I think we all know that if it came down to Pato to choose between Milan, Chelsea and Inter he would choose us in a heartbeat.

But we can't expect him to drop in our hands without us making any sort of effort to sign him. We have to be agressive, or we will lose out once again like we have been doing these past couple of tranfer sessions

I do agree that if there is a club he (anyone) would sign for, it would be the European Champions - especially with stars like Kaka' and Ronaldo, the attraction is so great.

But i don't agree in that Milan are not agressive in the transfer market. Milan are totally agressive, they might not be too public with their movments .. But it is this same board that has maintained the team for 21 years now. And in that time Milan has aquired the best of the best, in every department on the field.

They might not get involved with certain players whom we (milanfans) dream of, but they assess their options wisely and are experts in their field

If Milan truely want him .. They will bring him in one way or another expect him to be wearing a Rossoneri shirt.

I think Milan is in safe hands .. If Pato doesn't come, then it would be for the best IMO -not cuz I don't like him, but cuz they assessed him and decided otherwise.

U know all this already ... But I just wanted to point out that we all want certain players ... I wanted Torres, since last summer ... But I do believe that it is for the best of THIS team that he went to Liverpool. Cuz you never know what their reasoning might be. But know one thing, this team will end next season with at least two titles

Good post R7, definitely tend to agree with that.

I think its just cause were seeing all the other big clubs getting this big acquisitions to their squads. So its like wtf are we doing, particularly with all the competitions we have this season. In all fairness your right, cannot question the management, they know what there doing. Even if it seems like a board rooms of idiots at times.

I know all that and I do agree with you. But you have to admit that these days we are getting beat for certain players that we really want and go after and in the end they end up somewhere else.

I know Galliani likes to haggle as long as it takes to spend the right price on players that he thinks are over priced, but the transfer market has changed a lot and he should know as well as anybody else that clubs like Chelsea, Inter or Real won't hesitate to spend whatever amount to get the player they want even if they are over priced.

Lets face it! we are not being aggressive enough in the market. How long does it take to assess and sign a player? The management has been following Pato from last year! Another thing is that we do not go for youth and the youth we have are not given a chance! Wonder why nobody wants to join Milan anymore??

Look at our defence, nobody can run..remember Athens? Pennant shining for heaven's sake!

We lack excitement, without Kaka we go nowhere, our strikers simply suck, our midfielders are so defensive...we are actually a boring team..Wonder why nobody wants to join Milan anymore??

I'm bored, seems like its gonna be the same old story..we'll waste time till last week of August and we will end up paying more for whoever we'll have set our eyes on and they'll turn out to be mediocre signings. That's Milan for you.

@mkenya: Boring?? Are you kidding me?? You are judging based on what? The final?? Or the constipated period before Christmas... why not base your opinion based on our second half of the season displays with the climax being the 2nd leg semi-final versus United?? Was that boring?

Milan are certainly not boring, we play great football, which is what drove me into loving this team in the first place... maybe you prefer the EPL style where the winger runs like a crazy b!tch towards the corner flag every single time he gets the ball even if his team's forwards are dead!! We all saw how effective that is, in CR's amazing runs in the games against us...

Pennant was shining in the final because Jankulovski is Milan's most fielded player and came from a World Cup and an injury-plagued season without preparation... meaning, he resumed playing without being able to play continuously for 11 months!! And he did it! And he was great at it!!

Everyone wants to join Milan!! It's just that Milan have payed sh!t...

@Rosssoneri7: yeah this "patriotic" talk is all good but even Galliani admitted he lost Ibra to Inter last season... That's not aggressive! You are kidding yourself!

And about Milan's transfers in general: Milan always buy great players!! But they're never considered so great cause Milan never cared to hype them up! It's the result that matter most for us... Oddo for example, is better than 99% of the world's RB's... when was the last time you read in the newspapers (which Silvio can also manipulate like other teams do) how great a player Oddo is!??

No, Milan aren't boring at all, we have far more English mentality when it comes to playing than the Italian style though of going 1-0 up and holding it, probably because if we do that now we know we will lose!

Yeah but Pennant gave us a going over in the final using that tactic - Jermaine Pennant for god sake, that shouldn't be happening!

Hey cool it dst! I hate EPL, I cant stand the long crosses to wingers and the 45 degrees cross from the corner flag only for the striker to head home or connect with the ball in some way..(rude boy style!).

Our style of play is classy, good possession, nice touches, especially Milan-Man U. I wish we could always play like that! We were dead the major part of the season though and Kaka's brilliance pushed us through.

May be its time we stop relying on Kaka, get more young attack minded midfielders and someone to at least replace Maldini..

Btw did you notice the same thing when we were relying on Sheva..? Milan seemed dead when Sheva wasn't playing..

My contention is that we need younger players and I do not understand why we haven't signed Pato yet!

Nobody can deny Maldini was awfully disappointing in Athens... He didn't do anything special. it was Nesta who saved our @ss over and over again. just go on and watch the final one more time and focus your attention on Maldini's play and you'll know what I mean...

Maldini should have retired after winning the CL... there's no point in going on and on after having such magnificent career. does he really need another CL or European Supercup or even Intercontinental title?!! let's not kid ourselves, he 40 and he can't perform like he used to, no matter how great he is.

I hope you don't get me wrong, cause I love Maldini as much as you do, but I think it was better for him to retire and free a place for a younger defender.

That is why Inter are in a HUGE debt

Milan is a healthy organization ... They wont throw away $$ like nickles and dimes. If a player is truely worth it, no one can compete with what AC Milan has to offer, especially being the European champions

It is one thing to be biased and call Galliani a cheap skate .. But it is another in saying that Milan can't compete with Chelsea, Inter and Madrid.

