Keisuke Honda: Assessing His AC Milan Contribution This Season

Keisuke Honda's arrival last year was fraught with intrigue.  Honda's contract with CSKA Moscow was expiring in January 2014, but AC Milan made a big push to pry him free before the start of the season.  The Russian club held firm, and Honda finally arrived in the winter transfer window on a Bosman.

In this, his first full season in red and black, Honda has become a focus of some contention among fans.  The talisman of the Samurai Blue since his breakout at the 2010 World Cup, his performances at Milan have left some wanting more, especially given all the fuss that preceded his signing.

Honda got off to a fast start this season.  He scored in both of Milan's first two games and had four by the first week of October.  But after a brace against Verona on October 19, the goals have dried up.  He hasn't scored in the 13 games since.

That wouldn't be a major problem if he had been creating them, but it's been even longer since he recorded an assist, and according to WhoScored.com, he's averaging only 1.1 key passes per game.

It's an underwhelming set of numbers for a player who had arrived to so much hype.  Honda only scored once and assisted twice more in the half-season he played at San Siro after he signed, compounding the disappointment.

What's been the problem?  A lot has to do with how he has been deployed.

Honda is at his best when he plays as an attacking central midfielder.  Had Massimiliano Allegri not lost his job before Honda debuted last year, he may have flourished in that position.  He would have had to compete with Kaka for the spot, though, and even in his diminished state, the Brazilian would have been difficult to dislodge.

With the arrival of Filippo Inzaghi in the manager's office, the trequartista role is no longer a major part of Milan's setup.  Until recently, Inzaghi has deployed his team as a 4-3-3 with a false nine.  As his WhoScored.com page shows, Honda has been deployed as a right winger in all but seven games and on the right side of the midfield in a further four.

Honda is capable of playing these positions—indeed, recently with Japan, he's been deployed there to accommodate Shinji Kagawa.  But he's not at his best there.  Instead of threading his passes through to the strikers, he has to make crosses—not one of his strengths.

Mattia Destro, a true No. 9, arrived this winter.  On his arrival, Inzaghi switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1.  Surprisingly, when Honda was deployed in this formation against Empoli two weeks ago, instead of being played in the hole behind the striker where he is most effective, he played on the right while Jeremy Menez, a natural winger, played in the middle.

Predictably, Honda struggled.  When Alessio Cerci replaced him with 11 minutes to go, Milan looked brighter.  When Inzaghi put the same formation out on Sunday against Cesena, Menez was out wide, but Honda was dropped entirely for Giacomo Bonaventura.

Honda's hot start was encouraging, but as the season has gone on, the Japanese international has dropped off.  In his last action against Empoli, he was practically an observer—and that's becoming a common occurrence.  He's been pulled early from six of nine starts since the beginning of November.

Out of position and out of form, Honda has been a minus more than a plus for Inzaghi this season.  If he doesn't turn things around soon, all the fuss over him last season may have been for nothing.