One player that has not hit his usual heights so far this season is Theo Hernandez, and a report has claimed that the new formation holds him back.
As Tuttosport (via MilanNews) writes, on Wednesday evening the Hernandez family experienced a special moment: their sons Lucas and Theo against each other in a Champions League match.
For Theo it is perhaps the only memorable thing about a bad night for the team, which is part of a season which, for the French full-back, has not yet taken off.
Theo has one goal so far this season which was scored in the second match of the campaign against Torino, but above all zero assists. This is the fact that causes Milan to worry more than the others because the Frenchman has always been vgood at setting up his team-mates.
Added to this is a slightly too distracted defensive phase, but it is likely that Theo paying for the general performance of the team and the fact that the midfield has been reconfigured
If Milan’s way of playing is not helping Theo in the defensive phase, just as it is not helping any of his team-mates, it should be underlined that the new Rossoneri lineup is also limiting Hernandez in attack.
Since his first days at Milan, the former Real Madrid man has made a difference thanks to his sudden and overwhelming attacks on the left side which have become even more dangerous since Leao raised the level of his performances.
This year, however, the inclusion of an extra midfielder means that he does not have the license or the space to attack. The tactical change has put an obstacle in front of Theo’s path and he no longer pushes as hard as he was used to doing.
Hernandez often moves centrally to find space but when served with his back to goal he loses much of his potential, so Pioli will also have to work on this.
I think this theory is nonsense!
He is playing 433 which is ideal system for an attacking full back (see Liverpool, Madrid, PsG etc).
In this system he has a player to cover him when he bursts forward, so there is no excuse.
Now the reality, tho fans of Theo like myself don’t like to admit it, he has been ordinary.
Himself and Leao have both looked like 2 Prima-Donn’s who think they can just stroll around and turn it on when they feel like it.
Where are Theo’s runs gone? Where is his hunger and desire?
He looks lazy and out of shape. Worse than that he has become an even more petulant child with his behaviour. All those cards he picked up for shouting at referee’s – unacceptable!
We have a distinct lack of leadership in this team. Someone who will call out this behavior and put an end to it.
I’m starting to think we need to drop Theo and Leao until they start producing. That way at least we can work on playing as a team for a while
See to get best of Acmilan is the 4-2-3-1 not even 4-3-3 Pioli is holding Acmilan backwards Acmilan are a strong team but we need a coach that will advanced that 4-2-3-1 obviously Pioli is not the right person to coach Acmilan because he lack vision and lack concentration in giving Acmilan what they want
It’s not that it’s a 433 but how it is interpreted. You can play the 433 in many ways but currently we play a very expansive 433 from the midfield upwards. By doing this it limits your LB because there’s a box to box player in the space Theo likes to roam into. If you wanted your left back involved you can still keep the wing wide but let your midfield collapse inward and become narrow. Only then you’ll allow your LB the space to move up.
When we played the 4231 last year, we could effectively push Theo up as one of the double pivots cover his space left.
It’s really about interpretation. We can also collapse only Theo’s side to the middle, but defensively one of two things will need to happen. Either Adli doesn’t move up (which now limits his game and his distribution) OR the left sided CB rotates over to LB, RB to CB and so on and that limits Puli’s link up with that flank (on the flipside he’ll have more midfield help). Again it’s interpretation
Everything is fine with the write up because if you have been attentive to the way AC Milan moves in this 433 variant then you will perfectly understand the writer’s mind.
AC Milan rarely plays through the middle and the flank is clustered and clumsy leaving no space for any devastating runs on wings which was telepathic between Theo and Leao prior to the switch to 433 and interference of a box-to-box in that mix created confusion in the previous pattern and that should be on Pioli.
Then there is the switch from double pivots to a single pivot which is another confusion created by the great mastermind Pioli. Inverted wingback and the high line press deployed by Mr Pioli is beyond geniuses.
For this AC Milan to comeback stronger than last season and surge beyond the scudetto winning season then drastic changes has come in place of sudden changes as I don’t have problems with the 433 but it has to be a variant of the 4231 then you will appreciate the work done by the CEO and Moncada during the summer window.
Pobega and Krunic are adding basically nothing to this team and they both should be relegated to bench although Krunic could have a peripheral role until the season ends. This should the 433 variant of 4231 I have always talked about with players attached to each wing.
Maignan/Mirante/Spotiello
Calabria Thiaw Tomori Theo
Florenzi Kalulu Pellegrino Pellegrino
Kalulu Simic Bartesaghi Bartesaghi
Kjear Kjear
Musah Bennacer
Adli Adli
Krunic Cheek
Zeroli Zeroli
Tijjani
Cheek
Adli
Pulisic
Pulisic Giroud R. Leao
S. Chukwueze N. Okafor N. Okafor
Young Argentine Jovic Pulisic
The tactical ideas has to be simple to allow telepathic understanding between them and seamless interpretation of each role. Just like in 4231 the double pivots would cover for the Full-Backs when making systematic darting run while the wingers are inverted in-line with Tijjani with one of the Pivots joined in to establish five options for the Full Back and the other remaining four outfield players are positioned strategically to stop any kind of counter in a mass defensive tactic. This is just one of the many strategic that can be learned in training and deployed in real matches. And based on performances and competitiveness of each player the pecking order could be readjusted. Thank you. Forza Milan
I rest my case.
I have always been bewildered how we employ a played like Krunic in such a delicate position in front of the back line in midfield with no vision of play whatsoever. He seldom makes a positive pass and frequently looses possession. Has he ever scored or made an assist? I don’t remember any. Just last week, as soon as he came out against Juventus they scored their only goal with a shot that went in off him. We seriously miss Benasser.