There is something u r not seeing in all of this han, this club is a family more than anything else. You look at other clubs, and the teams act like machines .. Just each player trying to get a share of the lime light. I believe this is why Shevchenko suffered in England.

Milan has a unique atmosphere, and the ONLY reason this team has been playing on a high note for the past 6 to 7 years is because of the managment !

If Milan passed up Suazo, then I am guarenteeing ALL OF YOU that there is a BIG player coming in this summer. But above all, Milan has proven to be a very effective team and managment

You might be pissed off at Galliani and co. for not going for this player or for not coming out in the media about what they are doing or whatever u might be pissed about ... Know this, whatever is cooking in their kitchen, it is HUGE.

Take an example of Ronaldo, Galliani and Berlusconi wanted Ronaldo since God knows when. And they got him !

Milan's transfer starategy is better than that of Madrid !! They don't over-pay and are rarely seen making a move, which makes them a very exclusive club

han .. Do u honestly think Chelsea can out bid Milan Milan are the KINGS of negotiations, u forgot Shevchenko and the 30M

This managment has been around longer than any other around ... They have complete control of all situations IMO




Weren't we gonna be demoted during his transfer to La Merda ...

And why is it a patriotic talk ?! I am just speaking the truth. What is everyone gonna do ? Kick Silvio out ?! Give me a break

No. Check the dates... In any case, Galliani admitted he lost him to Inter himself...


The truth? Please... I can give you this: I don't agree with your "truth"...

I don't want to comment on this now cause it's not been the best of days for me and I know I'm going to regret it...

@dst

Why don't u check the dates The reason Milan didn't sign Zlatan was cuz Milan didn't know which league they were playing in AND were not included in the CL prelimenaries ... This is getting really childish ..


Why is everyone complaining when the managment has guarenteed a BIG signing ? Why is everyone complaining when we have just won the European Cup after being tauted to be outsted by Celtic ..

I mean after last season .. The team and managment responded to all doubters that they are the champs of Europe .. Now u found something else to hit back at the club

Why ? Cuz u aint satisfied we didn't sign Torres for 40M Euros

Cuz we didn't snatch Suazo from Inter when we had a chance

What is the reason behind the managment failing to meet ur levels of satisfaction

I know one thing for certain. I would cheer on this very team next season, without anyone coming ! This is my truth

A couple of thoughts here.

1. Re: Maldini - He might not have had the most spectacular individual game during the CL final, but I don't think anyone can put a value on what his presence on the pitch brings to the team. He's the captain and the symbol of Milan and he more than any of us knows when he's fit to play and when he isn't. Would it be smart to start looking around for a young CB? Sure, but it isn't an imperative.

2. Re: the summer transfer market - I think perhaps that a number of posters are a little less patient than they could be. No, Milan haven't made a bunch of big signings like Juve or Man U or Bayern. But there's plenty of time in the market yet and Milan is a team that chooses its buys carefully. They won't just pick up a good player because he's good -- he also has to fit in with the Milan family. The family atmosphere is what makes Milan unique (as R7 says) and I'd rather pass on a Zlatan or an Adriano if his presence means that the family atmosphere is disrupted. I'd rather wait until the right player for Milan is available. So I suggest we all chill and let Fester, Braida et al do their thing.

We knew we were playing Serie A for sure. The only doubt there was the CL. Braida and Galliani confirmed that.

I know that story better than anyone.

Inter signed Ibrahimovic on August 10. We had a place in Serie A by then... But again: Galliani admitted it himself!!! He made no excuses, he just said Inter were the highest bidders...


First of all, you need to draw the team and the management apart!! They are two completely different units even if they are connected!

1. The team won the European Cup because they had been left out of the race for the championship! And we all know why the team couldn't compete for the championship... It was not just the 8-point penalty! The management should have done better!

2. It was the team that answered all the questions and responded to the doubters including the management and including me and most of us!! Do not forget it was the same management that were going to oust Ancelotti that were praising him after the Champions League triumph!

3. You wanna know why I'm not satisfied with the management? Because, unless you believe it was all according to plan, we won the European Cup solely due to the extra-terrestrial effort of our players! Because we would have been in the final in 05/06 if the management had not left the team to sail on their own while it was clear we needed reinforcements... and because it's the same management who think the same team can win through every problem once again and hand them another title THIS TIME IN FOUR DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS! Well, big surprise, the same team cannot do it again, not as it is!!

4. I'm going to be cheering for this team 'till me very last breath and I'm always gonna be thankful to the management for what they've offered to the club but that does NOT mean I'm going to close my eyes to the problems...

And... I'm not fed up with the management yet... that's cause we still have 2 months to sign somebody! That doesn't mean we've been aggressive though... we sure have NOT been!!

i agree with dst

our management has not been very aggressive in this market...just as they were not aggressive last summer.

our team, and our team alone, won the CL through difficult odds...it was not because of anything that the management did.

it seems like our management has 2 or 3 favorite players that they focus all of their attention on and let all the other great players go right under their noses.

liverpool, man u, chelsea, bayern, etc. have all made significant transfers already...and all our management says is that ronaldinho, etoo, sheva, and henry are impossible signings.

we will be patient, but i don't know how patient we can be if we end another summer with a disappointing transfer market.

I'm sure u do And I'm glade it went the way it did



dst I agree with you as I agree with han on most of the points ... But I am drawing a line as to where the managment stand not since the beginning, but since last summer's calciopoli and this season.

First off, I am of the opinion that Milan's first XI (including R99) is the strongest around, alongside Inter , Chelsea and Barca. What they edge us in is the quality of their bench ..

