A nifty 20-year old winger impressed against AC Milan on 24 September 2020. With a drop of a shoulder, he left Frank Kessié pondering before setting up Kasper Junker for FK Bodø/Glimt’s first goal of the night. Later, in the second half, he unleashed a venomous drive that rifled past Gianluigi Donnarumma into the back of the net. One week later, AC Milan were announcing the signing of this talented, effervescent winger. Jens Petter Hauge would be swapping yellow for the famous red and black of Milan.
A key member of Norway’s golden generation, Hauge is a player with a remarkably high ceiling. He had an impressive list of suitors, but Milan moved swiftly to acquire him from FK Bodø/Glimt. The scout reports were in his favour; now, the management had first-hand experience as well.
Hauge was arguably a signing for the future. He wasn’t instantly thrust into the first team, but was slowly introduced into the system with minutes off the bench. Milan Head Coach Stefano Pioli gave Hauge the nod to start games in the Europa League and the Norwegian responded with superlative output – three goals & one assist in five games. He played with confidence, showed admirable skill in tight spaces, demonstrated quick acceleration to beat his marker and was particularly good cutting in from the left as an inverted winger.
Injuries, COVID-19 and a congested fixture list led to Hauge being handed his first start in Serie A on 6 January 2021, against Juventus. The defending champions ran riot on the night and Milan were collectively abject, but Pioli made the first substitution by swapping Hauge for Brahim Diaz in the 67th minute. Hauge started the next couple of games (Torino & Cagliari) but didn’t finish them. Forgettable outings in these games led to him warming the bench against Atalanta and Bologna.
Drop in form
Hauge’s poor form is not a recent phenomenon. His standard of play has visibly dropped since his dominating display against Sparta Praha in the Europa League on 10 December 2020. Nearly four months on, Hauge is yet to register a direct goal involvement for Milan. Pioli, clearly aware of this, has struck Hauge’s name from the Europa League squad.
Many attribute this decline to fatigue. After all, Hauge played a full season with FK Bodø/Glimt before moving to Milan. He clocked a total of 1827 minutes for his former club and has played 830 minutes for Milan this season, putting him slightly behind Kessie (2709 minutes) in terms of minutes played. Fatigue cannot be measured in physical terms alone – mental fatigue can also deter players from sustaining peak levels. But, when studying a 21-year-old professional footballer, one must evaluate other factors as well.
What’s gone wrong?
To contextualize this drop-off, let’s compare Hauge’s performances against Sparta Praha and Torino, two games in which he clocked the most minutes. Against Sparta Praha, Hauge ran the show with more shots (3 v 0), more involvements or touches (41 v 22), more progressive carries (11 v 1), more dribbles attempted (5 v 2) and more key passes into the final third (3 v 0).
His team-mates also sought him out more frequently against Sparta Praha (51) when compared to the game against Torino (25). A major caveat here is that Milan fielded a considerably weakened side in the final Europa League group match, as the team comprised of Lorenzo Colombo, Daniel Maldini, Leo Duarte, Andrea Conti and Rade Krunic, among others. Hauge naturally assumed responsibility and delivered a match-winning performance, akin to the one on the night of 24 September 2020.
While the team that played Sparta Praha may have closely resembled Milan’s reserve side, those that played Torino on 9 January 2021 were not part of Milan’s preferred 11 either. The front four comprised of Rafael Leão, Samu Castillejo, Brahim Diaz and Jens Petter Hauge. Despite that, Hauge posed the least attacking threat of the front four with zero shots, zero progressive passes and the fewest dribbles (2) in the line of three. Hauge was practically the least sought out player of the quartet, a damning indictment, given Castillejo was also on the same pitch.
Hauge’s plummeting threat as an attacker has possibly broken his self-confidence, consequently impacting the trust placed in him by his teammates as well. A move away from the San Siro could be the answer, but Milan have reportedly spurned advances by admirers. Hauge is primarily a left-winger, and unfortunately for him, Milan are stacked in that position. Ante Rebić is the club’s go-to man on the left, in spite of enduring a forgettable season thus far. Leão, a centre-forward by trade, is also ahead of Hauge in the pecking order on the left-wing.
What could be the fix?
How then can Milan ensure Hauge’s development? Taking into account the games in which Hauge was spectacular, an assessment can be made that he delivers his best when handed the keys to the team. Could he be re-modelled into a 10?
As reports of Diaz returning to the Bernebau at the end of the season intensify, Milan are in the market looking for a replacement. Otávio from Porto apparently is Paolo Maldini’s number one target and could join on a free transfer in the summer as Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s deputy. This transfer is arguably avoidable as Milan might have a practicable solution within their ranks in Jens Petter Hauge.
A 7 by preference, Hauge told The Athletic that his favourite footballer is Eden Hazard. A regular observer would notice characteristic similarities between the youngster and the Belgian. Much like Real Madrid’s superstar, Hauge seems capable of playing across the line behind the striker.
Milan may want to take a renewed look at their attacking options and consider moving the pieces of the puzzle in order to avoid squad inflation. If Diaz is indeed packing his bags for Madrid, Pioli would do well to try playing Hauge behind the striker in select games. The experiment could work, it may even fail. But, it’s a low-risk trial with a disproportionately high upside.
In the last two games (Bologna and Crotone), Pioli has shoehorned Leão behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as he persists with the 4-2-3-1 irrespective of player availability. Hauge stylistically and technically is a better fit to play in the hole when compared to the others that Pioli has opted for, namely Rade Krunic, Soualiho Meïté and Leão. If Hauge clicks as a 10, Maldini could focus his attention on plugging other gaps in the squad. Pioli would be leveraging an in-house asset and consequently infusing Hauge with the confidence he is so desperately lacking at the moment.
It’s normal for players to drop form at high expectations. Hauge has proven that he is indeed a talent Milan lacked for some time now.
He clearly needs more time and encouragement. Don’t forget that there is a youthful revolution in the team, and he should have the opportunity to blend in where I see him living his potentials.
Pioli is a great coach and should encourage him more. I don’t think striking out of the europa cup is ideal. He has to cut his teeth there and we all know he’s going great.
My advice to the club is that Hague shouldn’t be sold.