Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has revealed his belief that AC Milan did not make a mistake by signing Charles De Ketelaere, insisting he will get his ‘maximum trust’.
The Belgian playmaker was Milan’s marquee signing in the summer transfer window after the Scudetto win, arriving from Club Brugge for over €30m, but he never really got going in his first season with the Rossoneri and failed to score a goal.
De Ketelaere is enjoying a new lease of life with Atalanta, who he joined on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy. After scoring on his debut he got his first assist of the new campaign last night, setting up Ederson for the opening goal en route to a comfortably victory.
Gasperini spoke after Atalanta’s 3-0 win over Monza at the Gewiss Stadium last night and he was asked specifically about how he has integrated Gianluca Scamacca and De Ketelaere specifically.
“It’s important for me to get to know them too, to make them play. They had the condition to play, I liked them this evening,” he said (via Radio Rossonera).
“Then there are other components, it will probably be a different Atalanta. This year we have the opportunity to raise the ball against closed teams. We have a few more variables.
“Last year De Ketelaere was sought after by half of Europe, it’s not that Milan made a mistake in buying players. He’s had a difficult season but he’s coming off a year with a very strong coach and a great club. Here he will find maximum trust, because we believe in him so much.”
He will be credited for an assist, but it was more like the ball jumped away from him and reached Ederson. Anyway hope he does well.
Fits Atalanta tactics perfectly. Not soo much in Pioli’s athletism focused style
CDK is a great young talent. His problem in Milan was that he was training under an idiot who knows nothing about how to foster and nurture young talents, and how to shield them from pressure and bullying from the criminal Italian newspapers, especially the filthy La Gazzetta dello Sport. I wish CDK the best of luck and that he shines in Atlanta with this great coach so we can get him back and make use of him after Pioli is sacked.
Then why did Pioli ask Maldini to particularly sign CDK, and why was he so adamant in getting him, if he doesn’t fit his play? If you ask me, this means Pioli doesn’t know what he wants and what kind of players he needs.
It’s not just Charles, Pioli tacticts never suited an attacking midfielder. The game was mostly focused on the wings. That’s why 4-3-3 is much better.
Besides, he play as SS, not AM at Brugge.
Yup. Makes a huge difference when players play their natural positions rather than being forced into a new one. Would have helped if he had a training camp as well.
Anyways – good luck Charles. Too bad it didn’t work out with us but hope he does well so we can at least get the $$ from his option pick up.
You are spot on. I remembered paqueta too
This twin attack will be powerful. Both players are burning to redeem themselves. It wasn’t Poli fault. The fault was Diaz is Poli’s pet.
No this is no one fault and a normal situation in football.
CDK didn’t fit with Pioli system and rather keeps lingering on a player who needs more time to adapt or change the whole system and risking lost points, Pioli used players who already fit with the system which was Diaz. Pioli decision was right since Diaz played well and helped Milan reach semi’s CL.
“Last year De Ketelaere was sought after by half of Europe…”
It’s very convenient to forget this fact. Many teams wanted him. It wasn’t like he was trash and they went after the player.
I don’t understand why Maldini bought him in 1st place, if he wasn’t suited for Milan way of play. It sounds like Maldini had his own idea of how Milan should play. Maybe this is why he wanted to bring Pirlo to replace Pioli.
Maldini bought him because there’s a team around him that included Moncada, Furlani and Pioli who recommended him. Stop making it look like a Belgian attacker from Brugge was an idea all of his own. It’s most likely Moncada’s idea but Maldini has paid for others’ mistakes. Remember he wanted Botman before CDK and didn’t want to get bullied out again of a transfer by a mediocre English club…and besides as Gasperini said, half of Europe wanted him. The choice was good at the time, what people are doing now is hindsight which is always perfect.
Cdk plays more on wings as per the stats from club brugges than central midfielder or attacking mf. Then Pioli should answer why he played him only on Attacking midfield role than right wing or free rôle
At 21,he already scored goals in champions league.
It is no truth we are Lucky to get him but unfortunately unable to integrate him or Pacqueta in Milan.
Pacqueta plays for brazil national team but cannot play for Milan.
I have said it many times until Milan sacks pioli and signs conte Milan will never go far no matter how great d squad might be
Apart from the fact he has won us the league and progressed to the Champions League Semi Finals in the past 2 seasons and we have maximum points so far from 3 games this season..
But we will never go far?
I will never forgive Pioli for ruining the prospect of us benefiting from the talent of CDK among other unforgivable things from last season.
I’m basically watching every Atalanta game as a rule for Scalvini and Scamacca but also because I’m interested to see how CDK goes.
The game against Monza was the first time Scamacca and CDK started. CDK was playing as a second striker, on the right side. He was tracking back quite a lot, almost in the way you’d expect of a midfield player, to take the ball and run it forward. He wasn’t doing that hold up play, as such, because that was still Scamacca’s job.
CDK’s movements in traffic look quite good, reminiscent of the tricky false 9 I assume he was, but he was ineffective with the ball at his feet. If he can’t do that faint, with his back to play where he cuts inside, he can’t get around an opponent. He can’t really dribble around anyone either. He’s so one-sided he was being cut off easily and even failed to cross the ball on his right when free.
He’s played 2 halves (as half time sub) and a full game so it’s still very early. If Atalanta had chemistry in the first half it would have put 5 or 6 past Monza in the first half alone. So you can’t discount the impact of a lack of chemistry between new players.
But there is little to suggest CDK is any different to the player he was last season. The primary issue, as I see it, is he is so one dimensional he is so easy to cut out of a game. There are other technical problems such as it being far from clear that he can play with his back to goal.
On a more positive note, Scalvini is a remarkable player. Damn I wish we had him. Gasperini has moved him from the left into the middle of the back 3. He’s almost a modern sweeper. He is going to be such a machine when he develops physically as a man (bearing in mind he is still 19). He is genuinely quick, I’d say quick than Thiaw, unlike the other really tall CBs Italy has who are more suited to playing in 3-man defences.
Scamacca scored 3.5 times, with 1 offiside and a header that still had a 1/4 of the ball on the line. He looks fantastic and will score at least 20 goals this season. His build up play and setting up for teammates is a feature which his statistic, having basically never provided an assist, does not reflect. Is there an XG for assists?