It has not been the best couple of weeks for Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, the left-sided duo that many AC Milan fans believe are the two best players on the team.
La Gazzetta dello Sport begin a report titled ‘tantrums, the mercato and long faces: this is how the left side of dreams has derailed’ by talking about how the pair have built up an incredible understanding in their over five years at Milan, and are capable of lighting up any stadium.
However, the train has lately gone narrow gauge, like a high-speed express forced to travel on the slower line. This is a problem and not a small one because ‘Theao’ was, and still is, the greatest strength of the Rossoneri squad. It is the axis of wonders, and they are the men that many coaches would like in their dressing room.
The fact is that both of them know no middle ground. The problem is that at their no longer young age – 26 for the Frenchman, 25 for the Portuguese – they remain inconsistent, either travelling at 100mph and the creative hearts of the team or making mistakes and struggling to impact the game.
For Theo, there has often been the suggestion that Paolo Maldini’s exit negatively affected him, and the issue is that the full-back’s poor form has also affected his form with France. He struggled in the 3-1 defeat to Italy a few days ago and started from the bench last night.
Theo and Leao are on a fairly parallel journey, with several things in common. Talent and inconsistency, plus insufficient performance and errors in this specific period. The cooling break saga was the most striking episode, but Leao’s argument with a fan in Parma also reveals a lack of calm.
Added to all this is an incongruous mental approach in this first part of the season, well explained by a certain absent-mindedness on the pitch. Leao, unlike Theo, probably has less urgency in his head to move up a level in terms of club.
This is also because Milan has provided him with everything that can be provided: the highest salary in the squad, help in resolving the dispute with Sporting CP, the number 10 shirt, the status of undisputed star, sometimes even the captain’s armband. Yet he too travels with a clogged engine, and it is happening to him too even in the national team.
September will already be a decisive month for Milan and for ‘Theao’, because Liverpool and Inter back-to-back will tell us if it the same big game flops will plague this group under a new head coach or if there might be another gear to go into.
I don’t like to ‘demonize’ anyone, and above all I don’t think it’s a smart practice when it comes to fundamental characters for the team, but the fact is that both Rafa and Theo are not performing as expected of them, not at all. It’s that simple. Whether the new coach is to blame, or whether it’s them, well, that’s another discussion, but the inescapable thing is that they are playing badly – especially Theo Hernandez – and that needs to change.
People don’t seem to have watched Portugal’s second game. Yes, Rafa didn’t do well in the first game, but he was excellent in the second one; very dangerous, creating lots of opportunities for his companions (who mostly squandered them) and then collecting an assist. Rafa was one of the very best players on the pitch.
Yes, he’s inconsistent, I know that. But yes, he is extremely talented and often makes the difference. He is the type of player who can disappear for 85 minutes and then win the game in the other 5 minutes. Fine with me. I don’t mind his disappearing act for 85 minutes when he delivers the goods in the other 5 minutes.
All the critics including the ones wo lament his inconsistency, forget something that is consistent about him: for the last 3 seasons, he was either the number 1 or the number 2 Milan player in terms of total of goals + assists in the season, all competitions considered.
And the people who say he was disrespectful in the cooling break episode forget that he was disrespected to start with, when the club’s CEO said he’d personally pack his bags. Who says that about the club’s own player??? And what about the segment of the fan base who consistently calls him “lazy” and even when he performs and scores/assists, they insist that he was just “lucky” “but didn’t do anything else”? And why in the hell did Fonseca sit him against Lazio? Sitting off-form Theo was more understandable, but Rafa worked hard against Torino (just had poor finishing which happens), and also did well against Parma, producing 75% of the team’s only goal. So, Fonseca scapegoated him and produced a ridiculous punishment for him; no wonder he was upset.
Rafa is the most disrespected player at Milan; no wonder sometimes he gests disrespectful himself.
Oh, Rafa is inconsistent? That, he is, thank God, because if he were consistent, he’d be long gone to the likes of ManCity and Real Madrid. The reason we can count on Theo’s scores and assists is because while he does produce those, he is not very consistent, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to keep him; then, good bye his scores and assists.
And Theo? He usually has a slow start after the World Cup or the Euro, but then he recovers his form. He is not in a good phase right now but the talent isn’t gone; he will recover. And when he is at top form, then Rafa improves too, because Rafa depends a bit on how Theo feeds him.
People who keep criticizing them will alienate them and will push them out the doors. Then, they will realize how much worse Milan will be without Theo and Leão (including because our cheap management will never replace them with players of equivalent skill).
We don’t even have a decent deputy for the left back position, let alone a left back starter equivalent to Theo. And our offense often performs poorly when Rafa is not there, because Rafa not only creates scoring opportunities, but also attracts double or triple marking, opening space for his companions.
Beware of what you wish. Get rid of these two players, and we’ll lose and draw lots of games. Hello banter years 2.0.
We lose and draw lots of games with them anyway, glaze boy. If he isn’t performing to his wage demands level, he should be sold. That simple. Okafor also pops up with vital goals and he doesn’t spend 88min being utterly useless. Stop sucking off stars just because you like their highlight real and demand better.
It’s been three games.
Hernandez has been out best player for three years, he’s played non-stop in the summer and gotten back a little out of form.
Leao has been hot and cold, like he is – at some point he’ll go on a tear and at another point he’ll be unable to hit a barn door. Maybe Fonseca will have some influence, but people expecting a magic fix in three games are being idiotic.
truth