AC Milan were very convincing in their first game of 2023 and this has silenced some of the recent critics. The way the mood has completely changed is not surprising at all, as highlighted by the pundit Luca Serafini.
The Rossoneri could have scored four-five goals against Salernitana but due to a lack of composure, and some heroics from Guillermo Ochoa, the game ended 2-1. Nevertheless, it was a perfect start to 2023 as Napoli also lost against Inter.
Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara have received quite a lot of criticism this season for their work in the mercato and while everyone is allowed to have an opinion, the team is performing on the pitch. This is something that Luca Serafini highlighted in his latest column for MilanNews.
“The team that won the Scudetto played at Arechi, apart from Maignan and Kessie. Fatally, a couple of fans used this to somehow point out that the summer mercato was a failure. However, it’s been like this for four years, since 2019 when the likes of Leao, Bennacer, Rebic and Tonali were ruled out by the fans (and more examples). Yet, Milan have been on the podium for three years, the most continuous among the strongest in the league,” he wrote.
Milan will face Roma this Sunday and it will be yet another important game in the Scudetto race. There’s understandably a lot of optimism, given the defeat of Napoli, but the work still needs to be put in.
So he is saying what all fans are saying, its the same team minus kessie, a big minus. Furthermore the rw is still weak as are other positions.
So yes we are the same. The same team that is not competitive in Europe. A team that has not been improved which in football means your rivals catch up.
Last summer we missed a huge opportunity to become a force in Europe again
Well we are in the last 16 of the Champions League, improvement has been gradual. Even without old work boots, his team is completely out of Europe and he’s still just riding the bench over there.
We only attained two points less than last year mid season hardly a huge issue, We have also qualified for the next round in the cl so clearly we improved there.
Even our squad value has increased with roughly 100 mil since last season according to transfermarkt.
midseason is a wrong descriptri on on my part as i should have written ammount of matches played as we only played 15 compared to 19 mid season last year. still only 2 points less than last season.
The league is more competitive this year as our rivals improved.
Honestly in Europe we have not improved. Last season we had 3 heavyweights to play and while we were not good enough we gave a reasonable show.
This year we had 1 heavyweight and they beat us (5-0)agg.
I will be cheering hard against Tottenham but lets be honest, they are similar level to Chelsea.
We can’t stand still, we must continue to improve
2 points less in the first 15 serie a matches isnt really too bad and i wouldnt be too surprised if we will have equaled the standing with napoli early to mid february as ive also said previously on this web site. Down to 5 points and it might even change before that as its already close within reach,
We was unlucky last year as well in the cl due to refereeing and var errors but the fact that we have qualified for the next round is an improvement regardless of how its twisted and turned.
I think tottenham is 60/40 favourites but if we actually can get pass them then we could actually end up with a fairly favourable draw for the following round so we’ll see how it pans out.
Anyways the club cant spend as it please and considering we was banned from european football in recent years while we are STILL under the scrutinization of CAS and has exceeded expectations in previous years i wont complaint about how the ownership moves in the market even though id prefer a few marguee additions as well i have enough faith in this management to do whats in the best interest for the club.
Honestly i just don’t trust these new owners yet.
Its no coincidence that the takeover was completed immediately after transfer window closed. There were too many delays, especially those of renewing M&M. That caused us big problems in the market.
I agree we don’t want to spend our way into trouble, but our debts are cleared and we are in a more stable position than most.
The owner must show some ambition.
My issues is after winning the league we had a great chance to fill the gaps in our team and be competitive in Europe.
We only really needed a rw, striker and Perhaps a AM to give us balance.
The likes of Origi coming in is a disappointing indication of ambition.
I just dont want anymore of our core of quality players leaving (like Kessie). We either fill the gaps or risk losing our best players to more ambitious projects
My trust is towards our management like maldini and those working closely with the players. RedBiird will have to earn it but they seem to plan ahead so think it will work out fine, Elliot management has also kept positions at the board. New ownership cant really be blamed for the m&m renewal as the club sale was finalized august 31 or september 1rst if i remember correctly, The sale did indeed drag out and that propably affected the market a great deal.
The new owner hasnt really had much time to do that as ithis is is the first transfer window they are at the helm of the club so who knows if they have something up their sleeve in january.
I have full faith in that de ketelaere will come good sooner than later. Sorry to sound like a broken record but had it not been for his team mates squandering the open chances he created for them then he would have popably had 5-6 assists and we wouldnt be talking about him being a bust. Origi was never my pick but he still also has time to prove himself. Otherwise he will become a heavy and expenssive anchor for us for the next 4 years.
Well im not fond of us losing players for free either but you cant force a player to be sold or renew and neither cant we just overpay, From the sound of it we offered kessie far more than we should ever have offered him. Idealy players are sold if they wont renew and that in good time or put pressure on players 2 years prior to contract expiration and if players wont renew then the players should expect more time on the bench than on field but that comes with the demand of a squad with great players both on bench and the starters and that will take a few years. When that is said i actually think we will renew leao and bennacer soon.
Id also like to add that some of our signings from the summer might actually start to gel better with the team as they have had some time to adjust to a new setting. A bunch of injured players has also returned and several more to follow in the forseeable future,
CDK certainly showed more at the wknd, hopefully he finds his confidence.
I also like what i have seen of vranckx, hopefully he starts getting more chances.
4-3-3 might be our best formation given current options.
Im also excited about Colombo, think he will be the real deal.
In terms of last summer transfer window its just way to much of a coincidence that the takeover was finalised right after it closed, thereby letting new owners off the hook.
