For the Devil, an area of the pitch that has been critical for years and has forced Pioli to employ non-performing players. The turning point did not come with De Ketelaere and Adli and the Bosnian will be employed at Maradona
The problem is now old. Except that – problem within the problem – Milan were strongly convinced that they had solved it with the 2022 summer transfer market. But please, go back: to have solutions by now it will be necessary to update again for next season. The three-quarters of the Devil: cross and delight. That is: cross and little else. Whether it’s 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1, those noble clods where you can make a difference and steer matches, around Milanello still have no peace.
Performance
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The project, for the moment frozen while waiting for better times, envisaged that a disbursement of 35 million was sufficient to solve the root of the matter. But sometimes spending large sums is not the same as getting what you want, as for example PSG has been saying for years in the Champions League. And so it happened that Charles De Ketelaere, Mister 35 million, instead of filling that hole, widened it further. And since, apart from Giroud, this year Milan definitely don’t shine in the performance of offensive men, the problem becomes even bigger. On the other hand, just take a look at the minutes to understand the difficulties in which Pioli moves: 1,766 minutes of the season for Diaz, 1,243 for De Ketelaere despite the great difficulties, demonstrating the difficulties of the department.
Fluid positions
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For some time the holder of the chair has been Diaz, super in some games but in general not very constant in his performance. Yet it’s not a shirt assigned on “autopilot” by the coach. The considerations vary from match to match and the move to Naples at the gates is yet another proof of this: from what is understood Brahim, in the context of the return to 4-2-3-1, should be diverted to the right, with Krunic behind Giroud. Nobody is surprised because in fact it is not a novelty. Indeed, the Rossoneri fans are now accustomed to a – shall we say – imaginative three-quarters. During Pioli’s management in those areas we even saw Leao and Saelemaekers, even if it is necessary to underline how the positions assigned by Pioli – when everything goes as it should – are very fluid.
Mission
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So in Naples the attacking midfielder will be decentralized, and a teammate will act in the middle who would do something else by trade – but who at the same time knows how to do everything – with the clear mission of drying up the first blue possession. The plan follows what Pioli had invented with Kessie. Yes, an invention that few would have bet on, which in fact at the time had generated a lot of perplexity but which then worked. Yes, Franck, another midfielder like Krunic loaned to a trequarti where it is no coincidence that Milan, in view of next season, has set its sights on a purist of the young and talented role like Baldanzi. Meanwhile, the plate is crying: the three central attacking midfielders – yes, Adli would also be there – have put together 5 goals and 3 assists. All by Diaz except an assist from De Ketelaere. For the moment, the coach must continue to make do as he can.
April 1 – 10:36
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