I actually would very much like to see something like this next season if possible
Kessie Baka Bennacer
Deulofeu Ibra Rebic
Adding Baka into the midfield would allow us to play a lazier but more dangerous winger in Deu over Castillejo, who will get plenty of minutes regardless. The midfield can cover ground and is tenacious as well, the intensity would not be lacking. Bennacer would have a little bit more opportunity to roam as well.
Going back to 4-3-3, with Baka, would solve some of our current issues, but also bring back some of the old ones.
That front 3 would be far better than last season's.
Rebic and Deu are both able to outpace and outtrick defenders, and they've both proved they can score double digits in open play.
Bennacer needs a few tweaks, but I think he can develop into one helluva mezz'ala.
However I don't want to go back to relying on goals and final passes from Kessie.
He's not getting any better at timing his shots, aiming his shots or reducing his toxic selfishness in the final third.
Krunic has been just as wasteful this season, but I think I'd prefer him as the advanced mid, out of the current options.
I won’t give up on Leao and say “he isn’t good enough,” that kind of attitude is shitty and part of what got Milan into the mess we are in. He is more than good enough to be on the bench and earn minutes when he can get them. His attitude is lazy but that can be fixed, he has clear quality.
The switch to 4-2-3-1 hasn't done Leao any favors.
He was a decent option for the support striker spot in 4-4-2. I think you could also find ways to accommodate him as wing-forward in 4-3-3.
But he can't be trusted in the 4-2-3-1 wing roles, and clearly also can't be depended on as lone striker. He's not even backup material in this system.
And what's with the Deulofeu fetish EVERY window? He's a failed talent plying his trade at Watford ffs.
He pissed the fuck out of the me in his final months at Milan so much that I wasn't disappointed that he wasn't signed. But I also had ridiculous expectations about arrivals at the time(it was the summer of Chinese trillions after all). I've come to regret it, after 2.5 years of torture from Hakan and Suso. Thinking about it now, I don't think we've had a more independently dangerous winger than him since 2011. El Sha was a finisher and workhorse, but not much of a creator or dribbler. Menez was very dangerous on his own, but he wasn't interested in being a winger.
If the team switches back to 4-3-3, which seems inevitable in this club, then I'd love to have him and Samu as the RW options. One(Samu) is the type that drifts centrally and prefers to send in crosses with his left, which is extremely effective when you have Ibra and Rebic in the box. The other one has the pace and trickery to break a deadlock and murder teams on the counter.
I think he is being wasted at Watford. He scored 10 league goals and made 5 assists last season, without any PKs. Watford are hopeless this season, and they often deploy him as 4231 winger, which is a terrible mistake. He has done well in EPL, considering the garbage teams he has played for, but I think his style is even more effective in Serie A.
