with you .... he and Musah both busted their tails tracking back due to mistakes Theo and Rafa made ... just the way it is being a team player .. but it does take a little out of you for the following minute or two after expending energy playing good D. his strength is basically three fold - 1. beating players 1 vs. 1 (when his head is ready to go), 2. good passing in general and 3. connecting play. If Rafa and Theo and Rejnders (going to exclude Giroud from this because he always seems to connect well) and RLC aren't going to consider connecting with CP then he is left to either go 1 vs. 1 or pass to Rafa or Giroud or RLC (when he drives forward). Just limits his game. Hence I think Pioli has a job to do because while Rafa and Theo and Rejnders are incredible talents - if they aren't going to connect (simple wall passes and overlapping runs) then it just limits how productive ACMs offense is. CP and Musah actually did a good job of connecting and working the ball forward .... now as to his corners? - they just plain suck and I wonder why Pioli continues to let him take them .. Pulisic is simply not an aerial threat, or corner or free kick specialist. Not everyone is. He is in that camp. I still think Pioli has some work to do tactically - he seems pretty good in terms of player management in general but the offensive scheme has got to be more dangerous in terms of converting chances against quality opponents in the final third. Playing at Newcastle and against PSG is a heck of a tall order.
I mean playing hustling defense when you're nil nil at home in a 20 minute spell is the minimum required for the gig in this case. I get it we want to praise our guy but simply doing the min hustle isn't going to be enough.
Giroud and Leao on the pitch at the same time feels like a real liability in terms of getting the ball back... Interesting they have been paired with Newcastle, because I feel like they are kind of in a similar boat right now -- both sides overachieved last season, and both sides maybe aren't really that good. At least against good opposition. Will be a very interesting season.
FWIW, Charlie Stillitano, a regular co-host of the the Football Show on SiriusXM FC radio, was interviewed this AM via a call from the Show to Madrid (he'd just arrived for today's Real game having watched the Milan/Newcastle game yesterday) the show. If you don't know his other soccer credentials, Google him. He is a big AC Milan fan and was of the opinion that both Pulisic and Musah significantly elevated Milan's game and he did not understand why Pulisic, particularly, did not start. He also felt that Chukwueze is merely an average player (my interpretation of Stillitano's words).
I kind of liked that CP came inside quite a bit. That whole hanging out near the touchline thing was getting kind of predictable. I think he was dangerous at times and could have done more with a bit more good fortune. I'm not totally defending him. He had one or two bad touches in the box (hey, at least he GOT touches in the box) and yes, his delivery on corners is just bad. The attackers need to start gelling.
every single time that Newcastle had the ball on the opposite side he shifted into the middle to help plug up the space.
Yea but what did he accomplish coming inside? It's not like he was picking up the ball and making danger. He mostly just clogged the play and recycled the ball.
I wonder if/when we’ll see that form from 2020 again, burning Man City down the field for a goal or slicing Liverpool up. It’s starting to seem like a long time ago now…
He had some box touches that he could have done more with. Otherwise newcastle clogged the middle well and forced them wide.
CP was just fine vs Newcastle. Some good and some OK stuff, but nothing bad. He definitely is still Milan's best option at RW. I think we are all looking for CP to do something special each time he is out on the field. We know he has it in him and from time to time it comes out. I think he had a few opportunities vs Newcastle but he didn't do anything with those chances. Something is just not clicking with Milan's offense to me. It looks disjointed. It's still early in the season and they have a lot of new players so it will take time. Having said all that Milan deserved to win that game. They dominated Newcastle.
One game does not make a streak. Let’s see what shakes out next game. Note: hard not to be pessimistic as afán considering his history.
Agree. He's not a goal or assist a game player. He doesn't even do that for the national team where he's comfortable and almost always plays against weaker competition. If he's assisting or scoring every other game, that's where we want him to be.
I don’t see a world where he averages a goal contribution per match. To be frank, that as an impossibility for him at this level across any decent sized sample of games. I would be very satisfied at 0.5 goal contributions a match, which would be a stretch based on his career to date but an attainable stretch.
I get your point and dont disagree, but his commitment to defense for most of his career has been shall we say, lacking? I can only believe this perceived change in his play at Milan endears to him Pioli, and will help keep him on the field. I would back him to score often enough to keep his starting spot. If he isn't playing defense with intensity then he better keep a ~1 xga per game, change his name to Leao, or get ready to watch some top flight football from a pretty good seat.
It's frustrating because 0.5 goal contributions per90 (while playing starter minutes) in a top league has been the bar for years now, and one he's been capable of clearing. I mean, that's a maximum of 9 goals 9 assists as a nailed-on starter, which admittedly is a very good season for any wide player... but injuries, and Chelsea's idiotic manager merry-go-round, have worked against him getting the minutes he needs to properly produce. Anyway. Off to a good start so far. See how he does before getting to the next international break.
SempreMilan is reporting that Pulisic and Musah may get the start, and that Leao and Giroud may get alternate starts in the next two (on paper, relatively easy) league games. Possible Milan XI (3-4-3): Sportiello; Thiaw, Kjaer, Tomori; Musah, Krunic, Reijnders, Florenzi; Pulisic, Okafor, Leao. https://sempremilan.com/gds-pioli-formation-musah-wingback-verona