Hakan Calhanoglu is fully clicking in the holding midfield role at Inter Milan after some gradual steps in that direction.
Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, hail the Turk’s adaptation to a position that is far from the only one he’s played in his career.
It is not that uncommon for top holding midfielders to begin life in more attacking positions.
After all, attacking midfield positions are the ones where midfielders can have the freedom to really show their creative talents. But without the responsibilities of the regista role.
As players mature, they can move further back on the pitch to impact matches more.
This takes time, as players have to temper their tactical understanding, learning to set the tempo of matches.
And the defensive responsibilities much closer to a midfielder’s own goal are naturally far greater.
Hakan Calhanoglu Fully Clicking In Holding Midfield Role At Inter
Calhanoglu is a player who had spent the majority of his career in more of an attacking midfield role.
Inter had already spotted the Turkish international as a possible target whilst he was at Bayer Leverkusen.
But it was Inter’s city rivals AC MIlan who brought Calhanoglu to Serie A from the Bundesliga.
At the Rossoneri, Calhanoglu played a number of roles.
The Turk tried his hand in wide positions, and box-to-box roles. And in one short-lived experiment, coach Marco Giampaolo tried utilizing Calhanoglu at the regista spot.
The Turk never quite figured it out at that time.
Nor did he look at home in the position in early experiments during Simone Inzaghi’s first season as Inter coach.
But Calhanoglu has now well and truly found the right adjustments.
The 29-year-old finally looks like he’s playing the position that he was born to play at the base of midfield.
