Ruben Loftus-Cheek has struggled to blossom at the start of this season, yet to find the perfect role in Paulo Fonseca’s system. As highlighted by a newspaper this morning, one of the manager’s priorities is to get the Englishman going.
In the pre-season, Loftus-Cheek was used as a defensive midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 formation and relatively early, it became clear that it wasn’t the role for him. Since the start of the season, therefore, Fonseca has been trying to find the right role, shifting between midfield and attacking midfield.
As highlighted by today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), Loftus-Cheek is thus the player who has paid the highest price for the managerial change. Under Stefano Pioli, he was almost a given as a No.10 and coincidentally also found the back of the net ten times.
This season, however, he has started ‘just’ eight out of 14 games and as seen on the pitch, he’s not entirely comfortable in his role. He failed to help his team against Cagliari last time out, and against Real Madrid, he missed a big opportunity inside the box.
Fonseca has admitted that more work is needed to find the perfect role for Loftus-Cheek, keen on working closely with the Englishman. However, the problem is that Milan currently have an in-form Christian Pulisic in the No.10 role, while Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders are untouchable in midfield.
Furthermore, Yunus Musah is starting to show his qualities more consistently, meaning the competition has increased. Fonseca will have more days to work with Loftus-Cheek during this break than others, so perhaps that will help.
He’d have more of an effect if we played 433.
Mezzala gotta mezzal
There are better players in hid role than RLC. But then again, I’m afraid our upgrade to him would the equivalent of Emerson in midfield…
sell RLC that is the only way to go… too untechnical and unimaginative… just keep Puli as 10 and get Chiesa/Gnoto + Frendrup in January
Should have sold him in summer when he still had some value.
Surely we can get 20m for him from some midtable premier league team.
Reinvest it in a midfielder who knows how to play in midfield
RLC and Emerson should never wear Red and Black again
Is true your right RLC and Emerson can not play attacking football and attacking football is what Acmilan can Good and solid at and only attacking players can adapt to Acmilan styles of football so Acmilan should sell RLC and Emerson this January with Tomori thanks
😅😅
Just sell him back to England. Too slow and untalented player
RLC is a good player that should be a good piece for Milan. The season is long and I think he will carve out a role.
It’s hard to have a coaching effect on a player when the talent is not there. In the case of Rafa, there is talent, but in the case of RLC, the talent is way less evident.
RLC needs to receive the ball around midfield with space to be able to drive forward. When he gets it in the final third when the other team is set up he can’t operate in a small space. He can run into the box and act a a big body 9 to assist the other forward when crosses come into the box. The issue when he’s around midfield is his defense is poor.
RLC’s problem is the last pass/ball/shot… He drives forward well, then loses the plot.
We should try to get Ricci and or/Frendrup during the winter.
We should also sell Bennacer and Loftus-Cheek if he doesn’t improve and try to get Samardzic.
A midfield made of Ricci-Reijnders-Fofana-Samardzic-Musah (RM form) with youngsters like Zerolli, Liberali and Vos won’t be too bad IMO.
We had a chance of signing Samardzic, and we let it slip. Loftus-Cheek’s game has dropped significantly. We need a better player for his present position. Sometimes, he doesn’t seem to know where he is. His decision making this season has been very poor.
Loftus-Cheek as No.10
Pulisic Right wing
Chukweze Out
No problem