The Devil who will come with the Portuguese coach: from the module to the ideal players for the new system. But the Rafa issue still remains to be resolved
Central defenders good at setting up (translated: good feet), aggressive wingers, attacking midfielders skilled in the half spaces, center forwards of depth (also in a physical sense) valid in seeking and providing depth. Collective keywords: intensity, verticality, pressure. Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 can be freeze-dried in these general concepts. Together with the 3-4-3 it is his reference system and he is known for being a rather fundamentalist coach and consistent with his ideas: it can obviously be changed during the course of the work, but always within these models. His is an attacking football, just as Cardinale said he wanted after Allegri’s dismissal. The philosophy is the classic one of coaches of his generation: you start defending in other people’s half of the field, running forward and not running away. The guiding star that must never be abandoned is recovering the ball as quickly as possible. Let’s say that compared to Allegri’s 3-5-2, in conceptual terms Milan will inhabit another planet.
guidelines
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Then, of course, there are also the practical terms. Because in order to play a certain type of game, in addition to transmitting your guidelines to the players, you need to have those players. And Milan at the moment, between men whose contract is expiring, others who will leave in a year, and still others who are not convinced of the corporate revolution, is a total construction site. The ’26-27 squad is inevitably nothing more than a hypothesis tossed between a thousand variables. Some reflections on who should probably be happy with Amorim’s arrival, however, can certainly be done. Among the players who would benefit most from his arrival is certainly Pavlovic. Partly because he is one of the pillars from which the club wants to restart, partly because the Serbian has improved dramatically under Allegri. In the context of a four-man line the yield would have been a question mark, while in this case the Serbian could continue his growth. However, Pavlovic’s ability in starting the action is what it is, and therefore a teammate (preferably two) with well-behaved feet would be needed alongside him. Considering that Gabbia guarantees ordinary administration and technique is not Tomori’s strong point, it is necessary to turn to the market. De Winter may have a better chance.
characteristics
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The wingers are vital in Amorim’s game. They are the players who must bring numerical superiority and act, when necessary, as added attackers. This is why another person who could get along very well with him is Saelemaekers, who has these characteristics in his heart. The scenario on the opposite lane with Bartesaghi is less evident (at this point the situation of Estupinan remains to be verified). Understanding the composition of the midfield now is a lottery, but given his age, characteristics and approach, Jashari could be a very interesting prospect in the hands of the Portuguese: the Swiss is a guy who fights and governs and will come in handy after a season burdened by a long injury. Moving forward a few metres, in the 3-4-2-1 a three-quarter with Pulisic and Nkunku would definitely sound good: they are both quite expert in the game between the lines that Amorim appreciates.
and Rafa?
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If instead it was more 3-4-3, it is right to open a reflection on Leao. The bare news tells two very simple facts: he wants to leave – he no longer knows how to say it, and we imagine he will do it again – and Milan intends to sell him, unless Amorim presents himself as yet another “red cross” coach arriving with the mission of making him a complete footballer from all points of view. However, there is also another factor: there are currently none of the offers that the Devil could take into consideration – let’s say around fifty million. And if unfortunately they didn’t arrive, Leao would have to stay. Reluctantly and in terrible environmental conditions, but it should stay. And then that trident could also be tempting, just in case. The attacking wingers for Amorim are not pure, they have to come into the field to open up space for the percussion of the wingers but, in short, a solution in tactical terms could be found. The hypothesis with Rafa remains in the realm of suggestion, of mid-June fantasy football. But why discard it a priori?
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