In Paulo Fonseca's game, as seen in his previous experiences, he will rely a lot on the goalkeeper and the full-back: Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez, the two Frenchmen.
In his teams, and especially with Lille over the past two years, Fonseca has always tried to control the game with ball possession: from this perspective, it is clear that the Rossoneri's goalkeeper, who has skills with his feet and confidence in using them, will be a real asset.
The central defenders will need to spread out and make space for the goalkeeper and his abilities when necessary. On the other hand, Theo is truly a dream for any coach, tactically speaking. In France, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fonseca used one offensive full-back and one defensive: it goes without saying which role number 19 will cover. The goal will be to allow him to move freely: vertically along his designated flank but also horizontally by coming inside the field.
And then there will be, or at least it is hoped there will be since one isn't here yet, the Dutchmen. In midfield, the hub of the passing game will be entrusted to the elegance of Tijjani Reijnders: his qualities, according to the newspaper, allow him to play as a playmaker but also to move between the lines and operate a few meters further forward, behind the striker. Compared to this season, scoring more goals could be a concrete objective.
Then there is the dream of Joshua Zirkzee, the player Fonseca and Milan hope to have at the center of the attack. Following the arrival of Christian Pulisic, which has taken some pressure off Rafael Leao on the left: a potential arrival of the former Bayern Munich talent would provide further relief to the left wing.
Zirkzee is an atypical number 9 who drops back to collect the ball in the center of the field and frees up space for his teammates to make runs: this would benefit not only Leao and Pulisic but also a box-to-box midfielder like Loftus-Cheek.
