As AC Milan step up our preparations for the return of domestic football next month, Stefano Pioli faces many important challenges in the second half of the campaign.
Having fallen eight points adrift of Serie A leaders Napoli, we can ill-afford any further mistakes if we are to have any chance of successfully defending our Scudetto crown and secure back-to-back league titles.
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At this stage, it looks difficult, such is the gap and Napoli’s form through the first 15 games of the season, but ultimately we have enough quality and experience in this group following on from last year to put a run of form together and certainly challenge them to the very end.
One player who hasn’t been able to shine thus far is Charles De Ketelaere, and the World Cup break arguably came at a good time for him as he hits the reset button in the next few weeks and looks to raise his level starting with our first game back against Salernitana on January 4.
Underwhelming start for struggling De Ketelaere, but big chance to get going after break
It’s a topic that has gained more attention this week, with La Gazzetta dello Sport raising the point and discussing Pioli’s plan to help De Ketelaere kick-start his Milan career.
There was a promising start for the 21-year-old Belgian international, as after showing glimpses in cameo appearances off the bench, he registered his first assist in our 2-0 win over Bologna in August to suggest that he could potentially settle in quickly and have an immediate influence on the side.
Unfortunately, that remains his only goal contribution of the season so far after 18 appearances across all competitions, and naturally that’s knocked his confidence and limited his role in the team as we look to others for solutions in the final third.
The first step is to ensure he’s in peak condition for the restart. If De Ketelaere is fully fit and playing in our friendlies, he can try to rediscover his rhythm on the pitch and have an impact in our general attacking play.
Building on that, his Milan teammates will no doubt begin to build trust and chemistry with him, and that in turn leads to more positivity for the group as a whole and an effective attacking unit.
There are stages to the work over the remainder of the break, but the ultimate goal is to have De Ketelaere producing consistently for us both at home and in Europe and that means identifying and executing ways to get him into positions and areas of the pitch where he can be a threat and maximising his creative and technical talent.
Pioli has shown during his time as Milan boss that he is more than capable of helping players progress and develop their respective games, particularly the younger players who have all grown and become pivotal figures in the Milan XI.
The Italian tactician will have to find the same solutions with De Ketelaere to help him fulfil his potential and unlock that talent on a regular basis, and although we’ve also had problems at the other end of the pitch in terms of keeping clean sheets, it will be a welcome boost and relief to have an in-form De Ketelaere making us a more potent attacking side sooner rather than later.