Predicting the Stars, Breakouts and Disappointments at AC Milan in 2016/17

AC Milan got their 2016/17 Serie A season off to a positive start with a 3-2 home win over Torino. While the result was exactly what was needed, the performance still contained aspects of the chaos that was on show at times last term.

Evidently, Vincenzo Montella is still in the process of embedding his tactical principles after less than two months in charge. At the same time, he will undoubtedly be forming opinions on the players available to him with each passing game.

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Several individuals used the Torino win as a chance to reiterate their renowned skills, while others used it to make a case for more concerted game time. Some, unfortunately, only further highlighted their weaknesses and did little to convince the new head coach that they can add value to the team.

Due to the signing of three new players this summer and the promising pre-season showings of several youth-team graduates, Milan have greater competition for places nowadays.

Here, we'll analyse which squad members will be the stars, breakouts and disappointments in this campaign.

Stars

At 17 years of age, Gianluigi Donnarumma could still rightfully be considered a prospect for four more years. But that tag just doesn’t seem to do the goalkeeper justice anymore.

After breaking out last season, he is now Milan’s bona fide No. 1, and against Torino he justified that status with a crucial penalty save, diving low to his left to deny Andrea Belotti what would have been a last-gasp equaliser.

At a time when the team is still effectively trying to put Montella’s ideas into practise, Donnarumma’s agility, composure and reaction saves will add a vitally solid last line to a vulnerable defensive setup.

In front of him, 21-year-old centre-back Alessio Romagnoli still has some way to go before he can be considered a top-class defender, but he is already one of the best in Italy in his position when it comes to playing out from the back.

Montella wants his Milan to build possession from the back, and Romagnoli will prove integral in this particular phase of play. His technique and control enable him to retain the ball under intense scrutiny from opposition markers, while his precise left foot allows him to find a team-mate even if forced to distribute more directly over longer distances.

In midfield the Rossoneri have a glaring lack of competent dictators, those who can get on the ball and genuinely influence proceedings. Some, like Riccardo Montolivo and Andrea Bertolacci, are reasonable passers, while others such as Juraj Kucka and Jose Mauri possess the dynamism to go beyond their man.

However, only one player can combine these two traits: Giacomo Bonaventura.

The 27-year-old was Milan’s most consistent individual performer last season despite having to play in a variety of different roles including central midfield, attacking midfield and on the left wing. Montella appears to prefer the playmaker in the former space, however, which could allow for some intriguing possibilities.

One is that operating in this area gives Bonaventura the opportunity to become the team’s primary creative force, dropping deeper to pick up from the central defenders.

This was on show against Torino, where he would often fan out diagonally to the side of Romagnoli and offer a passing lane. This in turn gave the left-back, Luca Antonelli, license to push on further down the flank and offer real width, stretching the opposition’s defensive shape laterally.

Another promising aspect of Bonaventura in this role is the increased influence it gives him. His exceptional technique, composure and quick footwork allow him to bypass pressure through a dribble as well as a pass, and playing more centrally means he can use this skill in a more dangerous area of the pitch.

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Up front, Carlos Bacca has all the makings of a Milan icon, should he stay with the club beyond this summer’s transfer window, which closes on August 31. The Colombian’s hat-trick in the opening game only reaffirmed his importance in the final third, and his clinical finishing, movement and pace could be fully utilised within the framework of Montella’s preferred style of play, which involves plenty of positional rotations and interchanges.

The 29-year-old dovetails well with M’Baye Niang, a player who impressed during his 16 league outings last season, during which he scored five and set up four goals. With a full season hopefully untroubled by injuries, the French forward could form a devastating strike duet with Bacca and seriously boost the Rossoneri’s goalscoring potential.

Breakouts

Gabriel Paletta played well for the majority of Milan’s opening-day win on Sunday, but his grappling with Torino striker Belotti led to the penalty, his sending-off and the near-catastrophe of throwing away a 3-1 lead.

His dismissal means he won’t be available for Saturday’s trip to the Stadio San Paolo to face Napoli, which could force Montella to throw in new arrival Gustavo Gomez at the deep end.

The Paraguayan is just 23 years of age and has yet to experience competitive football in Italy, having joined Milan from Argentinian champions Lanus earlier this month. Tracking the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon does not make for an easy debut, but if he can deal with the test he could establish himself as Romagnoli’s long-term central-defensive partner.

Further forward, Suso looks ready to make his mark. Just like the aforementioned Niang, he prospered during a loan spell with Genoa and will be hoping to follow the French forward’s career path by establishing himself at the San Siro upon his return.

The 22-year-old Spanish winger enjoyed a positive pre-season and made a good start to the Serie A campaign against Torino, showing his skill set in one-one-situations to tantalise his marker, Cristian Molinaro, and making three key passes, per WhoScored.com.

Disappointments

Suso’s rise could come hand-in-hand with Keisuke Honda’s fall. The Japanese playmaker performed admirably last season, showing a good work ethic, but he ultimately doesn’t have the speed or turning capability of his younger team-mate.

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He’s also more comfortable playing in an attacking-midfield role than out on the wing, where his lack of dynamism is more of an issue. As a consequence, he may find it difficult to find space to play in Montella’s 4-3-3 shape.

Milan’s midfield remains an issue, particularly as Montolivo has yet to adjust to his more deep-lying position. The 31-year-old was handed the role last season under Sinisa Mihajlovic’s auspices on the grounds that he would bring greater control to the team, but this has yet to prove the case.

While he reads the game well in the defensive phase, making interceptions and breaking up the opposing team’s flow, his possession play has been lacklustre both in terms of his actual passing and in his decision-making.

Bertolacci was used in place of Montolivo for the opening friendly of this summer against Bordeaux and did reasonably well but has since reverted to more of a box-to-box role. Unfortunately, his lack of athleticism has often been shown up when utilised there.

Additionally, mere seconds after being introduced from the bench against Torino, he picked up an injury that will rule him out for at least two weeks, per the club’s official website.

With Montolivo and Bertolacci remaining unconvincing, two intriguing 18-year-old prospects could be handed their chance: Manuel Locatelli and Niccolo Zanellato. The former made his full debut in the last game of the 2015-16 campaign, while the latter impressed during pre-season.

The progress of Locatelli and Zanellato is an example of the newfound long-termism present at Milan. The challenge for Montella will be nurturing those prospects while harnessing the star players already at his disposal, ensuring that his the strategic vision won’t come at the cost of results this season.