Reijnders has finally unblocked himself, but it’s still not enough: so far only 2 of the Devil’s 22 total goals have come from the midfielders. The Dutchman and Loftus-Cheek are asked to make a qualitative leap
If you want, you can sometimes find something to hold on to when the ground crumbles under your feet. Even in a foolish match like the one in Lecce, with another victory flushed away. The ray of light obviously didn’t illuminate the Devil’s dark horizon, but it was still powerful. More in perspective, than at Via del Mare. A very interesting perspective, however: because Milan is going through a moment of crisis, but it is equally true that it still has a lot of room for improvement that perhaps its direct competition does not have. Margins that rest on the recovery of many illustrious injured people, but not only that. Margins that concern players who have under-performed so far. Margins on men who have finally been unlocked. Here it is, then, that ray of sunshine. It takes you to the heart of the team, to the center of the pitch: Tijjani Reijnders has broken free, scored a goal and this is great news.
lucidity
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Tj the metronome, Tj the visionary, Tj the “double phase player”. Since his arrival this summer, the Dutchman has received various praises. Rightly so: among the ten new arrivals, he is undoubtedly on the podium of the most successful. But there is also the toilet flushing Tj. The one who arrives in the last sixteen meters of the pitch and suddenly loses that elegant clarity that distinguishes him when he sets, when he protects and when he releases. Door anxiety? Reflexivity that becomes precipitation, and on the other hand there had been signs in this sense already in the summer months. Then, however, the trend remained the same even when the points started to become heavy and then the issue became (very) visible. It is on the basis of these reflections that Lecce’s goal is the best possible news. Goal more post, to be precise, because Tijjani came close to an encore, among other things with a photocopy action. No one like him, in the Rossoneri squad, with the same ability to read spaces and understand when, how and where to fit in.
Department
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Reijnders scoring his first goal in our championship is, indeed, great news but it also highlights the problem: the first goal on matchday number 12. Not exactly Speedy Gonzales. Problem within the underlying problem, because the matter concerns the entire department: so far – 12 league matches and 4 Champions League matches – out of a total of 22 goals scored, only 2 have come from the midfield. 9 percent. The plate cries, and it cries above all considering the fact that up until now there have been practically no alternatives to Leao and Giroud. In short, a few more goals from the center of the team would definitely be useful. And instead: Reijnders’ goal in Lecce and Loftus-Cheek’s in Cagliari. The Englishman’s progress is a real shame, because he was traveling on high returns and the month’s stop took away an essential pillar from Pioli. It must be said that not even last year the contribution of the midfielders was excellent. After the same number of matches, the midfielder had provided 3 goals out of a total of 29 (Bennacer, Tonali, Pobega). However, a fundamental distinction must be made: in last year’s 4-2-3-1 – wanting to divide the pitch strictly into sectors, and therefore considering the attacking midfield as part of the attack – there were two midfielders and not three as in the season current. In this sense, therefore, this year’s fasting is more serious. However, Reijnders has sent an important signal, and Loftus-Cheek will be fit and recruitable again with Fiorentina. Pioli, now that Leao and Giroud will not be there, anxiously awaits signs from the Devil’s navel.
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