In its history, Milan has never had numerous points of reference in the right wing role, characterized by players like Pato and Gullit who started on the right but during the match concentrated towards the goal. Also thanks to the tactical choices used by the various coaches sitting on the Devil’s bench: with Carlo Ancelotti the so-called Christmas tree, the 4-3-2-1, dominated. In the latter the midfielders covered the defense and the two half forwards were used to support the center forward. An example? The two Rossoneri bomber jackets Kaka And Shevchenko placed behind goal lover Filippo Inzaghi.
However, there is a moment in history in which these characteristics were not present. With the arrival of Fabio Capello in Milan, the right wing took on a central role. The coach behind the “Milan of the Invincibles” changed Dejan Savićević’s vision of the game by “transferring” him to the right flank and thus taking advantage of his left-footed qualities. Finally, we must not overlook one of the pillars of the squad in those years, included by Franco Baresi in the strongest XI players he ever played with and defined by Michel Platini: “The best Italian player of the nineties“, Roberto Donadoni. Complete player, gifted with running and excellent dribbling, not to mention excellent ball control to the point of playing entire matches without losing control.
READ HERE – Milan transfer market, Zirkzee stalemate: an alternative proposed by Serie A
THE RIGHT WING IN THE PRESENT DAY
Finally we come to the present day, there have been numerous players to cover this area of the pitch. After the victory of the 18th scudetto, the Rossoneri faced dark years, years in which the supporters of the team from via Aldo Rossi were unable to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel, marked by the last years of Silvio Berlusconi’s presidency and the subsequent era of Li Yonghong , up to Elliot, the one who brought Milan back to the top of Italy. In recent years there have been many players who have held this role: from Alessio Cerci and Suso up to Samu Castillejo, Junior Messias and Alexis Saelemaekers.
Castillejo, an AC Milan fan from a young age, has always given his all for these colours, never managing to make the impact he wanted. The same goes for the other colleagues, Messias and Saelemaekers. The former, author of the header in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid, has never lived up to expectations. The current Genoa player, wearing the red and black shirt, has played a total of 57 matches scoring only 8 goals and 5 assists. The second one, Thiago Motta’s wildcard, despite the fact that he has always “spitted blood” for this club, has scored 7 goals and 7 assists in 78 matches played.
The turning point came during the previous summer transfer market session. The Milanese management has purchased a so-called redundant player, Christian Pulisic, from Chelsea. The captain of the American national team was one of the protagonists of the season just ended. Stefano Pioli’s unmovable starter, he made 41 appearances totaling 11 goals and 8 assists. Quick, agile, with an extensive vision of the game and skilled in dribbling, he made fans and non-fans fall in love with him from day one. Finally, we must not forget Samuel Chuckueze. The Nigerian hasn’t found much space this year and we are waiting for next season to witness the long-awaited evolution.
Follow us also on our profiles Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube And X!
