Strahinja Pavlović has pointed to a high defensive line and aggressive pressing as the clearest tactical shift under Ruben Amorim compared with Massimiliano Allegri.
The change of coach followed a collapse that sent Milan from second down to fifth over the closing rounds of last season. Allegri was sacked within 24 hours of the final game, and much of the management structure was cleared out alongside him.
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport published this morning, Pavlović set out how the approach is evolving under the new coach. "So far, everything's going well, and we're working the right way. The coach is a positive person. I see a lot of ideas, and I hope we can do even better next season than last," he said.
The defender kept the specifics guarded but named the headline shift. "I can't reveal all our tactical ideas (smiles), but there are many different things. As you saw in the first friendly, we're trying to play with a high defensive line, and I think that will be the biggest difference. I think the coach wants us to press a lot more and always stay in the opponent's half."
That is a marked departure from the deeper, more reactive setup fans grew used to under Allegri, and it puts a demand on the centre-backs to defend more space behind them. Pavlović sees help arriving in the form of one of the summer's additions.
"We've signed two excellent players. I can especially speak about Gila because he's a defender and we faced each other a few times last year against Lazio: for me, he was always the best player on the pitch," he said. "He has so many qualities and can help us a lot, especially with what he does with the ball. He's also a very aggressive player, so I think he's perfect for Milan."
Whether the high line holds up against sharper opposition than a pre-season friendly is the question, and the first competitive tests will tell Amorim how far his defenders can push it.