How abt kagawa, i hear hes out of favour

and so it begins (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Good luck pippo, I wish you all the best.

Now I get your stance better, thank you very much for answering.

I think you're a bit too fatalistic and deterministic. It seems like you have a fix vision on our position and exclude any possibility of changes.

Changes can happen. Look at the Bundesliga in 1993 and in 2013. Twenty years and plenty of it changed. Granted, it was a complicated process that made this possible, but I'm sure Italy could pull it through.

Now as I see it, Galliani is one of the men blocking this change. Not only on Milan level: no, breaking news is that Galliani cast his support for Tavecchio (Footbal Italia)! And there we have everything in one story: another clash with a Milan legend (like numerous misunderstandings with Maldini, Zee, etc.) and yet another move that blocks the sole prospect of change.

Gallini is a man who's fighting against the future and against the sole facts of change. By choosing this position he's sentenced to failure and to be disliked.

Back to Milan. You're being fatalistic, I think. We are a great club, we were a respectful club when Berlusconi took over, but he made us top top. But we have history, trophies and a good name in Italy which still could, under shrewd, intelligent, planned and with fresh ideas, attract much more then we do by now. History is powerful, there are still players like Giuseppe Rossi who dream of the Shevchenko Milan, and we could capitalize on that. But, like Han said, we rather go for freebies like Essien and Muntari, all because Galliani thinks he's a genius who sings rejects for free and turns them back into stars.

Milan today is very alike the Farina Milan. When Berlusconi took over from Farina (who ended up in exile), he splashed cash, he invented new economical mechanisms, new marketing strategies, new ways of popularization. Sure, much changed now, I'm not asking for the same. I'm just asking for change, for a fresh new and hungry management who won't be obsessed with the status quo and fighting the inevitable future, but rather drawing up a plan how to become great again.

Because it's not all black and white. With a smarter management, a smarter choice in coaching staff and signings, we could still achieve something, hell win something. I don't say we could become United, but we could do considerably better.

beautiful! Well said.


Hopefully things will change sooner than later, its inevitable. Galliani's days are numbered.

This post has been edited by Bluesummers: Jul 29 2014, 11:06 AM

Great post Fillipo! Nothing more to add.

-

We're pushing for a loan from Arsenal for Campbell.

Link

Great post indeed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Oh, how I hope something gives sooner rather than later with this club!


R7, your turn... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Now the press has thrown Ben Arfa's name... have to say, I like the names linked to us but I'm 98% sure none of their agents have actually been contacted. I'm seriously beginning to wonder why my reflex is to care about a club that's been disowned by the ownership....

Yeah, at least we're being linked to someone besides to the constant Cerci loop that's been going on all summer.

Galliani supposedly stayed in Italy to keep working on transfers yet nothing is happening while every other club is signing promising players and we get linked to rejects and half decent players none of which are ever fruitful links as we end up getting no one.

First it was the Kaka excuse, now it's Robinho. This window will probably be as depressing as last summer, which they had the CL qualifiers excuse as well to fall back on

Very, very good post!

B&G were visionaries that built a great Milan, and I will always be grateful for what they have done. But that was 3 decades ago, and the football world has moved on while B&G are stuck in the past. Yes, there are some positive signs (we have Casa Milan, we are slowly fixing our finances, we are investing in our youth teams and maybe Inzaghi will actually take this seriously). However, we are still making costly mistakes (think Matri, Essien, and Robinho's renewal) which are setting us back, while other Serie A teams with less revenue than us (like Roma and Fiorentina) are investing more wisely and effectively.

Galliani's support for Tavecchio is particularly disturbing, as it shows yet again that he is not open to real change.

In addition to the recently mentioned Ben Arfa, I think another alternative to Cerci (who in my opinion might fit the bill well and for cheaper) is Giovani Dos Santos.

And seriously... how come no one has snapped up Memo Ochoa as yet?

He'll just demand 'facts' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Fine post, but unfortunately Farina's Milan doesn't matter because the football landscape has altered totally. Back then good ideas and ways of running the club saw efficiency but not success. Nowadays only money does.

Few years ago PSG finished 13th in Ligue 1. 2010. Fast forward to Qatar Sports Investment in 2011 and now they're back to back champions. I won't say they 'bought' their way to the top, but money sure fast-tracked it.

