A back three can become a back four, the pecking order can be reviewed and adjusted, and the midfield can do without young players with relentless pressing if the ball remains at Modrić’s feet. Ruben Amorim has learnt the lesson from England: he has made it clear that it will no longer be the team adapting to his principles, but the exact opposite. He has openly said that he will not repeat the mistakes he made in Manchester, where he was more rigid in his approach and in his choice of players.
Milan Amorim's strategy
This time, the players’ qualities and the needs of the squad will dictate the strategy. If, for example, Milan need greater tactical balance and to free up Chukwueze’s dribbling rather than forcing him to track back defensively, there is nothing stopping them from switching from a back three to a back four. In this system, Gila would move wider to play as a right-back, providing the cover between central midfield and the right flank that Chukwu, given his attacking tendencies, does not offer. On the other side, Estupiñán would drop back as a left-back: a solution that was clearly seen in the latest match against Lecce. It is also a solution Amorim has indicated he wants to use again and that was not simply an exception. In this way, his Milan would not become more defensive. On the contrary, they would become more attack-minded, with Chukwueze’s pace allowing him to focus solely on taking on the opposition goal, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The attacking midfielders
With Samu consistently playing further forward, Milan would change shape, looking more like a 4-2-3-1, with Pulisic and Saelemaekers occupying the other attacking midfield roles. Pulisic, in particular: after starting the season on the bench for the first five games, Chris made his first start in the sixth, against Lecce. He opened the scoring and produced several other good moments. His quality and experience make him indispensable. Amorim has also been won over, after previously favouring Cissé and Loftus-Cheek in the league, as well as Hutchinson in the Europa League. The coach’s idea is to reward those who stand out during the week of training with a starting shirt. Pulisic, returning from a summer injury, appeared less dynamic than the young Cissé ("the spot is his now," the coach had confirmed), who repaid that trust with two goals. But Pulisic’s substance raises the level of the team and allows Milan to play with greater quality in possession, something other players do not provide in midfield. So Chris will continue to feature in the future, alongside Saelemaekers, another starter last season who had often found himself without a place or a defined role at the beginning of this new campaign. He can operate from left to right by moving higher into the attacking midfield line or dropping back to play as a wing-back. Here too, Amorim has been convinced.
Alexis is the other half of the pairing supporting the centre-forward, Ramos. The pecking order is therefore becoming clearer, giving greater value to the best players, namely those with the strongest CVs. There will still be room for the youngsters: even the regular starters need to be given a rest, and during the October-November run, with nine matches in 29 days between the international breaks, Milan will need contributions from everyone.
