ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - AC MILAN

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/13/2010

Milan's training ground of Milanello has been temporarily renamed due to obvious reasons. My negativity sprouts anew after a lackluster summer where the prime excitement revolved around the signing of a mediocre Greek defender whose name I will not even dare to pronounce. His last name contains a whopping 94 syllables, we'll just stick to Sokratis.

It seems that most other teams in the Serie A strengthened, while we remained virtually untouched. If anyone here is an NBA fan, they'll know about three of the premier players of the league getting together in Miami to form a dynasty (Lebron James, Wade, Bosh). But little does the casual fan know that a similar situation took place right under our very noses..

There are rumors circulating the Serie A that Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Mario Yepes, and Marco Amelia secretly came together to discuss a sly convergence of their own. This elite threesome would be the foundation for a new Milan dynasty.

Looking over our transfers, or lack thereof, I pose only one question: since when do we take Genoa's discards? They sent us Sokratis so they could buy Rafinha in his place (an obvious upgrade). Our possible marquee signing of the year, Kevin Prince Boateng, is in Genoa where both teams are discussing a loan deal that would send the Ghanaian International to Milan for a year. Milan would have the option to buy at the end of the term.

If the Kevin Prince Boateng deal goes through, there's renewed hope for optimism. The former Hertha Berlin and Portsmouth attacking midfielder is a welcome addition amongst the decaying corpses that have circulated Milan in past years. A love for fast cars, tattoo's, and nightlife, Boateng would find himself right at home with fellow party animal teammates Borriello and Ronaldinho. Off the pitch he's a bit of a headcase, on it he's a temperamental but talented attacking option who would play Slowdorf's position. At 1.85m (6ft 1in) he's an imposing, physical presence with plenty of flair, technique, and pace. His creativity would be eagerly welcome in a three man midfield alongside Pirlo and Ambrosini.

Milan's Marquee Acquisition? Boateng ©AP

Milan's Expected Formation 2010/2011:
Allegri loves playing his 4-3-1-2 formation, which suits our roster just fine considering we don't have real wingers for a 4-3-3.

Goalkeeper: Amelia should have the slight advantage over Abbiati.
Right back: Sokratis played in a 3 man defensive scheme at Genoa so he isn't a right back by trade. Abate is a much more offensive option, while Sokratis is more secure on the defensive side.
Left back: Antonini exploded onto the scene and conquered this position last year from virtually nowhere. His defensive lapses are countered by his offensive chemistry formed with Ronaldinho on the left flank. Zambrotta, Oddo, and Jankulovski are other options. Pray to never see the last two players I mentioned on the pitch. I still have nightmares of Oddo as a makeshift centerback in the last few games of last season. Memories like this have haunted Milanisti all summer.
Centerback: Nesta and Thiago Silva are the defensive pair Allegri will undoubtedly use. When they played together, they are a formidable cement wall that gives opposing attacks nightmares. Unfortunately, injuries tore their magnificent partnership apart last year. Then there's a laundry list of decent back ups: Daniele Bonera, the Colombian Yepes (whose foot speed is roughly the equivalent of that of a dead snail), Oguchi Onyewu, and also Sokratis who can fill in as a center back.
Midfield: Gattuso, Flamini, and Ambrosini will provide the steel in the midfield. Pirlo brings the elegance, and hair. Our creative midfielders will hopefully be Kevin Prince Boateng, Clarence Slowdorf, and Alexander Merkel. For those of you who don't know, Merkel is the young MF born in Kazakhstan who has been impressing in recent friendlies. VERY NICE! It's only a matter of time before his performances get noticed by Florentino Perez and he calls Milan headquarters with the simply inquiry "how much??"
Fantasista: The most important player in Allegri's formation is the fantasista. The player who is in charge with the link up play between midfield and attack. Thankfully, we have a former Ballon d'Or winner who's more than qualified to take over the reigns behind the two attackers. Cossu was Allegri's old fantasista at Cagliari, Ronaldinho will be the new one at Milan. An injury would mean Boateng, Seedorf, or Merkel filling in.
Strikers: The two strikers spearheading Milan's attack will be the oft-injured Pato and Borriello. The young Brazilian needs to prove he isn't made out of paper-mâché and actually stay healthy for half a year. Meanwhile, Borriello is coming off his 14 goal performance in the Serie A. If he can stay on the pitch the entire year, I wouldn't be surprised to see his total rising to 20+. The backups are limited. The omnipresent Super-Pippo Inzaghi will grace us with his mischievously timed runs in the box for another year. Borriello's direct replacement however, will be the much maligned "Cobra" Huntelaar. The Dutchman became the butt of most my jokes in 2009. Can he finally win himself a spot inside the hearts of Milan fans?

Another thing to keep in mind: When Milan has all eleven players in the starting lineup healthy, they are a team that can compete with ANY other in the world. The most nagging problem that has kept us from progressing in the Champions League was the number of injuries + lack of quality depth. If Antonini didn't get injured in the Champions League game against Manchester United, and senior citizen Favalli didn't enter, how different might have things been? You could probably see Sir Alex licking his lips upon seeing the lightning quick Antonio Valencia going against a player twice his age. Poor old Favalli didn't stand a chance, he was torched right away by Valencia, whose cross ended up turning into a goal which effectively put Milan out of the game.

Oh well, there are no IF's in life..

