“Attack is the best form of defence” they said and modern football has been nothing but a living football. You can see how coaches especially Pep focus on possession football and attacking the opposition which automatically implies that the opposite team do not get the ball to attack their opponents.
And with video analysis and so much data, Coaches and technicians are always at their wits end to keep things fresh and unpredictable. This is where flank play and inverted wingers have become more of a trend like how Robben cutting in to his left foot to score.
Traditionally known for the 4-3-1-2 formation Milan slowly shifted to a 4-2-3-1 formation in Allegri’s last season at Milan. Seedorf and Inzaghi brought out various versions of it with Inzaghi even playing a 4-3-3 with Cerci, Honda and El Sharaawy (when fit). Mihaljovic played a 4-4-2 before Montella used it as his prime formation with Suso as the right winger and Niang later Deulofeu playing as the Left Winger. Since then we had Gattuso carrying it forward and while Giampaolo reverted back to a 4-3-3 in his tenure, Pioli has Milan back to a 4-3-3/ 4-2-3-1.
Ever since Montella’s first season Suso has been a major part of Milan’s plans as he broke through under Montella. Suso recorded 7 Goals and 11 assists that season and followed it up with performances in 2017/18 season and 2018/19 season. Milan never signed a proper left winger to complement Suso on the left flank for 2 seasons. The Right wing with Suso was never a concern for Milan with Leonardo signing Samu Castillejo as a backup for Suso.
But chinks in the armor were going unnoticed. Suso, for example, was turning up for a long time in the season which was not being reflected his statistics. It split open in the 2019/20 season however. Milan had finally signed Ante Rebic, a player who was a Left Winger for Eintracht Frankfurt. But Suso capitulated this season with 1 goal and 2 Assists in 16 games before he was moved on to Sevilla for a fee of 24 Million. Milan signed Saelemaekers from Anderlecht for a fee of 7 Million and awarded Samu Castillejo the starting position.
This has improved us in terms of overall play where Milan have scored 39 goals in 19 games including 28 games in 10 games post lockdown. In total Milan have scored 56 goals this season let us take a look at the contribution of the 3 players played at right wing (minimum 10 games at right wing)
In total Milan’s 3 right wingers have contributed only a total of 4 goals and 7 assists all season. Now let us compare this number to some of the other wingers playing in the right wing
You can see how Each player has individually amassed more goals and assists than the sum total of our 3 right wing players. These numbers are a MAJOR CONCERN for a team aiming to qualify for Champions league next season and Stefano Pioli would definetly need a reinforcement on that side if he is to find success.
We at SempreMilan have shortlisted 5 potential candidates for the role that Milan should/could look at.
HOMEGROWN OPTIONS
Often players take time to get used to the defensive nature of Serie A and hence teams often look to players within the league to avoid the risks. Here are 2 options from Serie A
Domenico Berardi
Age:26
Foot: Left
Transfermarkt Value: €19M
Milan fans have known Domenico Berardi since a long time. A player who always turned up against us to score goals is still at Sassuolo despite being consistent despite his injuries at Sassuolo. How he is a Sassuolo player is still a wonder for ardent Calcio fans
A left footed Right winger Berardi is a pacy wideman who often moves wide but then drifts inside into shooting positions unmarked by full backs or centre backs. A player with pace entwined with good passing ability and vision is a quality that Milan could use in their right side. While he is not a fancy dribbler his disadvantage is his ability to hold the ball. He could also do with improving his defensive workrate. Also something that has prevented from taking the next step is his injury problems.
Ricardo Orsolini
Age:23
Foot: Left
Transfermarkt Value: €20M
A name Milan missed out on in the winter of 2017 preferring to go for Deulofeu and Ocampos, Orsolini was picked up by Juventus and was loaned to Atalanta and Bologna before his transfer was made permanent at Bologna where he has grown. He is a prodigy from the Ascoli academy.
Orsolini can play as an out-and-out wide player in a 4-3-3 or as an inverted winger in a 4-2-3-1 although he prefers the inverted winger role preferring to cut on his favoured left foot. He usually starts out wide hugging the touchline and then uses his dribbling prowess to get to a crossing position or to get into a shooting position with his left foot. He is ambidextrous and does not hesitate to use his right foot. Physically he is 6 ft tall and has some explosive pace to beat opposition defenders. He also makes intelligent off the ball movement and likes to take on defenders.
His main advantage is his excellent first touch and his ball control. He has room to improve his passing as well as creativity including passing and crossing.
FOREIGN OPTIONS
With Italian league not doing as well as the days of Calcio 90, teams often look to bring players from outside to give an exrta dimension to their teams. Here are 3 options analysed
Angel Correa
Age:25
Foot: Right
Transfermarkt Value: €32M
Milan had an entire month worth of saga thanks to Angel Correa after following the player for one month and coming up short. An inspiring player who can play in multiple positions Angel Correa presents the perfect blend of young and experience.
Correa is a real box of tricks. Having a low center of gravity he possess particular bursts of pace and beat defenders. A good first touch, excellent close control and high in-game intelligence Correa has the ability to find space sometimes even the ability to create it for himself. He also has a strong personality overcoming a heart surgery and personal losses which has made him carry on despite setbacks. Drilled under Simeone’s grueling defensive football with bouts of pressing and quick counters Correa has the versatility to play out wide as well as in the forward role A major disadvantage is his height as he is only 1.74 meters which does not make him strong in aerial duels. He also has fatigue issues due to his heart surgery but this season he has become Simeone’s main man. Atletico are a very difficult club to negotiate with.
Krepin Diatta
Age:21
Foot: Right
Transfermarkt Value: €19M
Of Senegalese nationality, Diatta comes from the golden age of Senegal national tema which has seen the likes of Kouilybaly and Sadio Mane. He is a 21 year old winger who plays for Club Brugge in Belgium and has put some performances in this year’s UCL. He plays as a Right winger but can also fill in Right wing back in a 3 at the back formation.
Diatta is a strong runner with the ball. He combines great bursts of pace with quick feet to beat defenders. Diatta is a player that prefers to cut inside and shoot instead of trying to pass or cross. He averages 2.12 shots per 90 minutes this season. His success rate for crosses is 25.71% and he needs a lot of working on it.
Victor Tsygankov
Age:22
Foot: Left
Transfermarkt Value: €16M
The hottest prospect from Ukraine, Tsygankov has been attracting interest from many clubs. Playing for Dynamo Kiev at 22 years old Tsygankov is a Dynamo academy product.
A left footed Right winger Tsygankov is ambidextrous and he often dribbles withhis right foot from the right wing. He often makes deep runs into the penalty box on the right hand channel. Tsygankov has raw pace that with nurturing can be made into effective acceleration. Another strong aspect of his game is his set piece taking. Tsygankov takes good corners and is a free kick expert.
CONCLUSION
A right winger for Milan is important. Milan need a fast dynamic player to avoided being lopsided last the last few years where all the attack was from the right through Suso and now a lot of attacks are from the left from Rebic. Of course, one article is not enough to cover a lot of options there like Chiesa, Malcolm, Politano etc. But in the end let’s hope Milan support Pioli with a good signing
The Milan Blog 