performance in the place of Luka Modric against Lecce. His message: the more you play me, the more effective I will be. Ricci’s work meanwhile is often as obscure as it is effective: he calmly leaves the spectacular plays to others, while he provides the coverage.
All of these are the effects and consequences of the rotation that Allegri had to fine-tune in two weeks, featuring many games in quick succession. Oh, and a tactical note: Ricci and Jashari can both play in front of the defence and as a central midfielder. That’s no small detail.
Jashari said Fullkrug provides enough cover to make RLC expendable. I don’t think Milan are too thin to make it the remainder of the season with the current squad minus RLC. I do think it would be worth it for Milan to sell him at any price but a good offer 10-15M would be enough for me
How many games is RLC realistically going to play? He’s injured a good chunk of the time. Anything above a few million of whatever the break even is, I’d say sell. We’re only playing one game per week and we’re also not in the Copa Italia. Time to trust some youth again
Thank you. RLC is playing good outside of the box but when it comes to finishing, it feels like he got a curse on him. Jashari played well with ricci and Rabiot. All we need is a target player so that he can play with the running player whether if its Leao or pulisic or Rabiot or saelemakers. And the chances Will come to us. Andiamo RAGAZZI
Is that just me feeling that Jashari and Ricci look very similar. Also from football wise, they have similar style as well? 🙂
Milan try to confuse the opponents
I think Allegri has been very good with how he’s been using the young new players. Most managers use new players as kids use new toys. Play with them intensely for a couple of days just to find out that they weren’t that great just because they were new. Allegri had given them time to grow into the team which had provided stability to the team while introducing the new ones a little at a time to let them play without too much pressure to perform immidiately in the new environment. I think many new signings at Milan had been burnt too fast because they haven’t been given the time to adjust to the new team. Just look at Saelemakers. How long it took for him to become the top player that he is now. I’m glad he stayed around. I’m sure both Jashari and Ricci will become very valuable players in the future.