Player Focus: Pato Beginning to Shine for São Paulo After Change of Position

Like so many other ill-fated schemes, it began with Silvio Berlusconi. 

Alexandre Pato had begun his Milan career in stunning style, scoring 24 Serie A goals in goals in his first two seasons and cementing his reputation as one of the best prospects in the game. World domination - both at club level and for Brazil - had seemed inevitable.  

Then along came Silvio. A master tactician in his own mind, the three-time Italian prime minister thought Pato - by that point fast becoming the Rossoneri's most marketable asset - was drifting wide too much, wasting energy that could be used in the box. So Berlusconi called on the youngster to play through the middle. 

Or at least that is how Pato himself recalls it. In an enlightening interview last week, the forward claimed that the tweak to his role was partly to blame for his subsequent travails at the San Siro and the premature end to his time in Europe. 

"I played out wide when I turned professional [at Internacional], with Fernandão the main striker," said Pato. “It was the same at Milan, with [Pippo] Inzaghi and then with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic.  

"It was Berlusconi who suggested that I play through the middle. I tried it and even played there for Brazil under Mano [Menezes]. But I don't have the physical strength to keep bouncing off defenders and holding the ball up. That's not my game. I like to have the ball and run at defenders." 

After a frustrating spell at Corinthians and a slow start to life at São Paulo, Pato is now finally getting his wish - after putting his case to new Tricolor coach Juan Carlos Osorio in the last couple of months. 

"I can offer more when I play open down the flanks, making the most of my speed and tracking back," he added. "When professor Osorio arrived, I spoke to him and asked to play open. He listened and is giving me the chance to do that." 

The switch is working. Starting from a position on the left flank, Pato scored one and laid on another against Vasco da Gama last week. On Sunday, he was even more effective, notching twice against Coritiba and doing much of the dog work for Ricardo Centurión's goal. 

The stats underline his improvement in his new (old) role. In 5 starts down the middle, Pato's WhoScored rating is just 6.43. In 4 games on the left, his rating shoots to 7.79. Despite that disparity, he leads the São Paulo squad for goals (5) and assists (2) and man-of-the-match awards (3) this season. 

With more space to work in, the former Milan man has managed 19 successful dribbles, more than any teammate. He also chips in with the defensive work, as 15 attempted tackles - more than defenders Rafael Tolói and Reinaldo - attest.  

Pato looks motivated on the field, a far cry from the dejected, miserable figure Corinthians fans may remember. His growing confidence was evident against Coritiba; he could easily have passed to Luís Fabiano at the end of a barrelling run, but took responsibility and was rewarded, while his second goal showcased a turn of pace that some thought may have deserted him after all of the injuries that marred his time at Milan. 

He continues to have his doubters. Former Brazil forward Tostão has been especially vocal in his criticism of Pato, claiming a disconnect between his global standing and his talent. “He’s a fragmented player, split into parts that don’t make a whole,” he wrote last year. He has also asserted that Pato “has never even played ten great games” in his whole career. 

There is of course a kernel of truth to those words, but it seems harsh to lay the blame at Pato’s door. He was, after all, caught up in football’s YouTube revolution, meaning Pato the idea was estranged from Pato the reality. He has rarely shied away from the publicity, but there is now a sense of a man trying to make up for lost time. 

The switch in position seems to be a first step on the path. If he continues to thrive on the left, a career that looked to be in a tailspin not so long ago should still have plenty to offer. He is still just 25, after all. 

He just needed to escape the lingering influence of Berlusconi - and not for the first time.

How impressed have you been with Pato following his positional switch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below