Serie A Predictions:
Champions League: Inter, Milan, Juventus, Roma.
Europa League: Genoa, Napoli
Relegated: Lecce, Bologna, Cesena.
Promoted: Atalanta, Torino, Cittadella
Capocannoniere: Diego Milito
Assist leader: Ronaldinho

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Comments

Posted by Marco on 08/14/2010

hey matteo what do you think of this website? it seems fairly accurate but its hinted that our massage therapist is holding us up in the transfer market.. your thoughts? thanks
http://www.acmilan-online.com/

Posted by shevatofan on 08/14/2010

agree. but i hope slow-dorf still barking this season

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/14/2010

Marco:

I'm glad you still remember my massage-therapist joke. Anyways, that's the same story that the most legitimate Italian soccer sites reported. He doesn't want to go. He has received multiple offers which Milan would have accepted but the Cobra turned them down.

Posted by Mark in Boston on 08/14/2010

Boateng will be a welcomed addition but the last few mercati have been frustrating to say the least...still holding out false hope that Boateng won't be the last acquisition but I'm not holding my breath. Major changes are needed next season (I've been saying that for 3 years) but for now I look forward to this season and hope everyone stays healthy.

Keep up the great work on the blog and on Twitter.

Posted by Carlos on 08/14/2010

We won't do anything with Borriello in the front, or the dead man Inzaghi.
Huntelaar sucks, but he can improve(i think).

We desperately need to fuck off Inzaghi and sing another strike. I hate when people say we need to sell Huntelaar, the f old man is still there.

Posted by soulmac on 08/14/2010

awesome title, good article.

Posted by Sensacion7 on 08/14/2010

I Strongly Beleive That Our Youth Will Be Our Surprise Players Of The Year. Verdi,Strasser,Odu,Merkel All Showed Promise In The Pre Season. For Some Reason I Believe That Ignazio Abate Will Not Be On The Squad. I Believe He Will Go To Genoa On Loan As Part Of One Of Those Deals. He Played Sparingly In The Pre Season And Did Not Feature At RB In Any Game. Allegri Doesn't Have Confidence In Him. Jankulovski / Kaladzhe / Oddo Deserve To Be Dropped From The Squad Altogther. A 3rd Place Finish, Experience For The Youth, The Aquisition Of Boateng, Bocchetti & Possibly Dos Santos Are Not Lofty Goals For Us Looking Foward To Next Year.

FORZA MILAN !

Posted by Isaac Ayala on 08/14/2010

i think the formation should be this

AMELIA

sokratis Silva Nesta Antonini

Pirlo
Abate Ambrosini
Ronaldinho
Borriello Pato

Posted by Bram on 08/14/2010

nice borat joke. VERY NICE!
hopefully huntelaar will find his scoring touch this year. sometimes all foreigner needs is just a bit of time and chance

Posted by Milan 1963 on 08/15/2010

Ciao Matteo,
Although there was no real firework in the transfer campaign, I start to see some light at the end of the tunnel. For one it seems that Allegri is not shy on trying the young talents that we have and if I understand well it will be either Pirlo or Seedorf and not both together, which is already a huge improvement compared to Leo's tactics.
With Boateng arrival, we will have more freshness and power in midfield, and also more depth. Sokratis and Yepes are two useful additions to our defense, at least with them we will not have to rely on the hopeless Oddo, Janku and Kaladze and this will bring Abate to a more genuine midfield role for him, let's face it he is not the solution for full back.
What rejoices me most is that we can see relatively unknown players like Merkel, Oduamadi, Strasser, Beretta, Verdi improving game after game and showing that the refoundation of the team is not that impossible after all.

Posted by Milan 1963 on 08/15/2010

Continue.
Hopefully these youngsters will have enough exposure at the highest level this season which will allow them to be ready next season when the long awaited overhaul will take place. With the departure of the decaying corpses, there will be some good budget to place a couple of great coups and further complete the squad. Let's not forget that Inter is getting old too and even though they are still a strong squad, they will find it more difficult to keep the same level of focus and commitment. Milan will probably not win anything this season but they will be a force to be reckon with and are building strategically for the near future.
FORZA MILAN from Singapore.

Posted by RobStyles on 08/15/2010

Why do you only name 3 teams for Champions League? Inter's win over Bayern kept the coefficient in our favor so we still have 4; at least that is what I thought.

Great column! I always enjoy reading. I missed you all Summer!

I'm hoping Allegri can pull magic out of his sleeve this season...

Posted by joetex13 on 08/15/2010

i'm surprised huntelaar has even lasted in milan. he is one of the ones that i thought would be let transferred out. to me he is nothing but a big disappointment. he was dreadful in madrid, and mediocre in milan, and was virtually absent in the World Cup. i say milan should send the boy packing. he needs to go back to a smaller league, maybe the Bundesliga or Ligue 1.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/15/2010

@Robstyles

Fixed mistake.

@Milan 1963

It has been great to see these youngsters performing well. Leading the list has been Merkel, who has impressed virtually anybody who has watched him play in recent matches. Also, Beretta seems to have good movement in the box and also a perfect attackers physique. Will be interesting to see how he develops. Also Strasser and Verdi will hopefully play a part with Allegri at the helm.

Posted by Dele Piper on 08/15/2010

AcMilan may not have splashed out on the transfer markets like others.Why ship coal to newcastle? agreed the side is a trifle ageing. With the gifted youngsters like Verdi,Merkel,Oduamadi,Strasser et al!.The team looks a different outfit with their youthful input,if you're good enough you're old enough,they have to be the cornerstone of a new Milan.Let's hope they don't get shipped out to cagliari or somewhere bizzare as is the milan norm.If Allegri can have faith in them and avoid the Gourcuff debacle,i believe they''ll suprise many this year.I've seen those young bucks in action, I feel there is some hope for the club.