Secondly .. The Milan managment is to thank for keeping this team intact throughout the season. During last summer, Milan was faced with several obstacles, of which you all have a clear idea off. Zlatan, Buffon, Zambrotta, and any transfer that was linked to Milan, even Ronaldo at the time. They only got a chance to move in the transfer market only 2 weeks before it closed, by that time the prelimenaries were about to be played. Even so, Milan did move on Gourcuff then Bonera. The latter proving very crucial over the coarse of the season. Then Oliviera whose agent couincidentaly was R10's

As the season unfolded. Inter were #1 in Serie A, there was no competition, not even Roma. Milan climbed from the bottom of the table, then was not compensated by a points deduction as La Viola, Lazio, etc .. We were the odd ducks in the championsship ever since September. It was no coincidence that we reached the CL final, not cuz we did try harder for the championship as we were struggling to get 4th place. But Milan had a heritage in the CL that streatchs with Maldini to 5 CL out of 7. Moreover, Milan were always the fortrunners to reach the last 4 of the CL, how can you disagree, they have been doing it so consistently for years now

And as the second part of the season stands .. Milan shot up the standings from 18th - 17th to 3rd place in the standings. That is when we played United. Clearly the team had alot on our hands in the championship too.

Then about this summer and how things are going. As things stand, everyone is of the opinion and thinks Milan lost out on several players (Henry, Suazo, etc.. ). Whilest I see it differently, that Milan have their own agenda and have already set targets that Henry and Suazo would be surplus too, it doesn't matter in the end cuz all we 'fans' ever look for is quality transfers (just like the Madrid fans ).

Bottom line is .. We can all go and bash Galliani and Braida and laugh it out in the end, cuz deep down we all know that the managment will always maintain Milan to be the best.

Guys... just relax. More than 50 days until the market close.

We agree on this!

So I guess we also agree on that 1 or 2 signings are not going to make our bench better than Inter's... and also, that in the championship, the bench is of much great importance...

In my opinion, even if we do make a couple of signing this summer we won't be able to compete with Inter. Because we should have made a couple more last season and a couple more the season before that.


I don't agree with this. It was the team's unity that kept them intact! On the contrary, the management's demand that Carletto should win the CL in order to keep his place as Milan's coach does not reflect on Milan's family image...


Gourcuff and Bonera were very good signings. Oliveira not so... and the fact that his agent is the same as R20's means nothing; that's not they proper way to snatch great players or else we would have a 50-men squad...

There were better players midfielders than Brocchi we could have signed though... and we could have gotten Oddo from the beginning!! The difference between what Lotito was demanding and what Milan was offering was just E2m... and in the end we payed that AND gave them Foggia... you call that aggressive?


Just for the record, it's 5 out of 8 for Maldini.

Of course I cannot disagree with that! We've been there for a long time now... but what was there that prevented us from going all the way? It was tiredness and low bench quality! That's the biggest reason why we lost the '05 CL final, 04/05 Scudetto, 05/06 CL Semis, 05/06 Scudetto! We lost all that in the final push... If our second-string players were of greater quality we would have reached some of those targets...


The run for 4th place was certainly not an easy one. But if we were competing for 1st place (like in the three previous seasons) we wouldn't be able to rest our key players (again, like in the three previous seasons) and we would have probably lost another target...


You're not really trying to convince me that losing out on quality players is a good thing now, are you? In my opinion, our management would prefer to have snatched either Suazo or Henry and in my opinion again, they would have certainly bought one or both of them if we had lost the Athens final and/or there weren't already 30,00 season tickets sold...


They are repeating some mistakes of the past that got us into a very unpleasant period though... and this is not fine by me!!

I know his presence would bring something extra for the team, but I ask you how long should Milan depend itself on this extra weapon? all good things come to an end one day! that's a motherfvcking fact of life! Milan will have to do without Maldini sooner or later. (like they did in the second leg of the semi final against Man United and they did it well)

I just ask myself what more could Maldini ask for after winning the CL? it could be the best possible way to conclude his career that night, he could do in style, but he decided to continue. I just fear next year he won't have an opportunity as good and ideal as this year to announce retirement, I fear he can't retire in style, i fear he won't have the most spectacular and well-deserved season to do it, that's all... (which for many reasons it is a huge possibility)

I wonder does it even break anybody's heart to see our captain, our symbol, struggle in front of some sh1ty second-rate players like Pennant, Kuyt, etc? or it's just me?! isn't it disappointing to see he passes the ball the wrong way in at least 50% of times?... after all, his knees are fvcked up, they can't take the pressure anymore. he'll be sidelined every two games or so...
So we should think of a replacement for him and unlike what you say, it is imperative, in fact it is a must. maybe you've forgotten what we've been through in the middle of the season. at one point Carletto had to do without Maldini, Nesta, Kaladze and some others in defense as well! I hope we don't make the same mistake all over again next season and buy one or two good CBs.



I know you'd cut me to shreds if you could get your hands on me
Well, as far as I know, I said the truth. but for your sake I'm not gonna continue this issue.

one or two signings would be sufficiant .. Not enough for all 5 fronts, but sufficiant.

Inter is a different case .. This time it will be won on the field



Carlo Ancelotti was backed by the club after Istanbul. He has always had the clubs support. It is the fans who consider it otherwise, because the fans wanted him out!

When I made that remark about Oli ... I ment to say the ONLY good thing that came of him was that link



Yes there were better players .. But non would be willing to be benched ahead of Gattuso and Pirlo. Oddo ? What about Ronaldo? .. Milan are no push overs, what Lolito wanted was more than 2M. He probably wanted a player or demanded something Milan couldn't offer and that is compramise



Honestly speaking. In 04/05 we had the strongest team then. That was the strongest Milan side of this Mellenium. We had so much quality and we played Juve to the wire! We were Champions of Italy And we took Liverpool on like they were a punching bag!

