end of season

Ronaldinho

Its the end of another story. A story that wasn't a fairy tale even if the ending somewhat resembled one. We had a new, young coach who left the club because he refused to be dominated by the President. And we had an unlikely candidate become our best player and being pivotal to our European qualification.

This season, we witnessed the worst defense Milan have had in recent history. Abate and Antonini were employed at fullback position. Our central striker was Marco Borriello and Pirlo continued his dismal form for yet another season running. Flamini was benched in favor of Ambrosini, and that counted in the big games. The lack of a hard man in midfield enable teams to run riot and we were on the receiving end of 4-0 scorelines. We fans suffered remarkable humiliation in Europe and Milan became a laughing stock. So pay attention and you would know that not much has changed since last year.

However credit must be given to Leo who tried to make a difference. Even though he is complimented and congratulated beyond rational limits, Leo did takea bunch of hags and newbies and accomplished European qualification that even 'double' winner Ancelloti couldn't at one point in time. Ancelloti still had Kaka and Maldini. Leonardo on the other hand had an impotent Hunterlaar and and a lame Favalli. Kudos then to the departing coach.

Standout player for me, by far is Ronaldinho. He has been the most consistent player for the team. He leads the domestic table in assists and has scored a good number of goals. If Borriello had taken his chances, Borriello would have won probably won the Capoconnoneire and Ronaldinho would have been rewarded by UEFA for most assists in a season in football's recorded history. Alas, Borriello was too preoccupied with his dashing charm and hairstyle and less on the job of scoring goals. We saw very little of Gattuso and Inzaghi, even Seedorf. This is a very good sign. Silva performed bravely this season without the tutelage of Nesta. The Brazilian did all he could to save the face of the club from a defender's perspective, but when you form a line of defense with Favalli, Abate and Antonini, being Lucio also wouldn't help. Nesta kept things tidy at the back with his partner for large parts of the season it was a two man show.

Pato. This lad convinces me and goes the mile to bring me back to square one. I still don't rate Pato. Are you shocked? Not surprised, many are when I tell them the same. Agreed he is very young, but that is his problem. He is very young. He would do very well at a Chelsea or a Manchester United. But sadly, AC Milan is not a club for someone like him. The pressure on him is telling; this to such an extent that he goes missing, quite literally. Either he is having a bad game or he is injured. He has his days when he is almost unplayable, but there are many youngsters like that in Europe.

After yet another disappointing season, we now look at the transfer period to give us hope. We are linked with a host of promising names; Krasic, Dzeko, Otamendi and the likes. Not fancy names, but names that could make a positive impact at the club. Allegri seems favorite to take up the reigns for the coming season. A new era beckons? Let's hope so.

wingmen

Dominic Adiyah

David Beckham

Firstly, I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Not that the bigwigs at Via Turati are bothered about us having a good start to the year, but season greeting nonetheless. Evidence enough for my claims by the introduction of two wing players. No, these two aren't sidekicks to Barney Stintson, but new average arrivals to the painfully poor squad available to a hapless Leonardo.

We are apparently building a team for the future, and we go ahead and sign a 20 year old, who has tremendous promise, and supposedly achieved at a young age what Aguero, Forlan and Messi have in the past at the U-20 world cup. Which is all good. Then arrives a 34 year old David Beckham. A player who will stay at the club for a period of less than 6 months. Now, the problems I have with these transfers are that they are the only ones to heat the Milan market this winter . Adiyah might not feature very often this season, and it would be foolish to expect him to displace either Pato or Ronaldinho. This kid has pace and skill. But in this day and age practically every 19 year old has these attributes. Does he have a cutting edge game worthy to don the red and black? Oh sorry, I forgot that Dida, Borriello and Kaladze are still members of this squad. I wouldn't know much about this Ghanaian, but that he has been signed from Fredrikstad, which is a Norwegian team.

Moving to Beckham.. why oh why would he think coming to Milan would help him seal a place in the national team tripping to South Africa? Leo's ultra-offensive 4-2-1-3 is creating ripples in Europe and the starting 11 know who they are even before training. Where is Beckham going to fit in? Can he displace either the irreplaceable Pirlo or the hard working Ambrosini, or fill in Pato/Ronaldinho's boots? The flat answer is, No. Beckham is a wide player, and that area is sufficiently full at the moment. It has been so hard to break into this position, that an attack minded Abate had to accept the role of a fullback just to earn some playing time. Beckham is merely going to be a pretty boy posing for the cameras, on the bench. Leo isn't the most adventurous of gaffers around. Borriello puts in one decent performance and goes missing for the next 3 games. But he is still guaranteed 80 minutes a match, as Huntelaar watches on. Beckham, to change the Brazilian's thinking? Not so.