Posted by Anonymous on 08/16/2010

@Milan 1963
- let's just hope the light isn't actually just a train heading towards us. Another long serie a season may be upcoming.

Posted by Jason on 08/16/2010

You know what... we missed on some big moves this off season. I'm convinced that we could've gotten 1 more year out of Favalli. For some reason, we let Mancini go back to Inter. And we allowed a 2 time Champions League winning goalie to become a free agent. Where is Silvio to intervene and keep these guys? How come we gave Gattuso a contract extension? I think Seedorf and Oddo should come first. Thank goodness we still have Roma, Inzaghi, Yepes, and Ambro...or we would be as young as the German national team. And they were horrible to watch this summer!

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/16/2010

Matteo!

Good article but since when was Milan EVER a feeder club for Genoa???!!! I'm shocked at this! We always had the policy as in you come to Milan. Milan does not come to you. Anyways, even with this dismal transfer market it's not that bad. I think Yepes and Sokratis at the most are the new Kaladze, Favalli, Jankos, and are back ups to starters. However, they're still not that world class starter material. Look at Juve in the mercato, they got Motta. Why couldn't we get Motta? Our transfer budget is non-existant yet we made money from the Kaka transfer, new sponser, sales etc and yet we can't muster at least 30-50 million for a transfer budget? What are they doing with the money? Still, I like what Allegri is trying to do and the youngsters look promising but promising and actual performing at the Milan level is very different. Still we don't need Gourcuff mistakes as we had in the past. Boatneing would make a good addition but making an impact would have been to get Pastore

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/16/2010

Part II.(cont)...getting Pastore to be the Trequartista or fantista would be ideal. Look at Gago from Real. I think if we had him we could totaly revize his career and make him fit in Pirlo's deep playing role. As for strikers even if we get Ibra, whose going to come back and play defense if Roni, him, and Pato are up front? So we need to get a system that will allow back tracking my most of the players without leaving us open in MF and defense on the coutners which wacked us all last season (see CL Man U). Yes, I think we can compete with anyone if we got the right starters (ex, Ranochinna or Bonucci-Juve got him)instead some of the aged veterns and with questinonable youth coming in does not create a strong balance where we will compete for ths Scudetto or CL. It used to be that teams would tremble to panic if they had to play us from the EPL to La Liga. Now it's like they hardly fear us and think we're easily beatable. Berlu needs to get serious and invest or sell. Forza Milan!

Posted by punditguy on 08/16/2010

Bringing in K Prince is not a bad idea. I would much prefer him over Pirlo in the line up. Flamini did well in the pre-season games so he should be there to. Both him and Prince in the Mid would provide the much needed pace and strength. Play Ambrosini behind the pair and you have a solid Mid. Forward would be an obvious trio of Pato, Borriello, Ronaldinho, However i think Allegri should start with Hunteelar instead of Borriello. Give him a chance this season and see what he brings. He is, when in prime a better striker than the Italian. So for our sake pray that he can find himself again!

Long shot prediction- If Merkel is given his chance and given time and games to play i think he can win Best Young Player. This kid is pure class!!!

Possible lineups:-

Amelia
Sokratis, Nesta, Silva, Antonini
Flamini, Ambrosini, Prince (Providing we do sign him)
Pato, Hunteelar, Ronaldinho

Posted by benjamin on 08/16/2010

i think we need to stick to our roots and buy italian. the up and coming youngsters are quite promisimg. bochetti, cricito, poli are really good youngsters. sirigu from palermo is also immensely talented. i think in 2-3 years time, we can bring home the our old boys. BALOTELLI AND SANTON. They're acmilan fans rmb? so i say, BUY ITALIAN. WE ARE MILAN, NOT inter.

Posted by Rodger on 08/17/2010

Zambrotta should not be overlooked. Sure he seemed a step slow last season, but was the best player on the field for Italy in their first two World Cup games. With squad rotation he can still perform at a top level, just not every three days. Seedorf the same, play him as a late game sub and he can still contribute. Pippo is also at that stage, he looked very good against Inter for 20 minutes and then tired. Janko, it would have been nice if he agreed to leave, but he didn't, so use him in Copa games. Oddo, Kaladze and Onyewu never let them anywhere near the field. I hate to say it but Pirlo is washed up, he is the weakest starter by far. Play Boateng, Ambro, and Flamini in the midfield. Abate should be used as a wing not a fullback, he once again looked out of place there in the TIM Cup. I don't understand your dislike for Yepes. He is a more than capable backup center half, far better than Bonera who out and out sucks. I do agree, Milan's starting 11 are the equal of any in Italy.

Posted by D on 08/17/2010

I agree with benjamin. 7/11 probable starters are non-italians. Put Prince in for Ambrosini and leave Pirlo in. Agree to starting KJH over Borriello.
Sokratis has potential. Like what he did against Messi GRE vs. ARG. Both technically and frustrating Messi.
I'm on record as being a huge Nesta fan, but another injury? Sounds like he won't miss any time but this reinforces the past emphasis for players like Bonnucci and Ranocchia. We could even have cashed in on Silva if we had some of the young italian defenders.
Milan might have a tough time qualifying for CL this season. A lot of other sides have improved themselves and it wouldn't surprise me to finish outside the top 4. On paper Genoa's got potential but chemistry will be a hurdle for them to qualify for Europe. I still like Fiorentina's squad,hanging onto Mutu (who for me is one of the most skilled players) should help overcome Jovetic's injury.
Sad day for Calcio to lose arguably one of the brighter stars to the EPL.

