After finishing a disappointing third in Serie A last season, Milan players and tifosi look optimistically toward a new season, unfortunately, I'm here to tell you that there is little reason for optimism....
This was the opening sentence of the preview I was working on this week, and then the mini-miracle happened: Zlatan Ibrahimovic officially became an AC Milan player. Suddenly the off-season went from being lame and sad to awesome and exciting. Ibrahimovic is without a doubt one of the top five strikers in the world, and just one year ago was considered the world's best. However he simply did not fit into Barcelona's style and was not needed once the team bought David Vila to replace him. Thus, by some odd combination of a Milan-Barca friendly, the persistence of Adriano Galliani, the insanity of Ibra's agent, and the willingness of Berlusconi to open his checkbook, Ibrahimovic will join AC Milan this season. And in case you had forgotten how good he is, check out this video.
Now off to the preview.
While the acquisition of Ibrahimovic makes the team much more formidable, they will not be a threat to win the Champions League, unlike the memorable teams of recent seasons that featured Shevchenko, Maldini and Kaka among others. Why you ask? For one, Ibrahimovic might not be of much help, as he has not been able to carry any squad to Champions league glory, and particularly struggled while playing for Inter, for whom he could seemingly never score in the biggest games. But the larger issue is that the Milan squad is still an extremely old and brittle one, especially when one stops and recollects on those Champions league squads I mentioned. The memories aren't quite so good once you realize that many of those who starred along Sheva and Kaka are still starting for Milan and are now on the wrong side of 30, Pirlo, Gattuso, Ambrosini, Seedorf, and Nesta. When most of those names make up a staring midfield in 2010, the problem with today's Milan is obvious; the team is simply too old. Experience can only get a squad so far, in this case, not much further than last seasons exit against Manchester United. Not only are the players old, but they inevitably tend to break down, most notably Pirlo and Nesta, who is currently injured (broken hand), and will likely be out for a slew of games this season, which hopefully will never lead to Massimo Oddo playing center back ever again. (Apologies to all who had found a way to forget that had ever happened)
On the subject of Oddo and the defense, the ancient Giuseppe Favalli has finally been put out to pasture, which means I will never again have to wonder if he was simply going to keel over and have a heart attack or stroke while chasing down Samuel Eto'o. Still, while Oddo and Jankulovski are the reserve outside backs, Milan can still be suspect to terrible defensive displays like the one that happened against Man U last season.
For a squad that is as old and constantly injured as Milan, the summer transfer window had been terribly frustrating up until very recently. The only significant signing had been of Greece international defender Sokratis, who can be used as either an outside of a center back, yet would likely not start if everybody was somehow fit at the same time. Thankfully, things spiced up last Tuesday, Milan officially signed Ghana international and World Cup star (sorry America) Kevin Prince-Boateng, henceforth referred to here as KPB. The deal was an unusual one, as KPB had signed with Genoa from cash-strapped Portsmouth, but apparently cheeky Genoa never had any intention of playing him. Because they were able to sign him for so cheap, they opted to loan him to Milan, with an option to buy at season's end, at a tidy profit for Genoa of course. All this nonsense begs the question of why Milan simply didn't buy KPB from Portsmouth in the first place, but the transfer market is a crazy place that I seem to be forever trying to comprehend. But If Milan got hoodwinked by Genoa in the deal, why is it good news? Well if you watched Ghana play in the World Cup, which you obviously did if your reading this blog, then you already know why the signing is exciting news in Milan.
Simply put, KPB is exactly what Milan need, as he is everything their current midfield is not; young, fast, athletic and creative. While he has a bit of a bad locker room reputation, the veteran presence in the San Siro locker room should be able to keep his ego in check, hopefully allowing him to flourish as he did for Ghana, by being a physical, creative presence who is equally capable of controlling the midfield or scoring off a powerful run as he did against the America (dammit, sorry again). If the loan and potential buy of KPB works out like I think it will, Milan will be a much more exciting team to watch this season, and for years to come.
Similar to KPB, the Ibrahimovic deal will be a godsend for Milan. The deal calls for him to be loaned from Barcelona, with an option for Milan to buy him for just 24 million euros at the end of the season. This is a paltry sum to pay, as Barca paid 60 mill for him PLUS Eto'o just one year ago! Bad for Barca, lucky for Milan. Say what you will about Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, but the man is clutch, especially considering that he will be paying Ibra's significant wages for the next 5 seasons after a previous unwillingness to spend any money in the transfer market due to a poor global economy. Ibrahimovic should fit nicely into Milan's lineup, replacing Marco Borrielo in the starting 11, meaning when everyone is healthy he will play up top next to Alexandre Pato with Ronaldinho underneath, easily forming the most formidable attacking trio in Serie A. If this 4-3-1-2 formation sounds different than the 4-3-3 of last year, there's a reason for it.
The likely change in formation comes from the new coach, Massimiliano Allegri, who replaces Leonardo after only one season at the helm. Allegri most recently was the coach for Cagliari, where he led a squad with little talent to some very respectable finishes. However, Allegri was shockingly let go by the squad after last season, after which he was quickly scooped up by Milan, who were looking for a more experienced Italian manager after parting with the inexperienced Leonardo. It is impossible to tell how Allegri will handle the step up to a huge club such as Milan, but early indications are that it will be a smooth transition.
With the major signings now complete, the question is how much can only three new pieces help a team that limped to a third place league finish last season? The answer, quite a bit, as Ibrahimovic in particular seems to have quite a talent for single-handedly winning Serie A matches. Consider this little fact; the team that Ibrahimovic plays for has won its league title every season since 2005. He has won with Juventus, Inter, and then Barcelona. Say what you want about the mercurial striker, but his teams win, and its often because his talents help his team to snatch three points in those random February games when nobody is paying any attention. Until recently I had no hope for Milan this season, but with my anticipation level now through the roof, I'll attempt to make a logical and reasonable prediction. My vote; Milan finishes second to Inter this season, as they will drop too many points early in the season trying to fit in Ibrahimovic and adjusting to the new style of Allegri. By now you know the drill, time for a highlight video. It will come as no surprise then that it's all about Ibra. Enjoy.
I just don't understand the assessment in the list bit. Add a top 5 striker to replace Borriello. Add KPB. Antonini emerged at the end of last season. (Add Binho, I'm pretty sure his transfer hadn't been made when this post was). And add a handful of other young players that have potential.
ReplyDeleteThen we have inter losing Morinho.
But the future isn't looking bright?