Everything has changed at AC Milan since the derby win against Inter, according to Andrea Longoni, and there are a number of players who deserve praise for improvements.
Milan beat Inter 2-1 one week ago thanks to goals from Christian Pulisic and Matteo Gabbia, with the hope being that it would provide a launching point after a difficult start to the season which had to that point resulted in one win in six games.
Milan moved top of the Serie A table – albeit temporarily – as they brushed aside Lecce 3-0 at San Siro on Friday night thanks to three goals in five first-half minutes. It was the perfect follow-up to beating the Nerazzurri, yet the visit to face Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night feels like another litmus test.
Longoni published his weekly column for MilanNews and it had a more positive spin thanks to the impressive victory against Lecce which followed the one in the derby.
“The third consecutive victory brought points and confidence. The feeling is that Milan is finally becoming a team: not only in terms of play, but also in terms of attitude on the pitch and as a group,” he said.
“As Tomori says, compared to the first outings everything has changed: ‘The way of defending, the way of attacking, of staying together compactly’. Continuity will be needed to give further credibility to the project, but the path seems to be the right one. The entry of new signings has also been fundamental in giving new impulses to the dressing room as well as new references.
“The sacrifice of the latest arrivals Morata and Abraham seems to be infecting the rest of the team. The Spaniard is an incredible example of self-denial and commitment: despite his honours, Alvaro runs like crazy for every ball, showing his teammates how it’s done.
“It’s no coincidence that Leao played his best match in terms of application on Friday, putting himself completely at the service of the team. The Portuguese could be the deciding factor in Milan’s ambitions this year: he is the one who can raise the level.
“If he continues like this and turns things around definitively, then dreaming big may not be a utopia. Well done also to Fonseca, who perhaps, little by little, is managing to get into his head.
“Also worth noting is Fofana’s significant growth. With him as a starter in the league, 3 wins and a draw have arrived, the one in Rome against Lazio. The defensive phase needs to be improved, but giant steps have been made compared to the first outings. I remain perplexed about Emerson Royal: if he doesn’t turn things around, the team risks being vulnerable on that side.
“Still with regards to the new players, Abraham’s attitude on the pitch is impeccable: he can probably be asked to be more decisive in front of goal. But in the meantime, up front, Milan are a machine that is going very fast: so many resources, in a truly well-stocked department.
“Too few words are always spent on Pulisic: the guarantee of this team, a player who is always there and who in the very rare cases in which he is not brilliant, like on Friday, still punches the clock. For the American, a sensational start to the season.
“Now Leverkusen in the Champions League, a complicated match, and an away game in Florence before the break. Two more tests to measure the growth of this team.”
