AC Milan added key figures to the squad in the mercato. However, there are already suggestions that not enough was done during the summer, and Paulo Fonseca’s squad is showing this.
When you look at the best football clubs in the world, the ones that are successful consistently, you often see a bench that could compete with some starting elevens – take a look at Manchester City, for example.
Unfortunately, Milan cannot say the same at present, and following the loss to Leverkusen, this has not been more clear. Whilst there may be some quality on the sidelines for Fonseca, there are not enough players who can play in his system, causing suggestions that his hands are tied, and this is showing.
As Gazzetta dello Sport write, the Rossoneri have used only 14 different starting players so far this season – for comparison, Inter have named 20 different starters, City 20, and Napoli 22. Whilst this has positives, it also has very clear negatives.
So far, the Diavolo’s starting eleven have played 280 more minutes, if not more, than those playing for Inter and Juventus. Playing such a busy schedule and having few rotation options can be hugely impactful, and injuries can throw Milan into a vicious cycle – where the depth does not work for the system and so on.
It can also mean that certain players lose their rhythm and confidence, which means when they are eventually called upon, they do not perform to the level required because they have been absent for so long.