Football Special Feature: A look into AC Milan’s formation following the arrival or Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho (Part 1)
They say diamonds are forever. Diamonds are considered to be the strongest rocks on the plant, which are just unscratchable. In football however, the diamond formation is considered to be unbreakable and one of the most well thought formations on the planet.
AC Milan new manager Massimiliano Allegri would want to consider the saying, “diamonds are forever”. In a matter of just 4 days, Milan has become one of the most formidable team on earth, following the acquisition of two top strikers in Europe. Former Inter Milan hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Milan last Saturday on loan, with a chance to sign the player completely at the end of the season. Also, Ronaldinho would be welcoming fellow Brazilian team mate, Robinho to San Siro, as the 32.5 million pound Manchester City flop joined Milan on the dead line date. These two players, along with Pato and Ronaldinho have catapulted Milan attack to arguably the greatest on the planet.
Currently, the new manager Allegri has retained former manager’s 4-3-3 formation. But with the inclusion of Zlatan and Robinho, the formation may well have to be revised. Currently, Ronaldinho and Pato feature on the left and right wing respectively, with Marco Borriello as the sole striker. Borriello has agreed for a season long loan term with Serie A rivals, Roma, paving way for the new attackers to take his place. A wise move for the manager would be to take the current left winger, Ronaldinho, into the attacking midfield slot. Robinho would replace the Brazilian on the left flank and Ibrahimovic will take over where Borriello left off. Pato will resume playing on the right wing, a slot he wouldn’t mind, considering his two goals from the place in Milan’s opener against Lecce.
Since his arrival from Spanish giants Barcelona, Ronaldinho has been openly criticized for his lack of fitness and form, and his inability to run back and gain the ball from behind in defensive situations. Ronaldinho, however, has proved his critics wrong by having one of his best season with Milan (despite not featuring in 2010 World Cup owing to Dunga snubbing the player). The player looks to be back to his form, which earned him the FIFA player of the year award twice in a row. Those were clearly his golden days and the player was the star of AC Milan’s 2006 UEFA Champions league winning campaign.
The Brazilian sensation has some interesting statistics with Milan last season, scoring 15 goals and managing 17 assists in all competition. The player also scored his first hat-trick in nearly 4 years, when Milan thrashed Siena 4-0. The player performed extremely well in Stadio Olimpico, when Milan dominated arch Rivals Juventus. Milan triumphed over the Lady Killer twice and Ronaldinho scored 2 times in Milan win over them at the Olimpico.
In the opening match of the new season, Ronaldinho is seen as the player of what he was in Barcelona. It seems that the Brazilian has found the right mix and temperament. The player may have scored the goal himself but was the focal point of Milan’s emphatic performance against Lecce. The Brazilian’s one touch passes, his 1v1 footwork and his undeniable skills brought back old memories of his Samba days. In total, Ronaldinho managed to create seven goal scoring opportunities. The player had one assist, which was totally out of this World. The player managed to find advancing winger Pato as he totally tore the Lecce defence to pieces. Pato just couldn’t miss such an opportunity and found the back of the net owing to a beautiful finish. The goal was worth seeing a thousand replays as Ronaldinho’s no look passes absolutely left Lecce’s defence dumbfounded.
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