Posted by Dele Piper on 08/17/2010

Milan were very unfortunate last season to rack up injuries to key players at crucial stages of the season both in SerieA and the CL. Were that not the case they could have achieved something quite interesting irrespective of LEO'S relative inexperience and Milan's so-called ageing squad. They're not a bad side not-withstanding.Money does not automatically confer success upon a team. If they manage to infuse some young blood from their academy like the ones you've all pinpointed-they'll have an healthy balance between youth and experience. As modern day soccer at the highest levels is akin to a topclass orchestra. With each section contributing to the overall sum of its parts. I've supported Milan for about 20years and i still feel on thier day they are easily one of the most vaunted club teams on this planet, Madrid,Chelsea,Inter,United,Barcelona,Bayern or not. Milan are a team with proven pedigree unlike some wannabe upstarts i dare not mention. You can't buy class and ACM have it .

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/17/2010

Some great points here like always. Thanks for the input/feedback.

@Pagliuca

The fact that Milan has seemingly turned into Genoa's token "small provincial side we dump the players we don't need" team, speaks volumes of the drop-off we've had in recent years. Where's the self respect? Milan is the club with the most trophies in the world!

Posted by Benito on 08/18/2010

Flamini should definitely start. he was pretty good in the pre season

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/18/2010

Matteo!

Thank you! Where is Milan's self respect! Exactly! 10 years ago this would have been unheard of and laughed it. We would go to Lazio and tell them here's the check send Nesta up pronto! Now here is the caveat; there are two sides with the Tifosi. One side "trusts" Silvio that he "knows" what he's doing so that he's making the next great Milan side (a la 2000-07). The other side views he's not that Silvio from 88-2003. And we need to sell to someone who will invest in the team. At the same time, we have that "Milan" style and touch that Silvo help craft. Will we be losing this or is Milan's DNA (style) perpetual even after Silvio? We have the tag of being the "Aristocrats of Europe" with our unique way of playing and I don't want us to turn into another United, Chelsea etc. No offense to those teams either(quality and great side)!!

Posted by ben on 08/18/2010

i got a really good feeling that milan leaders are waiting for the soccer world to crash finacially. sooner or later, the clubs will crash by the heavy burden of tranfer fees and wages. its vulgarly insane, prices clubs are paying. i feel we're looking to hold on to our " elite " position till that day comes, so they're picking up those old players that have experience. they'll spend when the days where players come back to the 10plus-20million range galliani and silvo's been there for 20 plus years, they cant be bad in just about 2years or so. look at the youngsters we have NOW.

Albertazzi, de vito, astori, Sokratis, merkel, strasser, di gennero, hottor, adiyiah,zigoni, paloschi, verdi, berreta, oduamendi

not to say, maldini's two sons that will come up about 5 years.

longterm future looks promising, but short term future, not at all, sadly.

Posted by Rio on 08/18/2010

Starting Formation (should be):

Amelia
Sokratis-Nesta-Silva-Antonini
Pirlo
Prince-Flamini
Pato-Borriello-Ronaldinho

Starting Formation (will be unfortunately):

ABBIATI
ZAMBROTTA-Nesta-Silva-Antonini
Pirlo
AMBROSINI-GATTUSO
Pato-Borriello-Ronaldinho

Those 4 differences have a huge effect on the team... Zambrotta is too slow, good back-up... Ambrosini will play because he is captain, which I would Nesta become and Gattuso we should have sold when we had the chance...Flamini and Prince would bring so much more pace, strength and life to the midfield... I wouldnt mind giving Huntelar a shot as the front man...

Posted by Dele Piper on 08/18/2010

Its obvious that the current parlous economic state of the world is affecting Milan like most other entities across the globe.You need money to acquire topclass players.Milan may currently be in a financial bind like most clubs. This may not last forever. It is vital though that whatever amounts they spend on players is done wisely, not just buying on a whim.Remember Kluivert,Bogarde,Reitzeger,Davids et al!.See what happened.Not all hyped up players are suited to ACM or SerieA.For every Kaka or Van Basten there are many duds in between.Milan sold Kaka for a pittance and let Gourcuff go for a song.I'll have sold both for much more. However this is now ancient history. They can still build a good side without been reckless. The SUITS at ACM ought to be prudent and realistic in their buying strategy. They should make every penny count or go far. Mistakes cannot be afforded in this climes. Get it right and to you be the glory and the spoils, which was and is the The HolyGrail of Soccer.

Posted by California Milanista on 08/19/2010

Matteo

Boeteng and now possibly Ibrahimovic?
This could make a big splash in Milan.
I agree with earlier sentiments - Milan's course of action over the past year is a bit suprising change of pace - however I can understand given the economy.
I would love to see the young players, especially Italians get a chance. Oddo, Janku, Khaladze, Zambro, and my dear Gattuso all need to step aside. They are great champions (come to MLS!) but Milan needs to involve the youth and then can be champions of Serie A and UCL for a long time.
Do you like an deal with Ibra in and Huntelaar possibly going out?
Would that improve our Serie A title chances?

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/19/2010

@California Milanista

The Ibra rumors have swirled around Milan camp for the past few months now. Apparently the only way we'd get Ibra is by selling Huntelaar. Somehow the funds raised from the Dutchman (around 10-15m) would be enough to buy Ibra (around 35m+)... Doesn't make sense to me yet but we'll see how it unfolds.

Either way an Ibra deal would totally change the nucleus. You can say what you want about the guy, i.e: doesn't show up in big Champion League games, but he is a proven striker in the Serie A who nearly singlehandedly won Inter's scudetto a few years ago.

