Jens Petter Hauge arrived at Milan towards the end of the summer transfer window, just days after facing the Rossoneri with Bodo/Glimt. Based on that performance, the Rossoneri gans were very excited about his arrival.
Things started well for the Norwegian youngster, who managed to get the chance quite early with the first team as Milan were competing on several fronts. He made his debut against Spezia in the third round, getting 19 minutes on the pitch.
And later that same month, he came off the bench late against Celtic and scored his first goal for the club in the dying seconds of the game. He then scored his first league goal in the game against Napoli in November, making for a promising start.
No one expected the youngster to take Milan by storm, considering the big difference between Norwegian football and Serie A, but his start (with four goals and one assist) at least hinted that he could become a great player for the Rossoneri.
However, then came the dip in form, which subsequently resulted in more games on the bench and less playing time. During today’s press conference, as cited by MilanNews, Stefano Pioli was asked about Hauge’s drop in form.
“He had a physical tarnish but it’s psychological. He arrived when the season in Norway was about to end and he was better than the others. In these two days, I have seen him in good condition,” he stated.
As much as Hauge gained from being in top condition when he arrived, he also lost the same if not more when the rest of the Serie A caught up with him and he started to get tired. At this level, furthermore, it’s not always easy to recover mentally either.
Hopefully, the youngster will get some more playing time in the season finale and he will need the confidence to do what he did at the start: take on the opponents without fear. Then in the summer, we will see if he will stay or move on loan.
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