Combinations, adaptations and a ruthless stretch: Questions for Milan to answer after the break
The international break is always a good time to take stock, especially an extended one that comes after the first sample of games.
On paper, Milan have made a good start to the season in Serie A, with three wins, two draws and zero defeats. They survived tricky back-to-back away games against Juventus and Lazio, before signing off for the break with their best performance of the young campaign.
However, it has not been a perfect beginning to the Ruben Amorim era either. There have been struggles in first halves, and the rather comprehensive Europa League defeat at home to Benfica was a dose of realism following the trips to Turin and Rome.
Rather than talk about what we know after six games, it is perhaps more beneficial to highlight what we are still waiting to find out from Amorim and the squad. So, we have proposed five questions.
What happens without Gila?
This is perhaps too simplistic a one-line question, but more broadly speaking it seems as though the three-man defence is largely being held together by summer signing Mario Gila, who has been impeccable.
Yet, there are strong doubts already about finding a way to win and keep clean sheets without him. For example, starting Filippo Terracciano in Gila’s place against Benfica did not go to plan, while Fikayo Tomori has been reinstated into the squad but is yet to play a minute.
The Spaniard was signed because he is a perfect fit for Amorim’s high-line, high-intensity approach, but when a rest is needed what should happen? Will Tomori finally get his chance and can he mimic what Gila does? Can Koni De Winter slide over and Matteo Gabbia anchor?
The coverage that the former Lazio star provides on the right side has even been the foundation of the latest tactical tweak. In short, there is already a feeling of over-reliance on one player at the back, and Amorim must devise a way to field an effective defensive unit when Gila needs a rest.
What are the perfect combinations?
Speaking of combinations, there are other departments within the team where it feels as though the head coach is still experimenting until he decides on what is best. Giving everyone minutes ahead of an intense stretch is never bad (more on that to come), but does Amorim have his ‘first-choice’ XI?
To clarify, when we speak of the ‘best line-up’, it is one that would be fielded in the biggest games. The midfield double pivot is crucial to the system, and so far we have seen Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, Yunus Musah and Ardon Jashari in various different combinations.
At wing-back, Samuel Chukwueze, Diego Moreira, Davide Bartesaghi and Pervis Estupinan all feel as though they remain locked in a battle to prove they should be the starters most weeks. The same applies to Christian Pulisic, Alexis Saelemaekers, Alphadjo Cisse and Omari Hutchinson in the playmaker roles.
There are players like Rabiot, Moreira and Saelemaekers who have even played multiple roles already. So, it would be helpful for clear hierarchies to be established in the coming weeks, for when those potentially decisive games roll around.
Was it worth keeping the younger players?
One of the elements of mystery that surrounds to current group concerns some of the younger squad members such as Lorenzo Torriani, Sankhoun Diawara, Christian Comotto and Francesco Camarda.
Of those four, only Camarda has seen the field this season and that has been for just a handful of cumulative minutes over two substitute appearances. Given the quartet are at a crucial phase in their development, may there already be some thoughts about mid-season loans after summer enquiries arrived?
In theory, Torriani is the back-up to the captain Mike Maignan who will very rarely be displaced. Diawara is Strahinja Pavlovic’s deputy, one of the three ever-present players under Amorim. Comotto is fifth or perhaps even sixth in the midfield pecking order, and the importance (and price tag) of Goncalo Ramos limits Camarda’s window of opportunity.
The upcoming schedule dictates that some if not all of these players will at least be considered for minutes, but whether they are starts or just portions of games could thus determine – with the winter window approaching – if a loan is considered.
Can Amorim continue to adapt?
We mentioned further up about the tactical shift that Amorim has made, more specifically the build-up phase moving to a 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 in possession in order to push Chukwueze further up and drop Estupinan back.
Against Lecce this structure seemed to work well, as Milan created quite a bit against their visitors and scored a beautiful team goal through Rabiot that started from Gila in the right-back position. Amorim had declared to the media he was willing to adapt, and he had begun to demonstrate it.
However, Serie A is an unforgiving lead and every opponent will provide their own ways of trying to frustrate the Portuguese. So, it is highly unlikely that one simple fix can carry the Rossoneri on a tear, with further adaptations probably required.
In addition, there are quests and missions that the manager must complete, like getting goals from Goncalo Ramos in addition to everything else he provides out of possession and away from the box. He is the club-record signing, so that is the main metric he will be judged upon.
The encouraging thing is that Amorim has gone from declaring that even the Pope would not move him from his 3-4-2-1 to admitting that he will need to change things in order to get the most out of a squad not yet fully adapted to his ways.
What will October tell us?
Milan will certainly not be eased back into action after the extended break. From October 11 to 31, they face Sassuolo (away), RB Salzburg (away), Atalanta (home), Bournemouth (away), Udinese (away), Bologna (home) and Inter (home).
Twenty-one days, seven games, four away, and two of them European trips. Stretches like this are where managers earn their coin and Ruben Amorim can go a long way to earning the backing of the Milan fans with a good return from the 21 points available.
This is where effective and logical rotation will be needed, to make sure there is energy in the tank to carry out his physically demanding philosophy. Alternatively, if he does not trust the entire squad, some of that adaptation may come into play to manage moments within games.
Either way, the six games that we have seen so far allow us to form some ideas. The next 30 days will forge them much more definitively and may be the difference regarding whether the Diavolo can compete on each front.
