Paulo Fonseca has now settled on a centre-back pairing after a lot of experimentation, but naturally that means disappointment for some too.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was present at the unveiling of Strahinja Pavlovic in August, introducing him as follows: “He’s an animal. We did everything to bring him here. He will enter the hearts of the fans. Just look at him and you’re scared.”
Four months later, however, that animal that was supposed to instill fear in opponents has become a reserve. By not playing against Verona, the number of consecutive games on the bench rose to four, including the Champions League.
The definitive verdict on the Serbian came from Fonseca a couple of weeks ago: “At the moment the team is very happy with Thiaw and Gabbia.” The result is that Pavlovic hasn’t played since last December 3rd in the Coppa Italia against Sassuolo.
It is a match in which he partnered Fikayo Tomori, and in a strange contrast they were the two chosen more at the beginning of the season. What changed? In terms of numbers, they are Milan’s worst defensive pairing: in 450 minutes played together they have conceded 10 goals.
Pavlovic is a player who excels in aggression, recoveries and aerial play. The problem concerns his tactical discipline, which in Italy makes all the difference in the world. With the Serbian on the field, Milan have conceded 15 goals in all competitions, including three in Cagliari and two in Bratislava.
There is always a second side to the coin, though. Pavlovic has already racked up goal line clearances, peremptory sliding tackles/blocks to close down opposing attackers at the moment of shooting and some good anticipations. It can perhaps be shortened as follows: Milan will concede goals with him on the pitch, but he will keep some out too.
Here we come to the conclusion: Fonseca experimented with five different pairings until the beginning of November and the sixth one he used – Thiaw-Gabbia – became the one he has stuck with. They have started six games together and the record stands at just three goals conceded.
Of the five games played in Serie A with Thiaw and Gabbia, the Rossoneri have recorded four clean sheets in less than a month, the same as from August to before the last break in November. What this means for Pavlovic, unfortunately, is that he must wait for his turn and try impress then.
