Milan failed to capitalize on Inter's recent struggles by tying 1-1 against Napoli over the weekend, and losing 1-0 against Parma yesterday. Instead of surpassing Inter and leading the table for the first time this year, we are now tied with Roma for second place (-4 behind Inter). So what went wrong? Why does Milan seem to have such a difficult time against small provincial sides?

A part of it has to do with the Serie A being the toughest league to play in. Now before all you EPL supporters have a heart attack, let me rephrase myself. I'm not saying that it's the BEST league, but definitely the one with the most parity. Results from this year have shown us that any side can defeat another on any given day. We witnessed the relegation all-stars of Catania dominate an Inter side 3-1 (which subsequently went on to defeat Chelsea in the Champions League.) Milan on the other hand, has struggled against nearly every side from the bottom half of the table.

Once again, the problem stems from the lack of depth of the current squad. Milan used to have a team that was overflowing with world class talent. When you stop buying players like Rui Costa, Rivaldo, Nesta, and start importing the likes of Mario Yepes, Abate, and Di Gennaro, our hopes of claiming silverware diminish drastically. Although you have to hand it to Milan for really coming through on their youth movement. Wanting to bring in Mario Yepes from Chievo is a major step in the right direction - replacing a 38 year old Favalli with a Colombian defender who recently turned 34.

Milan's New Signing Mario Yepes ©Getty Images

It might be the most anticlimactic signing since Ibrahim Ba. In all fairness to Yepes, he has stood out as being a very tough, rugged defender. But Milan need someone like Nemanja Vidic.

I've decided to play Milan Manager. If I was running the club, who would I realistically sign. Let us keep in mind that the club is not run by Florentino Perez, so throwing out lavish sums of money for everyone who has a big name and wears hair gel is wishful thinking at this point.

Goalkeeper
Sell: : Nelson Dida - An expiring contract that costs way too much. Error prone, took goalkeeping lessons from Antonio Chimenti.
Sell: Flavio Roma - Not sure why he was purchased in the first place.
Keep: Cristian Abbiati - Great reflexes but suspect consistency. He would be a great backup, but certainly not starting caliber anymore for a team with Champions League aspirations
Bring Back: Marco Storari - A keeper with superb reflexes who keeps being loaned out every year for reasons unknown. Not good on corner kicks, but has played at a very high level with Sampdoria. I'd be fine with having him as a starter next season.
Buy: Federico Marchetti or Salvatore Sirigu - Both young keepers who have a bright future. I've had a chance to watch both on numerous occasions, and Sirigu could become the next Gigi Buffon.

Defense
Sidenote: To everyone who has been commenting about wanting to bring in Bonucci or Ranocchia - it seems as if both of them have made commitments to Juventus and Inter. It would be highly unfortunate if Milan failed to snap up either of them, as they are young and immensely talented.
Sell: Kakhaber Kaladze - Bad attitude, complains about playing time even though he is a mistake waiting to happen.
Sell: Massimo Oddo - A player who made a name for himself by being an elite crosser, suddenly became the king of unintentional comedy by sailing crosses over the goalpost.
Sell: Marek Jankulovski - Milan were desperate to offload him a few weeks ago, but the Czech wingback rejected an offer to join Inter.
Retire: Giuseppe Favalli - Time for him to collect his pension.
Bought: Mario Yepes - Colombian central defender who would be an able backup to Silva & Nesta. Tough, gritty player who displayed his quality in shutting down Milan's attack a few weeks ago.
Keep: Daniele Bonera - An able backup who can play anywhere on the back line.
Keep: Luca Antonini - Probably our best fullback at the moment. I'd be comfortable with him as our starting left-back next season. Formed a great chemistry with Ronaldinho, an energetic player who loves getting forward.
Loan: Ignazio Abate - World class speed but little of anything else. He is a mistake prone young player who needs more experience before he can claim a Milan starting role. I would loan him out to a smaller Serie A side where he could continue development. Either that or keep him as a back-up.
Buy: Lorenzo De Silvestri - An attacking full back who has displayed his quality for Fiorentina. Young, strong and quick. He showed he can defend the best wingers in the world when he held his own against Bayern Munich covering Franck Ribery.
Buy: Nemanja Vidic - A giant reach. These are the times I dream of having Florentino Perez handling the finances. He is a powerhouse central defender. Nesta is apparently made of paper-mache', so thinking of a defensive pair of Vidic/Silva is mouthwatering.
Bring Back: Davide Astori - Another young, promising Italian defender who has been in co-ownership with Cagliari the past few seasons.

Midfield
Sell: Gennaro Gattuso - A cult hero for Milan Ultras. But this former snarling dog has been reduced to a lumbering puppy. Clumsy challenges, embarrassing lack of technique, and loss of speed have made him virtually nonexistent the times he has been inserted into the starting lineup.
Buy: Yoann Gourcuff - One of my favorite players. Was never given a real chance to prove his worth at Milan. Showed flashes of brilliance on occasion and letting him go to Bordeaux was one of the biggest mistakes Milan have made in quite sometime. He has turned into an elite midfielder who has superb vision and can get forward and score spectacular goals.
Buy: Luca Cigarini - Since my dream of acquiring Gourcuff would never materialize, I'd look for a backup for Pirlo who can be bought at a relatively cheap price. Napoli's Luca Cigarini is a young creative playmaker with an excellent long range shot. Scored a wonderful goal against Milan this season as well.
Keep: Mathieu Flamini - Although he is a red card threat every time he steps on the pitch, and the player most likely to fracture an opponents ankle with dangerous sliding tackles, his aggressiveness and work-rate are impressive. He covers a vast distance on the field and takes pressure off of Pirlo when he is paired with Ambrosini.

Attack
Sell: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar - Touted as a world-class finisher before joining Madrid, he failed to impress there. I had a feeling that Huntelaar was included in the Kaka deal, but since Milan did not want to make it seem as if they were swapping Kaka for Huntelaar, they opted to sign him a month or so later. A decent attacker, but not much more than a substitute for Milan.
Give back: Mancini - An odd acquisition that drew criticism from Silvio Berlusconi. He is out of form, turning 30 this year, and has barely played the past two years. Watching him at Milan, it's apparent that he has lost a step.
Sell: Filippo Inzaghi - Already linked with Parma, Superpippo has had a wonderful career, becoming the highest goalscorer in Champions League history this year. His will and determination makes it hard not to like him, and his joyous celebrations after every goal just go to demonstrate his passion for the game. He deserves to be playing more often, but it's not going to happen at Milan at this stage of his career.
Keep: Marco Borriello - An interesting player who scores spectacular volleys with his left foot, but then fails to capitalize on easy opportunities. He is a striker who plays great against mediocre opposition, but fails to distinguish himself when faced against the top tier sides.
Buy: Javier Pastore - The Argentine Playmaker who currently suits up for Palermo is undoubtedly one of the most promising young prospects in Europe. Reminds me of a Kaka, but with more flair and dribbling ability.
Buy: Edin Dzeko - Milan almost signed him this past summer but Wolfsburg demanded too much money. I started scouting him since I had heard reports Milan were planning to make a second attempt at him this year - he is a very strong, physical presence who clogs up the middle and can score with either foot. Good on crosses and corners. His imposing aerial ability allows him to score many headers. He is young, and will keep improving. Would be the elite target man most Milan fans have been craving.

Milan's Future Striker? Edin Dzeko ©Getty Images

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