Maybe this is a hot take, but even with all of Milan’s summer signings, it would be a shame if Milan let M’Baye Niang go instead of incorporating him into the team.
As a player, the French forward has world-class speed, excellent technical ability and creativity, and a frenetic work rate. Niang’s 1v1 abilities are first rate, and he also has an excellent left foot despite being right footed. Anyone who has seen Niang play can testify to his electric style of play, and it’s a wonder that Milan are even open to selling him. It sometimes feels like clubs are too quick to push good players out on an ice flow.
Watching Niang at full speed with or without the ball is a sight to see, and when you combine this with outstanding technical ability, you have to give the Frenchman his due.
Even for a forward playing in Serie A, you would have to describe Niang’s skill level as first-rate. The dribbling, passing, and shooting showcased by the French attacker stands out from others on the field, and he is also a dead ball specialist who can score off a free kick or put in excellent balls off corner kicks.
In today’s modern football, clubs are willing to buy and sell players so quickly, and a talent like Niang obligates the coach to put in some extra time to cultivate a special talent. No one has ever accused Niang of not running enough or not playing hard enough, and if you combine that with his individual dribbling skill at pace and from a stop, you have to wonder what exactly Milan is doing.
Niang has received some criticism for not scoring more goals, and others have made the claim that Niang must improve his finishing. But, based on several of Niang’s excellent goals with his weaker left foot from the run of play, you’d have to question whether or not the French striker even has a problem with finishing. Someone can question his finishing, but it gets harder to support such a claim when you rewatch several of his goals.
Niang once missed a goal in the Champions League vs. Barcelona when his shot nicked off the post, but it was just a close miss off the post that even a blade of grass or a drop of water on the field could have caused.
He is a flashy player, but Niang’s play always creates problem’s for opposing defenses and opens up games. He isn’t a player whose fancy tricks hinder his team from building up a rhythm. When Niang plays he makes Milan more dangerous and direct.
No matter what you hear or read about Niang, don’t forget to watch him for yourself. The Frenchman has an ease with executing tricks and blowing past defenders, and many of these tricks are tricks that very few players can actually pull off at pace in games against strong competition. Niang’s tricks and moves aren’t fruitless, but rather they are highly effective at eluding defenders and getting into the penalty box.
Niang has been called a prodigy and a phenomenon for a reason, and his electric and creative play is always accompanied by non-stop running and working for the team. The French striker can’t be accused of walking around the field or checking out of games.
Maybe it’s an opinion in the minority, but selling an extremely fast and technical player like Niang seems like a shortsighted decision of the “grass is always greener” mentality, especially since the Frenchman isn’t a burner but an attacker with elite skill on the ball.
Below is a video of his highlights from last season, and his electric play and skill are on full display:
Breaking Down M’Baye Niang’s Qualities and Skill-Set
M’Baye Niang. Dazzling technical ability and creativity inside an NBA physique with Olympic sprinter athleticism.
Niang really is just like that. A center forward by trade, the French attacker has so much skill and natural talent that he’s been able to play out of position as a wing or second striker for AC Milan without any problems.
In addition to all of the speed and trickery, Niang is also an elite passer and dead ball specialist. When Mario Balotelli first game to Milan several years ago after being at Inter Milan and Manchester City, Niang showed the ability to harmonize with Balotelli and attack opposing defenses like bandits. This ability to associate and combine with Balotelli shows a mind that understands football and knows how to help and be helped by talented teammates.
The one area where Niang needs to improve is converting more of his individual creativity into goals. Niang can certainly score and be a threat for the entire 90 minutes, but there is lots of room for capitalizing on all of that skill and audacity.
The French forward is borderline unplayable as his speed and skill are too much to expect any defender to really contain. Since Niang hasn’t harnessed all of his powers yet, his scoring and assist stats haven’t been noteworthy. The lack of numerous goals and assists is attributable to simply not being clinical enough in the final third. When Niang sharpens up his finishing, he’s the only one stopping him.
