Chapter 38 Who Said He Was Just a Defensive Midfielder?

Milan didn't give Li Ang much time to adapt.

He arrived in Milan on January 4th, and only started a full-day training session with his new teammates on January 5th.

As a result, before the morning was over, he basically replaced Flamini, who was still in bed, and was announced by the coaching staff to be included in Milan's roster for the 18th round of the league.

At this critical juncture when Milan is still competing with Naples for the top spot, it is common sense that Allegri will not directly put Li Ang in the starting lineup.

After all, in order to ensure the league results, it is safe and secure to send old players.

Li Ang himself has not yet gotten familiar with his new teammates, and it takes time to understand Milan's tactics and run-in with his teammates.

But the absurd reality is sometimes so fucked up.

Because Ronaldinho has been forced to leave and Pirlo has been half-abandoned.

Allegri does not want to gamble with the young midfielder Merkel, so Li Ang is the only choice for the starting midfielder.

However, before the team officially announced the starting eleven tomorrow in the afternoon, Allegri called Li Ang to his office during lunch break.

While communicating with Li Ang symbolically for a few minutes, he wanted to "remind" Li Ang.

After all, he named Li Ang to be loaned here, and he also hoped that Li Ang could withstand the pressure and use his performance to defeat the doubts from the outside world and the team.

Although there is the intention of using Li Ang as a "knife" to continue to clean up the veterans in the team.

But Allegri doesn't think Li Ang will refuse the temptation of the starting position.

So he is very calm, and also wants to remind Li Ang to always remember to stand on his side.

Unfortunately, Li Ang did not agree as honestly as he thought, but instead made two very bold suggestions.

"I can actually play double defensive midfielder with Pirlo, just like partnering with Alonso in Real Madrid, or coach, you can arrange me on both sides of the midfield, I can do my best to support the front midfielder and protect the defensive midfielder."

When Li Ang made his suggestion, Allegri thought he had heard it wrong.

Double defensive midfielder?

Playing on both sides of the midfield?

Allegri could barely understand the former, but the latter.

"Do you know what you are talking about, Leon? Or, do you know why I loaned you to AC Milan?"

Allegri's expression became serious, and Leon nodded quickly.

"Of course I know, sir, you want a tougher defensive midfielder, because in your tactical concept, the core of the organization is not so important. As long as the defense in the midfield can stabilize and increase the number of successful counter-grabs of the ball, with Zlatan as the core, Milan can still play a smooth and efficient frontcourt offense while strengthening the defense."

Leon's call made Allegri nod with satisfaction, but the next moment, Leon's turn came again.

"However, I still think I can coexist with Pirlo, or when Pirlo and I are on the field together, Milan's midfield will burst out with stronger strength and threat than now."

Allegri didn't know where Leon got this confidence from, he was a little impatient and wanted to simply refute and refuse.

But Li Ang stunned him with the next sentence.

"Don't you want to get a 'normal' Pirlo again?"

Li Ang's soul-searching question made Allegri's "no" squeezed to his throat, but he didn't say it out.

After a while, Allegri asked Li Ang in a mysterious way, "How can you prove it to me? Andrea is old, Gattuso and Seedorf are also old, can you make them regain their youth?"

"I can't, but I can run better. As long as Pirlo is on the field, I will do the dirty work of defense that he can't do in every game, and I will run the distance that he runs less. I may not be able to sweep the midfield and backcourt better than the captain (Gattuso) when he was young, but my interception efficiency should be higher, and I can adapt to the new role of sweeping the midfield, and there is no problem with supporting the organization."

Looking at Li Ang's uncharacteristic self-confidence, Allegri gradually made the simplest decision among various suspicions and entangled thoughts.

In the afternoon's internal group confrontation, when Li Ang was assigned to a group with Pirlo and stood clearly on the left side of the midfield, almost all the old Milan players looked at Allegri.

But Allegri did not make any corrections, but only indicated that the group confrontation was going on normally.

Li Ang was not uncomfortable or timid. After the confrontation began, he actively ran in the wide area on the left side of the midfield.

He assisted Pirlo, who was the defensive midfielder, to transfer the ball, protected the front midfielder Seedorf, and actively assisted Antonini to jointly block the left side area.

Even though Li Ang made some small mistakes in cooperation due to the tacit understanding between him and his new teammates.

But he obviously played a performance that exceeded everyone's expectations in the new position of left midfielder!

Allegri's surprise was beyond words.

Li Ang's ability to organize and coordinate and connect the front and back fields was not excellent.

But he did keep up with the rhythm of Pirlo and Seedorf!

He was not bragging, and Allegri had to admit that Li Ang was at least capable of assisting the core players in running the team as he was positioned in the left midfield.

Li Ang did not show this characteristic in previous Real Madrid games.

Even in the training session yesterday afternoon, he just stayed in the backcourt to defend.

So Allegri really didn't know that he still had this trick!

"The ability to organize and support is enough, and the short pass technique seems to be more advanced than before. He has only played with Alonso for half a year, and he can have such growth?"

Just when Allegri was full of questions, Li Ang also showed his usual stable performance on the defensive end.

His large-area coverage and sweep directly made the left half of the field in his group a "stagnation zone" for the opponent's offense.

If you want to force a shot on his side, it will be uncomfortable for the ball holder to play, and the person who is running without the ball and preparing to receive the ball will also be uncomfortable waiting.

Because he is not running around to waste physical energy, but the route he chooses every time he runs is almost stuck on the "main artery" of the opponent's attack.

There is no way, the defensive position selection is excellent!

With such talent and abundant physical energy, Li Ang directly turned into an efficient interception machine, which annoyed Boateng and Ibrahimovic on the opposite side.

If they really want to find an opportunity to force Li Ang's side, they actually think they can do it, but the efficiency is too low, and the energy and physical strength consumed are too uneconomical.

The key is that Li Ang's defense is like a piece of sticky candy. If you occasionally shake him off, he will stick to you again as if he will not get tired.

In short, it highlights a "torture"!

While Ibrahimovic and Boateng played uncomfortably, Pirlo played smoothly and comfortably for the first time in a long time.

The "excessive" defensive protection that Li Ang gave him allowed him to spend most of his energy on organizing the offense.

This feeling was the first time Pirlo felt this this season.

And he, who was in good form, frequently used long and short passes to capture the loopholes in the opponent's defense line, helping his team to successfully draw 1-1 with the opponent in a 40-minute confrontation training!

You know, most of the teammates in his and Li Ang's group are currently substitutes in Milan's first team.

It is really not easy to be able to threaten and score a goal on the offensive end, and to withstand the impact of the starting striker on the defensive end.

"Who said he is just a defensive midfielder?"

Boateng muttered after the training, which resonated with his teammates.

Although Li Ang did not show a brilliant individual performance on the offensive end, he had no problem in supporting and organizing, which was enough.

He is good at defense, has plenty of physical strength, and can integrate into the team's offensive rhythm.

How can this be a defensive midfielder who can only defend and do dirty work?

Isn't this the young midfielder that Allegri likes most now!

Watching their head coach stroking his chin and his eyes gradually shining, the old players of Milan knew it in their hearts.

They may have to change the formation again.