This morning, speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan’s legendary full-back and ex assistant coach at the club, Mauro Tassotti, discussed the Rossoneri squad and the most relevant current issues concerning it.
On Rafael Leao’s situation
"Milan can't do without him; he's too important to the team. I don’t know the situation internally, but if he’s being benched for punitive reasons, that’s one thing. If it’s a technical choice keeping him out, then there’s something wrong."
Tassotti, don’t you believe in “motivational” benching?
"If you have a great player in the squad, you need to create conditions for him to perform at his best. Sometimes a bit of rotation is okay to motivate him, but not to the point of self-sabotage."
Do you expect to see Rafael Leao back on the field in Monza?
"Honestly, I would have expected him against Napoli. He would certainly have posed a threat on the left side, and perhaps someone else could have been asked to make a bigger defensive effort. Morata, for instance, is already running tirelessly. Leao has always played well against Napoli, and if he’s fit, he should be on the field as much as possible. If he’s unfit, that’s another matter. But if he’s the strongest in the team, he should play."
Is it okay if he is only partially fit, focusing on offence and not defence?
"The coach has to get him back to full strength. From now until the end of the season, he should be spending his time on the field, not on the bench. Certain traits are inherent—Leao will never be the type to throw himself into defensive slides. Behavior is another matter, though, and it’s right that Rafa has the right attitude. But he’s not, and never will be, a selfless player; it’s a matter of temperament. Morata has always been, but not him. Some players with similar traits have a certain attitude. Cassano comes to mind, someone you had to keep an eye on (Tassotti encountered him in the Rossoneri team as Allegri’s assistant.)."
Is this something a coach can work on?
"Certainly. Sometimes Rafa overdoes it, passing the ball back at a slow pace with his head hanging low—it annoys the fans. You can make that kind of pass faster and with a different attitude. It’s part of the coach’s job to convince him to do things in a certain way. His teammates and even he himself can also motivate him, and he’s not stupid; he’ll eventually get it."
Speaking of Paulo Fonseca, as a Portuguese coach, did you expect him to connect with Leao more?
"I expected more synergy between them; speaking the same language, I thought the relationship would be easier. I also think that this Leao situation is overshadowing other issues. The main one for me is another: too many goals conceded. You can’t expect to win by always scoring one more than the opponent. The goals conceded are too many for a team with these ambitions. Often, they’re careless goals, leaving huge gaps or making easy passes for opponents. Another problem is that there’s no real substitute for Theo. With so many matches, it was a necessity. It’s a pity because, in the end, the team performed well against Napoli. If Fonseca has already ‘played out’ all his mistakes early, things can only improve. But enough with the gifts for opponents—there’s still time to recover."
Would it have been different with Rafael Leao starting against Napoli? Tassotti replied:
"Rafa could have capitalised on his speed. In fact, I’d say he should generally do this even more, especially when he doesn’t have the ball. Too often, he only wants it at his feet. He has the ability to beat his man easily; he should make runs without the ball and shoot with one touch, instead of going through so many dribbles. He needs to develop this further—it would make him even more terrifying for opponents."
