[Rivaldo]

Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani reveals his cure for the team’s ills. “I want to keep a close eye and hands-on approach with every player.”

The club is in crisis after exiting the UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia and practically the Scudetto race too, so Galliani is taking control.

“I want to see each individual player’s intensity of their efforts during training,” he told the Corriere dello Sport.

“I intend to follow up on how the injured players are recovering, how the fitness Coaches are working and a few other aspects too.

“From now until May 31 I will run this club not from our offices in via Turati, but from Milanello.

“I will be present at the training ground every moment I can and I guarantee you that will be often.”

Although Silvio Berlusconi is the President, Galliani is the de facto general manager and man in charge of the day to day running of the Rossoneri.

This week he held two different sets of crisis talks with Carlo Ancelotti and the squad, in which he warned that failure to finish at least in the top three would mean massive sales and wages slashed.

“The club simply made its position clear. We told them what everyone already knew, that qualification for the Champions League cannot get away.”

Milan stuck with their stars and reinforced when they failed to reach the top four last season, but that was tempered by winning the Club World Cup and European Super Cup.

There is to be no such silverware this term and the pressure is on, but rather than pinpoint Ancelotti’s tactical short-comings, Galliani looks to the medical staff.

“We have been decimated by injuries and I think it’s obvious that is the problem. The team we drew up in the summer included Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, Gennaro Gattuso, Kaka and Marco Borriello.

“With the complete squad we remain one of the top sides in Europe. The truth is when we play with Gattuso and Kaka, naturally, we do not lose.

“Without the Brazilian we have lost five Serie A games and gone out of the UEFA Cup.”

Kaka is still struggling with a sprained foot and is out of this afternoon’s match with Sampdoria, as are Ronaldinho and Massimo Ambrosini.

Some say this will be Ancelotti’s final year in charge of Milan and set the stage for a huge revolution at the club.

“With Ancelotti we have achieved extraordinary things. The current fitness staff are the same ones who took us to the top of the world.

“You cannot judge an entire club, Coach and professionals based only on their most recent result. The club is not for sale and Berlusconi continues to have great passion for this side.”

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar1h.html
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I don't understand why he didn't do this way earlier...he have to control each point of club's life! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[LaPalma]

Well i'm sorry but it seems thats what its like when we dont have brazillians on. Besides for the list of players you noted, I can list a non italian that is much better then them. Why does it matter if the player is italian or not. As long as he is good and can help the team win then who cares if hes chinese or from antarctica. Milan are a top club so we should not settle for anything less than the world's elite! I dont get why europeans are so keen on keeping football to their own country. I mean i'm from canada and this sort of talk would never be accepted and would be labeled as labor discrimination.

I never said brazillians are better but we play like sh*t when they are not playing. This team is so dependent on Kaka that as soon as he gets injured our quality as a team just nose dives.

I"m stating what is reality patriots. This team without its' brazillians plays like a mid table serie A team.

You know...there's something called identity. Milan's first identity is being an Italian team. that's the very reason for the separation from Inter. We shouldn't forget that.

I don't think dismissing Ancelotti in the middle of the season is even an option right now, which is fair enough.

I want him gone, but of course not right now. it'll just worsen the situation. but I hope as soon as the season ends, a new coach is brought in so he has enough time to get to know the team, prepare them the way he knows, etc.


Are strikers supposed to defend?

Of course they are. In today's football no one has the privilege not to defend. The striker are the first players who can set the opposing team under pressure. That's very important.

[Zed.D]

Of course they are. In today's football no one has the privilege not to defend. The striker are the first players who can set the opposing team under pressure. That's very important.

Well, Pato is Brazilian and I've seen him running after the ball and putting the opponent under pressure to pass the ball. so I don't happen to agree with Kurt in this particular case.

I think strikers should focus on their own job, and if they succeeded, they can help in defending too. especially in a team like Milan where most of players are defenders or deep lying/defensive midfielders.

[LaPalma]

Well, Pato is Brazilian and I've seen him running after the ball and putting the opponent under pressure to pass the ball. so I don't happen to agree with Kurt in this particular case.

I think strikers should focus on their own job, and if they succeeded, they can help in defending too. especially in a team like Milan where most of players are defenders or deep lying/defensive midfielders.

Never said he can't do it. IMO it's very important too. If you put an opponent under pressure you force him to make mistakes.