AC Milan took the lead twice but it wasn’t enough to secure three points against Atalanta. A match that showed us many things about the Rossoneri at this point.
1- Gattuso and squad lack experience
It’s not difficult for AC Milan to score but it’s extremely difficult to hold the advantage and close the game early. Atalanta is just the umpteenth example this season. The same thing happened with Napoli, Cagliari and Dudelange. Yes, the new arrivals need time to settle (but not Higuain) and the old guard must get used to them but this team lacks experience at winning. Aside the Argentine, other haven’t tasted European football at the highest level and a highly-decorated former player like Gattuso has failed to transmit a winning mentality so far.
Although Gattuso makes an excellent pre-match preparation he rarely nails his substitutions (besides Cutrone in Milan-Roma). While other coaches make substitutions near the one-hour mark Rino is more conservative. Calhanogly was awful against Atalanta. He was rarely seen on the pitch but Castillejo substituted him only at the 85th minute. The replacement of Bonaventura with Bakayoko was an irrational choice. “I put in Bakayoko to give more substance at the center. I needed a player who had more energy and physical strength”, Gattuso claimed at the end of the match.
Dynamism at the expense of creativity?! Rarely works. The Rossoneri are not a physical team and if the coach decides to sacrifice creativity then AC Milan’s midfield becomes vulnerable. The Italy international is the most inventive among the midfielders and his form with 2 goals in 4 goals demonstrates it. It’s up to Bonaventura to link the midfield with the attack and if Lucas Biglia is having a bad game it’s on Jacke’s shoulders to provide the spark.
2- Higuain is at a different level
The Argentine 30 year old striker arrived at San Siro as part of the swap deal Leonardo made with Juventus. Former AC Milan captain Leonardo Bonucci returned in Turin while Mattia Caldara and Gonzalo Higuain are took the opposite path. While many warned on the importance of having a top player like Higuain in the squad even the most optimistic predictions couldn’t have imagined his immediate impact.
In only 5 games with the Rossoneri, El Pipita has has scored 3 goals and also provided one assist. He needed less than 100 second to give Milan the lead yesterday but Higuain does so much more than just score goals. It’s amazing to see how a typical centre forward like the Argentine striker tracks back to collect the ball and help his teammates in midfield.
It obvious that Higuain is at a different level. The way he positions himself, how he makes himself available and how he contributes for the team it’s simply unparalleled. He’s an example for the entire group and his colleagues must learn quickly to offer the same level of commitment and dedication. Since Inzaghi’s time we had not seen a world-class striker grace San Siro with such a finesse.
3- Gattuso lacks choices in midfield
Does Gennaro Gattuso make bad choices or perhaps he has no choices at all. This problem is more noticeable in midfield. While in attack the Rossoneri could use a new striker, and one will arrive in January, in midfield there is a different problem. Too much quantity but few quality. As mentioned above, AC Milan does not have a proper replacement for either Lucas Biglia or Giacomo Bonaventura.
Sporting director Leonardo had less than a month to operate on the market this summer so he preferred to postpone some purchase for later rather than sign temporary solutions. It’s obvious that Montolivo, Jose Mauri and Bertolacci are of no use for Gattuso. The trio of leftovers can not contribute when the team needs a fresh injection of talent or creativity and this is a big problem for Rino. Alen Halilovic plays in a position (attacking midfielder) that’s never on the starting lineup, plus he can already leave in January. On the other side, Bakayoko, despite Gattuso’s intentions and work to transform him in a central midfielder, for the moment, he is only a vice-Kessie.
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4- A difficult summer
At the middle of the summer transfer window, Yonghong Li’s finances collapsed and he was unable to repay his loans. The club went through a troubling period of transition until Elliot Management took control of the Rossoneri. By that time, the club had lost almost two months and many stars were considering their departure unsure of what the future could hold for them at San Siro.
The managerial structure of the club changed too and the entire weight of Milan fell on Leonardo and Paolo Maldini. Such radical changes are still having an effect on the squad and if the management is not careful, distractions combined with the pressure of results, may have an undesirable long-term impact. The players must understand that they are playing for Milan and not for a second-tier club.
5- Huge problems in defense
Only 5 points in the first 4 games. AC Milan have conceded 7 goals so far, almost 2 per match. Horrendous stats that reveal a worrying pattern. The Rossoneri are conceding at a troubling rate. Gigio Donnarumma and the 4 defenders in front of him have their fair share of blame for the recent string of underwhelming results.
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Coach Gattuso is trying to implement a different style this season. He wants the defense to build up play from behind and move the ball round more often. So far the outcome has been mixed. The back line is often exposed in the center and bad man-marking is now the norm. Ricardo Rodriguez and Davide Calabria fluctuate on the flanks while Mateo Musacchio and Alessio Romagnoli fail to link-up in the middle.
Is Alessio feeling the pressure of the captain armband or is this just a transitional phase? AC Milan can not progress in the top 4 without a solid back line. One thing is certain, this defense lack the experience and guidance of Leonardo Bonucci. Gattuso must urgently speed up Caldara’s integration.
