This is a new Balotelli, and I think I like it. A more matured player, who thinks more about the game and is more aware of the spacing of his teammates on the pitch. A footballer that now applies more thought when he is on the ball and is trying add an extra dynamic to the game. It's a Balotelli realizing his talents are far greater than being a mere finisher, and that he can be a far greater weapon to a team.
There could be a rather interesting team forming for Mihaijlovic's Milan.
The duo of Bacca and Adriano already seems to be functioning pretty well. They are yet to be on the same wavelength, but they are already scoring goals which is always good. And I have to add how amazing it is to still see teams that appreciate the benefit of having the dual-striker system. I've always felt that you need a strike partnership in a team because it produces more chances and actually makes for better matches, since midfielders tend to pass first before shooting whilst we all know what strikers are about. I am hoping that in about a month or so, Bacca and Adriano would have formed a clear understanding of one another and will start to telegraph each others passes which will make Milan one of the more dangerous teams in the league.
How does Super Mario Balotelli fit into all of this?
If Mihaijlovic had brought Balotelli in as a back-up striker to Adriano and Bacca, that would just be an insult to his abilities and would be a waste of money. For someone so young and still with so much potential; the intention has to be for him being on that pitch at the start. If you have both strikers fit, the only place that you could play Balotelli is just behind them as a creative force. That may seem a a bit wild to many having Balotelli there and others would not even believe has the the brains to play such a role. For those that say so, they never saw Balotelli in his last Milan stint and they didn't see his last performance.
Balotelli has never just been a finisher. There's always been something more to his game than just waiting inside the box and poaching a goal. There is a great intelligence he has for football that people just don't see. When watching him for Milan recently where he was out on the left wing, he didn't just play as a winger. Each time he got the ball, he was looking for a player to set up a chance and trying to actually be an orchestrator rather than just a cog carrying out a well-defined but minimal role. This is the hallmark of a creative footballer that can play in the hole and can actually get the best out of Bacca and Adriano.
Milan don't look perfect yet, and there is a midfield to sort out, but they could actually have one of the best attacks in the Serie A if Mihaijlovic can get Balotelli, Adriano and Bacca working together. If you could have Mario roaming across that hole, and constantly trying to play in the two South Americans, that could really be the recipe for Milan winning matches. Your strikers need service and you don't want them in a situation where they have to make a pilgrimage back to midfield just to get a taste of the ball. Balotelli can be that conduit, that bridge that prevents Bacca and Adriano from having to put in more work than they have to. Oh, and Super Mario knows how to strike a ball pretty well, which can always come in handy if the strikers have dried up.
I want to see this tried, I want to see Milan try new things. You see how Mancini has changed the very core of Inter and how strong they look; Mihaijlovic has to do the same and create a system that can consistently win matches. As I said before, Milan will NEED Balotelli at his best (we hope) if they are to win a Serie A that is really now up for grabs.