People try to point to the Barca model under Guardiola saying they're all youth products. Actually very few were. Most Barca players which contributed to their success were bought from other teams.

Sadly, money really is the be all and end all in football nowadays, and if you don't have it you will not succeed.

Milan are a nice paradox - same market value as Chelsea ($870M) yet spending none of the cash the Londoners do.

Berlusconi has zero ambition and part of me actually wonders if Galliani's own hands are tied by that. I like your theory that he wants to get a free agent and make a gem of him, but in theory anyone in his position needs money to do so, and while I am not defending some of the awful signings he makes, maybe, just maybe he's a f*cked off with Berluconi's lack of funding in the team as we are.

Just throwing that in there.

This post has been edited by Danny: Jul 29 2014, 10:58 PM

Well, surely this is not 1985 and things changed massively. But like Farina, Berlusconi is now the president with time working against him. Like him, we all wait for a new one to come in and introduce new means: money is an integral part, and maybe runs the show, but I don't think it's all that matters. PSG and Barcelona are fundamentally different in many was. The thing is, people like those "homegrown" players like Puyol or Xavi, they like the story of Barcelona and are willing to forget more easier about the money the throw out (or in) for new signings.

This is why I think Milan still has a high value. No one would object Milan spending big again, acting like a economically strong organism.

As for Galliani, if his hands are tied, he should have taken the early exit this January. No, I think he's not much different to the leeches like Mesbah and Robinho who suck the money out of this club and will/would continue to do so up until there was nothing left.

Not so long ago Galliani made a comment on Money Ball and how he'd like imagining himself in that role. I think he's deluded and faded, old and obsessed with a status quo. Signing Pirlo for almost nothing and turning him into something special, a world class footballer, maybe the moment he clings onto. I cannot be sure, these are only speculations - but I'm sure Galliani lost it and he's not willing to admit it nor does he understand that he's taking Milan with him to this awfully dangerous pitfall.

You are making some very good points.

FWIW, when Berlu poured lots of money into Milan he was in a position where he could leverage that "investment" for his political ambitions, and maybe even his business empire. So I believe he made up for his losses in other ways.

A number of things have changed in recent years:
- The financial solidity of Berlu's business empire has taken a beating (economy downturn, Lodo Modadori, etc.). I believe the situation is recovering, but ...
- Berlu's political ambitions have been curtailed
- Between politics, financial issues, court cases, Milan is no longer a big priority for Berlu
- Berlu's is not getting any younger, and (with the possible exception of Barbara) his kids do not appear to have the same appetite for spending money on Milan. It is possible that they are putting pressure to reduce the "bleeding" (one could argue that from their perspective, it is their money that is being spent).
- The amount of money that is being paid for top-notch players has sky-rocketed over the years. I wonder what we would have to pay these days for the likes of Gullit, Rijkaard, and Van Basten (probably a tad more than we did back then). In other words, the stakes are higher.

Given all of the above, I can see how Berlu may be less willing to "invest" in Milan these days. Not happy about it, but at the end of the day, his money, his choice. Bottom line, I have to accept it.

So, yes, Galliani's hands are probably tied (which is why I blame Berlu, not Galliani, for the Ibra+Silva fire-sale fiasco).

My issue with Galliani is that has has not adjusted to the new financial reality, and his solutions (rely on Raiola or go for the "false savings" of "parametro zero") are proving to be ineffective. It is pointless to keep blaming FFP, as there has been plenty of time to pursue a new strategy, and in fact other Serie A teams have fared much better than us. And if Galliani is really PO'd at Berlu, then he should do the right thing and resign, he should not drag the team down with him.

This post has been edited by Forza Milan!: Jul 30 2014, 12:36 AM

Indeed. It is quite possible that Galliani is no less of a leech than some of the players we complain about.

I believe Galliani did a reasonable job back when he had all the money he wanted. Reasonable, not great (IMHO, Moggi did better with less). Now that he has to operate with minimal funds, I think his limitations are becoming more obvious to most people. However, it is quite possible that Galliani does not see this (as you say, he clings to his old achievements, possibly overly inflating them), and even if he does see his limitations he is probably not willing to admit to them (as that would reduce his power inside of Milan).