Saturday, March 19, 2011

Ibra’s suspension might prove to be a blessing in disguise for Milan



ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC is suspended for three games, but this punishment could help AC Milan.

There hasn’t been an iota of doubt as to what Ibrahimovic has brought to the side this season. He is the prime reason why Milan has been performing so well in the league so much so that they enjoy a comfortable 5 point cushion over their fiercest nemesis and closest rivals Internazionale. But anyone following their game closely over the past two months or so must have noticed one thing. ‘ Ibrahimovic is tired.’
His stats speak wonderfully of him, having scored 14 goals this season in Seria A already and creating another 15 for his fellow mates is no joke and only proves what a complete forward he is and what he brings to the side. But he has been struggling of late and hasn’t scored a single goal from open play for the past 9 games. The only goal he has scored for almost two months is a penalty against Napoli.

His frustration was evident in their game against Bari where despite numerous efforts and shots on goal he couldn’t get one past the goalkeeper and all hell bent lose when he punched Bari’s Marco Rossi on the stomach to openly show his frustration because of the lean patch he’s been going through for the last 9 games. He had earlier stated in December that he is tired and wants to rest but he does not have that option because of Milan’s inadequacy to replace him upfront with another striker who could carry them forward in his absence.

The injury to veteran striker Pippo Inzaghi did not help either which meant Milan was only left with one out and out striker in Ibra. They did purchase Cassano in the winter transfer market but he too is more suited to play as support striker just like Robinho and Pato. Allegri has done well this season but has been too apprehensive to field a side without Ibra in the line-up. It’s true that his game has been based around Ibra ever since his arrival in August but he hasn’t tried a formation where he could play 3 forwards with Ibra resting on the bench when they play against teams lying low in the table or even in Coppa Italia.

Now that Ibrahimovic has been banned for 3 games (Milan are expected to appeal against his suspension), the big question here is where Milan go from here. They are 5 points clear of Inter but have a derby to play on the 2nd of April which could actually decide the reign of power in Italy this season. But this suspension should actually prove to be a blessing for Milan as Allegri will be forced to start looking at other alternatives which he wouldn’t even have considered had he still been allowed to field Ibra in the line up. This allows Allegri to field the striking trio of Robinho, Pato and Cassano (who honestly should be starting ahead of the misfiring Robinho in the matches to come) and see if his team can actually rely on these men whenever Ibra is not available or needs to be rested. If the other men can actually carry the team forward, it would also prove that Milan are not ‘Ibradependent’ as they have been tagged so, over the past 7 months.

With 9 games to go , and having already exited the Champions League, Milan are entering into a very crucial stage of the season where they could actually win their first Scudetto since the 2003/04 season and the signings they made in the winter, where they signed three cup-tied players (Cassano, Van Bommel, Emmanuelson) only stressed that winning the Scudetto has been their primary objective this season and to do so they need their main talisman to re-discover his form and this suspension could actually help him relax and work on his game and only to come back stronger for the remaining games with all guns blazing to crown them as ‘Champions of Italy’.

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