AC Milan Club Focus: What is the Rossoneri’s best midfield combination?

Date: 11th February 2013 at 5:14pm
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The question is looming over the San Siro, and every other place Massimiliano Allegri travels. Perhaps it isn’t as pressing as the defensive woes that AC Milan are currently plagued with, but as evidenced by the games surpassed, and more recently the dreary draw against Cagliari on Sunday, Milan’s midfield is in a state of delirium.

Milan’s attack is sorted, or so they say. The club’s strike force is expected to form an unbreakable partnership for the next decade or so. But despite having the depth unmatched by Milan’s attack or defense, Milan’s midfield is still in limbo.

Two of Milan’s three-man midfield gets picked even before Allegri holds the chalk against the board. Nigel De Jong and Riccardo Montolivo are undisputed starters, and not because they are recognizable names, but due to hard-earned stripes.

Milan sorely missed Montolivo against the Sardinians last afternoon. His ingenuity aside (which is mainly sporadic), his ability to move the ball around, control the tempo of the game and spread play is unparalleled in the squad. Allegri’s mainstream bullies simply couldn’t find the strikers, who were starved of service, ultimately resorting to inane attempts to score goals.

Milan’s midfield department comprises of Massimo Ambrosini, Bakaye Traore, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mathieu Flamini, Antonio Nocerino along with Nigel De Jong and Riccardo Montolivo.

Let’s revisit the question, then. What is Milan’s best midfield? Quite frankly, there isn’t a simple answer to that question. Typically, a three man midfield usually comprises of a destroyer, a box-to-box creator and a box-to-box ball-winning midfielder. The best example, by far, is Juventus’ ‘MVP’.

Milan have a ready-made destroyer in Nigel De Jong, a man Roberto Mancini must be fretting to have let go off in the summer for a song and dance. But with the Dutchman injured for the rest of the season, Milan possess an instant replacement in Sulley Muntari, who is equipped with an engine to run the race for ninety minutes.

His positional sense and anticipation is second to none. He also helps break-up play efficiently. His performances have demonstrated that of the players available to Allegri, he is the best option to anchor Milan’s midfield.

Montolivo, who has arguably been Milan’s best player this season, picks himself as the box-to-box creator. The million-dollar question is, who is the third midfielder, the Mr X, if I might call him that.

Popular responses have suggested it to be Kevin-Prince Boateng. In theory, he could become a world-class mezz’ala. He can pass, run with the ball, cross, and cover miles. His brutal physique helps him win aerial challenges, as well as the fifty-fifties in the middle of the park. All perfectly fair enough. But his despicable form this season coupled with his displeasure at not playing in the position his shirt number implies raises genuine doubts over his motivation to excel in midfield.

Antonio Nocerino, some say, has what it takes to be the third cog. He can run, and run, and run, even if like a headless chicken at times. He gets into goal-scoring positions, and can score with both feet. But, his anonymity for large portions of the game, and his inability to position himself adequately during the defensive phases of the match, makes him a largely dubious choice.

I would think of a player, who appears to be a mutated version of Boateng and Nocerino. I’m thinking about a certain Frenchman. You got me, it’s Mathieu Flamini.

His recent performances indicate a degree of improvement which is truly heart-warming. He, like the other drivers, has an enviable engine. He gets stuck into tackles and infuses a distinct sense of fear in his counterparts, which at times can result in recklessness on his behalf. Some say he is a red card waiting to happen. I think that’s a tad bit harsh on him, because he isn’t similar to Philippe Mexes on that account.

Flamini has the physical attributes to be a dogged-no nonsense central midfielder, but he also possesses remarkable intelligence to attack the box from a deeper position on the pitch, a trait Nocerino had aptly succeeded in displaying.

However, Flamini has made 16 tackles, compared to Nocerino’s 21, having appeared in half the number of games the former Palermo man has played in. Flamini has only been dribbled past on one occasion, compared to Nocerino, who has seen that happen to him ten times already. That does imply a greater defensive contribution, doesn’t it?

A perfectly logical team-selection often depends on the opposition. Milan’s battlers are largely comparable, yet distinctly different in what they have to offer. A physical opponent would require an unapologetic bully like Boateng to take the pitch, whereas a meeker, technical side could find Flamini a daunting player to play against. But, for the sake of a proper conclusion, and with the intentional attempt to not emulate Allegri in being iffy, I’d suggest that Mathieu Flamini is the complimentary midfielder to complete Milan’s midfield trio.

Follow Rajath Kumar on Twitter @rajathkumar. You can read his work on his AC Milan blog titled Milan and Me; The Love Affair

 

2 responses to “AC Milan Club Focus: What is the Rossoneri’s best midfield combination?”

  1. AP says:

    I like the 4-3-3, and its been working, but I’d like to see a 4-2-3-1 tried maybe once. Milan’s trident of El92, Balo, and Niang is excellent and talented, but none of them can pass that well. Putting Bojan behind them might add the cohesion that can sometimes be missing. This may take away some defensive shielding, but there are few other ways to squeeze quality from the midfield.

  2. Stefano says:

    The 4-3-3 is the way to go, in the middle of the park i would like to see De Jong,Montolivo and Boa. 1 is creative, the other two are fast,physical and have technical ability. This will work if someone sits Boa down and explains to him that he belongs in the midfield and that striking of “tre quartista” is not a role for him. I can’t wait to see when you guys bring out the article,” What is Milan’s best defensive options.” That will be funny.