Sergio Conceicao might be tempted to start Rafael Leao from the bench against Feyenoord, given that he has made a big impact as a substitute recently.
Today’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanPress) uses a famous quote from Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective invented by Agatha Christie: “One clue is a clue, two clues are a coincidence, but three clues make a proof.”
Since Conceiçao arrived on the bench, Leao has started from the bench on four occasions and has been decisive three times coming on as a second-half substitute. On the contrary, in the games in which he has started, he has only had an impact twice (goals against Como and Girona), but has been among the worst on the pitch in the remaining six occasions.
It could therefore be deduced that the Portuguese is a player who struggles to have consistency between one game and another and even within the same 90 minutes, and that is why he may find it easier to give his all in 30 or 45 minutes rather than from minute one.
After all, Leao is among the most explosive and fastest players in the league, and facing opponents with already tired legs can only be a factor in his favour. The first proof was the Supercoppa Italiana final against Inter, when he came on and changed the game with his speed and directness.
So, after 20 positive minutes against Roma in the Coppa Italia on February 5, he scored the opener against Empoli before Santiago Gimenez’s goal, then got the assist for the Mexican’s header against Verona on Saturday.
Leao as a starter against Cagliari, Juventus, Parma, Dinamo Zagreb and Feyenoord paradoxically disappointed a lot. So is Leao better off the bench? The question arises and from today Conceiçao will reflect.
Leao’s been Serie A top assistman of the last 5 seasons with 36 assists.
Leao bad.
Sure, btu still room for improvement. He could help preventing conceded goals and work more. He could have more assists too if he were willing to work harder. But people do seem to settle. Teams and players who settle won’t win trophies though. Winning requires winning mentality and motivation to work hard(er).
If you’re happy with his stats, I’m glad for you. But those haven’t helped the team to the UCL spot and that’s all that matters. I’m not saying it’s Leao’s fault either but I’m saying his contribution isn’t enough for the fans. We want more than 7th place in Serie A.
What we could also do, is have a functional midfield and midfielders who cover our backline, so that Reijnders and co can cook up front. Instead they play Reijnders deep, Fofana as a DM and Musah on the wing expecting to be additional body there. But we have no balance, no coverage and no support that way.
And that’s an actual reason I am concerned about this stats. The next 3 players on the chart are Barella, Calha and Mhik with each around 30 assists to their names. That tells me they have a functional team and working midfield while we are relying on Leao. That’s something to be concerned about. Because while Leao is our difference maker, he’s not resilient enough to carry whole team on his shoulder. We expect him to do it, but he’s not that type of character. Therefore we need whole team to perform. Like Merda’s is.
True. We need more from EVERYONE. BTW, it won’t take long for Pulisic to climb to the TOP10 and eventually to TOP5.
Heck, he probably is in the TOP10 already.
Yes, the team is bad because midfield is trash. And not that those 2 players are bad but in those roles they are. You expect Reijnders to defend properly, it won’t happen. It is same like expecting from Leao to go back. Not that type of player. Or Fofana be a DM, no way. Fofana and DM in a pairing makes sense. And Reijnders should be an AM, but there is no space for everyone with Leao, Pulisic, Joao Felix and Gimenez. We have some extra attacking midfielders but no DMs.
Yep. Exactly. The 2 players are good (even their performances in for their countries prove that) but they’re being misused in Milan which is a shame. But that falls on the management.
There have always been star players who have a ‘lazy’ style and even when they try to get back they have the quality of a lamp post in defense. I don’t want to see Leao in our half of the field. Maybe more pressing in opponents’ half + significant improvement in the shooting department and to stop looking on how to provide an assist when he has favorable chance for a goal himself.
That being said, I still don’t understand how transfer market prices are set – I don’t think anyone with a clear mind would prefer to pay 50% more for Leao in his current form than Pulisic.
