Tuesday night brought the first win of AC Milan’s Champions League campaign, but with it also came some excellent signs from Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze.
La Gazzetta dello Sport write that Okafor and Chukwueze ‘are no longer simple extras’ and that with time, they can take on a leading role in the new Milan. It is an ‘increasingly democratic team’, in which everyone is useful and no one indispensable.
The Swiss and the Nigerian came on in the second half for Rafael Leao and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Paulo Fonseca explained it to Sky without beating around the bush. “There is no problem with Leao. I didn’t take him off as a punishment. At that moment I needed Okafor and Chukwueze. It’s something that should be seen as normal.”
The first key word comes from those comments: in the Portuguese coach’s mind there are no untouchable players and the philosophy is simple, in the sense that whoever is better in that moment will play. Whoever can make a contribution during the game, comes on as needed.
The consequence is that in this start of the season his Milan has distanced itself step by step from what in recent years had seemed like a postulate. For this reason, it could become normal to see Leao out of the starting line-up and perhaps on the bench for the entire match, as happened against Udinese.
The second key to understanding Fonseca’s thinking touched on the speed of play needed: “We started without intensity, with ball circulation too slow. When Okafor and Chukwueze came in, however, the game changed. They brought more energy.”
Energy is also the term repeated by Chukwueze after the game: “We try to get on the pitch, give our contribution. Okafor and I managed to give the team extra energy. It’s a good moment, after a difficult start.”
Since August the former Villarreal man has 10 appearances, enlivened by the goal and assist of the last week. However, he remains on three starts and a total of 312 minutes on the pitch after a difficult debut season at the club, so a more consistent use must be the target.
It is a similar story for Okafor, who became an impact man under Stefano Pioli and has 301 minutes so far (split across nine games, with one goal and one assist), but he has always been a valid option in Fonseca’s head.
During the break he used the lack of a call-up from Switzerland to work at Milanello and create an opportunity against Udinese. The first three points in the Champions League came thanks to a burst of speed on the wing, a message to Fonseca after the rumours of a potential sale for both.