Massimiliano Allegri’s side pride themselves on the use of a trequartista to stretch opponents’ massed-rank defences and unpick the lock of bolstered back fours, but that has simply not happened so far this season.
Even against Barcelona, the lack of composure in advanced positions lost them the chance to at least release some of the pressure being built up on their defensive players. Alexandre Pato found himself regularly in sight of a burst on goal, but while his sheer pace is a danger, his ability on the ball does not always marry with his speed, and therefore his effectiveness is diluted. And with Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing through an adductor injury, there has remained no obvious Plan B.
New signing Alberto Aquilani was not ‘Mister X’ warned Allegri and CEO Adriano Galliani when the Liverpool midfielder signed a loan deal in August. Their identikit player had been an attacking midfielder who would be able to fill the role of link man when called upon, and on current evidence, they were right in their assertion that Aquilani is not that man.
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