There are few guarantees with AC Milan at the moment. However, the situation with Rafael Leao is rather clear.
After the summer, questions shroud Milan. It, unfortunately, is really difficult to assess where the Rossoneri are and who will be where. Several midfielders demand a place in the squad, whilst the forward line is interesting in itself.
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This is exactly where the current focus is. The Diavolo need to work out a way to make Rafael Leao work, given that Massimiliano Allegri sees it as Leao and the rest. When the job became his, and even before it, the Portuguese was his focus.
Allegri’s headache
Now, then, there is a question to be answered, and Milan could see it done this weekend, hopefully. Of course, that question is who will make Leao tick and where? In his latest editorial for MilanNews, Pietro Mazzara has looked at things, trying to find an answer.
“Massimiliano Allegri, even during these days of rest for the few players remaining at Milanello, has continued to think about how to field his AC Milan. The transfer market is over, and he’ll have to work with these ingredients—these players—to find the right balance for his starting lineup. The big puzzle, at least on paper, is the attack.
“The switch to a 3-5-2 leaves only two shirts up for grabs, which in reality is one because Rafael Leao is and always will be Max’s starter. And here comes the “game of pairs”: who will partner Rafa as an attacking partner?
“The two players competing for the spot are Pulisic and Nkunku, with Santiago Gimenez starting further down the pecking order. Christian is one of the technical certainties of this team, Nkunku is the most important acquisition—financially—of AC Milan’s summer transfer window, and both legitimately aspire to a role alongside Leao.
“Nkunku is regaining his best form and made a great impression on Allegri during the first training sessions at Milanello. Heading into Bologna, depending on Pulisic’s return from his commitments with Team USA and the condition of his ankle (which already forced him to the bench in Lecce), it shouldn’t be surprising if Leao and Nkunku actually start.
“We’ll see, especially since the feeling is that sooner or later Milan could switch to a 4-3-3, which could then open up other scenarios.”
Anything other than being a regular starter, playing starters minutes, will see Milan’s best player ask to leave. There can be no doubt in Tare’s mind that this is the case. With Allegri as the coach, and if the committment to the 3-5-2 is real, one of two things will be true at Milan.
1. At best, this likely often pushes the club’s best finisher further from the box, perhaps even to the bench.
2. At worst, Tare alienated the best player on the team the last two years and Puli will ask to leave. Not signing the extension may have been his best play of last season – when he led the team in goals and assists.
Being a sub after leading the team in G/As the last two years, how can you blame him for pushing to leave. He just doesn’t have a spot in Allegri’s system which is something the management decided was ok. The management has made a decision that they believe is for the good of the team and Pulisic is collateral damage. This is becoming a reoccurring pattern for his career. He’s going to have a poor year being played out of position if at all. Again, no one should be surprised. Also, no reason to sell Leão as some suggest because he does fit Allegri’s system. I saw this coming the moment they hired Allegri.
Leao should be sold in this coming Jan window to secure the highest offers possible. Sell before he comes Theo2 or Dollar2
this is sheer nonsense.
“The switch to a 3-5-2 leaves only two shirts up for grabs, which in reality is one because Rafael Leao is and always will be Max’s starter. ”
This is such a crazy statement. How would you possibly know he will always be Max’s starter? You are talking about a player who was benched on multiple occasions by multiple coaches for lack of effort. He also has been tried up top before and it hasn’t worked.
All of a sudden Leao is a changed man because he scored a couple pre-season goals. Please settle down.
Because he is Max’s project. Also with how Allegri plays, Leão needs to play. Allegri plays defensively and hopes for a moment of brilliance to score.
Exactly. I thought that was a silly statement too.
Nothing to say that Nkunku and Pulisic don’t become the starters in the biggest games and Leao can have a huge impact from the 60th minute.
It seems we have to stick with 352 as plan A.
As we only have 4 forwards for 2 positions. Any regular formation that tries to start 3 of them will have no depth from bench