M&M are trusted men, who have got lots right and some wrong, but they are at the mercy of the ownership
Think he showed great promise in the first month or something and should have had 5-6 assists but then hasnt looked that well afterwards in the next roughly 1,5 months which i agree propably is down to lack of confidence and some bad luck.
I agree vranckx seems like an interesting player and the same with colombo.
I wouldnt tamper too much with what is already succesfull and working unless we actually have no options to do otherwise but id rather feature saelemaekers on the right than changing the formation at this point of time.
Its difficult to say why it actually happened that way but even if we doesnt make any more trransfers this window then whos to say that they isnt planing a big summer market while assessing those who joined in 2022 summer before making any big aquisitions. When that is said i believe it was cardinale who said in recent days that if there was a need to act in this january market and the right deals would present itself they would be ready to act accordingly so ill wait and judge them iwhen the 2023 summer market comes to an end.
Read properly
My main criticism has been the opposite – I think Maldini & Co are signing too many players!
The top top clubs sign a few top top players each summer and that is it. The key to being a top team is actually consistency and stability. It’s not about having super-duper-world players but players that know each other inside out. That was the key to the Juve BBC, the Arsenal back four, Terry and Lampard, the Man Utd treble winning side l, Carlos Pujol, Philipp Galli and Djimi Traoré….
Basically a lot of teams and partnerships consisted of pretty average players who collectively were greater than the sum of their parts. In many cases when individual players went elsewhere eg Bonucci at any club other than with BBC, they struggled.
Football comes down to inches not miles. Things happen on split seconds so that familiarity is absolutely key. Transfers are disruptive so if you’re going to disrupt the unit the new players need to really add something.
The key difference makers are in attack where individual magic can make all the difference. That is why Milan should be focusing on spending whatever the budget is on key attacking players.
Maldini & Co have brought more stability which has been key to our return to the top but they still suffer from the same issue as the rest of modern football. The transfer market is completely out of control, not just in terms of the money spent, but more importantly the volume of turnover.
Well written sir. I agree less is more. You dont want to disrupt the team spirit.
As you say, a couple of high class additions each year is much better than signing a host of average players (as we did in summer).
Also promoting our young players makes more sense than unproven players from outside.
I hope bozzolan is our back up LB now, deserves more chances. Chaka should be given more chances too.
No, they didn’t sign too many players.
This team is still far too weak to compete in Europe. They need much more quality. If Chelsea beats you 5-0 over two games, Then even Tottenham will break them in the round of 16, and I see exactly that happening. Milan will not go far in or win a Champions League any time soon. That’s just the sad, ugly truth.
This side is far too weak to compete in Europe. We need much more quality signings. If Chelsea beats you 5-0 over two games, Then even Tottenham will break them in the round of 16, and I see exactly that happening. Milan will not go far in or win a Chamions League any time soon. That’s just the sad, ugly truth.
still even if that were to happen then the team has improved and actually has qualified for the next round compared to the previous two years where we were stuck in the group.
Clearly room for improvement though.
Lol at “too weak to compete in Europe”. You made some bad claim here son.
Last season we beat Atletico Madrid, a Champions League winner, and could beat them twice if it’s not because of the referee gave red card to Cashie at the first half.
Lost to Liverpool, another Champions League winner, only by one goal margin (3-2 and 2-1)
1 draw and 1 lost to Porto 1-0 because of two mistakes from the referee.
And this season Milan started well in the 2nd match against Chelsea until, again, the referee made a big mistake at 20th minute with red card Tomori (Not sure why English clubs always have some crazy privelege from UEFA).
Sure this Milan isn’t the strongerts and still needs more experiences considering the majority of players are still young age from 18-25. But to say “too weak to compete in Europe” is just completely false.
Thats a long list of excuses for being beaten comprehensively and repeatedly by better teams in Europe
Nah, not excuses and it’s a comprehensive list that deny his “too weak to compete in Europe”.
But hey, i don’t expect brainless and angry cynical fans like you to understand.
Its possible to express differing views on a forum as that is its purpose. Its unnecessary to resort to insults. Thats the definition of losing an argument
Fans are not all idiots obviously. Only some of them, small fractions of them, but very loud :)) Loud minority stir the opinion of silent majority
@ ForzaMilan Maldini & Co have probably transferred more players than Milan did in the entire 90s.
That decade we averaged about 3 signings each summer (restricted in part by the 3 foreigner rule) whereas Maldini & Co are probably average 10 in the summer and a few in January.
Currently the less than 100 clubs in top 5 leagues in Europe are transferring thousands of players each transfers each window. It’s insane and is responsible for many failed careers.
Some elite footballers have had more jobs than amateur barmen. Anyone who has worked a bar on their first night can tell you that even pouring drinks can be tricky until you familiarise yourself with the place.
“whereas Maldini & Co are probably average 10 in the summer and a few in January”
Previous January Maldini only bought 1 player: Lazetic and in the summer only signed 5 players:
– Origi
– CDK
– Thiaw
– Vranckx
– Dest
Do some research first before spreading false misinformation.
Croud is not allowed to claim the facts from paqueta to bakayoko? Dollaruma to Kessie? That’s pretty much poor and a super bad sign to a successful future. IMHO this are the real fans because of thinking a lot on sustainability… By the of the day another poor article on sempre
“It is easier to tear a house down than to build it up” I see progress with this Milan team. Especially the stability of the team The only thing which is irritating as Milan fans is that we can’t bury clean cut chances. 12 shots on target but 2 goals is ridiculous more so that our opponents score with 1 chance 1 goal protocol. When it comes to Europe, we are slowly improving
Prepare to be frustrated Sunday night. I can see mourinho parking the bus. I hope we can open them up early