Unlike Balotelli, Niang has no issues with discipline or emotional control. Like Balotelli, Niang can do everything with both feet, and he can smoothly execute difficult tricks that most footballers cannot pull off against other professionals in a game setting. Niang also excels at shielding the ball and bodying off defenders without fouling. Niang has a slender built, but there is a lot of muscle and power in his tall frame.
No one in world football runs with the speed and effortless grace of Niang, and this is coupled with a expert level of mastery of the ball. The Frenchman is just a speed merchant; he is an elite attacking talent that is only 21 years old.
A refined Niang will be a rival or partner for Karim Benzema in the French attack. Earning a spot on France’s UEFA Euro 2016 roster should be a goal for Niang.
M’Baye Niang checks all the boxes for a forward: skill, creativity, activity, speed, size, passing. and scoring ability. His time should be soon.
Besides Brazil, France produces the best footballers.
It took a 3-0 victory over Ukraine to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but France is easily one of the best national teams on the planet with young prodigies in the defense, in the midfield, and in the attack. These three freaks of nature are of course Raphaël Varane in the defense, Paul Pogba in the midfield, and the currently outside of the fold M’Baye Niang in the attack.
World Football is seeing an influx of extremely tall and graceful athletes with incredible technical ability and speed. The three French prodigies plus Mario Balotelli are soccer players with essentially the physique and athleticism of NBA players, and they are starting to raise the bar for all footballers in terms of skill, size, and speed.
While these three French players have been highlighted because of their youth and their phenomenal combination of masterful technical ability and off the charts athleticism, Les Bleus also feature Franck Ribéry (currently up for the Ballon d’Or), Blaise Matuidi, Samir Nasri, Mathieu Valbuena, and Karim Benzema.
To this list, one should add Yann M’Vila, Jérémy Ménez, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yohan Cabaye, Gaël Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Adil Rami, Christophe Jallet, and a whole host of other players.
France has truly elite players at almost every position, and Varane and Pogba in particular are 20 year olds who are essentially the best players in the world at their positions. Thiago Silva is the world’s best center back, but Varane is somewhat at his level.
The 18-year-old AC Milan striker, M’Baye Niang, is serving a ridiculous ban from the French Football Federation until the end of the calendar year, but Niang is a striker who has the technical ability, size, and untouchable athleticism of Mario Balotelli.
Anyone who has watched Niang play can see that the two-footed magic, the trickery, the speed, the passing ability, the work rate, and the aggressive attacking play are a nightmare for any defender to handle. Niang is a complete first striker with no weaknesses.
In the midst of having Ribéry as one of the favorites for the Ballon d’Or, France’s very young prodigies in addition to slightly older players like Matuidi, Benzema, Valbuena, and Ménez make Les Bleus a national side that no one will want to face in the 2014 World Cup.
With a defense anchored by a center back like Varane who is perfect technically and defensively and essentially unbeatable in a foot race and a midfield built around a totally complete midfielder in Pogba, the addition of Niang would make France a team with total masters in the defense, in the midfield, and in the attack.
Although Italy won the 2006 World Cup, France was the best team in that World Cup, and the France squad for the 2014 World Cup has yet to prove that it’s anywhere close to the same level as the 2006 team, which was almost entirely comprised of legends and masters.
The foundation of this France side is very, very strong, and it will be interesting to see which players prove to be the best options for France at the positions not occupied by Varane, Pogba, Matuidi, Ríbery, and Benzema.
Will France make its teenage prodigy, M’Baye Niang, the focal point of the attack? Only time will tell. Unleashing the AC Milan striker on defenders in the 2014 World Cup would be a wise decision for a national team with Varane and Pogba bossing the defense and the midfield.
France had a roller coaster of a World Cup qualifying campaign, but several of the best footballers on the planet such as Varane and Pogba are young French players who are already superstars.
The Brazilian prodigy, Neymar, will be the best player and the main attraction of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but don’t sleep on France when next summer comes around because French football is back.
Given France’s problems during World Cup qualification, World Soccer Source would be interested to see France slightly modify their line-up by fielding the following Starting XI:
With Mario Balotelli suspended for the next three Serie A matches, the time has come to start the 18-year-old 6’4″ French striker, M’Baye Niang, and let him blossom into an elite striker.
