AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Torino in the first game of the season on Saturday night and they had to come from two goals down in order to get it, but the feeling is that the team that started that game could drastically change soon.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report that six out of the 11 players who started the game against Torino at the weekend are not expected to keep their place once everyone is fully fit and up to speed.
Emerson Royal and Youssouf Fofana should be available from the away match in Parma while the physical conditions of Theo Hernandez, Strahinja Pavlovic, Tijjani Reijnders and Alvaro Morata should all improve after they sat on the bench from minute one on Saturday.
Changes in sight
Saturday’s game against Parma is likely to arrive a little too early to see all six of them from the aforementioned players first minute, but plenty will change compared to the season debut against the Granata.
Paulo Fonseca criticised his team for lack of intensity and pressure when Torino tried to come out from the back, but to ensure that Milan are able to recover the ball quickly they also need the right men to do so.
For example, Luka Jovic is not as suited to frenetic pressing as Morata, while Fofana in midfield has superior lungs and recovery ability compared to Loftus-Cheek and probably Bennacer, just as Emerson Royal and Pavlovic should provide more solidity than that shown by Thiaw and Calabria.
To support Christian Pulisic as an attacking midfielder and the Chukwueze-Leao pair on the wings, everything behind and in front needs to give balance. If that’s not enough, Fonseca can always try to using Saelemaekers or in any case players more inclined to sacrifice on the wings.
The need for quality
As well as from a tactical point of view, Milan also hopes to grow in quality. Starting with the likes of Theo, Reijnders or Morata should help, as the trio did on Saturday by sparking the comeback against Il Toro.
Reijnders – despite the usual question marks in the non-possession phase – is one of the most skilled in the squad with the ball at his feet, so much so that he had a hand in both goals and looked constantly willing to get on the ball. Leao even missed a chance to make it three.
Speaking of Rafa, having Morata and not Jovic as the one leading the line can contribute to the transformation project that Fonseca has in mind for his compatriot. Alvaro is more likely than the Serbian to drop deep to participate in the build-up and free up space for Leao to exploit.
The management should really consider sacrificing RLC other than running with the ball he doesn’t bring much to the team. He doesn’t apply any pressure and his passing is slow. Half of his goals where in the Europa League and mostly headers last season.
Yes but he doesn’t allow people to run past him like Reijnders. We can’t play with AMC, 2 wingers and a striker and have a midfielder that just lets people run past him. No balance. 2nd goal against Torino, he didn’t press properly and allowed this guy to cross. It happened over 10 times last season. He can maybe play AMC, but for MC we would need Kante or Rodri to play with him… RLC is at least solid defensively.
Rlc solid defensively hhh he never won single tackle he never won the ball back he is just someone moving in the field doing nothing
That’s right, he is a player who does not soil his shorts in 90 minutes. Kaka had more possessions, and he gave a lot more in defense. If RLC is not going to play defense, sell him as soon as possible, because at ACM Pulišić does more defensively, not to mention attacking. And now the question arises, what do we need Reuben for? There is no Kaka in the attack, and he will not play defense. It reminds me of Noćerin.
RLC is our best midfielder with the results to show. He delivered goals and assists last season so I really don’t see what the problem is.
I honestly don’t know what people around here are basing their opinions off. It seems the more touches a player takes the higher the rating.
He isn’t. If he is our best we truly are doomed
Scoring a few goals doesn’t make him the best midfielder not to mention that they were against weak teams, he’s a decent option as a backup in the attacking midfielder when pulisic can’t play there.
Had a great game against PSG but that’s about it.
He delivered goals and assists ? Sure since he was pretty much playing as a second striker last season.
He has has zero creativity, his passing is average at best.
He is tall and physically strong but doesn’t have the stamina nor the workrate to play as a DM in a double-pivot system.
If we switch to a 4-3-3 he might thrive, since he was mainly brought for a 4-3-3, but outside of that I don’t see him more than a substitute.
