Attack Is AC Milan's Biggest Area of Concern Ahead of 2016/17 Serie a Season
Off the pitch, AC Milan’s summer has been one of confusion, uncertainty and general disappointment. In a period of frenetic transfer activity elsewhere, takeover negotiations between club president Silvio Berlusconi and a Chinese consortium have dragged on for what seems an eternity, suffering from repeated delays.
As a consequence of those protracted discussions, the Rossoneri have been unable to spend significantly in the transfer market, signing just two players in Leonel Vangioni and Gianluca Lapadula. But despite all the drama away from the pitch, things appear to be coming together as far as the football is concerned.
Vincenzo Montella has only been Milan head coach since the end of June, yet he is already beginning to shape the team according to his vision. His principles have been applied meticulously on the training ground and have drawn praise from the players, with Giacomo Bonaventura the latest to compliment the new man in charge.
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“There have been quite a few changes in terms of work-loads, nutrition, and also tactics,” the 26-year-old midfielder told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia). “Our first impression is that of having a coach who knows his job, who leaves nothing to chance and who certainly doesn't have an ordinary approach like that of many of his colleagues.”
The work in training is paying off in games too. While Milan’s International Champions Cup results were poor, the performances were, on the whole, positive. In the 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich, Montella’s players held their own against one of European football’s dominant forces, while the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea was far more closely contested than the scoreline suggests.
The Rossoneri are doing things they simply couldn’t, or wouldn’t, last season. Defensively, they are pressing higher up the pitch in a more organised manner. In transitions, they are quick to apply pressure to the opposition. And they are building attacks from the back with more patience, shorter passes and neat combinations.
Evidently, the pragmatism instituted under Sinisa Mihajlovic’s auspices last season is already being broken down, but there remains one issue for Montella to resolve before the Serie A season begins on August 21: his attack.
One particularly worrying side effect of the prolonged discussions between Berlusconi and Milan's aforementioned potential buyers has been increasingly intense speculation regarding the future of Carlos Bacca.
The striker was Milan’s showpiece signing last summer and top-scored for the club in 2015-16, with 18 in Serie A. Indeed, he scored over a third of the team’s league goals (49), with the next best contributor, Bonaventura, reaching a mere six.
Bacca’s exceptional poaching instincts, calm finishing and clever movement ensured he was able to acclimatise relatively quickly to the stringent defensive environs of Italian football. And, while he had his fair share of off days, this was often to do with an overarching absence of creativity within the Rossoneri ranks.
However, at 29 years of age, the Colombian wants to play at the highest level, and with Milan having missed out on qualification European competition for the third straight year, his future is up in the air.
The player only fuelled rumours in an interview with Win Sports (h/t Football Italia) in July, stating:
"I am an ambitious player, so I want to play in the Champions League and win it. Milan are not in Europe, other clubs are. My short term goals are to win titles, be important in the league and if the club is in line with what I want to achieve, then I’ll continue with the club. My first choice is Milan, my priority is Milan, but I do have to evaluate all the options.
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And where previously Milan may have been reluctant to allow such important first-team members to leave, the prevailing uncertainty around the club’s ownership situation—and consequent levels of investment—has seemingly left them in a position where they must sell before they can buy.
Should Bacca depart, the move would illustrate the cruelty of circumstance.
Having been forced to feed on scraps throughout his maiden season with Milan, Montella’s stylistic revolution could benefit the striker, with greater service a genuinely feasible byproduct of the team’s improving possession game.
Leaving now could mean passing up the opportunity to thrive at the San Siro at the apex of an increasingly attack-minded team at the beginning of an intriguing era. It’s not a decision to take lightly, but Bacca clearly has personal career goals the Rossoneri cannot currently satisfy.
Without his attacking prowess, Milan would be left scrambling around for alternatives within the existing squad, with no proven Serie A scorer immediately available. Luiz Adriano and Alessandro Matri did not impress when charged with leading the line during recent friendlies, with both players—whose main assets are their physicality and aerial strength—seemingly unsuited to Montella’s desired tactics.
There are, however, two options to lead the line in Bacca’s absence worth serious consideration.
Lapadula was left out of Milan’s International Champions Cup squad and has yet to appear in red and black since arriving on June 24. At 26 years old, his route to the top tier of Italian football has been unconventional, though his record and skill set are suggestive of a player who could successfully adapt to Serie A.
He produced scintillating form to help Pescara to promotion from Serie B last season, finding the net 27 times and laying on 11 assists for team-mates.
His predatory instincts, awareness of space and ability to link attacking moves together evinced a forward of good all-around ability and was enough to convince Montella, who told Milan TV (h/t Football Italia): "On paper he definitely suits my style of play. He’s proven to have great talent and desire, even in a different division. Of course it’ll be a big leap for him. I think he has the personality to stay at this level, though I haven’t seen him with his boots on yet."
M’Baye Niang is more of a sure thing than Lapadula, albeit one whose position needs clarifying. Following the sale of Jeremy Menez to Girondins de Bordeaux, the 21-year-old Frenchman has been utilised on the left wing of a 4-3-3 shape, though he tends to be more effective in a central role.
Last season, he emerged as a quality foil for Bacca up front, scoring five and setting up four goals in 16 league appearances. His bodacious dribbling and pace ensure he is able to play out wide, but his aerial ability, underrated power and combination play make him, on paper, the perfect type of centre-forward for Montella.
Niang brings a potent concoction of the physical and the technical, a marriage of traits that make him a handful for opposition centre-backs. He is young, inconsistent and lacks a cool head in front of goal, but his ability to make space for others and bring team-mates into a game are valuable qualities.
His importance was shown aptly last term; after he picked up an injury in late February, Milan went without a win for five games. His absence left a creative vacuum, with the team desperately missing his touch and whimsy in the final third.
Niang and Lapadula have never reached double figures in Serie A before, but both developed noticeably in 2015-16 and could improve further under Montella. And between the pair of them, it is not inconceivable to think they could cover the shortfall of goals should Bacca leave for pastures new.
The key could well lie in ensuring both players are given enough opportunities as the Rossoneri’s attacking focal point in pre-season to settle, if necessary, into the role upon the resumption of competitive games.
While uncertainty reigns at Milan away from the field of play, Montella is making his presence felt on it. His appointment has already led to an improved possession game; his next task will be to inspire an attacking rejuvenation.
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