Despite being a teenager and even without Balotelli’s suspension, Niang’s special gifts and abilities needed to be unleashed on Milan’s opposition on a more consistent basis sooner. A striker with Niang’s speed, agility, 1v1 abilities, shooting ability, and combination play isn’t something that Massimiliano Allegri can ignore.
Milan need Niang to disrupt defenses with his movement off the ball and his skill on it — all of which constantly threaten the goal. Niang is a great finisher with both feet, even though he received some criticism for having a shot hit off the post against Barcelona in the Champions League last season.
Without Kaká and Riccardo Montolivo, or Stephan El Shaarawy for that matter, a player with Niang’s workrate and effectiveness at putting himself in scoring-positions can help to compensate for a current midfield lacking in creativity, but Niang’s own qualities warrant a starting spot, even with a full squad.
The logical thing for Milan to do would be to start Robinho with Niang in order to facilitate combination play in the attack and to use Robinho as the player to drop back to collect the ball from the likes of Nigel De Jong, Sulley Muntari, Antonio Nocerino, and Andrea Poli who are all playing slightly deeper in the midfield.
For AC Milan’s purposes, even without the current injuries, a striker of M’Baye Niang’s physique, athleticism, aggressive and creative playing style, and world-class technical ability is simply too talented to leave watching the games from the bench.
Of all of the players in world football, finding one who is a faster and smoother mover than Niang who also has trickery and striker instincts that are off the charts is close to an impossible task.
Niang isn’t a raw striker who needs to refine his technical ability, but rather he is one of the best young talents in world football. What Niang needs is playing time: playing time to get into a rhythm and start scoring goals. Any striker who can smoothly execute textbook elásticos and pull them off effortlessly is truly a special striker indeed.
Whatever excuse that Massimiliano Allegri has for not making Niang a core element of his Milan squad in no way justifies the exclusion of a player who wrecks so much havoc in the attack and who draws so many defenders toward him.
None of Milan’s injuries rationalize the decision to not start M’Baye Niang every game they can because his abilities already demand it, and he needs the experience to continue to grow and improve as a striker.
Soon, M’Baye Niang will be one of the elite strikers in the world, and any club would be hard-pressed to find a striker with his combination of elite technical ability and creativity combined with incredibly smooth and superior athleticism inside such a tall and agile frame.
M’Baye Niang (left) and Mario Balotelli (right). (Photo: Icon Sport)
Stephan El Shaarawy is an exciting and gifted second striker, but Mario Balotelli and M’Baye Niang starting together as first strikers could be a lethal strike force for Milan this season.
The trident of Balotelli, Niang, and El Shaarawy works, and Massimiliano Allegri and Milan would be wise to start the trident, unless the tactics against a particular opponent call for choosing either Niang or El Shaarawy to partner with Balotelli up top.
While Balotelli and Niang are excellent dead ball specialists and passers who willingly combine with their teammates, El Shaarawy brings more of a second striker style of play than either Niang or Balotelli who bring an even more advanced element of speed combined with 1v1 abilities, which are off the charts.
If Allegri starts El Shaarawy, Balotelli, and Niang as a trident, Milan’s attack will look like a line of three forwards each inhabiting a certain wide or central area of the field, but really the players will be constantly moving and changing positions with each other to such an extent that their positions on paper won’t matter.
There’s no guarantee that Milan will start this trident up top as Allegri will have to decide which players he wants to start in the midfield. At midfield, Milan has players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, Riccardo Montolivo, Sulley Muntari, Antonio Nocerino, Nigel De Jong, Andrea Poli, and Robinho, who is a winger or second striker, and Allegri will have to find the best combination of these players and others.
Regardless of who starts in midfield and with or without El Shaarawy starting every game, Milan should place a premium on starting both Balotelli and Niang at striker because their combination of world-class speed and dazzling skill is simply too much of a weapon to not take advantage of.
Barcelona has Messi and Neymar in the attack, but Milan has two first strikers in Niang and Balotelli who work together to relentlessly attack the goal with their combination of skill, speed, and size, which is different to the Neymar and Messi combination.
