Milan concluded today their Asian-Australian tour with the resounding 9–0 victory against Perth Glory. In addition to today’s match, the Rossoneri faced Arsenal (1–0 defeat) and Liverpool (4–2 win), matches that were definitely more testing given the quality of the opponents, who were also further along in their preparation.
Although the three matches played so far were only simple tests, they showed some interesting cues in view of the upcoming season, which for the Rossoneri, will begin on August 17th with Coppa Italia match against Bari.
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Defense: the key words are solidity and flexibility
As one could expect with Max Allegri’s arrival on the bench, the defensive phase has changed radically compared to the last two seasons. The first fixed point is solidity, and to achieve that, the new staff has dropped the shape deeper, especially against teams that hold possession and bring many men forward. As seen against Arsenal and Liverpool, in fact, the idea seen in recent years of pressing very high from the start, with the defensive line up at midfield, has been abandoned in favor of a more cautious and covered approach.
Another fundamental element of Milan’s new defensive phase is flexibility: in the three matches seen so far, Milan started both with a back three (back five in difficult moments) and a back four, and often switched during the match. Over the course of a season, being able to change formation and approach depending on the players available and the opponent can be decisive, and starting to teach the team the right movements and spacing for each system, rather than doing so only out of necessity and without preparation as seen with other coaches, is certainly an excellent idea.
Midfield: with (at least) one more reinforcement, we can finally speak of a complete department
In recent years, Milan’s midfield has always lacked something among the starters or the substitutes, both in terms of numbers and variety of profiles. The feeling at the moment, however, is that, considering Luka Modric, who will join the squad next week, and at least one more addition such as Ardon Jashari, this year the department could finally be complete.
Imagining a formation with three midfielders, Allegri would have at his disposal Ricci, Modric, Loftus-Cheek, Fofana, mister X, Musah, and Bondo, with the last two possible departures. The starting defensive midfielder will presumably be Ricci, but Modric and Fofana can also play there if needed, while the two mezzala spots will be contested by Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, and Jashari or whoever is signed in that role. Another player should be added in case Musah and Bondo depart, to truly give Allegri a competitive department.
Attack: Leao is always central, but he can breathe more
That Rafael Leao would be the cornerstone of Max Allegri’s attack was known from his arrival, and the first matches have not changed anyone’s mind. Number 10 has for years been the most talented player in the squad, but he hasn’t always managed to show it, probably because he was too caged in, something not seen in the tour matches.
In recent seasons, even if it wasn’t always the starting idea, Milan in the offensive phase, especially in difficult moments, often relied on the old tactic of “give the ball to the best player and hope he does something.” Leao has always done his part, but even a winger with his qualities struggles when forced to carry the weight of every attack and gets doubled or even tripled.
In these first outings, however, the Portuguese has been freer to roam, even starting more centrally on some occasions. With greater autonomy, the 1999-born Milan player can return to being dangerous, and not just in bursts.
What did head coach Massimiliano Allegri say about the summer tour and Rafael Leao in particular?
The Italian tactician, formerly of Juventus, was full of praise to his team and the work done in the last few weeks. Here are his statements:
“We’ve done 20 days of good work since we started — actually, 25. We’ve had a good tour, good friendlies with good performances. We’ve worked well and we’re happy with what we’ve done. When we resume on the 5th in Italy, we’ll have to keep in mind that the season will begin and everything will change,” he said in a press conference after the match against Perth Glory.
Regarding Rafael Leao, Allegri also said in a different press conference last July 26:
"He's a strong player with extraordinary qualities. I believe he's growing, he's at the right age to have a big season."
