Tuttosport newspaper, in today's print edition, wrote an interesting article about Theo Hernandez. The Frenchman's talent is not in doubt, it never was with Milan. However, it seems that he has not been performing at the usual high level this season.
The former Real Madrid player was very weak defensively when he faced his brother's PSG and left too much space for his other compatriot Ousmane Dembélé. But, what surprises the most is the lack of contribution in attack. He has only scored one goal so far, against Torino in the second league match. Besides that, he's yet to provide an assist, which is one of his main attributes.
Since joining AC Milan, Theo has been playing very well and these numbers do not correspond with his level. They aren't typical statistics for his caliber.
What is the problem for Theo at Milan this season?
The change in formation, decided by Pioli in the summer, placed a piece in front of the Frenchman. The switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 has produced a consequence. Previously, there were no teammates in front of Hernandez, except for Leao in the role of winger. Now, there is a left central midfielder, almost always Reijnders. Inevitably, the Dutchman ends up positioning himself in that semi-central lane that Hernandez had made his own without practically offering countermeasures to the opponents.
Theo perfers to start wide in his half of the field and then drive the ball forward. Now, there is some sort of 'traffic' in front of him which blocks him from moving so freely.
So The Hernandez's corridor has become much more clogged. Pioli tries to clear it with countermeasures linked to the movements of the midfielders. But the new reference system involves the presence of a central midfielder that wasn't there before. Perhaps for this reason too, Theo is having a harder time showcasing the strong piece of his repertoire.
Osimhen: “Leao sent me a message when I arrived at Napoli. Chukwueze? He must believe…”
