The arrivals of Santiago Gimenez and Joao Felix have excited the AC Milan fan base, but for Rafael Leao an important wake-up call has arrived.
La Gazzetta dello Sport speaks of Leao being ‘against the wall’. If up until now it was difficult for Milan to do without his class and his quality (Paulo Fonseca tried with mixed results), with the two reinforcements have given further solutions.
Sergio Conceicao has now made it clear he is working towards a 4-4-2 formation as he used at Porto and in this the wingers are crucial. Joao Felix can drop behind Gimenez in the defensive phase but the wide men must provide adequate cover.
Christian Pulisic has shown that he can do this since day one of his arrival, but Leao on the other hand has yet to acquire this attitude. Stefano Pioli and Fonseca failed in their mission to instil it in him, now it’s up to Conceiçao to try to convince him. And it’s not a given that he’ll use good manners.
A strong message
On Wednesday night Conceicao made his thoughts very clear after the game regarding the No.10: “Leao can do much more because he has incredible quality and is a player of another level. He has to work hard even when he doesn’t have the ball because he plays in a collective and has to make himself available to the team. Getting out of your comfort zone is not easy, but for me it is essential.”
Compliments interspersed with pleas, because Conceicao knows that having a Leao that is focused only on the attacking phase can turn into the Achilles heel of his Milan and blow up the tactical plan he has in mind.
The former Porto coach is aware that his compatriot will never be able to transform himself into a full-back, but he still needs him to actively participate in the pressing phase, not to arrive late on the opponents’ ball circulation, to sprint to cover the full-back’s insertion and above all not to be apathetic if he loses the ball.
Translated: in the latter case, he is forced to fight to recover it and return immediately. Because Fofana and Reijnders in the middle guarantee a decent interdiction, but the blanket risks being short anyway if the four attacking players that Sergio wants to deploy will not give their contribution.
Gimenez showed pace and desire even if he is not in top form, Joao Felix was busy in the half hour he was on the pitch and Pulisic is a soldier used to giving a hand to his team-mates. The doubt remains about Leao who must change his style. Or, if you prefer, apply himself more in the non-possession phase.
The alternatives
On Wednesday, Conceiçao started with a 4-3-3 formation, which he has used almost always since he arrived in Milan. Then, in the last half hour – with Gimenez and Joao Felix – he switched to a 4-4-2 with the two new signings up front.
To balance the team, with Rafa on the pitch, he placed Musah on the right flank, but it is impossible to think that he could do without Pulisic, the season’s top scorer with 12 goals ahead of Reijnders (on 11).
If Leao does not start defending, the two Americans could play on the wings (Musah on the right and Pulisic on the left) or Felix could move out to the left with Pulisic as attacking midfielder and Musah on the right. There are also the options of Chukwueze (for the right flank) and Jimenez, on both flanks.
In short, there are options to replace the former Lille man: if he does not listen to Conceiçao, the bench he has already tasted with Fonseca is ready for him. The Coimbra-born coach doesn’t have much time to make him understand what he expects from him either.
At least until the end of February, the Diavolo will play every three days between the league (including the rescheduled Bologna game) and the Champions League. In this case, after all, there is no particularly complex movements to understand or memorise. Rafa just has to work harder.
Rafa is not at risk at losing his spot because Felix does not play left wing, he plays as a cam or a second striker but not a main striker. Man these articles are annoying
He’s very much in danger of losing his spot. There aren’t any guarantees now, only healthy competition and he will need to step up the same as everyone else.
As the article makes pretty clear, it’s not about like-for-like, it’s about systems. He is at genuine risk of finding himself a square peg in a round hole.
Yep. Leao is at risk from players who have been here for 5 minutes!
This is a complete fabrication. This is just journalists trying to stir trouble (by the way, GdS journalists are in vast majority juvenisti and interisti). They are actually reinterpreting what Conceição said as detrimental to Rafa when actually Conceição complimented his skills and potential. And by the way, João Felix like was said here can play CAM rather than LW. He can perfectly coexist with Rafa.
