It’s preseason, the mercato is quiet, and so understandably anything is going to be magnified by a million. However, AC Milan didn’t need that.
Milan have returned to the lull of the mercato. They did their big splash in the water for Goncalo Ramos and Mario Gila, then they went back to the shadows – we’re not including a move for (the admittedly talented) Sankhoun Diawara here – and they’ve rarely been seen since.
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Instead, the focus has been on the Rossoneri’s lack of business. It’s felt like a return to the previous management for many, with a need to sell before any signings can be made. Unfortunately, it’s one of the more frustrating phases of the mercato, but it’s not just happening at Casa Milan.
Indeed, barring the super clubs, it feels like everyone is struggling to make movements this summer and you cannot ignore €100 million of spending.
Nevertheless, because of that quietness, there is more volume for everything else. Poor results in pre-season? Terrible. Players not being sold? Terrible. On and on and on and on – you get the idea.
Unfortunately, holidays have now come into this, too.
The situation
If you’ve been under a rock in recent days, you may have missed that Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot were set to return tomorrow (August 12). However, they have been given an extra four days off for seemingly no reason.
Indeed, reports are still questioning the reasoning for the decision and it seems like there isn’t a reason for their extended break.
So, when you consider that other French, Argentine, English and Spanish players are either back with their teams – or heading back in the next day or so – questions only increase, putting everyone in a bit of a strained position.
Just an extended break
Perhaps you can excuse the extended break by keeping things simple. First and foremost, they were the two of the biggest guarantees last season. Between them, they played almost 6,000 minutes and Massimiliano Allegri relied on them heavily.
So, you can argue that they won’t need a major amount of time to re-settle into the squad, given their places are effectively ironed out for them.
Additionally, you’re potentially giving them a bit extra for your own sake. A few days won’t make the world of a difference, but not rushing them back could ensure that they are fully ready for the season, which is a must.
What’s four days compared to an eight-month season?
Why have an extended break?
Unfortunately, the flip side of this is where we face issues. First and foremost, they appear to be the only two players who – including those who are injured – are not returning to training when they were initially scheduled to from the World Cup’s final four.
But what’s four days in the grand scheme of things? Well, that’s missing every pre-season game (given they now won’t return before this weekend’s clash in Poland) and returning to camp a week before the first game of the season. That’s not normal, nor should it be for two of your most senior players.
Luka Modric returned on August 2 and has played less than 60 minutes across two games in friendlies. Are Rabiot and Maignan going to return to Serie A action after a week of training and be fully ready? You’re asking a lot, probably too much.
Then, you have the fact that both players’ futures have been in doubt. Right now, the expectation is that the French duo will stay. However, Rabiot was a little coy when asked during the World Cup.
Adrien Rabiot, when asked about his future…
“First I’ll enjoy the holidays. We have been waiting for this since we lost to Spain. Then it was a really difficult few days mentally; it was hard to concentrate on playing this match. A well-deserved holiday; we need to rest well.”
Are you starting over with Milan when you get back?
“Yes, obviously, then we will talk to the coach and Mike (Maignan), we will get in touch. We wanted to be calm during the World Cup and not be disturbed by other things. Now there will be time to talk calmly.”
Maignan, on the other hand, has been at the centre of plenty of rumours, with his entourage looking for interested parties. In other words, there are no guarantees about him either.
Well, these are unfounded rumours, right?
Unfortunately, when the captain deletes every mention of the club on social media, you think otherwise. We live in a world of social media, so it could just be a new start for a new season. Yet, it just doesn’t look good.
In a world where everyone analyses the smallest things on social media – which Maignan is fully aware of – he must know how this will look. So, the decision becomes even more baffling.
This is the captain of the club, too. It’s not a youth player. Firstly, then, it’s not a good example to set and secondly, it’s incredibly petulant from a 31-year-old who is meant to be the club’s biggest representative.
It just doesn’t look good, does it?
You’ve also got the fact that Maignan did not attend Franco Baresi’s funeral, too. That didn’t go down well at the time and with this extended break, it’s not really viewed in any more of a positive light.
Club at fault?
For what it’s worth, the club accepting the extended break is not really brilliant either, just because there is no benefit without confirmation of why they’ve had extended breaks.
It’s ultimately another issue which Ruben Amorim didn’t need to deal with, yet he will face questions about it before the Manchester United game – which will already be a boiling cauldron for him. Considering how big this summer was and how much scrutiny was on everyone, it just feels like a major own goal.
As the title says, it’s either an overreaction or an understandable one. We’re unsure which side of the fence is right; maybe both are. Yet, the fact that you can be torn on a matter like this 12 days before the start of the season, when the captain and the fourth most experienced player in the squad haven’t been seen, isn’t great.
I think you’re all whiny bit*es and need to grow a pair. 4 days more or less. Both players are pros that train during break. In the end Rabiot will be better than Jashari, Musah or Ricci who could have came back 2 months sooner. It wouldn’t make a difference.
You are Brilliant, said no one.
Yet you feel the need to chime in on his posts…. Strange.
He might be on to something there, the “problem” is that’s boulden and the likes of him we’re talking about here 😀 Max, JesusPersonal, Briliant, Boulden, is there a difference? “Glass”.