What happened after that ? We still had a strongly willed team. Maybe Shevchenko lost his focus towards the end of the season, cuz he had other ideas in mind .. Nevertheless we again took Juve to the wire! A Scudetto we clearly know that Milan deserved on the pitch!



Here I do agree, we only had one target to challenge for, stil ..

Even if it was for 1st place dst and we were playing from 0 points at the start of the season ... We would still be exerting the same effort as we would to target a 1st place finish. And with that in mind, Milan would still be protogonists in the CL. As they always have been. How far could they have gone ?! I don't know, but they proved that the current calibure of the Milan players is at it's maximum.




If we had lost the Athens final .. Buffon would be our keeper and Dida would be sold. The week before the final Buffon was keeping his options open and was very sound about it .. The day after Athena, he wanted to stay with Juve

Had we lost this final. Milan would be active in a very different way in the market .. Thank God we won

I think we should all take a 'Porty' approach on things, just cool it down a bit, and see what happens. Milan do not seem the sort of team that will announce anything at all, even if a bid has been placed.

The only time we hear anything is when they have signed the player, so it's official, like with Suazo.

Well, guys,..first time in days I`m not here around and,..hmh,..

Don`t know what to say,..it seems to me you are fighting about the question who`s to blame and who`s to praise?!

All that stuff said about the management, you guys all have right! The truth is a complex of both approaches. I must say that our board, with Silvio as chairman, had been fighting and winning the same battle over and over again. With Galliani we got a bit different, but still, not out of anything.

I think the matter that envolves us not winning the scudetto is more complcated then just a problem of not possessing a quality bench. Sure, its the real and biggest football reason. But this season was not only football! It was a Calciopoli season as well, and that means politics, politics that we might could crack on a ignoble level, but not way up to the top. Inter, the only big italian team not involved (not forgetting Roma, but..) in the scandal - and Inter winning the scudetto, well, that simply isnt just football.

I`m really not sure anyomore, I`m not sure we would have won the league even with Dinho, Etoo, Barzagli or Zambrotta on the bench (..or field). I hate conspiracy theories, and I don`t wanna start one. But maybe it was a decision of our board. Maybe it is a decision in general to stay latent in the transfer matters. I do know that the same board, with the same people was, just a few years back, able to bring us all players needed to fill out week positions. Our board wasnt that cautious in transfering players, they had their flops to - Ziege, Lehmann, Javi Moreno,...but they allways were able to make space for new players.

But the Calciopoli found us off guard - we had, and still have to deal with several problems at the same time.

And dont forget all that financial reports. I must really say, I am very proud to be able to say that I`m 100% sure our board has reason and never jumped into the trap of modern time big spenders. Soo, when their finances will start counting unbearable deficites, we will collect their players for 45% of the price they used to pay.
I am really proud Milan dont participate in that Galacticos-"lets make every year a record signing" policies or that we have a Georgii Mihaljenko as president, who is at every time (no offense, but,..) ready to spent his bloody money on new stars. I`m glad we are not bombing the tabliods with transfer summs and hights.

The only real thing I don`t understand is where the hell our scouting is?! Cause my belive is that our transfer policy is old fashioned. But why then there is no aggressive scouting, why dont we find a bunch of boys, young italians, brazilians, turks, or whaterver,..?

Brilliant post .. and Welcome back

For as long as He wants...


He doesn't care... He had the chance to "retire in style" before and He didn't take it... it means nothing to Him...


Struggle?? That never happened... Look, I don't want to look arrogant but if there's one thing I know about football, that's what the defenders do and how they should do it. You say Paolo was bad against ********* but that's not true... He made many wrong passes, probably 5 or 6 but His defending was outstanding!! This opinion is not biased, it's honest... Do you know why Maldini can still play at this level even at 39? He can't run like youngsters do, He can't tackle like them either... but His experience is greater than all the other defenders' experience put together! Do you understand He's defended against attackers of three different decades?? ... And you might say... "OK, so what does experience give to him?". What experience gives to Him is outstanding positioning! He's exactly where He should be... not a nanometre wider!! No one got past Him in the final... they got past Nesta though! He thinks before the attacker, He's always two steps forward... so if nobody can get past him he doesn't need to run... that's why He still goes on... that's the Godly trick of His...

And if you think I'm too passionate to admit otherwise, what about Gazzetta? They gave Him a 7.5, Nesta got a 7... Every Italian newspaper rated Him as good or better than Nesta... and that's not just out of respect...

It's not for me and you to say when He will retire... we simply don't have a say on this!


Not enough... but sufficient!!???


Yes he was backed then... but I'm talking last season... he said himself that he would probably have been replaced if he hadn't won the CL... he said it on the official website...


And you still believe it was a smart move?? 25m to meet and agent? How much would you pay to meet Jolie??

Come on... you know there are many Italians who would give head for a place under Milan's bench... let alone a place on it!


I'm sure you don't mean this! It's a wrong use of words there... it wouldn't be compromise, it would be beating cheapness!!! Do NOT reply to this, you're not really telling me we could not pay 3 or 4 million more? Is this milanfan.com or usalessandriafan.com!?? We're Milan for God's sake... if we're not willing to pay a couple millions more (and that would take his price up to... 10m?? ) it's not because we don't want to compromise, it's because we are cheap!! You can't deny that, it's ridiculous!! Berlusconi's Milan can't pay 10m?? It's farcical...


And in the end we lost... we lost it at the home stretch... that means the team could have used some help...


Come on... you can't be so stubborn!! Do you remember the team we fielded in the last match before the CL final? It was the freaking Primavera!!! Do you remember the game before that, against Catania? We were barely running... would we be able to do that if we were on the title race?? Please...


I thank God every day, for all that he's offered to Milan!!

Would Milan be a worse team if we had lost the Final?? I don't think so... do you? Then why would we make changes then and we don't do some now?... Because the San Siro is going to be full probably...


