In the post-match of Milan-Cagliari we asked mister about last night Stefano Pioli some clarifications on position and on assignments Of Tijjani Reijnders, who scored his fourth goal of the season against the Sardinians. Obviously a premise was made, banal but which was right to reiterate: in a football team the collective, the system and balance always come before the individual. Starting from here it was natural to ask, once again seeing Dutch used in one further back than his teammateswhat has changed compared to the beginning of the year, when the former AZ player revealed to the press that his choice had fallen on Milan and not on Barcelona precisely because in the project that had been illustrated to him, so much importance was given to his offensive skills : “I like playing as a number 8, as a midfielder. The thing I do best is be a box to box playereffective defensively and in the other half of the pitch” – he said Reijnders to the Gazzetta in July – “I like to help build the game, be a creative player. Right or left midfielder? On the left, I feel better there. Krunic playmaker? Yes, I think Rade is our centre-back today, then we’ll see how it goes during the season”.
Mister Pioli did not shy away and responded by giving his vision, explaining well that in football there are also different situations that influence others, perhaps changing the plans initially envisaged: “I believe that Tijji is such an intelligent, so technical player that the more he moves on the pitch the better. But I don’t think, at least from what I’ve seen this year, that positioning him already high is his best position but I think it’s better for him to get there. Then after the moments of the championship, the injuries of his teammates, the strategy of a single match saw him build a little more from the bottom. When he builds from the bottom he gives us a cleanliness of play, a continuity of movements and a dynamism which are very important for the team. I believe that a player like this should score more, but it’s only his first year and he still has a lot of room for growth. He is definitely a very good player”.
From this answer we believe it is possible to extrapolate different concepts: despite the fact that at the beginning of the season we started with the idea of playing with a 4-3-3 (although with not exactly traditional positions) for most of the year Pioli reasoned on the “usual” 4-2-3-1. Hence his “But I don’t believe, at least from what I’ve seen this year, that Frposition it already high is his best position but I think it’s better that he gets there.” Evidently for the coach the option of double half wing and for reasons of balance he returned to the module he used most in his years at Milan. The second consideration is closely linked to the first: Milan’s midfield is missing a player, especially after Krunic’s departure, who has certain defensive and balanced characteristics. Thought also confirmed by Pioli: “The defensive phase depends on organization, attention and desire to sacrifice and probably in these three things something didn’t work. My responsibility certainly because we are not so precise on some things, like today’s goal.. There’s a bit of all of these things here. But we are a team dedicated to the characteristics of the players in the offensive phase, yes, also because we do not have a midfielder with defensive characteristics“.
The third and final thought is a personal consideration, unrelated to what was said by the Rossoneri coach, who however gave his vision on the situation; vision which is also conditioned by other factors and situations. We must say, however, that iIdeally Reijnders could express his full potential as a left midfielder, as a number 8, as he himself said last summer. Even though he may have had few opportunities, or in any case fewer than he expected, to be able to play in his favorite role However, there are several positive sides to consider. In his first season at a truly high level in his career he has shown that he can play as a starter for Milan, in Serie A and in the Champions League, occupying multiple roles if necessary and giving different solutions to the team based on the situation, even finding a call-up to the national team which will also be worth it to him as first European in a few weeks. Considering that only a year ago he played for AZ Alkmaar, with all due respect, and that he had only tasted a few glimpses of the Conference League, then one can only be confident. Pioli also said it: “I believe that a player like this should score more, but it’s only his first year and he still has a lot of room for growth.” Maybe from next year, with a trim tactical different and with other players alongside we could see a Reijnders again more incisive in the last thirty meters of the pitch.
