A winger that cannot cross or dribble! Go figure! Since he is a winger as you say shouldn't attacking be easier on him? Abate is very dedicated and hardworking, but lacks talent in many aspects. We should not give him more than he deserves. He's very average going forward or even less than average. His defending is good on the other hand.
You are just contradicting yourself right there
You say Abate's natural position is a winger, Isn't a winger's main attributes crossing and dribbling?
I am one of Abate's biggest supporters on this forum. But he is walking a thin line. I genuinely expected him to build to improve on the Scudetto season but instead he regressed. He still makes the same dumb mistakes over and over again
Part of me think that he has become complacent due to his position on the team not being under threat. We have no other natural RBs on the team (bar an 18 yr old) and it is one of the reasons why I wanted us to sign another player capable of playing there last summer. Hopefully De Sciglio will keep improving and wake his complacent ass up
Abate wasn't gifted with sublime talent, he's gotten where he is today primarily on hard-work, dedication and passion. Abate himself candidly expressed this in several interviews in the past. So, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone else.
A winger is known for his pace, ability to cross and dribble, but in saying that, Abate was mediocre at best, a fringe player for a long time at provincial clubs. He had his moments but never really showed enough to prosper or develop in that position.
He was identified by Leonardo as a suitable right back for Milan -- something which is rather odd considering Leonardo's heavy emphasis on attacking. With the help of both Tassotti and Allegri, Abate has improved out of sorts. A quite remarkable rise in the space of a couple of years. No one can deny his improvement. Now, Abate is a fullback NOT a wingback. A fullback is more defensive orientated and is where Ignazio's strengths currently lie.
For someone who has been playing as a winger during his junior career even a couple of years ago, his transition to right-back is nothing short of extraordinary. It's a completely different position. To learn the (tactical adjustments, movements, combinations with your defensive partners, positional sense, etc.) isn't something you master in space of a couple of years.
He has performed and proven himself against the likes of Eto'o, Bale, Messi and C.Ronaldo -- we're talking world class opposition here! Twelve months ago, people were touting him as one of the best right backs in Europe. He had a disappointing year last season, but then again so did many of our players. Factoring the various permutations within Milan's backline last season also doesn't aid your game. Being made aware of Abate's idiosyncrasies, we know he will work as hard as anyone to improve as a footballer and make up for the disappointments of last season.