Porty is actually hell scared... he just plays it cool...


Our scouting is alright... but how can we buy a player when we are not 150% sure he's going to be the next Zidane!??

Maldini was Man of the Match against Bayern and he didnt even make a sliding tackle

True he wasnt as effective as Nesta, but his presence alone dettered some players on that night and he has mountain loads of experience. He didnt do anything significantly wrong anyway

...

Am I biased??

Well, just like Pippo I haven't been around that much recently, but I feeld like I have to give my opinion on this as well. A few months ago I alreday spoke out some things I still think here

First of all I don't agree with R7s opinion on our strategy on the market. Sounds a bit like Galliani propaganda
No one can deny that we lost Suazo to Inter, and that WAS an embarassment, because Suazo prefered inter to Milan. Saying that we missed out on him for a reason is nonsense. IMO there are no more world class striker on the market. Henry is gone, Eto'o won't leave and the chances on R20 are about 10%. It seems that we could get Sheva but our board doesn't want to pay a fee...they prefer to get him on loan. Of course Chelski are refusing that...they want as much money back as possible.
And no one can deny the fact that last the market last summer wasn't a disaster. Galliani promised an equal for Sheva and we got...Oli (for freekin 15 Million Euro?!?). Gourcuff and Bonera are OK, but to be honest, neither of them really impressd me. We could have gotten a player like Zlatan but Galliani was to stupid.
AND everyone who knows a bit about football knew we had a huge gap on the RB position, but Galliani refused to pay some more money for Oddo. Then in January we had to pay more because Oddo played a brilliant season so far.

This years market isn't much better so far (but hey...we got Ba ). Why can every other team (except for Real ) sign big players for cheap money? Henry for 24 Million, Klose for 15 Million, while we think about signing Cassano? That's really embarassing. I have not given up hope, but I don't see any world class striker joining us like Galliani promised

Oh and, here's a quote of you R7 from April I assume:


Still think we'll get a replacemt for Billy? Didn't Galliani say something like "another striker and then we're fine"?

@LaPalma... We brought a replacement for Billy -> Digao!

Digao is not Billys replacement. He's a present for Ricky

For the record, Maldini is a Milan star. I don't care if he is on crutchs, he is the first name to be on the pitch



This is what the president of Cagliari had said:

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=336765

This is why I believe we backed out instead of Suazo ditching us, though his preference was Inter.



So you want Milan to turn into Madrid .. I don't get what ur saying.



Well .. This season, the target was 4th place, whatever came extra was extra. Last season and the season before that, we all know how Juve won it. I don't have more to add on this dst .. It's like insulting ur intelligence if I have to keep going.



No. I didn't say it was a smart move. All I said was it was the "good" part of the deal, cuz he turned out to be a flop. Again, I am repeating myself

Yeah...we're the nice guys



No doubt about that

I know that every player on this planet would dream of playing for AC Milan. I know of one Inter player who has stated that he would like to change sides.
So I am sure there are players out there to sit our bench. But the players that people seem to want (on this forum) are players of quality. These players wont sit the bench.

And on that, do u think I am against such a thing ?! Of course I am all for it!

The thing I am making a stance is, not to be ignorant and just speak against u .. I am saying the managment has the last word on all this. And whatever they are doing, it is probably for a very good reason. Us fans are feeding off of tabloids and daily news feeds .. But we have no idea what the club is going through and what it is trying to do! So I give them the benifit of the doubt ..

One thing is certain, this club is the most decorated on the international level and is #1 in European standings. What more ..



If Berlusconi doesn't want to pay 2M he wont! If Galliani doesn't want to pay 5 cents he wont ! It is as simple as that.

Look it isn't about that .. It is totally about compramise. And if u can't see it .. Then I don't know what is going on .. Last summer Milan was negotiating for Oddo and Ronaldo .. For Ronaldo Milan weren't gonna compromise Kaka' and for Oddo Milan were having their arm bent.

Even when the actual transfer of Oddo took place .. There was still disagreement between Lazio and Milan.

Now what happened between them and the actual dialog, again, we as fans don't know sh1t. we are "told" 2M or 5M .. But what is actually going on .. We all don't have a clue.



Yeah from Moggi



Well yes, we would have done that in a title race .. Cuz it''s a champions league final



Well .. look .. had we lost that final. Many players would have gone, Dida, Broochi, etc etc .. and Berlusconi would have started reconstructing a new team.

But since we won the CL, he can't do that ! This is the team that won the CL Plus .. It's good for players like Kaka' to see how Milan takes care of it's players and rewards them

Enough=sufficient... You can't say it is the one but not the other...


Go on...

Yes we do know how Giuve won it but what does that have to do with what I'm saying??

Milan demanded that Ancelotti would bring them the 'Big Ear' or he would face the sack... That is a fact! I'm going to search and find that article from acmilan.com. You said the team had the full support of the management and I answered with this...

And now you're telling me that Milan lost those titles unfairly... The cause of the ultimatum the board delivered to Ancelotti was not even the issue here but what you said backs my words... Ancelotti was on the verge of being kicked out AND undeservedly... that is NOT what I call supporting the team!


Yeah... I'm trying to get your point here... we were talking about good transfers, not about good parts of a transfer...


You're talking to me now not to people on these forums! And I'm saying that Milan should have gotten a player that's better than Brocchi... There are players better than Brocchi and worse than Vieira I reckon... it's not just black and white, is it?


I want Milan to be competitive on all fronts... like we did back in '04/'05! We lost all targets back then but at least we were there! And as you said, we lost the one because our rival cheated!


So we agree; they don't want to pay!! I knew we would come to a decision...

