Hakan \u00c7alhanoglu arrived at Milan with admiration and high expectations after being brought in for \u20ac25 million from Bayer Leverkusen. The Turkish international had scored 17 goals in 79 appearances for Leverkusen and made a name for himself through his set-piece abilities. He also received Milan’s prestigious number 10 kit, previously worn by the likes of Rui Costa and Clarence Seedorf.<\/p>\n
\u00c7alhanoglu had not played a match since February when he joined Milan<\/a> in early July. This wasn’t due to injury, though, as the midfielder had broken the terms of his contract with Trabzonspor from 2011. Evidently, he paid the price several years later.<\/p>\n Hakan \u00c7alhanoglu\u00a0hit a learning curve at first. Fans, however, thought he’d adjust quickly since his absence wasn’t due to injury. It was evident early that his fitness levels weren’t up to par. \u00c7alhanoglu didn’t start often in the early season under former Milan manager Vincenzo Montella, and when he did he rarely lasted a full 90 minutes.<\/p>\n As the season dragged on, \u00c7alhanoglu’s fitness levels matched that of his teammates. He was still struggling, however. Montella experimented with him as a central midfielder, and this became an issue. \u00c7alhanoglu’s skill set is better suited for attacking football. \u00c7alhanoglu was visibly frustrated and lost motivation early on.<\/p>\n Montella was relieved of his duties in late November due to a number of lacklustre results. Milan, fresh off a summer spending spree, struggled to find an identity.<\/p>\n Gennaro Gattuso<\/a>, coach of the Milan Primavera side, became the new senior side manager. Although Gattuso was a former star, he had little experience managing a large and prestigious club. He was, however, always known for his passion and ability to motivate.<\/p>\n Motivate he did. Gattuso has completely revitalized Milan and has them looking like a legitimate contender. Every player has benefitted from Gattuso’s promotion, but most notably has been \u00c7alhanoglu. Gattuso has deployed \u00c7alhanoglu as a left-winger, and that has worked wonders for his confidence. \u00c7alhanoglu is involved in all attacks – releasing vicious shots at goals and whipping in accurate crosses. He’s also constantly tracking back to help defensively. Gattuso has instilled a new confidence in\u00a0\u00c7alhanoglu’s game.<\/p>\n Gattuso has noticed this as well.<\/p>\n “The whole team has improved, in my opinion. But honestly, I didn’t expect Hakan to step up the way he has. He is only 24 years old, I like him a lot and he has impressed me. I didn’t expect him to be such a complete player,” Gattuso said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Milan’s most recent match, a 1-0 victory over Sampdoria, was arguably\u00a0\u00c7alhanoglu’s most complete performance for the team. On the offensive side, he completed 89 percent of his passes, created four chances, had eight total shots (three on target), and hit one shot off the post. More impressively, on the defensive side, he had four successful tackles and two interceptions. Hakan \u00c7alhanoglu was all over the pitch and was determined to guide Milan to victory.<\/p>\n The Rossoneri<\/em> face a tough schedule with Roma, Lazio and Inter as upcoming fixtures.\u00a0\u00c7alhanoglu will have to maintain his current form and dictate Milan going forward for the team to score on what are very stingy defences. He is more motivated than ever due to his relationship with Gattuso, and he must continue to deliver.<\/p>\n Main Image Credit:<\/p>\nHakan \u00c7alhanoglu: New Coach, New Attitude<\/h1>\n
Early Struggles<\/h2>\n
Revitalization under Gattuso<\/h2>\n
What’s next?<\/h2>\n