While Niang and Balotelli are unique in their combination of skill, speed, size, and athleticism, there is room for El Shaarawy in the line-up, and Milan should take advantage of these three forwards in order to bring an onslaught of attackers every game.
No team in the world has two strikers with the skill and athleticism of Niang and Balotelli, and Milan needs to start these two strikers together and figure out what other four players are needed to field a balanced and effective midfield and attack.
For all of Balotelli’s individual skill and ability to execute difficult tricks and passes, Niang almost appears to possess better 1v1 dribbling abilities than Balotelli, and Niang just might be faster than Balotelli. This isn’t to say that Niang is better than Balotelli, but his speed and dribbling just might be better.
It’s rare to see soccer players who have the physique, athleticism, skill, and competitive mentality of Niang and Balotelli, but two strikers with these gifts and qualities on the same team is something that no other club or national team can match.
Rather than selecting Balotelli or Niang, Milan should start both strikers to terrorize defenses and dictate the tempo of the game, as it’s doubtful that any defense can truly contain players with Balotelli’s and Niang’s physical gifts and technical skills, especially when they are unleashed on opponents at the same time.
*Note: Lionel Messi was not included in this list because the list is intended to be a Best XI of players who are young prodigies who are new to the scene or underrated. Lionel Messi is widely considered the best player in the world, and he belongs on a list of simply the Best XI.
*Note: Leonardo Bonucci seemed to not really be young enough or underrated enough to be part of this list. Bonucci would likely be the starting center back with Thiago Silva on a World’s Best XI list. Salvatore Sirigu is older than some of the other players because he is a goalkeeper, and 25 is fairly young for an elite goalkeeper.
The World’s Best XI: The Young, The Underrated, The Sleepers, and the The Newcomers
The World’s Best XI: The Young and the Newcomers
*Many people may call the formation above narrow, but anyone who thinks that should try breaking down the back six players or stopping the five attackers. This formation uses two center forwards (a.k.a. first-strikers)
Many of the top, so-called “young” goalkeepers are around 25 years old, and this is the case with Salvatore Sirigu. The Italian Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper was part of the project to stock Paris Saint-Germain with elite players to bring PSG back to elite status and prominence, and the fact that Sirigu was sought out says a lot about his ability. Based on Salvatore Sirigu’s play with Paris Saint-Germain, the Azzurri net will be in good hands when Gigi Buffon retires or is unavailable. Tall and athletic with good reflexes, Sirigu fits right into a club team stocked full of world-class players.
Right Back: Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid; France)
Raphaël Varane is a 19 year old starting center back for Real Madrid who can play anywhere in the defense and even as a central midfielder. Varane’s ability and defensive prowess have stood out on more than one occasion while playing against the pass masters of Barcelona, not to mention Lionel Messi. Tall, skilled, fast, and 19, Varane will be the cornerstone of Real Madrid’s and France’s defense for years to come. There’s a new crop of elite defenders on the world stage, and Raphaël Varane is one of the best defenders in the world regardless of age. Varane was an easy and automatic pick for a Best XI list of new, young, or underrated players.
Center Back: Dedé (Vasco da Gama; Brazil)
Dedé is widely regarded as the best Brazilian defender playing in Brazil, and perhaps only Thiago Silva is a better Brazilian defender than Dedé. Dedé is an enormous human being, especially for a soccer player, and his technical ability and dexterity with his feet is not hindered by his height and incredible physical strength. Until Dedé plays outside of Brazil in Europe, he will continue to be underrated, but Dedé is wanted by almost every top club in the world. All the hype about Dedé is true, and the stamp of authenticity is the almost universal belief among the Brazilian people that Dedé is the best defender playing in Brazil. Dedé is an imposing figure and a scary individual. Dedé will be feared for years.
Left Back: Angelo Ogbonna (Torino; Italy)
Angelo Ogbonna, like Dedé and Varane, is the most sought after young defender in the world. Ogbonna is a world-class athlete with natural technical ability who runs and moves with grace. Ogbonna plays as a center back or left back, and whoever buys Ogbonna from Torino will be dropping a lot of cash. Expected to partner with Leonardo Bonucci in the center of the Italian defense, watching Ogbonna in action is quite the sight to see. Ogbonna is easily one of the very best defenders in the world.