👍
You’re a coward. Everybody knows that, even your family. Your thing, feel free to. 😀
Could have COME back. “Tomori is not the worst (not worse) defender” – it’s not just these four days with Mike, don’t you get it? TAKE A BREAK.
True ❤️🖤
Not true.
Mike Maignan is not My Captain.
Mine neither, he lost that privilege.
I believe Modric should be the captain. He is really a rule model and showed several time the meaning of the word of professionalism.
*role
The king of spelling bee 😀
LOL
Not a big deal but Mike is captain so it’s fair to weigh him in the context of being captain. I think it’s fair to compare his commitment to Lutaro’s and side by side one appears more motivated to be present than the other…
MUCH MORE present.
Gabbia as captain & Modric as vice
Modric the captain.
“Luka Modric returned on August 2 and has played less than 60 minutes across two games in friendlies. Are Rabiot and Maignan going to return to Serie A action after a week of training and be fully ready? You’re asking a lot, probably too much.”
We shouldn’t be asking (ourselves) this at all, if you catch my drift.
It’s all about the cheap stunts with our club for the last who knows how many years, why is cardi g allowing this to happen, why isn’t he continuing to buy quality players when we know he has so many plans for a basketball club as well? We are not AC TRADING CLUB, this is becoming tiresome, there needs to be some order and logic.
Al-Nassr reported going for Mike,
if they willing to spend 50m+ for him it’ll be good sell,
Alisson (last year on contract) is on market as cheap good replacement. also Liverpool just sign Jacquet & Araujo, we can try buy/ loan to buy Leoni (young left footed CB).
He is not left-footed, don’t give me this BS. He missed an entire season due to an injury, are you insane?
They should attend the funeral of Baresi. At least Maignan as our captain. Which he does not deserve to be. I lost all respect for him. Gabbia at least took the time and showed his respect at Baresi’s mural in Perth. He’s always been the silent leader of this team.
I’m old school so I don’t need a constant barrage of daily actions in the market or at the club to feel like things are happening. I’m not that afflicted with the social media disease lol. That being said, I think, just like last year there are too many controversies contrived by football media. Let’s see the comparison of Modric and Mike in the article in regards to return dates to the club. Not sure why there’s controversy. Modric’s last World Cup game was July 2nd. Mike and Rabiot were July 18th and with a much deeper run with France. A difference of 16 days. Modric returned August 2nd. So anywhere around Aug 18th is fair, no? (2+16 ) What am I missing here? I get the need to integrate with the team but these are two world class players who can mitigate that effect and it’s a WC year. We know very well players do poorly due to tiredness after a WC year due to a lack of recovery time. The number of games these guys play is already insane, just let them have their appropriate rest or they’ll be susceptible to injuries. If they are in the process of trying to find another team, so be it. We’ve seen how badly the owner and by extension the management he has had in place over the last 4+ years have been. To say they’ve run the club badly is too kind. Why would they(Mike and Rabiot) want to stay here? There’s not a good incentive to stay. Out of UCL, they’re in their prime years wasting in Europa League, and we hired a coach that flopped big time at a big club. And we’re wondering why they might be leaving? Wouldn’t surprise me in the least
There is no controversy. As you pointed out, Maignan and Rabiot are returning 2 days sooner then Modric, relatively speaking.
Media is making a hen out of a feather and dumb fans who know nothing about people management are jumping on the bandwagon.
The only fair critique is for Maignan not attending Baresis funeral as the captain.
Danny, you are the dumb one, trust me.
I agree @Dannyboy.. also it didn’t occur to me the funeral incident but for me I understand people grieve in different ways. But point taken
Yet the one that made the ‘first’ move was Mike. He’s old enough to know that his ‘action’ in social media would spark talks and conversations. Yet he deliberately let that thing happens. All of that, while he’s being the current captain (something that’s pretty sacred in Milan’s value). It’s not just a captain-y behavior.
And once again, it’s been a series of events, not just the extra 4 days off. So it’s understandable if some of the fans make this thing bigger than it actually is.
Yea we don’t really have a true captain in the team (maybe Gabia should be the quiet captain).. and we’ve been spoiled as Ac Milan fans to have collosus for captains in years past. It’s incredibly difficult to match up to those in this day and age. That being said I do get it. He should do better esp on socials but for me the return date is just another overblown thing. I’d prefer these guys to rest after a deep WC run
But Modric is 40-41 years old.
Maignan cycle at milan i think its over. He already get the scudetto, world cup with french bla bla bla… Maybe he wants new challenge…
What WC? He wasn’t there in 2018.
Fans are on edge.
Let the players rest. Everybody in top football is overworked. Rabiot is not a junior, and MIke is a GK. They are the last ones that need extensive coaching.
And don’t tell me about the system. Watch the friendlies. It’s the most basic 5-4-1 at this point. It will be months of work before the rest of the team is drilled into it.
Firstly, the extended break controversy is overblown really. Maybe its due to Milan’s lack of transfer activity so these journos have to make up something.
So what if they are not ready for the first league game?!
Not like the league is won in August.
Second, while I never care about what players (or anyone really) do with their socials, a player removing every mention of the club he captains raises a few (OK maybe a lot of) eyebrows. Perception matters. Whatever reasons he might have, it is still not a good look. Especially as captain.