Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now set to be an AC Milan player. The Swede joins the Rossoneri on an initial six-month-long deal and while it is a big signing, it shouldn’t be the end of it. Milan won’t stop at this and they shouldn’t too. Their problems have much deeper roots. But having said that, it is pretty much like a free throw for them.
This hasn’t been the best of campaigns for the club. They currently find themselves in 11th in the Serie A and have 21 points on board. They have let in as many 24 goals in the league, scoring just 16 goals for the club– the sixth-lowest in the Serie A. It is the second stat that is concerning for them.
Krzysztof Piatek has scored just a single goal from open play. The others have been penalties. Rafael Leao is young and still getting to grips with playing regularly for Milan. There is still confusion about what his best position is. And that, on paper, is the idea behind getting Zlatan to the San Siro.
The lack of a system has left Milan in a weird situation currently. The process of building the system under Marco Giampaolo failed, as the Italian was sacked. Stefano Pioli oversaw a club that was without an identity. And over the last few months, nothing much has changed. While Milan do have a set formation in the 4-3-3, but the identity and playing style is still lacking.
This is what Milan’s situation is. The lack of planning over the period of the last few months has left them in a muddled mess.
Having said that, the striker issue isn’t the biggest issue. The lack of service is leading to the club creating lesser opportunities for the forward players. The underperforming wide players in Hakan Calhanoglu and Suso aren’t helping the cause too much either.
The lack of a system and way of playing can’t bind them together. And in that confusion, Zlatan comes in as a source of hope for the wrong sort of problems. He isn’t the perfect addition but for a season that probably is already out of their reach, he is the harbinger of some sort of hope.
This is a period when Rossoneri faithful may not be too encouraged to watch games. The tepid approach is vivid and clear. There are promising performances here and there, but there is no plan as a whole. And it hardly makes for good viewing. In a time like this, Zlatan would get the attention back.
It is almost like a way of getting the eyeballs back to Milan. They won’t win every game because the problems lie elsewhere. But the fans would watch it. Not just Milan fans but general Serie A fans too. They would know that this man defines entertainment.
And since he comes on a free transfer, it isn’t exactly a huge risk either. It is almost like a fairytale storyline with a hero returning home. At 38, he guarantees goals- something Piatek isn’t at all. In that sense, he would bring something that no one at Milan brings to the plate.
To a young side, he brings swagger. His winning mentality would fill the young players with confidence. Piatek himself could learn a lot and so can Leao. And in the long-term, they could benefit a lot from what they learn from Ibrahimovic.
It is a case of just rolling a dice and seeing what comes of it. If they just get two on it, they would be satisfied with it. Because things are so bad that anything will prove gratifying. As great a history as they have, any little improvement will bring a smile on Milan fans’ faces.