Posted by David Hernandez on 08/19/2010

Is Ibrah and boateng going to AC MILAN

Posted by Mjay on 08/19/2010

For the first time in years I am optimistic about this AC Milan. Have been following Milan for 20 yrs now and I have seen periods of incredible success followed but not so good years. ie we won the CL in 94 beating barca 4-0 and the year after reaching the final against ajax, this was followed by some bad seasons (from 96-98). Then we came back to play in 3 CL finals between 2003 and 2007. This is being followed by really bad seasons.This year will be the turning point, we will be back to top. I had the chance to watch the emirates cup in london and was very pleased with verdi, strasser, merkel and the greek defender. The addition of boateng will definetly make our midfield faster and with our deadly attack (ronaldinho, pato and borrielo) we should fear no one.

Posted by J86-Wedge on 08/20/2010

Matteo,

once again a fantastic, witty article with dead-on and hilarious remarks. Hopefully Milan is able to acquire Ibrahimovic as well to assure an extra 15-25 goals.

Posted by punditguy on 08/20/2010

Matteo

I just read that we signed an 18year old fullback, Spanish player from Barcelona. ADRIA CARMONA. I just looked at two video of him but that didnt say much. But from what i saw he seemed to be a good player. He will be playing for the primevera team.

Any additional info on him, and have you seen him play?

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/21/2010

@punditguy

Read about the news too. Can't really formulate an opinion about him since I've never seen him play. Hopefully not another Leandro Grimi, that's really all I can add.

Either way pray for a Huntelaar sale so we can grab a bigger fish.

Posted by punditguy on 08/21/2010

Thanks Matteo

Theres a lot of news circulating around of Ibra to Milan and Hunteelar out. I know Ibra is a proven goal scorer but i would still prefer Dzeko over him. With the addition of Dzeko in the squad i actually think we can win something.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/21/2010

@punditguy

Honestly I'd take Ibra over Dzeko at this point. Ibra is a proven danger man in the Serie A. He won the scudetto for Inter. Dzeko is a question mark in a top 3 league. The Bundesliga defenses are a lot more porous than those of the Serie A.

Posted by punditguy on 08/21/2010

Hmmm....point taken. Didnt really think of it that way but you are right! I can see the light now! I have a feeling the transfer will go through before August 31st. Im actually excited by this possible prospect now.

Posted by Greekfreak on 08/22/2010

Your remark about Sokratis being "cast-off" from Genoa is clearly the sentiments of somebody who knows nothing about the kid--at 22 years of age, he might be the best defender of his generation, and you got him for a song. Along with Criscito, he proved a very valuable member of this mid-tier Serie A team.

Considering the old age home you're currently fronting in the backline, you should get on your hands and knees and pray another team doesn't snap him up at the end of the season.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/22/2010

@Greekfreak

Judging from your name I'd say you're slightly biased about any player coming out of Greece. You clearly did not understand the point of my previous argument. Genoa sent us Sokratis to purchase Rafinha. Sokratis is undoubtedly an interesting prospect, and he has quality to become a very good defender. However, Genoa seems to be sending us players who they are replacing with BETTER acquisitions. (Ranocchia, Rafinha).. Call me crazy but I'd rather have Rafinha starting for us at fullback instead of Sokratis.

However, I saw plenty of Sokratis' performances last year (and with the Greek National Team at the WC) he never particularly stood out to me. Maybe I just caught him at the wrong times, but either way I'm hoping he continues to mature and can become a vital asset to our team.

And no offense but if rossoneri fans need to "pray and get on their hands an knees" for Milan to keep Sokratis Papastathopoulos, then that shows how far down we've come as an organization.

Posted by diego on 08/22/2010

did any see inter milan vs roma? i mean that was a great game, samuel eto made two goals, man i love inter

Posted by Milan 1963 on 08/23/2010

Ibrahimovic has never been my favorite player, but if he comes I would surely change my mind:-) Not only he could bring exceptional firepower in our team but he would allow Allegri to use different tactics especially if Ronaldinho and or Pato are not available. With him we could play with a solid 442 without loosing this attacking flair but with more compactness in our ranks. I definitely start to see the light out of the tunnel and I hope it is not an express train heading at us...LOL Anonymous.

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/23/2010

Matteo:

Looks like the Ibra talks have gotten into motion. I don't know how to make of this. Right now I would take him. Should we get Dzeko, you hit the nail about the Bundesliga's quality. And could Dzeko be the real thing or another big name flop? If this was 10 or 15 years ago. I would have been laughing at Ibra coming because we had the money to get bigger and better talent. Though, I would not put much off Ibra. Still if we did get Ibra how would he fit in Alegri's system? My only concern given the attackers that we have who will back track to play defense? If Ibra does come can Alegri get him to produce in the big games? From CL to the Milan derbies and Juve? After watching the Berlu Cup this weekend, I think the defense is fine but the attacking has to improve! Can Roni hook up Ibra and finish the job?

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/23/2010

Imagine an attack with Pato-Ibra-Ronaldinho. That's one of the most technically sound three headed monsters I've ever seen. Plus (assuming we don't give Borriello/Huntelaar away in a deal to get him) we'll have the depth we need to compete with the bigger fish.
Galliani is going to Barcelona on Wednesday to start the serious negotiations. I still don't see how we could afford his wages. The lavish Milan days are gone and this new frugal mindset is not enough to cover his astronomical monetary demands.

