I didn't want to take away from Fofana's perfectly weighted pass OR Leao's run, but letting a through ball pass like 3 lines down the center of the pitch makes it seem like no one wants to play defense in the central midfield. It makes for a more exciting match, but... While typing this, the equalizer got called off due to offside
Milan shambolic at the back again. 2-2. This is not a good lineup for Milan. Fofana/Reijnders not a good midfield pair without help. Outside backs can’t defend. Centerbacks ball watch. Center forward too young and out of his depth. Leao magic keeping them in it. And a Cagliari equalizer called back for offside. Second one today. Pulisic not really impactful, but he’s asked to do a lot covering defensively for the two CMs, no center forward to combine with, and both wingers being black holes (though the Leao black hole paying off for once today).
Pulisic has been putting in some really good defensive work, but that's not what he got signed to do...
I don’t think any 10 will be effective with this setup. No CF. Wings don’t combine. Reijnders is the only other player out there that will move off the ball and find space.
One funny thing in today’s game: Players like to see which team can be the latest/last to enter the pitch after HT. it’s a BDE standoff , it appears.
Pulisic gets the ball on wing just now, and good things happen…Chuk has a goal there if he makes contact
is CP going for, like, a "shaved-sides fauxhawk" kinda look? Because, from distance, it's giving "beginning of a mullet" and I think he should lean into that.
It looks like the is the first time many Milan players have been asked to play defense. Fofana with back to back boneheaded plays and it’s 2-2.
There's been a few times I've felt like Maingon was coming off his line too early, he just hadn't gotten punished for it yet. Miscommunication along the whole backline results in an easy chip.
Fondeca gone from looking like a genius in Madrid, to looking clownish today. although, not always his fault that the back line remains comical
Reijnders should NOT be one of the two midfielders in a 4-4-3. Theo, Emerson, Fofana, Reijnders and 2 CBs has not worked all year.
ahhhhh Puli with a perfectly weighted cross, but the situation called for something more driven, shooter couldn't get power from the header
It was a beautiful ball, but it didn't leave him with much power left over. The young neck can only do so much
If their back line looks comical, the answer is clearly not two outside backs that can’t defend, one of your two center mids that’s more like a CAM, and the other CM who is not a destroyer. The answer is clearly to give help by putting Musah at CM, moving Reijnders up and Puli to the wing or go with 3 at the back with Musah for wing cover and let Pulisic do his thing at CAM (the Real game).
Chuk needs to come off. Very poor this half. Move Pulisic over. Anytime he has ball on wing, danger had ensued.
Overthought? Looks to me like he didn’t give it much thought at all. One second of introspection when looking at that back line and Reijnders as one of two CMs screams leaky as f.