Back page Another week goes by in Serie A and AC Milan continues to flounder as they were comfortably dispatched by Hellas Verona in an emphatic fashion.
The defeat signalled an all too familiar scene for fans of the Milanese giants this season.
While defeats have become commonplace, the same can be said for the unproductive performance of Nikola Kalinic, as he continues to be a source of chagrin among the Rossoneri faithful.
The Croatian looked every part of completing his journey as a flop signing, given how he laboured across the field struggling to make an impact.
Yes, with the way Milan are being set-up it can be a challenge to any centre-forward, however the 29-year old does himself no favours as, apart from a few flicks and some off-target shots, he simply did not threaten.
Kalinic is an experienced player, however he is no Andriy Shevchenko, and it is precisely why Gennaro Gattuso needs to start believing more in forwards Patrick Cutrone and Andre Silva.
Cutrone, a graduate of the Milan academy, is slowly carving out a reputation as a fan favourite and it’s not difficult to see why.
When he came on at half-time, the Italian showed intensity and effort knowing the heavy responsibility that came with representing his club’s colours.
Though he did not score a goal, the mobility he showed was far greater than his Croatian counterpart.
Furthermore, the youngster has shown he can deliver, evident in his last-minute winning goal against Rijeka in the group stage of the Europa League, which played an important part in Milan topping their table and qualifying for the next round of the competition.
Signed from Portugese powerhouse FC Porto, Silva has had a lukewarm start to his life in Italy.
Considered something of a Portugese prodigy by many, the 22-year old bagged 17 goals in 41 appearances during his time with the Dragoes, propelling the new owners of Milan to splash the cash on him.
And to add further to his burgeoning reputation, Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly requested for Real Madrid to sign him.
Significantly, all of this points to the fact that the seven time European champions have a true gem on their hands.
Although he has yet to light up Serie A, Silva has definitely dazzled in the Europa League where he has notched up an impressive tally of six goals in six appearances, averaging a goal per game.
Milan must provide the youngster with a consistent run of games in Serie A in order to witness his true potential instead of leaving him on the bench.
Despite possessing limited technical skills, former Milan CEO Adriano Galliani still signed Gattuso as a player, showing faith in him, and the rest as we all know is history.
Likewise, Gattuso needs to start putting faith in a Cutrone-Silva tandem instead of relying on players that don’t deliver.
Notably, the duo also represent the future given how young they are.
In the previous match whereby the two started together, Milan hammered Hellas Verona 3-0 in the Coppa Italia.
This is the scenario that Milan fans want to get used to and it all it might take is a little more faith from their manager.