Look, I love the current Milan board... they've given everything to Milan!! But that doesn't mean they don't make mistakes or that I won't point them out... they've done mistakes in the past too... BIG ones! And I wouldn't like to see history repeat itself...


No, from the bench! Our only worthy sub was Rui Costa...


I understand you did not start supporting Milan just yesterday... so don't bullsh!t me, you know Milan did NOT do this in '05...


That's not my point and... you did not answer my question; would the same team that thrashed United, be worse if they had lost the final that they are now? That's what I'm asking...

I never said Maldini was BAD against Liverfool! I just said he wasn't the real Maldini, the Maldini we all know.
And I didn't question his experience, abilities and godly tricks too! who am I to question his technical abilities?! I just say he will be 40 in the upcoming season and he will not be able to play in 4 major tournaments. it is normal to have a drop of form and performing below expectations at this age (I'm sure you won't deny that).
I guess as long as he doesn't announce his retirement, Milan will not be looking for a decent CB (perhaps they will be satisfied with Digao, Bonera, Simic, etc) and that could cost us finally.


Maybe it just means something to me...



Then I'd better shut my mouth




Gazzetta's opinion doesn't have an impression on me. I have watched the final many times and I still think Nesta was our best player that night, even better than Inzaghi (in fact apart from those two goals, which one of them was a fluke, Inzaghi didn't do anything special that night).

Nesta was flawless that night. yes, he made one single mistake, but you know that it was inevitable.
[oh, by the way Kaka made many mistakes in Athens, but he was our 'most decisive' player].

Anyway it's unacceptable to say Nesta was inferior to Maldini, if Gazzetta says so...

He made some bad passes but in defence He was flawless in my view... of course He's not the young horse that used to tore the opponents' defensive structures apart but His class is still incomparable!


No, He won't... but only He will decide in which games He wants to play.


He announced He will retire next summer.


Well I have an opinion on this too but it's His decision to make...


You mean in Gerrard's () chance? Well, in any case he did made a defensive mistake while Paolo did not!

I didn't expect you to change your opinion just because some guy at Gazzetta thinks differently, I just wanted to point out that it's not just me who think Maldini was very good that night...

Yes Milan did loose those titles unfairly ! U have been saying it for the past year !!
The board gave an Ultimatum to Ancelotti This is a first! The board have always been in support of Carlo. It is the fans, again I repeat this, that stood against Carlo ! Carlo's main target last season was 4th place .. Galliani and Berlusconi stated it ! The champion league triumph was just to show how strong this Milan team is. While Carlo had already reached his target for this season, 4th place.



Well .. Oliviera was a sh1tty transfer, as was Gilardino This was a remark dst, not involved in the discussion .. but if we must drag him in, he is sh1t



Again .. I agree here with you .. The club could have added more to the team .. But that hasn't happened. Still, even with us not adding, we won the Champions League and reached the league target of 4th place.

It ain't black and white .. You wanted Diarra last season ! Well, where was he gonna fit ?! I'll tell you, right between Simic and Broochi on the bench.

On Simic and Broochi, these are the second string players Milan has, and they have done well coming off the bench. The problem Milan faced was injuries, more than the lack of reliable substitutes.

Ok .. So let us say Milan should have gotten 5 players last season .. Then what ?! The same outcome would have happened The league was always gonna be Inters and the two years before that always Juve ...



Milan is still as competitive as it was back then. Last season a remarkable climb back to the top 4 and a CL triumph, the two seasons prior we stretched both competitions to the maximum! We are the most consistent club in town. We Only lost to Barca last year, the then crowned champs of Europe



Well, if Milan decide not to buy at a certain price, then that is their policy It isn't football manager 06

Mistakes .. Everyone makes mistakes, George Bush makes them every day ..

Milan is an organization .. They have a balance sheet that has to be checked at the end of every season. Moreover, there are cash-flow statements, and other fiscal data that needs to be assessed too. Therefor, Milan isn't sitting on a bank account and throwing away money. Sure Silvio is a billionaire and loves Milan to shreds and has promised that he will be intervening to bring a superstar. That aside, Milan is still an organization and will be run as such.

Moreover, it has a reputation in the transfer market. Look at Chelsea, any club Chelsea goes to for a player, the club automatically pushes the price 20% higher (i.e. Essian). Now you don't want Milan to be in that situation It isn't about 2M or 5M, it is about compramise.



I resent that remark! Rui doesn't deserve the bench !! This is where we need to draw our conclusions. Youw ant a sub of Rui's quality, I wouldn't like to see a player of Rui's quality on the bench We are no Madrid, Chelsea, or Inter.



Whether I am new to Milan or not ... It is football, before a final match. You rest your key players. This isn't rocket science, it's pure logic.



Well, against United, I believe it is one of the greatest games Milan ever played. And if u know me, you would know that I rate Milan today as I would rate it 12 years ago .. I am biased from a certain stand point, and the history helps too

So with the United game being one of the greatest ... And us 'loosing the Athena final' .. the team wouldn't be worse .. It would just mean that certain players would move away. Which is perfectly healthy, had we lost.

@dst... we both have our opinions, but it seems to me that we are in agreement after all!
you seem to be very much passionate about Maldini, that's admirable believe me that I love him too! but since I'm so logical ( ) I accept these facts about our legend, whether I like em or not.

I wonder what all these transfer talks and Maldini talks have to do with PATO DREAM!?

But that's waht Pippo does and why I love him so much. He scores without any hesitation and warning -->Superpippo

Wow, that's some nice discussion btw, really would like to say something more, but I just lack the time


I hope it's football manager '07
Honestly, of course you're right but I an only recall myself. Henry for 24 Million? That's a pretty good price IMO, AND he chose Barca over us which is worse IMO. We're not the cool ones for the players any more.