Not the best. Too inconsistent. One dominate game followed by 5 invisible ones. That has been the story w RLC his whole career which is why he has never made the national team and why he was available for a discount of 16M. He’s not a DM either. Best to play him as a CAM or in a mid-3on either side of a DM (Fofana)
Don’t write off the value of headers! Last year he added an important physical alternative to Giroud and his ability to arrive in the box and get on headers was pretty important at times.
Again, he’s another who I don’t see how he fits in a starter role in this new team, but people write him off without acknowledging what he does bring.
None of what you said is true. RLC did quite well last season for us. And he was also the best player on the pitch against PSG in the Champions League.
This past game he had a brilliant outside of the boot pass that put Leao in on goal where he should have scored. He’s big, strong , good on the ball and can play multiple positions. Why wouldn’t you want a guy like that on the team. The hate he gets on here is completely unwarranted.
Get chiesa and convert him to striker and sell Jovic.
Bro this is real life not fifa.
Why would you sell jovic? And cheisa sucks on ST
Leao is also a problem. He miss two goals on Saturday. And some things slow in transition
Leao should practice on shooting on target as he was quite wasteful last Saturday, If he scored one or two, we didn’t have to come back to draw….we could have won comfortably!!
Salad should be by all means a starter. He proved his value against Torino 🤣
In fact Saelemaekers didn´t do bad at all. The only thing he´s not good at, is man marking. However on the first goal he was there, but the cross was perfect. Theo didn´t do anything on the second goal in the same situation. I prefer Saelemaekers above Chuk on the RW position. He´s definitely harder working and his crosses are much better. Chuk is getting nowhere with his dribbling at the moment.
Milan should be playing a 433 formation. Why did we sign players like Ruben Loftus Cheek, Musah and Reinjders and then play 4231 when these players are mezzalas?
Milan is out round pegs in squad holes. Play 433 and problem solved. But if we continue with 4231 then we are going to continue having problems. Smh
Ziontrain agreed with you
💯💯💯
Answer: because management buys players who they can get on a discount/cheap – and not necessarily the best player to fit the system. So we have a mismatch of players who are out of position. #Moneyball
What the club need to do is get Cheisa , that way we increase our Italian quota, then obviously we get a very good upgrade on the wings, then try and sell Chukweze, the melancholy truth is he is a street footballer, and he lacks the mindset to be a team player, we could get gd money for him, then we have Cheisa, Alexis , Okafor , Pulisic, Jimenez and Leao as wingers, and if I was the coach, I would use Fofana and Loftus Cheek in the double midfield anchor, that way we are secured in the midfield, then use Tijani as the attacking midfield, that way if we lose the ball, he falls back into the midfield, and the club should think long and hard about the roster, we need a very deep bench,which we have right now..
Fortunately, you ain’t the coach.
Another thing I noticed, Pobega could be converted to be a left back, he is strong, has the size, the longs and the heart to be a left back, that way we solve the problem of over using Hernandez.
Maignan
Emerson gabbia Pavlovich theo
Fofana isma
Pulisic reijnders leao
Morata
I think you’ve nailed the best possible lineup
Though i hope Okafor becomes the number 1 striker
I stopped reading when I didnt see Bennacer name in the starting 11. You lose balance without him. if we play 433 then:
Maignan
Emerson Tomori Pavlovic Theo
Fofana Bennacer Reijnders
Pulisic Morata Leao
Without Bennacer we lose balance.
I disagree with you Usman on converting Pobega to a left back. Can’t you see how rigid and slow without much pace he is? He’ll be a liability in that position.
If Leao had scored when RLC put him solo with a beautiful ball, these comments would look very different.
I think we’ll be okay, but there’s definitely tinkering to be done. I knew Torino would be a tough 3 points. They felt no pressure and Milan has many new faces, and while healthy, varying degrees of fitness.
Oh Sempremilan I see what you guys are doing. Just because Chuks had one bad game, he should be permanently replaced by Alexis?
Guess who else had a bad game?
Leao and Pulisic.
Forget about Thiaw’s Pepeness.
You guys should stop. Chukwueze is faaarr way better than Alexis.
Sell Leao and replace with Chiesa!!!
Sell RLC, that dude just runs round the pitch with no impact.