Rafael Leao has had a challenging start to the season, but with AC Milan’s 3-1 victory against Real Madrid, a page could be turned.
With three games on the bench out of four before Milan’s trip to the Bernabeu, there had been a growing question about when Leao’s time would be. However, Fonseca stated that his time to shine would be in Spain.
This season has been difficult for the winger, there can be no denying that. His minutes have been lessened, and his contributions, expectedly, dropped as well. Though, the big concern has been his relationship with Fonseca. So when the Portuguese head coach instilled his faith in the winger before the clash, there was a sense of anticipation about what was to come.
As Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes, Leao returned. Singing, dancing, smiling. The Leao of old, on and off the pitch, finally showing himself once again after a period of struggle. Now, the winger, as can Milan, can turn a page on the chapter of struggle.
It is suggested that the events in Spain, powered by Leao’s brilliance, can be a turning point for both, and Fonseca now has a brand new weapon at his disposal.
A flame has been lit once again within the Portuguese after his recent period of suffering, and Milan must keep adding to the fire, ensuring Leao stays firmly on the accelerator.
Doubt there was any real strain between fons and leao anyway. Just media BS.
They both want the same thing after all. To win games.
There are still lot of matches to prove what he really is. We literally hope he could be like the same if not better when we won scudetto back then.
This.
For a change, I agree with you. Leão is extremely talented and asking for him to be sold is misguided and will weaken Milan; I hope you are starting to see it as well. But where you are right, is that indeed Leão also needs to find consistency; his drive, motivation, willingness to help in defense, and brilliant offensive effectiveness that he showed against Real (participating in all 3 goals despite botching a couple of attacks), needs to repeat when playing against lesser opponents too. All games are worth 3 points, so it doesn’t help if we see the magical Rafa that we saw against Madrid, but then we see his disappearing act against the next opponents.
Well, it does help when he is so instrumental for beating Madrid in a moment when we were below the UCL qualification threshold, and now we are within it; but in the longer run and the fight for trophies, it doesn’t help if we drop points elsewhere.
Another thing you do need to acknowledge is that Leão has a knack for creating dangerous opportunities even when he plays poorly, as confirmed by his total of goal participations already. Even in this season when he’s been mostly weak and has played fewer minutes, he has participated already in 1 goal and 6 assists when we consider all competitions (Serie A and UCL for Milan and Nations League for Portugal). That’s not negligible like you often say, and that’s why selling him will weaken Milan. What other Milan player – even when Rafa plays overall poorly – can do that and is not called Christian or Rafael?
Leão remains Milan’s second best offensive weapon despite his real shortcomings and his so-so season. There is too much raw talent there. A player who has this much offensive production including in a season when he is not doing so well, is not someone we should consider selling.
Finally, I should say that again, even in a season that isn’t going so well for him, his goal participations could easily have been even higher. Leão has provided some good passes that his companions could have converted into goal-scoring assists. For example, in a game where Okafor replaced him and immediately provided an assist to Reijnders that the latter converted, Rafa before being subbed out had given to the same Reijnders a very similar pass but in that occasion Reijnders didn’t convert, which is hardly Leão’s fault. That was also very similar to the one against Real that the very same Reijnders did convert. So Leão should have had another assist to Reijnders this season, and he also granted a great one to Pulisic who also failed to convert. Also, at least in a couple of occasions, great headers or shots that in any usual circumstance would have been scores, were stopped by phenomenal efforts by opponent goalkeepers. I can think of at least two.
So, a bit more luck, and he could be at least at 11 goal participations already, which would be a number comparable to Pulisic’s.
A forward cannot play like a midfielder.
Fonseca should not ask him play like midfielder.
Otherwise every match he can be decisive.
“A forward cannot play like a midfielder.”
You can start by convincing Morata with that claim. Let me know how that goes.