‘Not a high-scoring striker’ – Capello states Allegri hasn’t found a centre forward at Milan

AC Milan lack one player for most people, and that is a goalscoring striker. Goals, of course, have come from a few players this season, but not a striker. 

Christian Pulisic has been deployed in a second striker-type role, and so you can, perhaps, make the argument that he is a goalscoring striker. However, he is not the mould of player that most imagine in this position.

Ultimately, he is not what Massimiliano Allegri requested in the summer. When he joined, the Italian asked for a goalscoring, physical striker. Pulisic, as much as he may be playing centrally, is a goalscorer, yes, but he is not Dusan Vlahovic (or someone of that ilk).

Capello’s review

Rafael Leao also is not really that Vlahovic-type player that Allegri sought in the summer, so there will likely be a hunt for someone like that in the upcoming mercatos. Especially with Fabio Capello telling Gazzetta dello Sport that the Rossoneri are the team that has not found a centre forward.

“In Serie A, however, there’s another team that still hasn’t found a centre forward, AC Milan, even though Gimenez is useful up front for the team’s movements, and Allegri has begun an adaptation effort with Leao.

“Rafael is proving to have the ability to free himself and find space, but he’s still not a high-scoring striker. There’s less abundance than the competition, but Pulisic can play anywhere, so much so that he seems perfect even in his current position in the 3-5-2: he can move, has quality and pace, and runs vertically.

Photos: Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images

“I have the impression that starting more centrally is better for him: he becomes much more dangerous if free to roam.

“At Juventus, it’s a different story because they might have a top scorer, Vlahovic, but Tudor keeps him on the bench and doesn’t play him. I don’t understand why, given that David and Openda aren’t performing as well and, in fact, aren’t performing as well as expected. Let’s give them some more time, but the Bianconeri had a reliable centre forward—Vlahovic—but perhaps he’s too confident, and that’s why he’s not playing.”