AC Milan’s 2019-20 campaign got off to the worst possible start as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Udinese on Sunday night.
The team failed to register a single shot on target for only the fifth time in the last decade in what was a lacklustre and frustrating performance.
Marco Giampaolo’s 4-3-1-2 system had been the subject of intense analysis in preseason as to whether the team and certain individuals would be able to adapt.
Giampaolo seemingly confirmed to Sky Italia after the game that he will now consider switching to a 4-3-3 formation, such was his disappointment after the defeat in Udinese.
Here, we take a look at the Rossoneri’s heat map from the game at the Stadio Friuli, courtesy of WhoScored.com…
Heat map of our starting XI today. Nothing immediately alarming apart from perhaps the fact there is nothing anyway near their goal, and there are so many touches on the half way line. pic.twitter.com/kBGOHZ4l2j
— Giampaolismo™ (@KilpinChronicle) August 25, 2019
The first heat map is of Paqueta, Calhanoglu and Borini. The second one is if you add Suso on. Genuinely quite baffling how reliant we are on him just to be on the ball full stop. pic.twitter.com/Sw7wFj8ogK
— Giampaolismo™ (@KilpinChronicle) August 25, 2019
Fabio Borini’s heat map. Don’t see anything? That’s because he touched the ball 32 times. In 60 minutes. pic.twitter.com/sqYBqNImoe
— Giampaolismo™ (@KilpinChronicle) August 25, 2019
First pic: Piatek. 18 touches in the whole game, ouch.
Second pic: Castillejo. Just the 30 touches and most of them nearer the half way line. Our so-called ‘support striker’ 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GJUsxGdwAF
— Giampaolismo™ (@KilpinChronicle) August 25, 2019
Finally, our back four. Position wise, very solid – and you can see how much further forward Calabria got in comparison to RicRod.
The problem: They accounted for comfortably over half of the touches our starting XI had. Possession football yes, but absolutely no incision. pic.twitter.com/2NQHYdXGE9
— Giampaolismo™ (@KilpinChronicle) August 25, 2019
