1 week ago
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Samuele Ricci was the first signing that AC Milan made official in the summer, but he has not really hit the ground running truth.
Calciomercato.com report that the dropped points against newly promoted Cremonese and Pisa have exposed Milan’s current limitations: they struggle enormously against teams that arrive at San Siro and play a compact low block.
The absences of Adrien Rabiot and Christian Pulisic were papered over by the comeback against Fiorentina, but against Pisa the Rossoneri paid the price. In this sense, Ricci also deserves a separate mention.
Growing pains
Ricci actually got his first assist for Milan, for Rafael Leão’s equalising goal. Tactically, he moved well in both phases, often supporting the attacking phase and supporting Modric in the defensive one.
By his own admission after the match, Ricci was a bit timid in certain moments: “Do I need to be more courageous with the ball? Yes, that’s an aspect I need to improve on. I’m getting used to playing a little further forward. I’m trying to do my best. I need to improve my consistency and find better form now.”
Ricci had the chance, in the second half, to put Leão through with a vertical pass but chose not to. Even towards the end, he delayed the tempo by a play to find the nearest teammate.
Ricci certainly has a high-level technical ability, and it’s fair to expect him to produce high-level players. Right now, he’s suffering a lack of rhythm and perhaps making the big jump.
The former Torino player will have to work on these two aspects in the coming weeks, as everyone expects him to improve, especially Gennaro Gattuso for the national team.
English (US) ·