Calcio Debate: Should Milan Sell Gattuso?
The Italian press has been full of reports in the last few days that Milan will sell Gennaro Gattuso at the end of the season. Carlo Garganese asks whether this will be a wise decision…

For many years Italy always appeared to lack a certain type of centre midfielder, a strong and fearless bulldog who would launch himself into tackles, get stuck in, fire up his team-mates, and really wear his heart on his sleeve. 

There was never a shortage of technical or tactical quality, but if you ever watch over videos from the 1994 and 1998 World Cups you will notice just how fragile the Azzurri could be in the middle-of-the-park. The real strength was located in defence and up-front, and it was these two areas that allowed them to have successful tournaments. 

This all changed when Gattuso burst onto the scene. When he was recognised as a regular in 2004, Italy finally had themselves a player who would offer some real steel in the centre of midfield. Tactically and technically he was average, but he brought something to the Italy team, a kind of British spirit, that had been missing for many years. It is no coincidence that two years later, La Nazionale would go on to lift the World Cup. 

Gattuso was equally crucial to the Milan team who dominated the Champions League for half-a-decade. 

Like Italy, the Rossoneri have not been short of tactical or technical quality. Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko, Rui Costa – these are just a few of the wonderfully gifted offensive players that the Diavoli have had at their disposal. 

However without Gattuso, Milan would have been like Italy during the 94 and 98 World Cups – they would have been fragile and brittle in the centre of midfield, and it is debatable, despite all this talent above, whether they would have been half as successful as they have been. 

This season Gattuso has been a shadow of his terrier-like self. At the age of 30 it appears that his advancing years are starting to take their toll. Gattuso’s whole game, as I explained in a Calcio Debate several weeks ago, is based around “aggression, stamina, and closing down the opposition. In order to do this, Gattuso needs to be in tip-top physical shape. His pace, acceleration and energy levels have certainly dropped this year, and as a result he cannot make the tackles he once was able to.” 

The heart and determination of Gattuso is definitely still there, but the body just will not follow. As ‘Ringhio’ is not the strongest of players tactically and technically, his game really suffers once his physical strengths diminish. 

It is no coincidence, given Gattuso’s importance to Milan over the past six years or so, that with the midfielder having a poor season, the Rossoneri have also had a disappointing season. 

There have been strong reports that Milan are looking to begin a new era at the club by selling Gattuso in the summer. 

Given what has just been explained above - is this be a good idea? 

Well providing Gattuso can rediscover his physical sharpness, then certainly he must not be sold. 

However it is very debatable, given his age and what the law of physics tells us about bodily decline, whether he will ever be back to his old levels. 

Gattuso is not Roberto Baggio, who once he had lost his pace, could use his incredible technique and guile to adapt his game and still be a top-class player. This is just not possible with Gattuso, as is the case with many modern footballers, who are only good while their athletic capacity lasts. 

Perhaps the time is right for both sides to go their separate ways. At the age of 30, Milan could still command a reasonably good fee, and there is sure to be a long-list of suitors. Indeed Real Madrid are rumoured to be prepared to table a significant offer. 

A new challenge may also do Gattuso some good. After nine years at Milan, perhaps things have become a little stale, and a new experience abroad may revitalise him. 

As a replacement Milan surely can look no further than Arsenal’s Matthieu Flamini. Arsene Wenger seems resigned to losing the midfielder, who has a scarily similar style of play to Gattuso. The Frenchman is also available on a free transfer, and if he were to arrive at San Siro, there is no doubt that he would be a class act. At the age of 23 he has his whole career ahead of him, and would also provide Milan with some much-needed young blood. 

What are your views on this topic? Should Milan sell Gattuso? Is he the same player he once was? Who should be brought in as a replacement? Flamini? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think…

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Cannavaro Recommends Drenthe To Secco
Real Madrid star Fabio Cannavaro has recommended that Juventus transfer chief Alessio Secco sign Royston Drenthe.

Cannavaro, who won two (revoked) Scudetti during his two years at Juve from 2004 to 2006, had dinner with current Bianconeri sporting director Secco. 

There he told the much-maligned transfer man to launch a bid for his out-of-favour Real Madrid team-mate Drenthe. 

The Whoopi Goldberg lookalike, who can play at full-back or on the wing, only signed for the Spanish giants last summer for €14m from Feyenoord. 

Despite scoring a brilliant goal on his debut against Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup, Drenthe has found first-team action hard to come by, and has largely been used as a substitute. 

Brazilian youngster Marcelo, and the Argentine Gabriel Heinze have emerged as the preferred left-back options, and Drenthe has been heavily linked with a move away from the club during the summer. 

It has also been reported that Sebastian Giovinco and Claudio Marchisio, who Secco was considering releasing to Palermo as part of the Amaurio deal, will both return to play for the Bianconeri next season after completing their loan spells at Empoli. 

Raffaele Palladino meanwhile is almost certain to be sold, with Fiorentina a possible destination.

In my view, Seedorf should be benched. If he cannot put up with that then he should leave. But I don't see why he should be in our starting line-up for next season and I don't see why he should not be benched... Rui Costa is not a worse player than the Dutchman and he did not refuse that role!

Interesting new rumor this morning. Dida on loan to Lazio in exchange for Lorenzo Di Silvestri, who's a pretty good right back.

Milannews.it has an article listing the possible 'big striker' that Berlusconi hinted about the other day. Their options: Drogba, Adebayor, Gomez, Borriello, and Toni. They didn't really make any decisions on who they think it might be but they noted that the one Milan fans would probably like best is Toni.

Interesting new rumor this morning. Dida on loan to Lazio in exchange for Lorenzo Di Silvestri, who's a pretty good right back.

Milannews.it has an article listing the possible 'big striker' that Berlusconi hinted about the other day. Their options: Drogba, Adebayor, Gomez, Borriello, and Toni. They didn't really make any decisions on who they think it might be but they noted that the one Milan fans would probably like best is Toni.

Yes, which adds to the frustration, and also adds to the reason that some of us have no faith in the management when it comes to transfers.

Plenty of people on here identified depth as a big problem for a poor Serie A campaign last season, but our management did nothing about it, which is very frustrating, especially since that played a huge part in our disappointing season. Players are always going to get injured, that's part of football, preparing for it is what helps you get away with injuries here and there, but we never prepared.

If Real put Drenthe on sale I think we should step in! I really like this guy.

It's all well and good praising them for what they do right, but they also deserve the criticism when they do wrong.

By the way...what is the general opinion on Arsenal now? 6 months back...Wenger was a genius...now he's the funniest sig in the universe. (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)