MN: Three roles, confusion and errors – why Fonseca’s Saelemaekers experiment failed | OneFootball

Among the surprises on the team sheet for AC Milan’s opening game of the season against Torino was Alexis Saelemaekers being named as the left-back, and it wouldn’t be the only role he would play during the game.

MilanNews begin their report with an important bit of context: it was the first match of the season, we are in mid-August and the team are still assimilating Paulo Fonseca’s ideas, while there are new signings and internationals who were late to arrive and thus are not in the best condition.

Starting from these considerations – and assuming that it was a situation that we will never see again – one can almost begin to understand the starting XI fielded by Paulo Fonseca on Saturday night against Torino.

However, the Saelemaekers decision was still an intriguing one given he had not been used at left-back in preseason and instead it was Filippo Terracciano who had been used there. The Belgian once again demonstrated his proverbial availability and willingly accepted the coach’s proposal.

Despite this, he showed that he has other characteristics than those required by the role. He seemed confused and at times naive. He conceded the header to Bellanova for the first goal without much of a fight, and on the second he let Lazaro go too easily, putting both Calabria and Reijnders in difficulty.

Then the former Anderlecht man played as a right-back before the final assault when he was pushed further up the field, but the answers given were the same: disappointing. It is difficult to judge him for his work on the right side though, after Davide Calabria’s exit for Noah Okafor.

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It’s a topic that was discussed a lot last year, for example with Musah, the idea that a player’s desire and willingness to play roles that aren’t exactly his forte is certainly to be appreciated, but it’s a habit that needs to be broken sooner rather than later.

The development of certain individuals and the team’s balance depend on the concept of round pegs in round holes. Circumstances dictate the need to experiment and on Saturday Theo should be back, but the Pioli era showed us that certain inventions are best not to be trialled.