Milan, the numbers point to Modric’s difficulty: Amorim is studying a tailor-made role for the Croatian champion
Milan, against Lazio Modric produced his worst performance since putting on the AC Milan shirt: the problem is tactical
Bringing on Musah for Modric proved one of the keys to Milan's comeback in the 2-2 draw against Lazio. It sounds strange even to write, because we are talking about a football legend in the Croatian and a solid midfielder in the former Valencia player. One point needs making: even the very best can have an off day, and with Modric it is fair to call this the worst performance he has produced since pulling on the Rossoneri shirt. Gattuso's suffocating press smothered the light of the No. 14, while the static movement of Milan's attacking midfielders and wingers in the first half made things even worse.
The data point to an evident difficulty
Put your hand up if, before yesterday, you'd ever seen Modric make five straight mistakes in the build-up. Probably nobody. Lukita, as his team-mates call him, finished with a 50% long-pass completion rate, completed 38% of his progressive passes, 3 from 8 attempts, and completed 40% of his passes into the box (40%). The verdict on a hugely difficult display from the Croatian champion came straight from Amorim: "We have to be really good on the ball to make Luka feel comfortable in the game. If we turn the match into constant end-to-end transitions and mad sprints, it is not the type of game for Luka. And that is why we changed our approach in the second half by bringing on Musah: we had understood that we needed a bit more pace in midfield. What is more, I think Luka was dropping too deep, too close to the centre-backs, so we ended up with four players just to start the move and fewer men between the lines. We can play with Luka and we have shown that in recent matches, but to do that we have to turn the game into one of possession and control. If we turn it into a running game, it becomes impossible for him"
Different use
Musah's dynamism and his knack for turning transitions into attacks are too important for Amorim at this early stage. The team still lack the sharpness, physically and mentally, to aim for dominant football. That is why the Portuguese manager must carve out a tailor-made role for Modric. At 41, only just turned, you cannot ask miracles of the former Ballon d'Or winner. When weighing up the opposition's strengths, Amorim will have to make a call on both Modric and Musah: the No 14 can unleash all his magic against opponents who sit in a low block, not against those who, like Lazio, press the ball carrier high and look for one-on-ones all over the pitch. Modric is a tactical conundrum that must be solved, also out of respect for the player's immense greatness and for what he has shown, with pride and sacrifice, in his time at Milan.
