Among the surprises on the team sheet for AC Milan’s opening game of the season against Torino was Alexis Saelemaekers being named as the left-back, and it wouldn’t be the only role he would play during the game.
MilanNews begin their report with an important bit of context: it was the first match of the season, we are in mid-August and the team are still assimilating Paulo Fonseca’s ideas, while there are new signings and internationals who were late to arrive and thus are not in the best condition.
Starting from these considerations – and assuming that it was a situation that we will never see again – one can almost begin to understand the starting XI fielded by Paulo Fonseca on Saturday night against Torino.
However, the Saelemaekers decision was still an intriguing one given he had not been used at left-back in preseason and instead it was Filippo Terracciano who had been used there. The Belgian once again demonstrated his proverbial availability and willingly accepted the coach’s proposal.
Despite this, he showed that he has other characteristics than those required by the role. He seemed confused and at times naive. He conceded the header to Bellanova for the first goal without much of a fight, and on the second he let Lazaro go too easily, putting both Calabria and Reijnders in difficulty.
Then the former Anderlecht man played as a right-back before the final assault when he was pushed further up the field, but the answers given were the same: disappointing. It is difficult to judge him for his work on the right side though, after Davide Calabria’s exit for Noah Okafor.
It’s a topic that was discussed a lot last year, for example with Musah, the idea that a player’s desire and willingness to play roles that aren’t exactly his forte is certainly to be appreciated, but it’s a habit that needs to be broken sooner rather than later.
The development of certain individuals and the team’s balance depend on the concept of round pegs in round holes. Circumstances dictate the need to experiment and on Saturday Theo should be back, but the Pioli era showed us that certain inventions are best not to be trialled.
Salad was not the issue. Funny how both goals came from Calabria’s side yet everyone is conveniently quiet on that fact 🤔
really? Did you even watch the game? At first goal Calabria was in a 2v1 situation. In second goal Calabria was in a 2v1 situation.
You people just want to blame him for every single thing if it is his fault or not..
#hEiSnOtGoOdEnOuGh..
find me a rb that can make it out alive when they’re in 2v1 situation.. NAME THE FU*KER!
2v1 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dani alves or cafu
Alves is playing with balls in jail these days though… 🙂
And Cafu quit a looong time ago.
*Hairy balls I might add.
I think both of you are partially right. It wasn´t Saelemaekers fault, but not Calabria´s either. I think both goals are to blame on other players. The first one could have easily be avoided because Saelemaekers did enough to make sure Bellanova couldn´t aim directly straight at the goal. It also wasn´t Saelemaekers fault that Torino could deliver the perfect cross. Saelemaekers was late on a few other occasions, but there was nothing he could have done different for the 1st goal. Normally the ball should have been cleared once the ball hit the post, but Thiaw had another idea. On the second goal, Zapata was all alone. He should have been covered by Theo, but he didn´t do his job. That was worse than what Saelemaekers did on the first goal. An excellent center back could have seen this coming and have covered for Theo being late, but we didn´t have that center back on the field. So goal 1 is on Thiaw and goal 2 is on Theo. Can´t make anything else of it.
Yeah, I also don’t know what you’re talking about. Re-watch the replays.
For the first goal, start at the point where Zapata receives the ball. Yes, the cross comes in from Calabria’s side, that’s not the problem. Crosses happen even against the best full backs. The cross actually wasn’t in to a super dangerous area. However, Salad was nowhere to be found. Look at where Bellanova is in relation to Salad at the point where Zapata receives the ball. Then, as the cross comes in, no pressure on Bellanova whatsoever, nevermind intercepting the cross, which he could have done if he was aware of where Bellanova was. Then Bellanova hits a relatively tame header that wasn’t unstoppable into the ground and Maignan, who I think could also have done a better job, didn’t put a hand or foot on it. Then finally, Thiaw decides to backheel it into his own net (this, by the way is the real reason this goal was scored). Calabria 10% fault, Salad 30% fault, Maignan 20%, Thiaw 50%.
Salad completely losses his man at least three more times on that side.
Finally, Torino goal 2 has nothing to do with Calabria. He stays with his man, who passes to another player who rounds Reijnders and then crosses to Zapata. Then issue here was Thiaw and Theo (but mostly Thiaw) not knowing where to be. It’s a zone defense and nobody was covering the very middle of the 6 yard box. That’s not Calabria’s fault.
Calabria should have intercepted that pass instead of letting it go but saelemaekers was constantly out of position and was always beat. Offered nothing in attack either
It failed because just like I said, he’s good in preseason he’s good as a sub, but for people to think that he’s good enough to start for us and wouldn’t want a swap with chiesa are delusional.
