A mid-international break training friendly doesn’t usually generate many headlines, especially when it ends in a rather tame 1-1 draw.
Despite this, some interesting signs have filtered out from Milan’s game against Padova, which took place on Friday lunchtime at Milanello. Beyond the result against the Serie B side – which is not a surprise given the depleted ranks – the set-up of the team and role of individuals caused intrigue.
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In the first half, Ruben Amorim named the following team: P. Terracciano, Gabbia, Gila, Tomori, Diawara, Loftus-Cheek, Comotto, F. Terracciano, Idrissi, Hutchinson, Pulisic. If an indication of the fact 15 players (plus the injured Alexis Saelemaekers) were unavailable was needed, that was it.
It was a test that the two clubs deliberately described on their respective official websites as a ‘joint training session’ and not even as a friendly match. Despite this, we can perhaps deduce from the positions of certain players some experiments that Amorim was trying out.
A four seen again
The 3-0 win over Lecce before the break demonstrated some of that tactical flexibility that Amorim suggested he knows he needs to show in order to get more out of the squad.
In the build-up phase, Milan would temporarily resemble a back four, with De Winter and Pavlović splitting wide to allow Estupiñán and Gila to push higher up the pitch. The idea was to bait Lecce into pressing high before suddenly increasing the tempo of circulation.
It was something Koni De Winter also confirmed after the game, proving it was by instruction. The reason is quite a simple one: to have more fluidity in attacking positions and be less readable on the wings with the overlapping runs of Estupinan and Gila.
Furthermore, Milan did it to be less predictable in their playmaking when coming out from the back. If with the 3-4-2-1 the origin of the play was often confined to the central areas (Luka Modric or Ardon Jashari dropping deep, Gila on the centre-right), spreading the Spaniard so wide gave the opponent far fewer reference points.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a clear 4-2-3-1 was observed at Milanello today, as follows: P. Terracciano; Tomori, Gila, Gabbia Diawara; Loftus-Cheek, Comotto; F. Terracciano, Idrissi, Hutchinson; Pulisic. Ossola, Pereira, and Vos came on in the second half.
It was a line-up that was experimental, perhaps by necessity or perhaps as a genuine fact-finding mission. Christian Pulisic operating as a centre-forward for example is a solution already mentioned by the coach in recent weeks as being viable. His movement drags defenders around, making him false-nine type.
Meanwhile, Ruben Loftus-Cheek operated as a midfielder in the double pivot. Having struggled in recent outings as an attacking midfielder, there is a suggestion that the Englishman could make use of his physicality and his stride by playing a bit deeper, rather than behind the striker where technical intricacy is needed.
Fikayo Tomori and Sankhoun Diawara played, but not in their usual positions: the former was at right-back and the latter was at left-back. Although this isn’t something we can see being repeated at great volume, it is perhaps a concerted effort to get them used to playing out in wider areas when they are given minutes.
Omari Hutchinson got the nod to play as a playmaker but his position was a very free one, with the Nottingham Forest loanee shuttling across the forward line to again try and free spaces for Idrissi and Pulisic.
The most notable aspect was that this wasn’t a team that morphed occasionally into a 4-2-3-1: it was the structure visible almost throughout. Was it by choice or forced by absences? The next match in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo will tell us more.
Players better suited for a 4-2-3-1
Bartesaghi – better fullback than wingback
Jashari – double pivot requires true defensive midfielders in the double pivot
Saelemaekers – better as a wing opposed to an inverted wing
Ramos – more attackers plus a true number 10 to play off of could lead to more service
Chuk- can devote more time to attacking on the flanks
4-2-3-1 is negative for
Gabbia- really needs to play the middle of a back 3 or he gets exposed
Modric – he cannot be protected here. The double pivot is designed to break up all counter attacks. And quickly move the ball forward. Not really his skillset.