It is pretty simple. Watch the game against Napoli in CL a few years ago and how Leao created that goal on his own. Pulisic will never do that. There is the price difference.
spot on
That’s history – Looks at Puli’s strike rate this season – hitting the target is essential for forwards
” LT” Which rate? Last season they had EXACTLY THE SAME G+A. This season, Pulisic is ahead but by 2 G+A. What are you talking about, can you explain? What is history and which strike rate?
Can you people be objective ever? It is always the subjective opinion that is literally irrelevant, nobody cares. Numbers are there, they don’t lie. If Leao was so bad and Pulisic was so amazing then Pulisic would have 10, 15, 20 more goal contributions per season. He has 0.
@Igor: simple
Look at Leão and Pulisic without their G+A, what do you see ?
Pulisic tracks back, presses, is involved in the buildup, at lot off-ball mouvment, runs the most after Reijnders,…
Leão…
Goal contribution is not the whole story.
So Pulisic cost half of Leao because I am wrong? Ok. I mean it is evident, the whole story brings the evaluation up or down. Compare it.
Did you see Pulisic’s goal against Inter or Liverpool this year? And he converted both of those himself. Rafa is worth more because he has more potential, not because he is performing better.
IGOR equals STUPID !!!!!!!!!!
I agree about improving, he could be the best LW on the planet. But he is still the best player at Milan. Unfortunately, there is no one even close, maybe with Felix now.
And Leaos contribution of 30-35 G+A a season is Scudetto level, the rest of the team needs to do their part. You are talking like he has 15 per season and he is in the top 5 wingers every season.
LAZY LAZY LAZY LEAO !!!!!!!
In fact he could had a lot more if his team mates were converting most of the chances created by Leao
GIroud missed so many sitters, I can’t forget those. We could have won the CL that year with a proper striker.
We’re having to stretch the sample size back so far to make Leao relevant at something because of his inconsistent form…
How can someone that has 30+ goal contributions be inconsistent? He consistently has those number. Every season.
It’s not that much of a paradox.
When he (or any player for that matter) is subbing in, he is fresh against an already tired defense who now has to deal with his superior speed and athleticism. The only caveat is that he has now less time to score of provide an assist.
When he starts, being fresh is no longer a factor in his favor and he tires as much as the other players.
At the present time, he’s best off the bench. Maybe that will change; time will tell..
The fact Pulisic leads in GA AND missed 5 weeks says a lot. Also when the play is heavily slanted to the Left side of the field almost every game that says even more.
LAZY LAZY LAZY LEAO !!!!!!!
RIGHT ON CHRIS !!!!!!!!!!!!
For Feynoord-start Leao and Theo on the bench
– Felix Giminez Pulisic up front, with Felix curling inside from the left
Reijnders as a CAM
Musah and Fofana as a double pivot
Jimenez-Pavlov-Thiaw/Tomori-Walker
Jiminez can roam forward and Musah can provide cover if he does.
I think our problem is unbalanced midfield to control the game, allow offense to work better and provide decent service into the box.
The biggest problem we have right now is creative/defensive balance. Reijnders and Felix should NOT be starting together because it creates defensive issues. They are basically the same player – best behind the striker. The numbers prove it given Dutchman’s form – 11G’s so far playing behind the striker. Then Felix comes in, occupies the same function and we wonder why Reijnders is dropping off (outside of physical fatigue).
Balance it by playing Reijnders behind the striker, and two defensive mids behind him so he doesn’t have to track all the way to our own penalty box to defend and can instead drive vertically on the breaks.
Rotate Tiji with Felix either in game or game after game. Gives them more time to recover (especially Reijnders who’s run ragged) and keeps them fresh for each game … Not sure if it posted …
But who will play? There is no on to play beside Fofana. I have been writing this for 2 months. Midfield is trash because it is not setup properly. The individual players are not bad but they are in the roles that are given to them. But in the end, if Conceicao listened to you, who are the 2 DMs? We don’t have one.
I’ve been writing thiy ever since they sold Tonali and got bunch of non functional runners and ball chasers instead.
I agree. Midfield is poorly built. We can field Bondo domestically and Musah in CL. That’s it. There’s no one else not named Terraciano.