With this year bringing huge changes for our club (retirements, etc), what does the future hold for our beloved Milan?


Lets take a look.





Our coach is Max Allegri, who is 44. He's been at Milan for 2 years so far now and I personally see him here for the foreseeable future. Ive had high hopes from him from day 1 as he's one that i've watched closely for the last couple years in Serie A and I still have high hopes for him. As with any manager, you need time to be able to grow and show what your worth and I firmly believe that he will bring us glory in the near future.

I have no problems with Tassotti or the rest of the staff as they've done well over the years under carlo and leo.

I won't comment on any other departments.

I'm ok with this department and I don't believe change is required quite yet.






We have begun changing the beast which has been known as milan for the last decade. Out with the old and in with the new.

Lets look at our squad so far going into the 2012 season without the additions.


GK (2): Abbiati (34), Amelia (30)

Def (7): Yepes (36), Bonera (31), Mexes (30), Antonini (29), Mesbah (27), Silva (27), Abate (25)

Mid (7): Ambrosini (35), Flamini (28), Muntari (27), Nocerino (27), Emanuelson (26), Boateng (25), Strasser (22)

Fwd (5): Ibrahimovic (30), Cassano (29), Robinho (28), Pato (22), El Sharaawy (19)


Total: 21

So that is our squad at the end of the term with all the losses accounted for.


[Decent i'd say but not too scary. I'd say with this squad here we would realistically finish in the top 3 if we didn't have any serious injuries. 1 injury crisis and i'd see us slip into 4th or 5th]









Our favorite section. Whose coming and whose going? Forunately we have passed that Silva transfer scare and I for one am very happy that he is here thus far. He's crucial to our team and I hope he stays for the forseeable future.


Now lets get to business. What additions have we made so far.


GK: Gabriel (19) - A very talented young gk with loads of potential. I dont know how Galliani managed to pick him up for the price that he did (500k) but it was a smart pick up.


Def:

Acerbi (23) - A young italian CB whose had a very good season Chievo. I don't know too much about him but from what i've heard, he's a good pick up.

Didac Vila (23) A young spanish LB that we had picked up last season. Had an amazing season at Espanyol. Tall, fast, strong and technically sound. If he can adapt to the italian game we have a quality FB for the next couple years.




Mid:

Bakaye Traoré (27) Don't know much about him but from what i've heard hes a fast and strong box to box midfielder, similar to nocerino. If he can fit into our system I can see him shine. Tough, hard working midfielders is what Allegri needs for his plans to work and adding traore to the mix is a good addition.


Kévin Constant (25) A decent attacking minded midfielder. Has been inconsistent thus far in his career in Serie A but has the tools to be a protagonist for us. If he picks up his form and grows like nocerino and others have, we can potentially have another boateng like player in the squad.


Ricardo Montolivo (27) My favorite transfer thus far. I am very happy to have him here. He's a quality player and I believe with the right oppurtunity can be world class. I think he'll fit in quite nicely for us and be a strong addition in the midfield.


[Some excellent transfers and most importantly young transfers. We have added young, ambitious and hungry players to the squad, which is what we have needed. Sure they're not world class to begin with, but maybe thats what is good about it. We have never been a team to buy stars like Real Madrid. We make our stars.

Look at Kaka, Sheva, Silva, pirlo, gattuso, maldini, seedorf, pato and many more. So my belief is to have faith and give them an oppurtunity]







GK (3): Abbiati (34), Amelia (30), Gabriel (19)

Def (9): Yepes (36), Bonera (31), Mexes (30), Antonini (29), Mesbah (27), Silva (27), Abate (25), Acerbi (23), Vila (23)

Mid (10): Ambrosini (35), Flamini (28), Montolivo (27) Muntari (27), Nocerino (27), Traore (27) Emanuelson (26), Boateng (25), Constant (25), Strasser (22)

Fwd (5): Ibrahimovic (30), Cassano (29), Robinho (28), Pato (22), El Sharaawy (19)

Squad: 27 players




I believe with this squad we have a more realistic chance of landing in the top 3. Is first a realistic option? Ofcourse it is. It all depends on various factors such as injuries and etc... But I believe we have a very good squad for Serie A and a decent squad for Champions league.

The most important thing about this squad is that our average has dropped significantly and we have added young hungry players with potential.


Our midfield bar ambrosini is all under 30 years old.

Our defence has gotten younger and it is a very positive thing. I don't think we should go too young as with any defensive line, experience is the most important aspect.

Our attacking line hasn't changed and I don't really think it needs to. We have Stephen coming up and I believe with time he will be our next Kaka. El Sharaawy and Pato are our future and if pato gets over his injury griefs, i believe we are set.



-----------------------------

Overall I believe that while we are struggling financially, we have made the right moves in the market (to the best of our abilities). I don't think we will see any major successes in the short term (next 1 or 2 years), but I believe in the long term Milan will be a force to be reckoned with once again.