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/23/2010

Matteo;

That monster would be scary, and I could not wait for the Milan derbies to see Samuel and Maicon twist thier knees off if those three are in the box. But again, whose going to back track if we move our line up? Can Flamini, Boatneg, and Pirlo/Seedorf get back there to help out Nesta and crew on those counters that wack us? You're right about his wage demands but I wonder if "Uncle Fester" will turn into the devious one and negotiate a deal that Barca and us would pay his wages? We get him on loan and maybe with an option to buy. What do you think of Bochetti? I know he can play center and lb. I wonder if he will develop into anything? He could be a good rotation with Nesta or Antonini. If he does come, I hope we unload off Janko, Kaladze, and Oddo. They were great champions back then but I think we can get some fresh blood and they can re-start their careers somewhere else.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/23/2010

@Pagliuca

Bocchetti would be a decent buy although I don't think the defense is our primary concern anymore. What's with Milan buying Genoa centerbacks and converting them to full backs? Sokratis is better in the middle but he'll most likely play as a right back when the season starts. It's good to have many versatile defenders and Bocchetti is also very young, so that's always a plus. We need to unload some of our defenders on pension first, only question is who even wants to buy them?!

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/23/2010

Matteo:

I agree. I noticed that pattern also. We have so many CB but not enough to cover the most important place needed--fullbacks! Zambro is still an option but I'm hoping for rotation and depth purposes Sokratis and Bocchetti will be ideal. Also, I think we can unload our pensionairs to other Serie A teams, the Greek league, some German teams, and/or Russian league. Oddo could go back to Lazio. Kaladze could head to Greece, and Janko we can sell him to some clubs in Germany or Holland. Use that money to acquire another worldclass MF if any?

Posted by D on 08/24/2010

The problem with Jank is he won't go anywhere. They've tried to unload him probably a half dozen times but he keeps refusing the transfer.

Ibra's a great striker but is he worth the $? His wages alone would net a decent player.

Posted by ben on 08/24/2010

i realised that the potential 45million deal for ibra is actually really crazy. ibra is a proven striker but, history has proven that they may fail sometimes. look no further than our very own SHEVCHENKO. he failed so badly on his return. and 45million can get us a pato plus BALOTELLI. im sure any milan fan would want balotelli and another "pato" over ibra anytime right? any other ideas?

Posted by Marco on 08/24/2010

It's said that we have agreed to terms with Ibra! But it also said that we gave up borrielo in the process.. Fair trade off? Or should we have kept Marco?

Posted by Pranav on 08/24/2010

I agree with ben ibra isnt worth 45 mill. in place of that a we could buy atleast 3-4 good young MF's or defenders....
After all milan defence isnt the youngest...
And when will milan EVER spend some money...
all they look for is mediocre defenders or midfielders on loan....

Posted by benjamin on 08/24/2010

hi matteo,

any idea who our new signing is?
Bruno Montelongo from river plate uruguay.
i only know hes 22years old, made 39 appearences scoring 3goals.

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/24/2010

Yeah, the problem with Janko is that he dosen't want to leave and he'll sit on the bench for the reminder of the season? I think it's foolish but what can you do. I have to admit. When Janko was with us and in form he had good style. Sad to see him going down. Because he was one of my personal fav's. But he did have some flaws on the lb position which made us exposed a number of times. Still. As for Ibra, I don't think he will track back like Bori did, but Bori would play out of position and really screw things up for us. I think Silvio said (very strange enough) that he'll break the bank for a world class player. Now I'm thinking C.Ronaldo will be at Milan shortly. Who knows maybe if the tide turns we'll get Sergio Ramos? (LOL)!!

Posted by Greekfreak on 08/24/2010

I know about him because I'm a lifelong AEK Athens fan, I followed his progress from the u-19 championships and am in a group of football fans who know talent when we see it. We're willing to look past WHERE somebody comes from if they can play.

Besides which, Milan spent most of the decade in either 3rd place or worse--a club with a rich history, but clearly not operating on all cylinders these days. It's not as though Milan is the dream destination of every footballer out there anymore, sorry to say.

It remains to be seen if Genoa took you for a ride or not; personally I think the reverse is true. He's got the makings of a stronger, faster, smarter Gattuso, and he's only 22. You aren't getting a "discard", but a quality player that will bleed for the club. There are an overabundance of defenders being cherry picked out of Greece, and he's just one of them.

Posted by punditguy on 08/24/2010

I really hope that we dont give up Borriello in the process. This would just be s tep backwards. However should Borriello go, the likes of Berretta and Verdi would get some more playing time.

Should Ibra arrive I think we should start a midfield with Prince playing on the right and Flamini on the left with a rotation of either Pirlo, Seedorf, Ambrosini in the centre. Because none of our forwards ever drop back. Maybe Ibra would but not pato and worst yet Ronnie. So Prince and Flamini would give you the speed and muscles in the Mid. They will back track and move forward as well.

Posted by punditguy on 08/24/2010

Also Milan should complete the signing of Bocchetti. We would have a better rotation. Seriously....can any of you stand seeing Kaladze, Janko, oddo, bonera come as a replacement??? Thats just depressing. Atleast Zambro is still better and Papa can play as CB.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/24/2010

@Pagliuca
I agree about Ibra not tracking back. He isn't a pure out and out striker like Borriello. Ibra is a lot more technical and creative. Borriello's work often goes unnoticed. He throws his body around really well and acts as a decoy for Pato and Ronaldinho.

@Punditguy
Not sure why we'd give away Borriello to give Verdy and Beretta more playing time. Both of them are very young and unproven. The point of getting Ibra was to add depth. Keeping Borriello would be ideal as we'd have two very different strikers available to us whenever we need.