Central Midfielder: Paul Pogba (Juventus; France)
The French midfielder playing for Juventus like several of his countrymen on this list is a teenage prodigy who was ready to play at the highest level the first time he was given the chance. Pogba is a central midfielder that gives a team everything: passing, defense, speed, goals, running, vision, strength, and mental toughness. Pogba’s skill-set is not confined to a single midfield position, as Pogba has everything. Pogba has no single position that can be classified as his natural position, except that he is a central midfielder. Pogba’s play at Juventus as a teenager speaks for itself, and his spectacular highlights in addition to overall performances throughout games make Pogba already one of the best midfielders in the world. Read more about Paul Pogba here:
Central Midfielder: Paulinho (Corinthians; Brazil)
Paulinho has garnered worldwide praise for his play at Corinthians, and he is now a fixture on the Brazilian national team where he (along with Ramires) wears the number 8 of the box-to-box midfielder. The Seleção has played Ramires and Paulinho together as two box-to-box midfielders on some occasions as opposed to using a box-to-box midfielder with the more defensive number 5 or cabeça de área who roams the back of the midfield in front of the defensive back four. Given Paulinho’s overall ability and strong defensive skills in addition to his speed and stamina, many clubs have sought out Paulinho’s services, none with more determination than Inter Milan. Paulinho is a complete central midfielder who provides everything: defensive coverage, quality passing, speed, technical ability, 1v1 ability, and goals.
Attacker: Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich; Germany)
Thomas Müller started for Germany and scored five World Cup goals and provided three assists at the age of 20 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Additionally, Müller is a starter for Bayern Munich where he plays the role of two players as a playmaker and a striker. Still, Thomas Müller has his share of critics, even though his record speaks for itself and his ability is self-evident by anyone who looks at it. There are those who are already pushing for Marco Reus or Tony Kroos to take his starting spot for Germany, but Müller won the World Cup Golden Boot at age 20 in a tournament where many professionals complained that the official ball was difficult to control. Müller has speed, creativity, two-footed skill and finishing ability, exceptional passing, and a nose for goal. 126 appearance for Bayern Munich and 44 goals plus 39 appearances for Germany and 11 goals at 23 years old speak for themselves.
Playmaker: Oscar (Chelsea; Brazil)
Neymar gave Oscar the nickname, “Oscraque,” while Neymar was still playing with the playmaking prodigy, Ganso, and that’s all anyone needs to know about Oscar. Oscar stepped into English Football like it was nothing, despite all the naysayers saying the physicality of the English Premier League would be hard for Oscar to deal with. Oscar was not the first world-class playmaker to grace the English Premier League, but he did put everyone in the English Premier League on notice that there was a young Brazilian prodigy orchestrating the attack for Chelsea with a level of skill and creativity nowhere to be found in the EPL.
Attacker: Neymar (Santos; Brazil)
This writer has never seen a player who attacks defenders like Neymar or who has the same 1v1 dribbling ability, and this includes Pelé, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar will be the best player in the world soon, but the incredible skill of Mario Balotelli (discussed below) should not go overlooked. Neymar’s dribbling ability is already at a level really unseen before, even be Ronaldinho. While Ronaldinho destroyed defenders at pace or from a standstill in his prime, Neymar seems to combine two to three tricks in one sequence, which are effective and not just for show. Much of the focus on Neymar is his speed, quickness, incredible dribbling skill, and his goal-scoring ability with both feet, but Neymar is a magnificent passer who goes all over the field to receive the ball and play excellent passes to his teammates. Words do not do Neymar justice, and Neymar must be seen on video or in person to fully appreciate. Neymar is a sight to behold, and he will eclipse Messi, even when one looks at video of Messi in his prime. With all of the new talent on the world scene, Neymar might not receive four Ballons d’Or as Messi has, but Neymar’s skill looks more complete than Messi’s. Read more about Neymar here:
With the exception of Neymar, Mario Balotelli is possibly the best player of his generation skill-wise, and he lives to silence his critics in big games. Super Mario is almost always more technically-skilled than his teammates or opponents, and his size and athleticism are a new frontier in world soccer. A first striker in the mold of Ronaldo, Balotelli is also a dead ball specialist. Balotelli strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents, and his so-called mental problems and off field problems are normally pure fiction. Now back at the club that he supported as a child, AC Milan, where he is performing well, Balotelli should no longer have to answer his critics after his masterclass against Germany in the semifinal of UEFA Euro 2012. Mario Balotelli is without a doubt the most talented first-striker since Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. Balotelli’s only competition for the title of the best first-striker in the world is his teammate, M’Baye Niang. Perhaps, Niang possesses better 1v1 dribbling skills than Balotelli, but Balotelli’s are off the charts. Read more about Mario Balotelli here:
M’Baye Niang is a 6’4” teenage striker who combines supersonic speed with a magnetic first touch and 1v1 skills and tricks that are only rivaled by Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mario Balotelli. Many observers cannot discuss M’Baye Niang without discussing Mario Balotelli because of obvious physical similarities, but M’Baye Niang is a prodigy and a phenomenon in his own right. Niang uses both feet interchangeable, and he attacks defenders and plays at one speed: full speed. Keep an eye on M’Baye Niang because in his first Champions League game, which was against Barcelona, he left Carles Puyol for dead and was the catalyst of the second and decisive goal. Niang is an elegant player who provides electrifying and effective play. Like Mario Balotelli, M’Baye Niang is a first-striker in the style of Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. Niang also looks to be a player who excels at dead balls and passing. Unlike his teammate Mario Balotelli, Niang appears to enjoy tracking back on defense to hound the opposition and regain possession.
Lucas Moura is another electrifying young talent whose skill is unquestioned. Lucas electrifies with his speed, skill, dribbling, and overall attacking skill. Lucas should be an almost certain starter for the Seleção in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Mario Balotelli and M’Baye Niang impressed not only with their skill and athleticism but with the way that they shared the ball.
Mario Balotelli garnered most of the headlines for silencing his critics with his triumphant return to Serie A with AC Milan, but Balotelli has a history of delivering when the pressure goes up.
Most of the criticism of Balotelli’s personal life and so-called attitude problem is off base and blown out of proportion. While at Manchester City, Balotelli was even subjected to professionalism and maturity lectures and quotes in the press from Nigel De Jong who jumped kicked Xabi Alonso in the chest in the 2010 World Cup Final.
Mario Balotelli is a prodigy and his skill has been on display for around five years, but the teamwork and sharing of the ball between two technical masters and freaks of nature like Mario Balotelli and M’Baye Niang was something of a first in the world of soccer. It could be argued that never before have two strikers with the athleticism, size, and technical ability of Balotelli and Niang attacked an opponent together with a selfless sharing of the ball in a tandem of total destruction.
Milan’s other prodigy, Stephan El Shaarawy, should not be overlooked, as his skill and goal-scoring rate have been keeping Milan competitive, but seeing two soccer players with the physique, size, skill, and world-class athleticism of Balotelli and Niang attacking together must have made teams around Europe nervous.
Without exaggeration, what do you do when two players who have the total package of aggressive play, fantastic technical ability, and unmatchable athleticism attack you without one of the two players playing selfishly? There is nothing really the opposition can do. There are certainly teams with the ability to almost neutralize such players working together, and Niang and Balotelli will have off nights, but players with Balotelli and Niang’s physical gifts and speed, inside of tall and strong frames, is certainly something new in the world of soccer.
As Balotelli has been around for several years, there have been tall, athletic, and skilled players before, but if more players with all of these qualities become more widespread, many elite soccer players are going to find themselves struggling to keep up with players who inevitably will beat you due to one of many qualities.
For all of the talk of Balotelli’s so-called attitude problems and Niang’s youth, both players must have shocked many people by their willingness to play together while still shining as individuals. Balotelli and Niang found a way in their first game to not compete with each other, but rather to make each other better.
Any defenders or opposing players for that matter who face Balotelli and Niang will be in for a rough outing because, even if one or both of the players do not score or have something of an off game, the constant onslaught of speed, skill, adventurous play, and strength will be a total nightmare.
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