Allegri & Amorim to Tinker with Their Go-To Formations

Massimiliano Allegri and Ruben Amorim have depleted squads at their disposal during the break, but they are working on tactical tweaks ahead of Serie A’s resumption. Milan are coming off their best performance yet against Lecce, while Napoli are in a rut.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Tuscan boss is worried about the frailty of their defense, which is usually the hallmark of his system. The Azzurri have conceded six goals in five rounds.

The gaffer is considering switching to a three-man back line, even though it might force him to drop some usually valuable players, such as Matteo Politano, and lean on others who haven’t been regulars so far.

While Allegri might soon opt for a more conservative scheme, Amorim could go in the other direction, although it wouldn’t be too different from what the Rossoneri have already been using. The Portuguese manager could transition from his current flexible 3-4-2-1 to a more pronounced 4-2-3-1.

The changes would involve Alexis Saelemaekers and Diego Moreira, who would start consistently as wingers over Alphadjo Cissé, Omari Hutchinson or their more muscular options, and Samuel Chukwueze, who have Mario Gila behind him. Christian Pulisic would be the go-to no.10 in this scenario, while Pervis Estupinan and Davide Bartesaghi would handle the left-back role.

Our Take on Allegri and Amorim

A three-man defense is the former’s security blanket and can never be ruled out, but the switch would have made more sense when their midfield was severely understaffed. Scott McTominay and Frank Anguissa shouldn’t be out much longer. Instead, Milan are pretty much already employing that formation. Their coaching staff should find a way to field Moreira, Chukwueze, Pulisic, and Saelemaekers together as much as possible.