Many of Stefano Pioli’s requests during the January mercato went unanswered. However, there are suggestions that this could have been a tactical move, with the 58-year-old’s AC Milan future lying in the balance.
Whilst Milan added Filippo Terracciano and Matteo Gabbia to their ranks, there were persistent and public requests for other reinforcements throughout January from Pioli, and questions have to be asked about why there was a reluctance to spend in the winter mercato.
MilanNews write that this was done in line with the transfer strategy that is utilised by the Rossoneri. There is more willingness to invest in the summer, as opposed to investing in January, partially due to the inflated pricing or due to the need to create a strong team during the summer months.
With that in mind, given Pioli has been with the Diavolo for five years, he should be familiar with this strategy, and the fact he has so publicly stated his need for reinforcements, only for them to be refused, suggests that while Milan may be sticking to their strategy, they also want to maximise the finances available for next season’s coach – whether that is Pioli, maybe even Antonio Conte or Jurgen Klopp, is still yet to be seen.
Milan’s management is delighted with how Serie A is panning out; CL qualification almost guaranteed without having to do too much transfer-wise, or play particularly well. Redbird would love to sell to the Saudis, Cardinale is shit at his job, and he hates it. Milan is basically in a “upper mid-table” holding pattern until it gets some serious investment.
Almost quaranteed? It only takes a 2-3 week of last January’s performances and we’d be out of top4. The season in only at the halfway and anything can happen (except both Inter & Juve start losing a lot to make the scudetto possible for Milan).
So we have 5 cbs atm (sure 3 of them are out atm), plus simic and the ever injured Caldara. I swear the only one who sees a need for another cb is lord Pioli.
He got Bonera on the bench, register him my man, he’s only 42
Here he is crying for another defender when left Simić out of CL squad list but added Terracciano.
Exactly. He is acting like a moron now really. This kills me. Maldini was right about him.
But there is other logical explanation to all that — agents commissions
Exactly. He is acting like a moro*n now really. Maldini was right about him.
But there is other logical explanation to all that — agents commissions
Simic neither qualifies for the Club-Trained list nor Association-Trained list (since he has only been in Italy for less than 2 years). His EL inclusion can only be in the A list. So Simic and Terracciano (he is in the Association-Trained list) are not swappable in the EL squad. But if I’m the one making choices, I would have replaced Kalulu with Simic. Kalulu is not going to play much games this season for sure. Not sure what’s the point of having Kalulu in the EL squad. I think Pioli would rather have one lesser CB than to get a ‘not ready’ Simic in his team. On this and contradicting what most people would see, I think Pioli is not really good in nurturing young, raw players. Kalulu and Thiaw are the exceptions. But the narrative is always similar. These players only managed to get a long shot when there is an injury spate and Pioli has no other choice. Otherwise, it is going to be a long waiting game with our Mister for these young, raw players.
“I think Pioli would rather have one lesser CB than to get a ‘not ready’ Simic in his team.”
This exactly is my problem with his decision.
I’ve no idea what’s going on at the club but if Pioli is the one demanding all of these transfers then that is really odd given his tendency not to rush new players into the starting line up.
Although it’s all about expectations and what’s considered ‘normal’. Because in football (but no other team sport, organisation or family) it’s considered ‘normal’ to change half the squad every few months, those are the expectations of Pioli and everyone else in the game.
Just like 5 subs is now considered ‘normal’, and so would hand ball be considered ‘normal’ if they changed the rules.
That’s why we have rules especially in sport. The whole point of sport is to put some kind of arbitrary limitations on stuff and then see how others go with the same arbitrary limitations – only use your feet, 11 v 11 etc.
We can’t expect people to show self-restraint.
They need to limit teams to 3 transfers per summer, 1 in the winter, squads limited to 25, and loans limited to 1 per career for a minimum length of 12 months.
Then whoever it is – Saudi’s sportswashers, unfocused managers, or relegation battlers, they all have to stick to the rules.
It is not just one club’s problem. Football is commoditised. The way people ‘consume’ football has changed. Personally, I know a lot from the younger generation who follow players and not clubs. They have jerseys from different clubs but the common denominator is the player’s name on the jersey. Who really talks about the Saudi Arabia league until a certain CR7 went there? Today’s football at large needs this wheeling and dealing of players, or bankable assets they called it, to keep generating interests not just regionally, but also globally. If we need someone to throw a spanner in the works, it has to be at FIFA or UEFA level. But ‘simple’ things like capping an agent’s commissions have also had FIFA backpedaling. The emergence of the Super League is made possible partly due to frustrations from certain sections of this system. While we can debate the real intent of the Super League, it sure can break the hegemony and shake things up in the football scene. In any case, the context of football has changed and will not get back to what we knew 30 years ago.
Exactly modern fans support players not clubs.
It’s going to kill clubs.
Football is a team sport it can’t be about individuals.
My idea focuses on the number of transfers and squad sizes. It means that no matter what money a team has it can still only sign 3 players, it can’t hog players with massive squads, and it can’t endlessly loan players out.
Teams would have to develop and keep their own layers because they couldn’t just go out and sign endless players.
And it would reduce the turnover.
Every season the top 5 leagues – just 98 teams – are involved in thousands of transfers – 40-50 per clubs.
Most of those are youth players and loans but it’s just chaos. These are not the conditions to develop elite athletes and to help them reach their potential.
It would need to happen at the FIFA and UEFA. If they want to save club football then they need to do something. Otherwise football’s going to turn into teams of Harlem globetrotters playing exhibition matches
Oh, and I think Pioli really asked for a defensive reinforcement this January which he said it in one or two interviews. He specifically asked for one who knows the league well and so can play on the get go. Hence, Buongiorno.
Milan don’t afford neither Conte nor Klopp.