And concerning the sub situation. I think most of the people on milanfan know that we can't buy players like Riquelme, van der Vaart, Sneijder etc. as subs. But why don't we get some more promising youngsters as subs instead of oldies like Brocchi? And don't say that it has something to do with experience. It was Brocchi who caused ManU 3:2 win over us after Rino left the field.

I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL FANS THAT CONTINUE TO TRUST THE EXACT SAME TEAM WE HAVE .... I DO AS WELL AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS TEAM NO MATTER WHAT ...

BUT, THERE IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT.

PLACING ALL OUR HOPES IN ONE PLAYER (RONALDO) IS NOT RIGHT.

HE IS A PLAIN HUMAN BEING THAT CAN GET INJURED ANYTIME , ANYTIME!

IF THAT HAPPENS ... WE WILL BE IN THE SAME SITUATION WE WERE LAST LEASON..... LACK OF GOALS AND WE WILL HAVE TO RELY OUR HOPES IN KAKA

IF THIS HAPPENS I CAN REALLY ASSURE THAT KAKA WILL WANT TO LEAVE ... HE IS A STAR ALRIGHT ... BUT HE IS TOTALLY AWARE THAT HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE SHINNING IN THE SKY AND NOBODY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN ENTIRE ARMY OF FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD DEPENDING ONLY ON HIM

BATMAN (A HUMAN HERO) NEEDS ROBIN .... SUPERMAN WILL NEVER EXIST

You may want to press this

Who's placing all their hopes on R9 anyways, last time I checked we won the CL without him.

The likes of Pirlo were reall off form due to the World Cup, this year they've had their break we'll be fine. We're not going to win the Scudetto anyways.

And?


A first?? Well, whatever I can't find Ancelotti's comments on the official site where he says that if he hadn't won the European Cup then probably he would have been sacked...

In any case, neither of us really know if he was supported or not so our opinions on this one is clearly subjective.


Exactly, not involved in the discussion. The same with Gilardino...


Exactly! We won the CL and reached 4th place despite the management's bad job... I never said anything different...


What has Diarra got to with this? We're talking about a bench player for f@ck's sake... You don't really believe I wanted Diarra for the bench...


When there are injured players, substitutes take their place... If the latter are crap... sh!t happens!!


How can you tell what would have happened?? Maybe last year Inter was excellent but the previous two years...


4th place and CL win < 2nd place (fighting till the end) and CL semis < 2nd place (losing in the penultimate day) and CL final

In terms of competitiveness that is... we're on the decline in that area in my view!

Did I say it's not their policy?? Man... your replies have all been completely irrelevant to what I'm saying!!!! Of course it's their policy, I DON'T AGREE WITH IT!!!


That means our board does mistakes too...


I never asked for anything else... I want Milan to be a healthy organization first and foremost!

I never asked for Ronaldinho though... you are the one who wants Silvio to spend 70m for him!


The compromise thing is your opinion! I have mine: If you're not willing to spend 10m on an RB who has won the World Cup when your one and only other RB is 37 years old you are cheap!!


I never said Rui deserves the bench... Nevertheless, Rui WAS a sub in both his last seasons at Milan... Your conclusions are totally delusional!


Well obviously your logic is at a level way way down... What the f@ck don't you understand: Milan reached the CL final in 05 but because Milan was also in the title race they did NOT rest any players in the championship games before the final!!!!!!!!! Anyone who was watching Milan back then can confirm that... Don't bullsh!t me about rocket science, this is something that HAS happened and you're responding as if I'm an idiot imagining all this...


I don't understand why there should be changes then since the team wouldn't be any worse but anyway... I believe it's as difficult to stay at the top as it is to reach and for that to happen there need some changes to be made! This is my opinion... let's leave it at that!

WOW!

dst VS. Rossoneri7 !

Gosh!!!!

I`m amazed by the way this conversation is going on..

First of all, @dst, I agree with you on most of the things, still



This calculation is wrong I fear. Winning the CL is more important and is bigger then any other place then the 1st. So: CL win is allways > then anything less of the 1st place.
And logically, we will all remember the 2007 season by winning the CL, while the 2006 will be soon forgotten. I mean, a Milan freak (like me ) maybe finds it more important to finish up 2nd in SA and reach the semis in the CL, but a normal and plain Milan supporter would choose the CL win in a second.

Beside those, (I agree) arguable agruments I stated, I really don`t think there is and apsolute and 100% sure calculation for those things.


One thing I am afraid is consisted in the brilliant question dst asked; how is the Milan that won the CL different to the Milan who`d eventually lost that same final?!
You know how? By creating an ilusion that stands on very thin legs - loosing the CL final would probably mean the exit of Pippo, Gila would be also under pressure and a bunch od other players as well. By loosing the CL we all would be terribly sorry, but at the same time our board would have been forced to challange the problems.

But that didn`t happen. So we have still faith in Pippo, we still think that our midfield is very well covered and our keeper is reliable? This is the thing that bothers me,...


You mentioned the Maldini think as well. Its a tricky question. I must put my hand on my heart and confess that sometimes, watching Maldini playing in this season I thought "my god, is he really the one I used to watch years ago?". Of course, he isn`t the one,..thats nature. But all the big and important matches he mastered very well. His experience was a compensation to his week passing and slow reactions. I`d be the happiest to see Maldini play till his 50-ties, and I also am not asked to comment wether he should retire or not. The only think I really pray for not to happen is that we catch a lousy season with miserable games, and that this season allways stays in my memories.

Its a simple thing - like Maradona - yes, possibly the greatest player of them all,..but that last matches, with his fat look, bad condition and look in general, were he wasn`t able to do anything,...those moments engraved in my memory and allways make a shadow on all the good things; like in the real life - when (I`ll give you my own example) your grandma dies after two years of suffering and living without a real conciousness - in your memory this period will be the one you recall first. It does not matter if you lived with her for 10 years and he was in perfect health. The last two,..they leave a bitter taste.

