Prior to the 2006 World Cup, Brazil were the favorites to win the tournament, partly because they had two world-class attacking players in their side: Ronaldinho and Kaka. However, once the competition rolled around it was a very different story from what fans had expected.
The Selecao flopped, exiting in the quarterfinals, and both Ronaldinho and Kaka never really got going, displaying none of the dazzling form they had for Barcelona and Milan, respectively.
Now, the pair find themselves on the same side again, and while last season’s Barca benchwarmer has shown flashes of brilliance for the Rossoneri, Kaka appears to take a backseat to the 28-year-old when both are on the field. The 2007 Golden Ball winner is forced to do more of the dirty work than he is used too and, as a result, he is not as influential.
Kaka himself has noticed and vented his frustrations to the press, claiming he is struggling to adapt to his more limited role.In seven matches with Kaka and Ronaldinho playing together for Milan, the Rossoneri have three wins, three draws and a loss – 12 points out of a possible 21. Kaka himself has just one goal and one assist from these games.
But when Kaka has been fielded in a more advanced role, without his compatriot ‘Dinho on the pitch, he has caught the eye more often with four goals and one assist in five matches. Perhaps the more important statistic is that all of those five matches ended in Milan wins – 15 points out of 15.This is a worry for coach Carlo Ancelotti, as these numbers indicate that not only does Kaka play better without Ronaldinho, so do Milan. However, can you actually drop Ronaldinho, who himself has not been performing badly?
It comes down to a matter of balance, Ronaldinho physically is not in the same shape as Kaka, so the Milan No. 22 is forced to play a deeper role in midfield than he would like. However, this limits his effect and Milan’s. It is not where Kaka is at his best.
What do you do when you have two Brazilian superstars?
This is the most pressing question for Ancelotti – what does he do if this trend continues? Does he drop Ronaldinho to the bench? I doubt that will happen, at least not this season. The former Parma coach is paid big money to discover a way to get the best out of these two players and he must do that if Milan are to win Serie A, whether it involves changing tactics or changing personnel.
It could be just a matter of time. Ronaldinho and Kaka may find a way to play together and become accustomed to whatever roles they are given by the coaching staff but, with half the season almost gone, time is running out.
In my opinion, this is simply a case of Milan going after the wrong player. The team has other positions that have required attention for some time, but instead vice president Adriano Galliani and company pursued Ronaldinho when they already had the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and, of course, Kaka.
How long have Milan needed some cover in defense and a competent hitman upfront? Instead of focusing on these areas that could use improvement, Milan bring in Ronaldinho and from January onwards English midfielder David Beckham (although, perhaps only for a short time). These two men are great players in their own right, but they are not players that Milan need.
The Selecao flopped, exiting in the quarterfinals, and both Ronaldinho and Kaka never really got going, displaying none of the dazzling form they had for Barcelona and Milan, respectively.
Now, the pair find themselves on the same side again, and while last season’s Barca benchwarmer has shown flashes of brilliance for the Rossoneri, Kaka appears to take a backseat to the 28-year-old when both are on the field. The 2007 Golden Ball winner is forced to do more of the dirty work than he is used too and, as a result, he is not as influential.
Kaka himself has noticed and vented his frustrations to the press, claiming he is struggling to adapt to his more limited role.In seven matches with Kaka and Ronaldinho playing together for Milan, the Rossoneri have three wins, three draws and a loss – 12 points out of a possible 21. Kaka himself has just one goal and one assist from these games.
But when Kaka has been fielded in a more advanced role, without his compatriot ‘Dinho on the pitch, he has caught the eye more often with four goals and one assist in five matches. Perhaps the more important statistic is that all of those five matches ended in Milan wins – 15 points out of 15.This is a worry for coach Carlo Ancelotti, as these numbers indicate that not only does Kaka play better without Ronaldinho, so do Milan. However, can you actually drop Ronaldinho, who himself has not been performing badly?
It comes down to a matter of balance, Ronaldinho physically is not in the same shape as Kaka, so the Milan No. 22 is forced to play a deeper role in midfield than he would like. However, this limits his effect and Milan’s. It is not where Kaka is at his best.
What do you do when you have two Brazilian superstars?
This is the most pressing question for Ancelotti – what does he do if this trend continues? Does he drop Ronaldinho to the bench? I doubt that will happen, at least not this season. The former Parma coach is paid big money to discover a way to get the best out of these two players and he must do that if Milan are to win Serie A, whether it involves changing tactics or changing personnel.
It could be just a matter of time. Ronaldinho and Kaka may find a way to play together and become accustomed to whatever roles they are given by the coaching staff but, with half the season almost gone, time is running out.
In my opinion, this is simply a case of Milan going after the wrong player. The team has other positions that have required attention for some time, but instead vice president Adriano Galliani and company pursued Ronaldinho when they already had the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and, of course, Kaka.
How long have Milan needed some cover in defense and a competent hitman upfront? Instead of focusing on these areas that could use improvement, Milan bring in Ronaldinho and from January onwards English midfielder David Beckham (although, perhaps only for a short time). These two men are great players in their own right, but they are not players that Milan need.
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