----------------------------



You've heard my take on the situation and now its your turn to add your input. Discuss...What do you think about the future of Milan? Gloom and Doom or bright and golden?

You forgot to mention Merkel. He's nevertheless one of the very few midfielders we have (or had) that possessed sheer flair and creativity. This very attitude of Italian clubs regarding youngsters is one of the biggest reasons they are in the mess they are. Granted, we just loaned him out to Genoa, so he may come back.

But instead, he should have been here as a sub to Montolivo and getting 10-15 minutes each match.

Genoa owns Merkel now.It was part of the deal with el sharaawy.

Yup, just came back to me after I posted. Let's see how our farm club behaves now. If it were up to me, I'd surely have kept both El Sharaawy and Merkel, slowly integrating them into the first XI as permanent players. But instead we seem more interested in signing freebies and average players.

I think considering how much Genoa have bent over for us, this was the least we could have done. But anyway that's a different discussion.

First of all, thanks a lot Bluey. Excellent topic you have started.

I'll stick to the same pattern you have in your post.

1. Coaching & Other Staff:

I'm okay with the staff we have, but like our players they also have to improve a lot. For me this means, our medical personnel and our head coach.

I have made no secret, that the only way you can rationalise Allegri's gameplay and tactics is if you win. And we didn't do that last season. Yes, injuries are a factor but if he had not made some avoidable mistakes we would have won DESPITE injuries and it would have done a lot for our stature.

For me points to improve:

- Medical personnel clean up their act! -> PRIORTITY ONE.
- Allegri becomes a little more enterprising in his gameplay. Unlike drucurl, I don't think Zlatan demands to be the centre of the team. He's just stupid good and he ends up being that way. What we need is to remove that dependency! -> PRIORITY ONE
- We need other formations except that centre-heavy 4-3-1-2. Our wingplay is dependent on our fullbacks and considering we don't have top quality there, this is something that needs thought so as to not be predictable. -> PRIORITY TWO
- More youth players added into the first team.-> PRIORITY THREE


2. Team:

I would just include De Sciglio in the list. Because I think he will stay and get some chances. Would also like some mids to move in from the youth. Perhaps Fossati if he is ready. Heard great things about him previously.

Some players who really need to carve a niche for themselves and stop being 'squad' are for me, Acerbi, Montolivo, Flamini,Abate and Urby. They must really make a huge step up this season. I know some of them are new transfers but no excuses.

I would also like to add, for me defence is still a worry. I know it's Allegri's strong suit, but Mexes partnering Silva does not make me feel better in any way. I don't rate him too highly, and hence why I hope for Acerbi.

I might be controversial, but I would even sell Mexes and get back Astori depending on his performance next season. Our 4 million salaried CB MUST be top class, and his Euros were simply abject. Loss of concentration, roughplay etc.

Player(s) I have most hopes for this season: Pato, SeS and Vila (in that order).

Our crucial players aka our Spine: Ibra,Cassano, KPB, Silva, Abate, Abbiati

3. Transfers:

I'm gonna relax on the DM bit, and hope that Flamini can cover it. If not we can think of it in January. I can relax about the AM bit,since there's no point getting a pure creative AM, like Sneijder. Allegri will not use him, since that's not the role he wants behind the strikers. I do think we are one creative passer short from mid-field.

Someone like Modric or Lampard. The guy who plays the pass before the assist.

We have no money, but I would take a gamble on Anderson from Man Utd. He showed a lot of potential, before Man U where he became more of a workhorse, but he still has some good vision and passing. And I think we could get him for under 15 million. But he is not a name we have been linked to so...

And maybe, I would have got one more CB. Perhaps Astori, but I guess Bonera has earned enough faith from us.

4. 2012 Squad:

No excuses. We have to win a trophy this season. For me Prio 1- Scudetto, Prio 2- CL, Prio 3- Coppa Italia.

We need at least a quarter final place in the CL as far as I'm concerned. AT LEAST!

If we end up trophyless, I think the coach must leave. But of course perhaps at the end of the season there shall be other mitigating factors.
-------

Overall, I'm very excited about this season. We are starting a new journey, and while I do not think we will set the world on fire, we MUST show definite improvements and work hard.

Forza Milan.

Anderson or Lampard? Has it got to a point nowadays where we hope for people like this?!

No Lampard. Please. Too old.

Well, we made something out of Boateng. So why not Anderson. Besides itś all we can afford.

Boateng had talent, I always said that. On the other hand Anderson is just awful though, honestly and wouldn't be cheap.

His wages are a problem.

But he was rated very highly, which is why he joined Man U for 18 million. He just couldn´t replace Scholes though.

A young Brazilian rated highly?

He was good for Porto though...

He only played the first three games, and he was great against England and Ukraine. Against Sweden the whole French team was lost, not just Mexes. In my humble opinion, Mexes is a great starting CB.

He only played the first three games, and he was great against England and Ukraine. Against Sweden the whole French team was lost, not just Mexes. In my humble opinion, Mexes is a great starting CB.