He’s very much in danger of losing his spot. There aren’t any guarantees now, only healthy competition, and he will need to step up the same as everyone else.
Serge will not bench his most talented player, he is not stupid. With Fonseca and Rafa it was a disciplinary punishment for bad attitude toghether with Theo (and ofcourse lack of their defensive contribution). This time it looks like the coach is holding the squad in a firm posture and makes it clear there is no room for those with bad behaviour, not even the bench.
bot says what?
Am I crazy to think that now would not be the time to go to a 442 when we finally have the missing piece for the 4231? Surely, we can play Leao, Joao Felix and Pulisic in the three. We have four mids for the two, four strikers for the one and six to eight defenders.
There is almost no difference between 442 and 4231. Both systems we have 2 midfielders which seems light, unless you have 2 absolute defensive players which we don’t
Riccardo Sottil is an option if Leo refuses to listen and change his attitude.
4231 is not going to work for Milan in the long run.
We have too many Donna and Prime figures in the team.
Better go with twin striker formation which coincidentally is Milan DNA
Leao in my opinion, is like Ronaldinho. He can use his talented skill, that make us applause.
But, the problem same like Ronaldinho, sometimes they became unwilling to more running, more covering, or more trying, thats in my opinion, as I seen them played.
So, bright future is ahead of Leao, but he must want to change, and want more to compete with others.
Leao will never be defensive, he is an explosive player who plays in snatches, thats why he is so dangerous.
Messi, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo etc all the same.
So if you want to get the best of him and he is hugely talented, play to his strengths.
Now if he is doing nothing in attack which happens, bench him, just don’t pretend he is a wide midfielder, he’s a forward and a good one
I agree with this. You can’t expect all players to do everything well. Different players have different strengths and weaknesses. Some are stronger than others. some are faster than others, some can run more than others.
Leao is never going to be one of these players that can run non-stop and track all the way back. But he can affect a game offensively like few others can. Accept him for what he is and what he can do for the team or move on.
This obsession in today’s game over how much someone runs and demanding every player to do everything is ruining the game. It’s forcing all the creative players out for a bunch of robotic system players. That’s why you don’t see any players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Ronaldo or Zlatan anymore.
IF LEAO DOES NOT PLAY ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL…. HE WILL BE DROPPED !!!
Milan has what it takes now to win UCL and coppa italia if the coach uses the players in a rightful way.
Regardless of whatever position you play, you must work for your team. Messi did it at Barcelona under Guardiola. Every player was required to mark to win the ball back. Barca players double-teamed in marking, to gain almost complete possession of the game. Samuel Eto’o did it for Inter against Barcelona in the semifinals of the champions league in 2010, coming back constantly to support the defense when the team was a man down. Most coaches expect their players to cover up defensively. Pioli was too soft, and allowed Leao to stroll on the pitch a lot of times, while his teammates ran back to defend. Leao is not a defender, and is not expected to defend vigorously. But, no top coach will tolerate a lazy player, just because he is the best in team.
“Pioli was too soft, and allowed Leao to stroll on the pitch a lot of times, while his teammates ran back to defend.”
Leao also was MVP of the League and we won the Scudetto. No coincidence that Leao’s production is dropping off the more they try to get him track back and defend.
I’ll take the “lazy” MVP Leao that led us to a scudetto over one that uses all his energy tracking back trying to defend when he’s not any good at it anyways.
I’m not defending the hanging the head and walking back if he gives the ball away, or the careless flicks and backheels he does to no one in particular. I said he needs to be more serious on the pitch, but I’d rather him use more of his energy in the attacking rather than defending.
And Messi did not do it under Pep, they had other players to pick up the slack in that area, which is how it should be.
Agree Pioli was too soft, but he
got the best out of leao.
WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE …… THE TRUTH SOMETIMES HURTS !!!