Examining the AC Milan Positional Battles Ahead of 2016/17 Season
Pre-season is a time for clarity. It offers an opportunity for players to regain their fitness and obtain fresh motivation ahead of a new campaign. It also gives managers a chance to review their squad and decide on a lineup.
AC Milan have benefited in all of these ways from recent friendlies, but there remains a good deal of uncertainty within the team as the 2016-17 season approaches.
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New head coach Vincenzo Montella has ran the rule over his playing personnel throughout his first few months in charge. In the process, he has found promise in youth and hope in the possibility of rejuvenating faded stars. Consequently, while just three new signings have been made in the form of Leonel Vangioni, Gianluca Lapadula and Gustavo Gomez, he has increased competition for places.
Last season, Milan frequently struggled to put together a convincing first 11; selection headaches simply did not exist. But, with their Serie A opener against Torino this Sunday, they appear to have some tough choices to make in a number of positions.
Montella seems to have decided on a 4-3-3 system, albeit a relatively fluid one. With the basic shape virtually nailed down, he must now decide which players populate it.
Here, Bleacher Report takes a look at some key positional battles that the new Rossoneri boss must decipher ahead of the new season.
Centre-back: Gustavo Gomez vs. Gabriel Paletta
Gomez’s arrival at Milan came on the same day as news of the club’s imminent takeover filtered through, meaning his signing understandably flew under the radar.
The 23-year-old, who won Argentina's Primera Division title with Lanus earlier this year, was brought in to add options at centre-back—a position that has been a problem for the Rossoneri in recent years.
Montella is certain to opt for Alessio Romagnoli as his left-sided centre-back, but who partners the 21-year-old is up in the air. Gomez is a genuine possibility, though he will face competition from Gabriel Paletta.
The 30-year-old was signed from Parma midway through the 2014-15 campaign but was sent out on loan to Atalanta last season after an unimpressive first six months. There, he played regularly but not spectacularly, meaning his place in Milan’s squad remained in doubt.
However, the departures of Alex and Philippe Mexes on free transfers created space for him, and he took his chance with some assured showings throughout pre-season.
Gomez brings greater technical quality and mobility but lacks the Serie A knowhow of his more experienced team-mate. For that reason, Paletta may start the 2016-17 term as Romagnoli’s central defensive partner, though he could be ushered aside once the young Paraguayan has settled in.
Full-back: Ignazio Abate vs. Mattia De Sciglio vs. Luca Antonelli
Last season, Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonelli definitively established themselves as Milan’s first choice full-back pairing. However, in the upcoming campaign, they are set to face renewed competition from Mattia De Sciglio.
The 23-year-old has endured a torrid few seasons, even suffering from depression as his form spiralled, per La Gazzetta dello Sport's Sebastiano Vernazza (h/t Gazzetta World's Julian Cardillo).
However, with former Italy national team coach Antonio Conte keeping the faith in him, he was called up to represent his country in this summer’s UEFA European Championship.
De Sciglio began the tournament as a substitute but played his way into the lineup for the Azzurri’s second-round clash with Spain. There, operating as the left wing-back in a 3-5-2 system, he performed remarkably well, making three tackles and two key passes to earn a 7.49 rating from WhoScored.com.
Another positive showing against Germany in the quarter-finals suggested he had regained the sort of form that once made him one of Milan’s brightest prospects. Now, he has his eyes set on one of the Rossoneri’s full-back berths.
Versatile enough to play on either side, he will have to unseat either Abate on the right or Antonelli on the left. Time would appear to be on his side as both of his rivals are 29, but they are also reliable and consistent.
Montella may decide against changing a working formula and favour the established full-back duo, at least temporarily, but expect De Sciglio to work his way into the lineup at some stage in the season.
Pivot: Andrea Bertolacci vs. Riccardo Montolivo
For the opening fixture of this pre-season, Andrea Bertolacci was deployed experimentally at the base of a three-man midfield. Milan defeated Bordeaux 2-1 and the 25-year-old performed well, especially considering he was being utilised in a new role.
Some people saw this coming for the player, however.
Indeed, Luigi Delneri, who coached Bertolacci during their time together at Genoa, told 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.
"
Montella’s decision to try the creative midfielder out in a deeper position worked reasonably well and may be turned to again in the near future, especially considering the poor form of Riccardo Montolivo last season.
The former Fiorentina and Atalanta man was used as a pivot by Sinisa Mihajlovic without concerted success; his passing was often askew and his lack of pace was exposed on occasion. If he doesn’t convince early on in 2016-17, he could find himself being replaced.
Bertolacci possesses good ball control, vision and the ability to thread forward vertical balls through opposition lines, though he has regularly been found wanting for physicality and energy. As a result, a deeper role could reinvigorate his Milan career, while also providing a solution for the team in a position bereft of alternative options.
Right wing: Keisuke Honda vs. Suso
Keisuke Honda was one of the Rossoneri’s surprise players last term. The 29-year-old playmaker showcased an excellent appetite for work and tactical intelligence to match his obvious technical gifts, winning a starting spot on the right wing.
In contrast, Suso found himself frozen out of the side. The Spaniard made just one appearance in Serie A before being loaned out to Genoa for the second half of the season. However, he scored six goals in 19 outings for the Grifone to earn another chance at Milan.
And the 22-year-old, intent on impressing Montella, started pre-season well, scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over Bordeaux. Both finishes, along with his effective play in defensive transitions and momentary bursts of skill, suggested he has unfinished business at the San Siro.
Suso has since overshadowed Honda in friendlies with his audacious dribbles, precise passes and crisp combination play in the final third. And there is a chance that the right-wing position will already be his come Sunday’s clash with Torino, considering the fact that he is both younger and faster than his Japanese team-mate and is perfectly suited to the new coach’s possession game.
With Montella’s tactical influence and coaching rubbing off on the existing players, Milan already look stronger than last season. The presence of healthy competition in a number of areas is perhaps the clearest indicator that the club is back on the up.
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