We could have/should have snapped up Pandev on a free. But we didn't want to sever our relations with Lazio apparently. It leads me to assume that Galliani wants to run a human relations corporation and not a football club. The Macedonian would've provided us with the much needed option of an established/proven wide-man, a luxury, taking into account the kind of scrap we scrape up beneath the first eleven. There are however, other pressing needs in the team and we are busy piling in the wingers. When will the centre back arrive, and the left back, what about him? Galliani has some questions to answer. Kaladze, on the other hand, has a walk to take.

being bullied

Gennaro Ivan Gattuso

Gattuso arrived at Milan in 1999. It was the brink of a new millennium, a new era and would mark the start of a terrifying player in the legendary red and black. Known for being a 'terrier', the small yet intimidating hard-man has frightened some of the best players since his arrival. 10 long years of service, cannot be over-looked. So, maybe him receiving a contract extension till 2012 is justified and a worthy reward. Not really.

I have problems with this deal. Firstly, the manner in which it was received. Gattuso went about like a spoilt brat, creating a scene in the media over his lack of playing time and about him being treated like a newbie especially when he is a senior member. Mr. Gattuso, chances are provided based on merit, not on seniority. Such is the case in all the big clubs across the continent. His lack of playing time is down to two main reasons, one - he was injured. Two - he isn't good enough. Gattuso has been anonymous for the Azzuri since the World Cup, forcing Lippi to look at alternatives. And for the last 2 seasons, he has replicated that form for AC Milan too. The ex-Rangers man was a destroyer. Please note, was. He used to run around hacking people down averaging 32 tackles a game, which made him one of the most feared defensive midfielders in the world. It also attained him world class status. But this was a good two years ago, when he had the legs for the job. Now, he simply trots along hacking players down and winning cards in return. Very often, he watches players sprinting by while he is reduced to a mere spectator. Yes, he still is destructive, but in a different sense. He no longer plays the role of Pirlo's bodyguard with the formerly superior level of professionalism. And in Leo's new system, you need someone who is more than just a bodyguard. You need a box-box midfielder, a role Ambrosini plays with almost utmost perfection. Leo's selection is therefore justified.

We talk about building a new team, a futuristic one. How is offering a new deal (even if its at reduced wages) to a 31 year old, building a team for the future? We have a ready made replacement in Flamini, who we acquired at no cost. Yes, Rino is iconic for this club. Yes, he has been instrumental in previous triumphs. But he isn't going to scale any new heights and even a blind man can see that. The modern game needs legs, and also a dose of quality; both of which are missing in large quantities. AC Milan need to start living on today's realities rather than on past glories. Gattuso might have bullied his way to a new contract which keeps him at the club for another 2 seasons. Question is, can he be the bully that we need on the pitch? My guess, and that being a calculated one is, no!

season preview

The season kicks off today, officially. Hopefully, we are going to forget the horrific pre-season and start anew. Its definitely a season that promises a lot. A lot of fear, anxiety and trouble. Some say that I am being pessimistic. Others say nothing.

Going by the previews of websites I refer to, the implications are more than just implications. The writing, if not on the wall, is certainly up on the sites. Most believe that we will have a sub-standard season, and might finish 5th-6th in the table. Am I one of them? I might be. There are reasons for my apprehensions. Beside a rookie coach, and a hopelessly pathetic squad of players, we are not willing to understand the crisis we are in. We have been to the Serie B and also finished 11th in the league. But those times were different. Football has become more of a business than ever before. And in a time like this, penny pinching clubs can't promise their fans silverware. I was certainly skeptical about the 'City' model. But look at them today! They are one of the strongest clubs in UK. Just two seasons ago, they were battling at mid-table. But with Pres. Silvio around, I don't see many Euros floating about for purchases. If we finish 5th /6th as many predict, we could see the beginning of a fall of one of the greatest football clubs the world has seen. And no, I am not over-exaggerating.

When I look at the fixture list, I see we have a reasonably balanced set of fixtures, until Dec. That is when things will start heating up. In the months of Dec and Jan, we would be playing the likes of Sampadoria, Palermo, Fiorentina, Genoa, Juventus and Inter. Our run in, matches with the one we had last season. Our last few games are against Fiorentina, Genoa and Juventus. And as I see it, it will be during this time that we would battling for that much wanted 4th spot. Our squad is remarkably thin. Considering the quality of our medics at the MilanLab, and also the fitness of our players, we will be struggling half way into the league. I can't comment on Europe, just as yet. The groups haven't been drawn, but to see us in the Quarter Finals would amaze me. Coppa Italia is possibly the only trophy that we could win, but I sense the favorites to the Italian Cup are Palermo and Genoa.

