AC Milan made the choice to go into the 2025-26 season with just 19 outfield players, and it is a decision that could hurt them.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Allegri hinted for the first time after the draw against Pisa that the squad is not enough. He stated: “The absence of Rabiot and Pulisic isn’t the problem tonight, it’s a question of the number of players you have available for substitutions.”
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The words were surprising, so much for the comments on Rabiot and Pulisic – it’s obvious that their absence is a huge problem – but for the statement on the player count. Having five absentees didn’t help, but the squad was kept deliberately small.
The guideline was obviously generated by the lack of European commitments, but it was evident from September 1st – the day the market closed – that any injury problems could put the team in crisis.
Lack of options
Allegri’s complaint is therefore surprising, both because the club’s plans for a (large) reduction in squad size were clear since the summer, and because the coach agreed to the squad slimming down. At least, in front of the cameras.
What the coach can complain about is that the quality of the reserve players isn’t up to par with the starters for a team aiming for the Scudetto. The absence of Rabiot and Pulisic is incontrovertible proof of this.
In the last two league matches, following the Rossoneri’s international disaster, Milan showed up with glaringly inadequate benches. Against Fiorentina, they had only five outfield players, two of whom were brought in from Milan Futuro.
Against Pisa on Friday night, they also had five outfield players (one from the second team). The midfield was particularly depleted, with Jashari, Rabiot and Loftus-Cheek all missing.
All this essentially translates into two problems. The first, as mentioned, is the lack of quality alternatives in some areas of the pitch (not all). The second, closely linked to the latter and the limited squad, is the coach’s sparing use of substitutions.
Against Pisa, he made only two changes (Athekame and Nkunku came on), and three against Fiorentina (Gimenez, De Winter and Balentien). Milan, reduced by injuries to a management style ‘reminiscent of 1980s football’, raises another significant issue.
Fewer available substitutions equals more playing time for key players. The Rossoneri, in this way, risk squandering the advantage of not having European competitions.
But we got Nkunku to warm the bench for 36M. And Rabiot/Modric backup for 39M. Why would you spend on positions you really need.
Because their primary objectives haven’t changed. Modus Operandi is still “Top4” and CL participation, not actually “WINNING”. So they were never going spend resources to plug all gaps in the squad in one window.
“Ahhhh… Good enough for now…”
What gap wasn’t plugged last summer?
It just an unfortunate situation when you have so many injuries at the same time.
Milan only plays 1 competition. You cant expect to have a huge squad for one competition.
Jashari hasn’t played because of an injury, and same with Nkunku. Milan 2 most expensive signings, 80 mil spend this summer, have played a total of 160 minutes. All because of injuries.
Good striker primarily. We need two. We only have Gimenez. The other attacking players are all wingers, playmakers or second strikers. We only have Gimenez as a traditional striker, and he’s turning out to be not good enough. Then maybe another experienced CB, as we use three in the starting lineup and we have two on the bench of which one is an 18 year old that nobody ever heard of before he signed and probably belongs more with Futuro. This is why we’re constantly seeing articles linking us with a striker and a central defender. We’re obviously thin at those positions. Gila and Icardi in January.
You have to provide service for the striker, which they do not, especially not lately. Gimenez missed some chances in the 1st few games but recently has barely gotten any opportunities to score.
Also, playing with a 2 men front line, there is no room for another striker. Once Pulisic comes back, it will be Leao and Pulisic. Where would that extra striker going to play?
Milan lost points vs. Pisa because of arrogance and lack of urgency, not because their squad lacks another striker or another defender who will just take another seat on the bench and not he used.
Even Ricci wasn’t used until 3 midfielders got injured.
If we had another striker, we could have subbed him in during Pisa’s game or having him start Fiorentina’s game. Up front we have 3 wingers and only 1 striker.
Yes, we lost 2 points friday due to arrogance and carelesness, but a good striker could have allowed us to “steal” 3 points and would have finished most of these chances that Giménez has missed during previous games.
And right now, if Giménez is suspended or worse injured, we will play without any actual striker.
footystats.org/players/mexico/santiago-gimenez
Check the shots taken section. Look at shots taken and shots on target vs. shot conversion and shot accuracy.
Compare to Pulisic
footystats.org/players/usa/christian-pulisic
Gimenez 20 shots, Pulisic 9 shots. Now what?
The other striker will start bro. Gimenez will go to the bench as his sub.
@Giga94
Milan had another striker Nkunku who was subbed on for Gimenez vs Pisa. He missed a clear goalscoring chance just like Leao did.
Napoli played with no strikers vs Inter with a true winger operating as a striker.
PSG won the UCL playing with 3 wingers up top.
Milan has enough strikers/forwards they just need to convert their clear goal scoring chances. The players that play has to perform.
@MKD: Nkunku is not a striker, he is a winger or a second-striker, just like Leão.
As for Napoli, they play a 4-1-4-1, and PSG play a 4-3-3 and each player play like a man possessed. There are too many differences to compare to our own 3-5-2.
But aside from that, not every winger is good at playing as a striker, Leão has tried many times and has failed, Nkunku so far failed (not just from goalscoring but even his movement, chances created,…). Napoli has so far succeeded in one game and PSG has world class ambidextrous players that we don’t have.
19 outfield players isnt that low compared to other clubs. We also have youngsters like Sala, Vos and Balentien who should get some first team minutes.
The problem was that Allegri asked for a typical central striker like Gimenez to have some competition in that role, and the management went and bought him a half injured/unfit left winger/ attacking midfielder that we already had two of (Leao and Pulisic). Thats just plain stupid.
Just unlucky that multiple key guys got hurt all on the same international break.
But it wouldn’t hurt to buy an impact sub or two in January.
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