@Greekfreak
The "Milenoa" conversion continues as it seems we're getting another Genoa defender, Salvatore Bocchetti. Either way, someone needs to explain to me why all these Genoa defenders are so highly rated even though Genoa was the club with the worst ranked defense in the Serie A last year. Statistics don't lie.

Posted by The Special One on 08/25/2010

You are an excellent writer, but your soccer knowledge is rather diminutive. I played on Inter's youth academy from the ages of 14-17 and certainly understand the technical aspects of calcio must better than you. While your analysis is decent, how dare you insult Clarence Seedorf? Slowdorf? Should I call you Dumbnetti? He is still one of the best technical midfielders out there and his speed hasn't changed since his days in La Liga. Starting him in some of the important matches last year (Man U) would have changed the games entirely. While I do not mind the occasional jabs at most Milan players, Seedorf is the one the player that deserves no insults what so ever. If you ever want to discuss this in further detail, feel free to drop me an e-mail.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/25/2010

@TheSpecialOne

We can certainly discuss this right now. If you've read my articles since I started writing, you can see I often write playful nicknames for players. Having some family who are actually friends with Milan players at the moment, I can tell you that the Rossoneri players themselves have actually adopted a nickname for Seedorf which is "ciabattino". It's a playful barb they use because when he runs it seems that he's wearing birkenstocks. Now if the player receiving the "insult" (as you say) doesn't get offended, I'd find it rather silly that another person would take the insult for him.

If you've read any of my previous columns, I've always hailed Seedorf as a class act who has wonderful technical/tactical ability. He has been an important player for Milan since 2002 when we basically stole him from Inter.

Lighten up. If my humor offends you, don't read it. There are many other soccer journalists who will offer you the barebone facts without any comical relief.

Posted by Juanito on 08/25/2010

I, personally, am a fan of all of the nicknames.

Juan

Posted by Chris on 08/25/2010

BURNED!!!! Good comeback Matteo. Special One thinks he knows it all. I've only started reading your blogs for a season but i must say they are awesome. I check every week to see if there is a new one. You know what you are talking about. Anyone else agree with me?

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/25/2010

Special Ed: Listen, we all know Seedorf's ability. He is a class act and as a person I saw him once on the pitch and he waived when I called him. He didn't need to but he did out of respect for the Tifossi who came to watch Milan. However, Seedorf amongst "us" either looks like a millionaire at times or a pauper. Either he will have a great game or he won't. Which is natural for every world class player. I don't think Matteo meant it in a bad way but more of fun jab but serious notion that we can't rely on one group of players always. Also I don't think his knowledge on football is "diminutive" rather he knows Milan and football rather well. Though I will say that maybe with Boriello he has been floating in that category, and I know I'm going to get it for that! ;) Forza Milan

Posted by diego on 08/25/2010

Hey TheDumbOne, how dare insult Matteo you fool, because obviously you know nothing about Milan nor football so you should just stay quiet.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/26/2010

@Pagliuca

Did you see Seedorf's world class assist today which led to the Super Pippo volley goal? Superb stuff.

He still runs like he's wearing havaianas though.

And as for Borriello, seems like we might have seen the last of him this season at the Camp Nou today.

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/26/2010

Matteo:

Only thing I can is Super Pippo! Seedorf looked liked the class act that he is. I thought Barca played beautifully but we were there with them. It was nice in the end where both Barca and Milan players were trading jersey's and being very amical with each other. It shows the class of both sides. This could be Bori's last game but Galliani already mentioned on milan.com that no Milan player was to be exchanged. Are we going to sell him and use it to help finance the deal or use it to buy another player? Also, is the deal for the Bochetti coming? Sempre Milan!!!

Posted by punditguy on 08/26/2010

Matteo

Actually Borriello is staying :(. Its Hunteelar thats leaving.

I watced the Barca-Milan game. I honestly thought that we would have lose by atleast two goals but we played well. The only thing is our Midfield. Prince played decent, but its only his 1st game. I can see him doing much better. Ambrosini looked life less and Pirlo looked like a pretty ballerina. Both players i hope they dont ever have to start. We missed Flamini in there, i think he would have tighten up the Mid.

I think we should trade Borriello for G.Rossi. He is better and a faster player unlike borriello, which im sure if i ran backwards i would get the ball faster than he does. And if we could snap up Poli from Sampdoria. that would be great. BTW....any news on Bocchetti? I hope we sign him.

And i also heard news of Robinho. Should the Ibra deal dont pull through Robinho would be signed for sure.

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/26/2010

Matteo:

@Pundit, Yeah. Looks like it's either all or nothing for Ibra. If Spurs accept Hunter then it should go through. I was hoping that Bori would have been unloaded instead of Hunter. And if that falls(I hope not) then Robihno should come through.

I think we need another tighter MF. Boatneg needs time but I think it can work out. Is Bochetti coming through?

And if this all come through, I think Silvio is starting to look like "Sweet Daddy Williams" from Good Times. We're hustling deals right and left that I never thought imaginable at times? Mama Mia!! E Forza Milan!!!

Posted by Marco on 08/27/2010

@Pagluica. why dont you like boriello very much? he is gifted and so much better then huntelaar.

And i think i'd also want to see robinho up there instead of ibra because robinho is very well in form and on the rise (watch the usa brasil game over again he pulled the strings)

Posted by D on 08/27/2010

40 million for Ibra huh? Just think - for that amount we could have added any combination of Bonucci (15.5M), Kjaer (14M), Aquilani (loan), Krasic (15M), Hernanes (10M), D'Agostino (9M), Gourcuff (22M) [not a fan, but for those of you who keep lamenting his departure], ... the list goes on.
Bonucci, Krasic, and Hernanes at a combined 40.5M would have been a nice overhall to the squad.

