From Jashari to Estupinan (and Hojlund): Milan and the search for lost aggression

When a season ends in a sporting failure, the club is called upon to conduct an in-depth analysis to identify the causes and prevent a repeat. Obviously, it's necessary to dig deeper, without limiting oneself to the superficial triviality of a striker not scoring or a goalkeeper conceding too many goals. Studying the vast amount of available data also helps define a better strategy for the next transfer window: a new signing must be selected not only based on individual ability, but also on the potential benefits within the overall structure desired for the team. That is, whether the goal is to build a more play-oriented team, more counterattacking, more aggressive, more physical, and so on. In this context, Tare and Allegri, among the various evaluations, identified a fact that prompted reflection. Milan finished last season in third-last place for the number of fouls committed: 415, only Roma (406) and Parma (405) were "cleaner" than the Rossoneri, with Verona (579), Empoli (570) and Udinese (543) on the podium of the bad guys.

A fact that, taken out of context, is relatively telling. Looking at last season, however, it certainly offers some insight into one of the reasons for their struggles. How many times have we seen a Milan side that lacks conviction, lacks combativeness, almost accustomed to the pace of others, incapable of inspiring a team, even at the cost of using more aggressive tactics than is appropriate? Of course, teams that try to play more effectively are unlikely to be known for their tenacity. But aggression—both collective and individual—has been an essential ingredient in football for years. And so, too, the club has gone in this direction to acquire players on the transfer market, seeking out aggressive players like Jashari, Estupinan, and Athekame. Hojlund himself, while not a typical attacker, is naturally inclined to approach opposing defenses aggressively. This is a guideline that obviously doesn't apply to everyone. Modric is definitely a different type of player, but the squad already had excellent representatives of the category like Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, and Pavlovic. In this context, Jashari confirmed the good things that had been said about him in his first outing: a complete player who is familiar with the ball but also capable of winning it back from others.