AC Milan pursued Youssouf Fofana throughout the summer, and eventually, they got the signing over the line – albeit for twice the price they initially wanted. However, he could be a steal when he is fully fit, according to a report.
The 2023/24 season was full of consistent inconsistencies. Throughout, Milan struggled with basics, and the same problems repeated throughout the year – after seeing the first three games of the 2024/25 season, it seems this is still the case.
Many of the issues stemmed from depth and composition, and the midfield was arguably the largest victim of it.
Stefano Pioli struggled to find a consistent midfield three during the season, which shone for all the reasons consistently, as certain players were visibly out of position and they struggled to regularly perform to the standard.
Therefore, when the Diavolo were targeting a new defensive midfielder, it did not come as a shock. Even more so when the player targeted was Fofana.
However, as Milan News states, we are yet to see the best of him in a Rossoneri shirt. The Frenchman represents an ‘important purchase’ for the club, and he will be ‘fundamental for Fonseca’s chessboard’.
He has already shown signs of the player he can be, but he is yet to be at full fitness, which means he is unable to be the complete player that Monaco fans raved about, at least not yet. After his defensive prowess, his engine is his next best trait, and without full fitness, that engine is not as strong.
The report ends by suggesting that Kessie could be the Kessie replacement that never arrived, and this is the ‘hope of everyone’.
DM’s important to Milan? Novel idea…
Maybe Fonseca’s common sense will prevail to field a 433 and drop in Bennacer and Fofana around Reijnders.
Or maybe not. Who knows.
It’s definitely the best option at this time
Yeah the 4231 was a nice experiment, but it doesn’t work and we don’t have the players for it.
Chucky is not near good enough.
Leao and Pulisic either side of the striker is good. With Benny, Fofana and T.J there will be plenty of threat through the middle anyway.
RB is the big concern now, hopefully Jimenez continues to improve quickly. I don’t want to see Emerson
It seems that it’s not the formation but more the tactical understanding, when to press or pull back, who stays where and so forth.
On the hand maybe it is the formation. We should stop playing this 0-0-10 formation we are so fond of.
4 1 4 1 or 4 3 3 is the only solution I see 👀
Our defence is the problem. So this formation though good will expose us. I think 3-4-3 alternating with 3-4-1-2 can really coz havoc to our opposition. We have the squad for both
Tomori-Gabbia-Pavlovic
RLC-Bennacer- Fofana-Theo
Pulisic – Reijners -Leao
Abraham
Tomori-Gabbia-Pavlovic
RLC-Bennacer- Fofana-Theo
Reijners
Abraham-Morata
Thats 12 players
The only way we could beat Inter, Real & Liverpool. 😉
“He has already shown signs of the player he can be, but he is yet to be at full fitness, which means he is unable to be the complete player that Monaco fans raved about, at least not yet.”
If only we managed to get him a week or more sooner, if only there was a way…… oh wait
But hey, professional players are always fit, don’t need preasons and integrate quickly right ? 🙂
I do hope so.
He looked sketchy against Lazio so assume that was just short of fitness then?
Fofana is a good player, no questions about it. In fact we did a few good signings: Pavlovic, Morata, even Abraham, I guess, at least he seems to be very motivated. Emerson Royal is the only exception, he’s really bad.
That said, I guess the problem lies with Mr. Fonseca. And not exactly on a tactical, technical level (on which he’s also not that good, one must note), but mainly concerning his lack of leadership.
Our main problem appears to be mr. Paulo Fonseca,
the more they keep saying that Fofana is the chosen one the harder he will flop at it. It’s just not gonna happen. He is not a DM and he doesnt compliment a single mid we have. They’re all the same. Mezzalas.
Wanna guess how many mezzalas inter has in their starting line up? One. Milan? 3.
So Hakan is a natural DM and Fofana is not? I don’t think the main problem is the players, and not the formation. It’s tactical preparation and implementation. That seems to be our main weakness.
Hakan is as much a dm as pirlo was. Should I go on?
We do not deserve to play 4231 with the players we have. The CAM does not do enough to justify the formation. In fact, the CAM has been invisible in all the league games so far. And there is not enough communication between the wingers and the fullbacks. At times we looked like a team playing in a village league trying to defend the flanks. We do not possess players with adequate techniques and football IQ to effectively play the high press style. 433 is easier to comprehend and put in use. Please give it a try. Forget RLC, Chuk and Emerson already. If they had something good to offer we would have seen it already.
“The report ends by suggesting that Kessie could be the Kessie replacement that never arrived”
I know it’s a typo but this is the only solution.