To back him up somewhat, set him up for failure playing at left back but he simply isn’t good enough, he tries very hard and is a smart player but he’s good enough to be a sub and that’s it.
And that’s just what he is. He’s a defensive winger sub. So it’s on Fonseca for having started him at LB and then playing him at RB. Then again, that’s a function of A. not having a proper LB backup to Theo, which is on the club, and B. Royal not being available yet at RB. But the main issue is not having a viable backup to Theo. IMHO this is the next priority on the transfer market.
Saelemaekers was one of the players with the most minutes in the scudetto year. He really can add to this team and I prefer him over Chuk at RW. Saelemakers had 10 crosses of which 4 were good. Chuk had 4 crosses of which 0 were good. Saelemaekers also added to 2 scoring opportunities. If the focus is only on his defending, it was a bad game, but overall he was one of the more productive players. Chuk just wasn´t in the game at all.
he played 1869 min on the scudeto season. That doesnt even put him in top 10 by game time.
Point 2. Salad was so poor a rw we needed to buy Chuku and Puli to stack the position.
Chuku will get there meanwhile Salad had 4 years and he never took the spot for his own. His time is over, chance gone, a fringe playe. And has sh*t taste in haircuts to top it off
Salad played good! you guys just hate this guy!
Calabria has been Milan’s weak spot for years. The game seemed to turn around once he left the pitch. It was also a great match to see Fonseca’s strategy in action.
Send a guy out on loan, they find the right position for him where he shines, he comes back and first game of the season you start him at LB. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!!
LOLOLOLOLO
Why is anyone surprised??? I mean really. We hired Fonseca not Kloop or Pep. Fonseca was hired not for his tactical prowess, his amazing understanding of the game nor his innovative coaching methods. He has neither of those. He is a good coach, not a great one. He was hired because he can (allegedly) develop cheap YOUNG developing players) players into professionals – to increase their RESALE value. So let’s be honest here. This was not unforeseen. It was watching Pioli-ball all over again. Same defensive issues as last season. Same disappointing players like Chukuweze and inconsistent players like RLC.
Ya ya I know I know the Redbird lovers will say: “wait till we start Fofana Pavlovic, Emerson and Morata” lol. Ya I’m sure they will help (although Mortata is expected to miss the next game via injury – who would have guessed it!!! LOL). Now I M sure they will definitely help – But that ignores a huge problem. This is about TEAM defending. And it’s hard to defend as a TEAM when you have players playing positions they are NOT accustomed to or well suited for.
RLC is not a DM
Salad is not a RB
Jovic is not a true #9 – he’s a second striker
Okafor is not a true #9
Reindeer’s is not a DM
Musah doesn’t know what kind of player he is yet
Fofana is not really a DM
Pulisic is not really a CAM – he doesn’t track back and left the mid exposed
Adli is not a DM
Pobega is not a DM or CAM
Etc…..
BUT this is what happens when our cheap A$$ owners just buy players because they are available on a discount – they don’t necessarily fit the system. We just get them because they fit our WAGE CAP and then expect them all to adapt. Well some can and some cannot. So we have an UNBALANCED team. Fonseca (or any coach for that matter) will have a hard time changing that. Ya ya I’m sure next week vs Parma we will win 3-0 and then everyone (Redbird lovers) will think we are ok again just like last season – (hey we finished 2nd – only 19 points off Inter and didn’t win a trophy and didn’t qualify for knock out of UCL and got bounced from Coppa Italia – but hey we are cooking right??). BUT the truth is we will still have them same issues (with a few different players) as we did last season.
While management is waiting around (Day 7??) to “sell” players for peanuts – other teams are easily outspending us and snatching our targets (Atalanta just signed Samardzic; Roma will sign Koné). I thought we didn’t NEED to sell in order to BUY???? Isn’t that what Furlani and Zlatan said??? Crickets????? lol
Ya ya we spent 69M already right so Redbird can’t be that cheap??? Well minus CDK (23M) Simic (3M) and now Kalulu (3.5) – that is a NET spend of 39.5M – almost we’re we are supposed to be at our yearly 35M NET SPEND. And don’t worry we will likely sell Benny so I’m sure that we will have a ZERO NET SPEND by end of August. Yes more PROFIT for Redbird LOL.
Can’t wait till Theo goes down with injury and we have no replacement – oh ya we have the amazing Terracino night last January to…ummm….what was he bought for?? Anyways he’s finally gone to Como!! Yes. For 1 Euro. Maluku gone too for a whopping 3.5M!!! Amazing business. And Morata? Oh wait he’s already injured and will likely miss up to 3 weeks already LOL. No worries we only have 50 games left to play I’m sure he will start the rest of them and if he can’t we have the man the myth the legend: Jovic!!!