During the summer, for many, Samuele Ricci could have been “just” a double of Modric and Jashari, the umpteenth player meant to play only in front of the defense. In the first training session at Milanello for the new season, Allegri immediately put him in the orange low-pivot jersey, the one responsible for starting the play for both teams in the scrimmage. Moving from Torino to Milan, with all due respect to the Granata, is a huge step: San Siro takes no prisoners, and even in seasons like this one, which are going well, it rarely forgives anyone who doesn’t immediately prove themselves up to the task.
Allegri is an excellent manager, Ricci has shown himself to be extremely intelligent and receptive, and he was lucky to have two heavyweights like Modric and Rabiot ahead of him. The coach then decided on the “pairs”: Modric and Jashari play in front of the defense, while Ricci reinforces the midfield unit alongside Rabiot, Fofana, and Loftus-Cheek. Less pressure, fewer responsibilities, more freedom to use his legs. Among players in the same position, Samuele is the youngest and freshest, as pointed out via the colleagues at Milan News.
And so, the number 4 is finding himself in a season that has already seen twenty Serie A appearances, nine as a starter, with one goal and three assists. Thanks to injuries and suspensions, he has always proven ready and reliable, delivering consistent performances. Some matches in the shadows, but the effort has always been there: his latest appearances, especially against Pisa, were particularly positive. The former Toro played as a mezzala in the 4-3-3 yesterday and also as a winger in Allegri’s final 5-4-1 setup. His assist to Modric, fantastic vision from the Croatian to find him between the lines, was a great recognition for a player whom the coach and Landucci have always seen as serious, intelligent, and dependable.
Even his post-match statements give the impression of a player who has perfectly understood the environment he is in:
"We all need to feel like starters. Sometimes you start, sometimes you come on for 5 or 15 minutes. You always have to be ready. We don’t wear just any jersey; you always have to honor it and give more than what you can, more than 100%. From the start, the coach has always focused on character, mentality, and the desire to win. Today was perhaps a slightly ugly game, but taking 3 points from such a difficult field shows that this is a team that is doing well, even if sometimes we don’t play perfectly, but we will surely improve."
Now, against Como on Wednesday, with Rabiot suspended, the chances of seeing him start increase: the opponent is tough, one of those teams that don’t give you any breathing room in midfield thanks to intense pressing. As a mezzala, he can make a difference with his runs and with a shot, which we’ve seen little of so far at Milan: at Torino, he often solved situations with strikes from distance. For a player who has confessed his 'Milanista' faith since childhood, it wouldn’t be bad to score his first goal at San Siro.