Pulisic- he’s really the only 10 on this team (unless we played Modric as a super sub) and he will be run into the ground
Rabiot- unless he plays as the 10…no place for a true attacking midfielder in this system
Cisse is a question mark too, as he’d probably be one of the wide players (left side) and be asked to do more defensively. That said, he could be Pulisic’s sub as the trequartista, but his inexperience will cost him with decision making. Musah will also suffer in a 4-2-3-1 (as he did before), as he’s best suited as a mezzala or in the middle of a 3-4-2-1 where he has more cover behind him.
i think we are forgetting that we can shift between this and when needed we will adapt. musah i think yes the cover saves him but also he has improved a bit last time hes played a 4231
Musah and Reijnders were undefeated playing in the pivot together…he’s the ideal mediano di rottura / ball winner as proven against strong competition, even as a single pivot. Right now, Musah IS the coverage while also breaking lines in build up…hes averaging the most recoveries meaning he needs the least cover…Reijnders, Rabiot, even Jashari (given his insane inability to win duels and his creativity further up the field) make more sense as mezzala style players.
Reijnders in the double-pivot? You’ve got to be kidding.
Why Reijnders could not play in double pivot ? He play most of the time as central midfielder in AZ. When Milan bought him, actually he is considered to replace Sandro Tonali position (heart beat of the midfield). In double pivot, to exploit him at his max, we can pair him with a pure Defensive midfielder (like Hojberg, Hjulmand,…), and i believe Tijjani can play very well as a num ber 8 (same as Rabiot position at Milan right now)
Jashari? 🤣🤣🤣 He’ll play less than last season.
Err what? Amorim specificially changed to the 4-2-3-1 for Modric, Rabiot and Pulisic, and they were all great vs Lecce.
Modric can come down between the two centerbacks as he wants and dictate the play. When its 3 centerbacks he cant or its too crowded, and he has to play with his back against the opponents higher up, which suits him poorly.
Rabiot gets to roam a bit higher up and be a link between Modric and Pulisic which suits him great. With Pulisic also coming down deeper centrally its harder to mark out Rabiot which gave him more space to transport the ball, one of his biggest strength.
Pulisic gets a free role in the middle. When Modric have the ball down deep between the CBs he drops down in line with Rabiot to provide another option for the vertical pass. When the ball is higher up he links up with Ramos. Hes great at finding those pockets between midfield and centerbacks.
The 4-2-3-1 became a 5-3-2 in defense with Gila moving inside to make 3 CBs, and Chukwueze came down deep to defend like a rwb/rb. Saelemaekers moved in more central to help in the central midfield and not leave Modric and Rabiot alone, which helped Modric the most.
At the same time Ramos and Pulisic stayed central to force the CBs to play the ball out wide rather then cut through the lines with virtical passes.
The only one it might be negative for is Gabbia, but I dont think so. Hes good on the ball so in the 4-2-3-1 when in possession he can help speed up the passing tempo. When defending its in a 3 CB defensive line with suits him well.
When defending in a 5-3-2 the opponents mostly have to attack through the wings and with crosses, and he is good in the aerial game. He and De Winter pretty much have the same profiles so they will do well alternating there.
The biggest concern is we dont really have a right back that can also play a CB like Gila can when we switch between 4-2-3-1 and 5-3-2 (or 5-4-1). Tomori might be able too, certainly better then Terracciano, and I think thats why Amorim tried him there in training and the friendly game this week.
With the number of games coming up we will see. I can see Tomori getting to play there vs Salzburg Bournemouth and Bologna, while Gila play vs Sassuolo, Atalanta, Udinese and Inter.
Rabiot gets to roam a bit higher up than in 3-4-2-1?
If we use a double pivot in any formation (4-2-3-1, 3-4-2-1, 4-4-2,…), age (or fitness) is a problem for Modric, not just 4-2-3-1. In Amorim system, actually he does not need a real No.10 (like Kaka’, Ozil), so no problem. but i agree with you that this team just need more attacking midfielder (Cheek or Saelemaker can not play well there so far)
I don’t like to bring up the past all that much, but it is important when talking about tactics. A good baseline for a coach is to play their squad players in positions they are best at and not just try them in positions that are not their ideal place.
Amorim’s biggest problem is making things complicated by throwing players out of position and then never adapting formations and styles of play to the needs of the squad.
So all this experimental stuff is good, but with Amorim it usually means this is something he is planning to do immediately because he thinks these changes he is doing are so smart that they will work.
funny how people havnt figured out weve been playing 4 2 3 1 since the beginning
thats why we only play either bartesaghi or estupinan on the left mid, so they can rotate back.
and chuk on the right mid, cause hes the right wing.