Coming to the players department, there is a lot of pressure on Ronaldinho to step into the illustrious boots of Kaka. He will most inevitably not fulfill those responsibilities. And the sooner Leonardo realizes this, the better it is for him and for the club. It is comforting though, that Leo doesn't expect too much from the has-been. Players to look forward to are Silva, Abate, Pato and Huntelaar. Silva is shaping into one of the finest defenders in the country. Abate has shown a great deal of enthusiasm and quality in pre-season, and I would like to see him in the first team more often. Pato needs to step up and take up a pivotal role in this team. Under Leo, we will see more of him, that I am sure of. Huntelaar is the goal-machine we have waiting for since Shevchenko's treachery. And if provided with the service, Huntelaar won't emulate Gilardinho. The first team is not star-studded, no. But it has the ability to beat any team on the planet on its given day. I am certainly not pleased with the pre-season, who is? And Leo doesn't infuse confidence in me. But only a blockhead could write off this team. I am quite sure that Europe is awaiting to see how Milan will respond to all the criticism that has come the club's way. There are two possibilities in this situation. Either our season would be an utter disaster, or we could stupefy the rest of Europe. Forget the Scudetto, forget the Champions League. If we finish above 4th in the League and compete for Coppa Italia, it will leave me with a pleasant smile on my face.

brand building

David Di Gennaro

Giuseppe Favalli

Andrea Pirlo

Alexandre Pato

The management this season has more than just a squad to build. The task ahead involves building the brand 'AC Milan' as well. The last few seasons have been lethal to the sustainability of this global sporting brand. The sale of Kaka is nothing but a sucker punch, one that Milan wont recover from for a long time to come. The road ahead is tedious and extremely challenging, but it can be done.

For starters, considering the sale of Pato and Pirlo is surely not the way to go. A diminishing presence we don't want to be, and certainly not become a 'Napoli'. We are far too big for that. Galliani recently came out in the press, and said that the club has rejected a massive bid for Pato. First of all, I question the credibility of the bid. The management is in a selling mode, and if whispers are to be believed, Berlusconi wants to recover as much as possible before he passes on this baby of his to a Sheik. Kaka's sale for an incredibly low amount is proof that balancing books is just a false story fabricated to appease the fans. Why sell Kaka, if the debt was only 68 million euros? But if Pato and Pirlo are sold, there is no chance for redemption. There is a good chance that we can get anywhere between 60-70 million euros for the pair, but the extent of damage it can cost is beyond repair. Pirlo recently showed the world that he cannot be written off. Also, Pato is probably the strongest player of his age on the planet. Moreover, these players are the core of the team, and after losing the heart and soul of the team over the summer, losing this pair is sheer disintegration. Its not like the club is in a state of penury. With the sale of Kaka, the club has balanced the books. So why sell anymore if we can't bring in competent replacements?

To make matters worse, we have renewed Favalli's contract by a year. People believe this has been done to reward Favalli's performance last season. It also is a way in which Silva can be mentored. I have a problem with both these approaches. Favalli looked good last season, well, so did Senderos. The reason being, Paolo Maldini. Favalli was good, but definitely not good enough. Every time we faced a strong opposition, Favalli would run for shelter. The coming season, we will be in Champions League, and God forbid we run into the likes of Madrid, United, Chelsea or Barcelona with Favalli in central defense. Coming to the mentoring bit, I personally don't regard Silva as a good defender. Having seen him play last season, his positioning and defending attributes are highly questionable. To have one mediocre defender being mentored by another is pointless. Its like one blind man leading another. Some say, Favalli is experienced. Ok, how much of the experience has he brought onto the pitch?

We have signed David Di Gennaro permanently from Genoa. The 21 year old Italian striker spent the last season with Reggina, and if i remember right, also scored against us. The benefit of having him in the side? He is homegrown, Italian and a worthy replacement to Pato in time of need. Word is we have signed Giacomo Beretta from U.C. Albinoleffe. Who is he you may ask. I don't know is what I would say.

For an Italian club to have a strong international fan base is more than just commendable. Its truly marvellous, what Milan have done over the course of history. They are globally loved, accepted and appreciated club. But, we are on the verge of decline. We have signed enough kids for the next 10 years, but what we need now are names, big names. Names that would bring recognition and recall in the mind of the spectators, names that would bring in the MNC's for endorsements and sponsorships, names that would make this club great again.