4 AC Milan Players with Points to Prove in Pre-Season
Much of the discussion around AC Milan at present centres on changes the club needs to make. In the wake of another underwhelming season and a third year without qualification for continental competition, the focus is on a potential new ownership and fresh signings in the transfer market.
Vincenzo Montella has been appointed head coach and will be seeking additions this summer, however emphasis should also be placed on bringing the best out of those already in the Rossoneri squad.
Last season saw a number of first-team members disappoint consistently when given the chance to pull on the Milan shirt.
These players, as well as those who spent 2015-16 on loan elsewhere, have big pre-seasons ahead of them as they look to re-establish their worth to the club.
Here, Bleacher Report takes a look at four Rossonero who have points to prove in the coming months.
Andrea Bertolacci
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Andrea Bertolacci was one of the most intriguing signings made by Milan last summer. Arriving from Genoa, via Roma, for a fee of £15 million, the left-footer was seen as an antidote to the team’s issues in possession, but he categorically failed to live up to this expectation in his debut season.
During his time with the Grifone he flourished as one of two central midfielders in a 3-4-3 system. His passing helped to knit Gian Piero Gasperini’s fluent attacking team together. This was not in evidence upon the player’s pulling on a Rossoneri shirt, however.
According to WhoScored.com, in 2015-16 he made fewer passes, key passes and interceptions, scored and set up less goals than in 2014-15. He also earned a significantly worse average rating of 6.73.
Bertolacci’s position within Milan’s frequently changing system was a topic of genuine uncertainty. The three most-popular shapes used by the team under Sinisa Mihajlovic and Cristian Brocchi were the 4-3-1-2, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2, but the player didn’t appear particularly comfortable in any of these formations.
His former coach, Luigi Delneri, argued that he would be better off in a deeper role, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia):
"Bertolacci can play in the (Andrea) Pirlo role. In the diamond formation I'd place him in front of the defence, because he can break up the game and has a skilled foot. He can throw long balls and intercept, he's good at getting rid of marking. I can't see him just as easily behind the strikers because he's good at seeing the game in front of him but not as skilled when starting with the goal behind his back.
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Montella prefers a short-passing, possession-based style of football, something closer to that Bertolacci revelled in at Genoa. Thus, the arrival of the new coach may give the player a new lease of life.
Mattia De Sciglio
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Italy’s performances at 2016 UEFA European Championship surprised many. With 2-0 wins over Belgium and Spain, the Azzurri earned a place in the quarter-finals, where they lost on penalties to Germany. Mattia De Sciglio played an important role in his country’s progress.
To Milanisti, the performances of 23-year-old were stunning, primarily because he has not shown such form at club level since his breakout campaign in 2012-13.
Against Spain De Sciglio, operating as a left wing-back in Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2, contributed two key passes and completed three tackles, two interceptions and three clearances, per WhoScored. He was influential in both defensive and attacking phases, playing with a new-found confidence.
Self-belief, drive going forward and awareness at the back were missing throughout most of his showings for Milan last season. Consequently, he found himself behind Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonelli in the race for the right and left-back spots, respectively.
But, for De Sciglio to get back his best for his club, he is in need of a coach who can offer him greater tactical direction. This is something he appears to be receiving at national team level, as discussed at a recent press conference, per Football Italia:
"Conte has the ability to make you memorise movements and tactics very quickly, so if you are having a moment of difficulty on the field, you know that one of your teammates will be in that position,” he said. “Of course the coach also transmits the grit and determination he is famous for, so all these things help you find your self-confidence game by game.
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De Sciglio hasn’t been helped by injuries, but his poor form in recent years is also in part because of the succession of coaches that Milan have hired. The appointment of a quality tactician in Montella could allow the full-back to finally reach his potential with the Rossoneri.
Jose Mauri
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Last season, Milan’s first-choice central midfielders were Riccardo Montolivo, Juraj Kucka and Andrea Bertolacci, each of whom made over 20 Serie A starts.
Andrea Poli acted as back-up to the trio making 18 appearances, the majority of which came from the substitutes' bench, while Giacomo Bonaventura occasionally dropped deeper from his preferred attacking-midfield berth when necessary.
Apart from Kucka, Milan’s central midfielders struggled to find consistent good form. Yet, despite this, Jose Mauri failed to make an impression on the first team.
The 20-year-old signed on a free transfer from Parma last summer and was touted as a highly promising player for the future. But he wasn’t given a league opportunity in the first team until March, when he came on as a substitute in the 0-0 draw away to Chievo.
Mauri went on to make four further appearances. He showed dynamism and purpose but also lacked finesse, picking up two yellow cards in Serie A action. And, as a result, his place in the squad is far from guaranteed.
He is nonetheless keen to remain with the club, telling Forza Milan (h/t Calciomercato): “I don’t think that in Italy the young players don’t have enough chances; I think on the contrary that they should be more self-confident. In the next season I hope to play more.”
Mauri must make the most of the chances he is given in pre-season in order to stay at Milan and begin working his way into the lineup.
Suso
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The high point of Suso’s 2015-16 season came not with Milan, but with Genoa. The Spanish winger spent the second half of last season on loan with the Grifone and prospered during this period, putting in a number of noteworthy performances. Arguably his most impactful display came in the Derby della Lanterna against Sampdoria in May, where he scored twice in a 3-0 win.
In total, he scored six times and set up one goal in 19 appearances in his loan spell, doing enough to earn a positive 7.03 average rating from WhoScored. In doing so, he showed enough quality to confirm he can still have a future with the Rossoneri.
Recent rumours suggest Suso will be moving on this summer. Spanish newspaper AS (h/t Football Italia) reported that Real Betis will make a bid for the player. However, with Montella’s recent appointment as coach, Milan may consider giving the 22-year-old further time to show his qualities.
The former Liverpool youngster has excellent ball control, refined dribbling skills and the ingenuity to unlock defences. His languid style and technical quality could be well suited to the Rossoneri going forward.
Montella has often played with two trequartisti behind a striker and may choose to do so at Milan. Suso provides an extra option in this position and, should he impress in pre-season, could find himself playing a more prominent role at the San Siro.