Is one top target man, who isn't any faster than Seedorf (my contribution to that discussion), really the answer to the club's issues?

Here's another question ... who's the better buy: Ibra at 40M or Balotelli at 30M?
Better yet, would you rather have Ibra at 40M or Balotelli and Hernanes for the same price?

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/27/2010

That's a good question but Ibrahimovic is a proven threat in the Serie A. Hernanes is untested in our league and Balotelli is absolutely insane. I'll be writing a new column as soon as we get official word on the Ibra saga. Stay tuned.

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/27/2010

@Marco; not that I don't like Boriello, but he does not have the (my personal opinion)technical flair, creativity, and instinct of a true punta like Pippo. Some of his goals were good but most of them were OK, fluke, and being that Roni is feeding you balls a 5 year old could score it. Nothing that he created on his own and did. Hunter, I think is played out of position and that's why he's silent. When they have put Hunter as a direct punta his natural abilities show his talent. Plus you have to hold your own in Milan. Bori needs the whole to give him the ball. That type of play is OK for Cagliari, Genoa, or Udinesse but not for a club like Milan.

@Matteo: Ibra is coming will that wack our transfer budget or can we still build and sign good players? Will Bochetti be coming? And will we get another class MF to link up pace, creativity, and connection with our attack.

Posted by punditguy on 08/27/2010

Bruno Montelogo, anyone know of him? I heard we just sigened. He is 22years old and he is from Uruguay. I never heard of him or see him play. If anyone have info on him please share.

Posted by domenico on 08/28/2010

great article Matteo, I agree with you on everything except one thing:
yes allegri likes to use the 4-3-1-2 formation however, I think it would be suicide to use it this season especially with ronnie in the tre-quartista spot. remember, that was the formation we used at the beginning of last season-and that worked out great, didn't it? Since our team has changed minimally from last season I think we have to use the 4-3-3. though it can be wasteful to put pato on the wing, and borrielo isnt a clinical enough finisher to play up front, and KJH doesn't have the work rate, i think it is our best option. Ronaldihno plays best on the left and our midfield can be rotated nicely through that formation. Maybe if Merkel, Strasser, or DiGennaro emerge as viable CAM options, or we pick up a robihno or a Diego, then we can think about playing the 4-3-1-2

Posted by Cusi on 08/28/2010

Um... actually Sokratis is quite good... it's quite stupid to judge him by his long name and call him mediocre when you clearly haven't noticed his confident performances in preseason... just sayin'!

Posted by Pagliuca on 08/28/2010

Matteo:

I just heard a rumor about the Ibra deal. He's coming but we're going to have to pay 102 Million Euros and with Robinho coming in January. OK? We needed players like Motta, Pastore, Subotic etc. Why didn't we open the wallet for re-building the team like this earlier. I mean Forlan would have been great in Milan etc. I know Silvio is putting his own money up but why didn't he put his own money for a group of players rather than two or one of these? Now I'm confused?

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 08/28/2010

@Domenico

Allegri has stressed he wants Ronaldinho in a free role behind the two strikers (Pato, Ibra/Borriello). So we'll often see Dinho drifting out wide.

@Cusi

You did not understand the humor.

@Pagliuca

The Ibra deal is going to be official in the next few hours. The most legit source I've heard from says it's a loan deal with option to buy for 30 million Euro's. Also, Shalke have offered 14m for Huntelaar, but he has not made his decision yet. If you look at our whole transfer market (assuming Ibra comes) I'd say it's a great success. Boateng for the Midfield, Papastatonrejkgnejkg for defense, and one of the world's premier strikers up front.

Posted by punditguy on 08/28/2010

Hahahahahahahahahhahahahaha "Papastatonrejkgnejkg". I cant stop laughing at this. LOLZ!!!!!!!!! I was the same but i think i can get it now.

Yeah the deal is, A one year loan and at the end of the season they buy him and give him a 3 year contract. he will be earning around €8-9 a year.

Posted by Rodger on 08/28/2010

One year loan with an option to buy for 24 million euro, that's not a bad deal at all. I was not thinking Ibra was worth it, but that price is a good deal. Plus he has to be better then Hunter.

Posted by Greekfreak on 08/29/2010

MB:

Oh, I'm sure he got it, he probably just wasn't laughing--having a surname mangled isn't unique to those whose heritage stems from the Balkans. Some Italian names are mouthfuls, too.

In any event, on the Ibrahimovic thing, I would walk over his dead body to sign just about anybody else--he's got a huge ego and just isn't as good as he thinks he is.

His flip-flopping between clubs and with the national team (essentially saying "why should I play for a national team that isn't going anywhere?") doesn't paint him in an endearing light. Does this mean that you're getting Ajax, Barca, and Inter's "discard"?

Posted by Cusi on 08/29/2010

Yeah, I got the humor, but you just don't know enough about the players we got to say something like... "There are rumors circulating the Serie A that Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Mario Yepes, and Marco Amelia secretly came together to discuss a sly convergence of their own. This elite threesome would be the foundation for a new Milan dynasty."
And it's not only you, people think that just by spending a lot of money you will get returns. Looking at our squad, I think we've made the right investments without making a big deal out of it, which is great. Of course Ibra is a great signing, but he could easily flop after all the extra fuss. And even the rest of the squad could be distracted, starting from today's game. Of course, I hope that the team gels and we finally win something. :)

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