A Progress Report on AC Milan's Keisuke Honda

When Keisuke Honda joined Milan in the January transfer window, plenty was expected of him. He was thought to be the trequartista the Rossoneri needed to link midfield with attack, while being dangerous on set pieces.

His stint from January to May was a disaster. He didn't have time to rest after a grueling season in the Russian Premier League and joined the Serie A with no break. He was physically worn down, tired and out of sorts with the ball at his feet.

This summer was a great time for Honda to get away from the negativity at Milan and play with Japan at the World Cup, while also taking a break from football and learning the Italian language and culture during his return.

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Despite the new coach Filippo Inzaghi joining during the summer, Honda's role hasn't changed one bit. He's still deployed as a right winger, except this time he's producing the goods on a much more regular basis.

Settling into a new league takes time, and now he's finally showing that he's a vital member of the organization.

Honda has six goals so far in the Serie A. Each of them have been a little bit different, whether it's a glancing header, a shot from outside the box in open play, a poacher's-type strike or a venomous free kick, Honda has shown that he's a very useful part of this team.

He's also learned to redefine his game as a right winger. He has normally played a much more central role behind the striker both for CSKA Moscow and the Japanese national team. While Honda will never beat the fullback with pace as a winger, he has enough trickery and clever movements to carve himself some space while cutting the ball onto his left foot.

This gives him the opportunity to either try a curling finish on goal or put an inward spin on the ball as he sends it into the box.

Another important element to Honda's game has been his work rate. Oftentimes, you see him tracking back and helping his teammate with the overlapping run from the opposing full-back. It's his willingness on the pitch and versatility which have made him virtually untouchable in Filippo Inzaghi's best starting XI.

The success also has to be partly attributed to the confidence that Inzaghi has given him as the coach. There have been plenty of movements throughout the starting XI, with a lot of positions still being up in the air. One certainty though is that you'll see Keisuke Honda playing as the starting right winger on any given weekend.