Allegri absolutely sure of Ricci's best position: "That role suits him better"

"During today's press conference at Milanello, Massimiliano Allegri was asked about Samuele Ricci's best position and the manager had a clear response. So far this season, Ricci has made 20 appearances for Milan and he has had multiple positions. In the pre-season, he played as the deep-lying midfielder but after Luka Modric's arrival, he has almost exclusively been used as a mezz'ala, i.e. as a midfielder on either side of the Croatian."

"As for Ricci, I'm very happy with how he's developing; he's a very intelligent player. Right now, the mezz'ala role suits him best; he's able to move vertically and shoot on goal. Maybe in the future he could be an excellent defensive player, but right now that role suits him better."

"It's been suggested that Ricci could get the chance from start against Roma, keeping his spot to the right in midfield. Youssouf Fofana is the player he's battling with and since the Frenchman hasn't been in great form lately, the Italian should feel pretty confident."

Samuele Ricci has made 20 appearances for Milan this season and has been used in multiple midfield positions. He played as a deep-lying midfielder during pre-season but shifted almost exclusively to a mezz'ala role after Luka Modric's arrival. The mezz'ala role has allowed Ricci to move vertically and shoot on goal, producing one of his best performances recently and nearly scoring. The mezz'ala role currently suits him best; he is developing well, is very intelligent, and could potentially become an excellent defensive player in the future. Ricci is competing with Youssouf Fofana for a right-midfield starting spot ahead of the Roma match.

Read at SempreMilan