IT IS NO surprise for all of us that Mark Van Bommels game has declined. At the age of 35 his physique cannot endure what he once did on a week to week basis. Giving him some resting time while rotating players Allegri has found a way to keep him fairly fresh. However, while he is not in the pitch, Milan lacks a true leader, an overseer to make the transition between defense and midfield.

At first sight, Van Bommel’s game doesnt seem fundamental to many since his task can be summed up in two or three specific tasks. He wasnt of the liking of many because of his cards record, even though he has not seen as much red as many think he has. With only 8 red cards in ten years for club and country he hasnt missed as many matches as many think. The yellow card issue is way different passing the 100 cards in the last ten years. Its a lot, Im not going to lie, but this amount can be justified by the sole fact that one of his main tasks is avoiding the oposition to get near our goal, his main job is to let the defense be as calm as possible and to do that tackles are required.

Not an easy task to stop all the different kind of players he has faced, from players like Snjeider to Iniesta, from Ronaldo to Xabi Alonso. He has faced most of the greatest playmakers or forwards in the last ten years playing at four of the most prestigious clubs in Europe (PSV, Barcelona, Bayern and Milan) and one of the top national teams in the world. His record speaks for himself : 8 leagues in the last 11 years and one UCL with Barcelona (he barely contributed but still, he was part of the team) and another final with Bayern.

Allegri announces XI to face Viktoria Plzen

FC Viktoria Plzen-AC Milan: The Rossoneri squad

Whether you like him or not, his impact in the team last season was more than obvious. Being the leader he is he brought order to our midfield and leadership too, character, experience and strength with a pinch of attitude . These are the most important attributes he has and they are a big part of his role, it cant be taught. However, his other qualities on the pitch can be emulated and learned upon since they are not incredibly hard.

The role of the anchorman has been reduced to a hounddog, a chaser that tackles. If you say no look at Essien, Khedira, Ramires etc. The role of the anchorman goes beyond defensive tasks even though their main objective is to stop the flow of passes from the other team. Think of them as the pace makers between defense and midfield without having the responsibility of being the creative force of the team but having defensive duties. If you have carefully observed MvB you have seen that he usually plays back with the defense or he stretches the play but he rarely connects with our attack. He as a part of his job has to help the ball to flow and clear and easy passes are a requirement for this. He is not asked to do the role of a Trequartista like Pirlo or Alonso.

Another huge part of his role is covering. He has not only to cover a lot of ground to close the gaps left by our players that attack but he also has to keep that defense safe.

My point is that the anchor role is maybe one of the easiest in the game but at the same time one of , if not, the most complexe role on the field. He has to have technique, defensive skills, positioning, leadership, strength, stamina and tenacity; he doesn’t have to excel at any of those except positioning maybe but he has to be decent at all of them. Van Bommel is a well rounded player that can either do a good tackle or put a ball 20 meters away right in your feet and that should be the model to search his replacement.

Allegri has tried to use Ambro in that role this season, but to be honest I think that beside one or two games his performance has been mediocre at best, his positioning is not good, he seems to be too slow and tired to run the midfield like MvB and he’s more of a silent leader rather than an anchor.

So who can play that role you may ask yourselves. Well the options are a lot, the good options a few. Many rossoneri giving a lot of love to Strasser, and although I usually say use the youngsters, Strasser is way too inexperienced for the role. De Rossi is another option many have in mind and I agree that he is a great replacement. In fact he fits in almost all the characteristics MvB has, however I don’t see Roma letting him go so easily nor Berlusconi paying 15-20 millions for him. Personally I would pick Hargreaves but real life is not like a video game so crazy moves like that usually don’t happen.

I know this might sound CRAZY and I know I’ll get a lot of criticism because of what I’m about to say, but how about adapting Flamini into the anchor role ? I know he isn’t the most popular player in the squad, he probably is the least favorite only second to Bonera or Antonini, but he isn’t a bad player. Last season he was part of the starting XI and while many didn’t like his tough playing style, Flamini might have what it takes to do the job. I think this video shows the potential he has to take over the role and master it.



Flamini against Lazio (Uploader – 3nabifans)

He has most of the attributes Van Bommel has : technique, strength, stamina, character. Maybe he lacks a bit in positioning but he still is in time to learn how to run the midfield properly at the same time saving us some money. I think he might also agree to lower his wages in order to stay in one of the biggest clubs in Europe. He certainly is not popular, but hey neither was MvB when he arrived so who knows? maybe a few years from now we might be looking for another “Flamini”.

It’s just a case I’m stating, it probably won’t happen. certainly Allegri will ask for another DMF in January or June but what is certain is the fact that Van Bommel won’t last forever and right now we do not have a quick fix. Let’s hope he doesn’t get injured for a long period or we might be in trouble, because despite the fact that he is not a popular figure all over the world, Van Bommel has a lot of arguments to back him up, I’ve been a huge fan of him for about 6 years now and he is as sharp as he was in 2006. Everyone might not like him, but those who say he isn’t one of the best DMF in the game today may watch as much football as they want, but they certainly don’t understand it.

Forza Milan.

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