Sure, one season isn`t comparable with the two examples I used (maybe only if we would end up on a relegation place and banned out of the CL).
But in some way, ending his career by lifting the trophie would be the perfect end(eventually, that will happen after all ).

Now, I`ll ask a bold question. I`m really not sure what Maldini thinks. If he means he can make one more, complete season as captain and first team player in which he will lead the defense in all competitions,..well, then he is exactly like our board. If this is the case, in which I`m pretty sure it isn`t, we are in problems.


But we all use a egregiously philosophical approach...
Lets play it simple,..

I don't know if this is what you mean but I believe my reaction was too harsh thus I feel the need to apologize to R7...


I said I meant it in terms of competitiveness... if you're challenging for two major trophies till the very end then you're more competitive than some one else who does so only in one competition...

Of course last season was the most successful of those three as we actually won something...

For example, I think United had a clearly better season than us...


In my opinion nothing changes... I mean, anything can happen in a final, we all learned that the hard way in 2005 but that doesn't mean the team that hammered United would lose it's greatness on that instant...

I believe we need some reinforcements!! We need a young RB, a CB (do we have to wait 'till Maldini retires to test somebody? Maybe then it will be too late and we'll lose precious time!) a better replacement for Brocchi (Montolivo/Aquilani... it's not like Brocchi's experience has really helped him anyway...), a better replacement for Borriello (Pato... for the future) and a great striker (R20/Sheva)!

Even if Maldini score 10 own goals next season there's no chance we're going to remember it...

Keep in mind .. I have already stated that the strength of our squad was the strongest in 05. Also keep in mind that the reports in the calciopoli proved that Moggi had made life much easier for Juve to take the title(s).



Look .. I am not sure where you want this to go, but by no means don’t expect me to go down to that level


Carlo Ancelotti had taken Milan off of the hands of Fatih Terim because of poor results. He took Milan from the slumps to being the prime contenders for both the CL and Scudetto, and didn’t leave any room for rivals of any of those two championships to breath. Milan management values things like this. You can clearly see it in Costacurta, Baresi, etc .. They give back .. And one thing they give back to you that no management has ever is faith ! I don’t need proof from the site. I don’t need reconfirmation about a coach I have defended all through this season when some already started daydreaming about Mourinho and Rijkaard.

If you think otherwise .. That is your opinion.

The management of Milan has a different twist to it. We agree that they will always look for the best to keep this team the best. What we don’t seem to agree with is the method in which they conduct business. Which you have stated that you disagree with. That is ok, you seem to disagree with mostly everything I have been saying. But lets look at the manner in which they have worked for the team in the 3 past years where you claim that our strongest stage was 05 then on a decline till today.

I agree that the 05 squad was the strongest in this millennium, in terms of the quality of our bench and our first XI.

But in no time did Milan weaken from that point onwards. The management kept the team always with enough quality and depth to go for the scudetto and the CL. We might not have the same names as in 05 like Stam, Crespo, Rui, and Shevchenko .. But what we do have is a fine crop of players that get down on the field and prove to everyone that they are the real deal, European champions, and players whom I value more than R10 or any star name you would like to bring in. And definitely enough quality to be ranked #1 in Europe, when many predicted that Milan might loose even that bragging right to Barca. The ONLY reasons Milan struggled this season was injuries, lack of preparation, points deduction (plus not getting compensated later on), and calciocaos. All of which are due to matters that are out of the club's hands.

What were Barca doing ?! They had the best team in Europe, with all their acquisitions .. What off Chelsea ?! They had a HUGE quality bench, but they didn’t win the league nor the CL, and they were favorites for both. There goes your theory . Milan were not even favorites, not even before the game with United which in that time these European champions were fighting with there hands and feet for a 4th place finish .. This landmark that Milan reached last season is something that falls mainly on the management . The faith they kept in Pippo, Kaka, Dida, Nesta, and other key players proved a success (renewing contracts, showing open faith to, etc).

Milan management cheap ?! Because the 2M thing ?! Because of Favalli type players ?! Well, I am glade that Milan is cheap and at the same time remains a healthy organization.

Managements don’t just buy players for the sake of shutting everyone up .. They have other objectives to reach. Ronaldinho?! How did he get in all of this ?! His expense would be taken care off by Berlusconi. Nothing to do with the club’s management. (No I didn’t assume this, this is what has been fed to me through the media quoting him)


The Milan management (gosh I feel like I am their lawyer or something) have been active in the market during the past 3 years. And Milan are active today ..

But that isn’t satisfactory now is it ?! While Inter and Barca and Chelsea and all of the teams, that we WILL bulldoze through this year, have bought several players .. All you are waiting for is Football Italia to read that Milan had purchased Milito or something like that .. Well I don’t blame you. I too am waiting for something of that sorts .. Cuz I am a fan and I do have a desire to see a couple more players in Milan.

Still, I am of the opinion that this current crop of players that we have are the best around. Most are older than the rest, still the understanding and cohesion in this team that the management has created is remarkable. And this is one thing I value as a Rossonero. And I am convinced that Milan will reinforce itself this summer, as a great club does.

How will they deal with which players are left and all that talk that has been going on here about who should come, etc ? They have been doing it for years, it isn’t our job to out smart the experts in this field.

What this management gives to this team .. Is more than any management has given to any team. 21 years of success, taking Milan to within 2CL trophies from Madrid. I say it was a job well done.

Whether they missed Zlatan or Suazo or whoever ur agitated about .. They gave us Ronaldo whom I am really grateful for, as promised a Sheva replacement.

p.s. Obviously there is going to be transfer activity for Milan, they still have over 50 days. At least 2 new faces will come.