With AC Milan hoping their Saturday victory against Palermo will kick-start their season, there is one man who they can thank in spades – Giacomo Bonaventura.
Last week we looked at the troubling midfield Sinisa Mihajlovic has to deal with, contemplating if Keisuke Honda has what it takes in the attacking midfield role, alongside whether he should start Nigel de Jong or Riccardo Montolivo.
Bonaventura has always remained in the side however, playing in all four of the Rossoneri’s Serie A matches thus far, and it’s no surprise. His clever back-heel flick for Carlos Bacca’s goal was superb, prior to his well-hit free-kick just before the interval on the weekend.
His stats last season showcased exactly what to expect from Giacomo again this time around. An 83 per cent pass accuracy in 32 league matches was only bettered by Andrea Poli and Nigel de Jong in the middle of the park, but the Italian was so much more than just a passer.
Whilst Poli and de Jong only created 28 chances and scored 3 between them, Bonaventura produced 37 and 7 respectively, by himself.
For he is everything you need from a midfielder. The man tracks back, attacks, creates and even scores. With Keisuke Honda suffering multiple criticisms from the Milanisti, Giacomo continues to wow those in the Curva Sud.
Those from Atalanta will have vouched for him since day one, with President Antonio Percassi showing his belief in the midfielder by extending his contract to 2015. Unfortunately for La Dea they wouldn’t see Giacomo for that long prior to his 2014 move to the San Siro.
He kept grounded of course, stating:
I’m just happy that the president has demonstrated his belief in me. For my part I will try, first, to repay by contributing for the club in Serie A.
The praise was forthcoming from all areas, with Milan news writer Daniele Castagna stating how Bonaventura is a ‘wonderful choice for Milan to move for in the 2014 transfer market’. Daniele wasn’t wrong, and now the city of Milano have a truly wonderful player on their books.
He remains a versatile player in what he does, and Sinisa Mihajlovic will be thrilled with the gem of a player he has at his disposal. The coach can deploy Bonaventura as the playmaker, central, or wide. It’s not square peg and round hole scenario – the Italian has these positions on toast.
The main position is that of a trequartista, with inch perfect passes and the mental stability needed in what many see as the hardest place to play on the pitch. It seems inevitable that Mihajlovic will opt for Giacomo to take over from Honda as the ‘1’ in the 4-3-1-2 setup he loves so much.
His steady and rather undocumented first season meant he was kept away from the spotlight, yet it appears he’ll be much more than a mere footnote in Milan’s possible success this time around.
The Rossoneri have lacked that sort of creative spark three quarters up the pitch. There came a time when they had the likes of Kaka, and prior to that one of the most formidable players who was a third of the Dutch trio in Ruud Gullit. He also featured on the wing, something Giacomo has adapted to during his time in Milan.
Bonaventura has the brilliance to be Milan’s new bombardier, but he must remain grounded and continue is rise to become the next star of one of Italy’s finest clubs.
milan is back on track and hope we stay there for a very very long time. Forzamilan