AC Milan had several representatives feature during the clash between France and Italy on Friday evening. However, the Rossoneri trio had mixed performances, and a report has given them ratings.
It has been an interesting start to the season for Milan, and in many ways, the international break could not have come at a better time. Unfortunately, there are as many reasons why the international break has come at an awful time.
The Diavolo have opened the 2024/25 Serie A season with two points from three games – a worrying start. This worry only deepens when considering who the results have come against. Therefore, the break provides a chance for Paulo Fonseca to step back and analyse the situation.
When his squad returns from the international break, they welcome Venezia to San Siro, before facing Liverpool and Inter in the week that follows. Maybe playing the game against Venezia before the break would’ve been favourable, or maybe it is the right opportunity to bounce back before the dreaded fixtures.
Looking at the players who departed for international duty, France were beaten 3-1 by the Azzurri, and Milan were represented by Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez and Youssouf Fofana, and Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) have offered the trio some ratings of their performance.
Maignan had a brilliant performance – of course, hindered by the fact he conceded three goals. Nevertheless, he walked away from the game with a rating of 7, the best of the French ratings, which will please Fonseca.
Fofana – who is reportedly not at 100% yet this season – was given a 5 by the paper, and Theo’s poor start to the season continued with the left-back also being given a 5. The same rating but with different contexts. A player who is not yet 100% compared to Theo, who should be a leader in a young French team.
Think Deschamps time has run out. He’s been flopping a lot after the WC win and that’s over t years ago
Pretty sure I pressed 5. 5 years ago…
Even then he had a lot of support from the refs which hide a lot of his flaws. Croatia was better.
Deschamps is holding that team back so much with his safe football… France is full of explosive talent. They need a forward thinking manager to take them to the next level.
The only thing holding Deschamps there is the WC he won with them… FFF needs to be brave here and take the next step.
Indeed
So Tonali ran circles around Fofana?
And another great display by Di Lorenzo….
Yup, and he had a masterclass assist too, but wasnt good enough for the american experts in soccer.
Italy’s first goal was sublime.
Great strike and Tonali’s assist was even better.
Tonali looked really sharp and bossed his way around in that midfield. Hell of a return.
Tonali was superb in this game, especially having had so little playing time.
I’m tire of reading comments here, like “Tonali is average” and we got more money than he is worth etc etc.
Tonali was still only 22/23 when he left Milan.
He is fast, runs hard, dribbles, shoots, scores, tackles, assists.
You can’t expect to sell an elite young player like that and replace with cheap foreign imports and expect to win trophies.
The only way to win is by holding on to your best players at all costs.
Delighted to see him doing well again
Spot on. Tonali is miles ahead of our current mids. And he was 22 when he left us. But somehow the same people who keep saying give Musah time he is too young at 21, didn’t care at all that Tonali was basically the same age when they criticized him. Not to mention that Tonali won as a scudetto at a young age too. But yea he was not good enough cause Italians are automaticly not good for the experts here.
From I observed last night, Fofana and Tonali would been Milan’s best pairing in front of the defense. Secondly, Fofana is not ready for the season yet. Even mentally. Finally, Tonali was elegant.
Also Fofana was paired with Kanté, but yet we’re supposed to believe that Fofana is the defensive midfielder we’re looking for.
Had we looked more to preserve our home-grown players and tried to get Italians talents, we could have had a lineup that looks like this:
4-2-3-1
———————-Morata——————————-
Leao—————-Bonventura————–Pulisic
———-Tonali—————–Locatelli—————-
Theo—Calafiori————Gabbia——-Calabria
———————-Maignan—————————–
I’m not saying this should have been our main lineup, but this is a lineup we could of have had.
Just my dream/imagination…..
+1
A very balanced line up👌
Good one, but i prefer Berardi or Orsolini on the wing back
We tried with Tonali and Isma in the double pivot after Kessie left. Didn’t work so well. Fantacalcio again?
It’s not a formation I imagined as the main one, but more like a rotational one. Even if we’d kept all those players and got Calafiori, we will definetly need a more musclar defensive midfielder than Locatelli and a main attacking midfielder (samardzic ?) since Bonaventura can’t be the main one at this age.
But now with that said, Locatelli is slightly more defensive than Bennacer and Bonaventura is more of a midfielder than Diaz was, so I don’t think this midfield is gonna be overrun as easily as our previous post-Kessié ones.
I thought we should only buy players from French League cause according to the experts here the french national team was better than the Italian. Italy crashed France.. what now experts ?
Not suggesting we shouldn’t buy Italian players..but a team can have a bad day..seems a bit short sighted to suggest the French National squad is inferior (or equal) in the current times considering Italy’s recent exploits on the international stage, including the recent Euros.
The French team has dome nothing recently too. I think they didnt even score one goal from open play at the Euros. But my point is to show the flawed logic of the american experts here, acording to which if a national team doesn’t perform well then you shouldn’t buy players from that nationality lol. Players can be great no matter how their national team is doing etc.
Yeah after missing 2 World Cups in a row you can say Italy is the best national team in the world because they beat France who are on their finish line with Deschamps. Then to miss the next World cup.
Anything can happen in one game. I have to see more of them in a real competition or in more games to find out if they are back on track.
Tonali was out of action for almost a year and he completely dominated last night as well as last week with Newcastle. Their fans and pundits were really impressed.
But experts here say he’s average so what do I know…
Tonali has been reportedly working hard by himself before his return and improved his speed, strength and stamina. Great to see the « degenerate » life long Milan fan back in the game.
Regarding the conclusion of the article, what is wrong with Théo not being a leader? My favorite player of all time Ronaldo il fenomeno has never been a leader and he’s arguably in the top 5 of players in the history of football. Why is it Théo’s fault if the management can’t identify leaders…
No one ever called him a Degenerate here, B. Stop making stuff up.
Oh but they did. It was 🔴⚫ and on many occasions too.
That’s blasphemous if it’s true.
Ricci played really well too. Shame Milan don’t trust in Italian.
Big Shout Out to Ricci. Looked really good.
Where are all the people who hate Italian players? Tonali and Ricci looked great yesterday. Much better than Fofana who needs to get it together asap.
Theo was good yesterday, no goal was conceded from left side. Even Theo had 2 or 3very good interceptions during Italy counter attacks.
But it’s my opinion from 2nd half of the match. All Italy 3goals is from the Central or right.
Even offensively only Theo on left and mbappe from penetrated in penalty box.
It’s a match fully dominated by Italy tactics.
What game did you watch. Theo was directly involved in giving up a goal
if any ac milan fans thought it was good to sell tonali here is an example tonali dominated the france midfield and fofana who is milan new dm and hasnt played for almost a year