-A number of players have seemingly come out of the woodwork to claim their fandom of AC Milan! I don’t buy it, and the reason being is a simple analogy to real life. If I am working for a small company who pays well, and earns well, but a larger more prestigious company has mentioned bringing me on board, it is only natural that I will claim interest of said company so that I can move onto more money and more prestige. Wouldn’t any normal person do the same thing? Footballers are great, they are entertaining, and sometimes admirable, but in the end they are politicians looking for the next payday.

-Speaking of Milan fan transfer targets, Dzeko, like Adebayor before pledge his love for AC Milan. The problem is his love has a 30M price tag, and frankly that is far too much. For me the max payable for Dzeko is 20M, and that is still a bit high, the Bundesliga is notoriously soft for goal scorers, and scoring in Germany is not necessarily a sign of value or skill. The same people who oogled at KJH’s Dutch scoring prowess now have evidence of soft leagues and need to realize that Serie A is different and Dzeko is not guaranteed success, and not worth that big money. Doesn’t anyone else think it is fishy that Obafemi Martins is knocking goals in at Wolfsburg, while he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn in the EPL?

-Milan are unbeaten since the previous International break, and if you can all recall it was around that time that many were calling for the sale of the team by Silvio Berlusconi. Amazing how quickly that discussion died after a couple of wins I am curious to find out if anyone is still in favor of a sale?

-Abbiati is poised to return the net this weekend. I love the AC Milan goalkeeper discussion because there are still a handful of people who prefer Dida, and even some who believe Abbiati is a not a good keeper. I find this humorous because many would agree to the statement that Gigi Buffon is the World’s best, and when Buffon was injured Milan sent Abbiati to Juve to replace him, and kept Nelson Dida. Yes Dida proved his worth, but that ship has sailed and Abbiati is a valuable asset. Keepers get better with age and he is primed to make his return to first team football, and playing for a trip to South Africa as Gigi’s backup. Expect Abbiati to win his spot back and for Storari to be the number two.

A handful of veterans are nearing the end of road on this Club with contracts expiring in May. Dida, Pirlo, Rino, Nesta, Ambro, Kaladze and Favalli are in the final months of their Contracts while Oddo, Zambro, Dinho and Seedorf are close to a year out as well. Sending all these loyal soldiers on their way seems like a team chemistry implosion and losing the veteran presence at the club may be suicide, but there are certainly some moves that can be made to set this team up for the future. I want your thoughts as well, but my ideas are as follows:

The first group is a list of untouchables that MUST remain with the club, and frankly it is far shorter than even I anticipated. There really is no equal for a healthy Nesta and the value he brings to the table on defense extends beyond what he does on the pitch. His partnership with Silva has been excellent and playing two youthful and exuberant CB’s comes with negatives, and therefore a veteran is a welcome addition to teach, but also to provide grit. The only other player on the list is Ambrosini. Why Ambrosini you may ask? Because his fight for the cause has never wavered, he has never demanded first team football, and has always had his head on square for the team and team alone. There was a time when those accolades would be heaped on Rino, but at this point it is plainly evident that he does not get on with Leonardo, and when he is on the pitch he doesn’t have the rounded skills that Ambro brings to the table. It pains me to say it, but for me Rino’s heart and soul left the Club when he flirted with Bayern, and though he arguably had the best season of any player pre-knee injury last term, his attitude towards the Club is no longer what it once was.

Pirlo is also short of the list, Leo likes the 4-3-3, and frankly if done right I doas well. Pirlo is no longer the type of mid needed to make this system work. I love his contribution and his history with the Club, but at this point we need a box to box beast at CM in the mold of Micheal Essien. My vote is for Asamoah of Udinese, Mikel of Chelsea, or Mariga of Parma, who in the end lends more to making Leo’s system a success. Pirlo and Rino to Chelsea for Mikel is starting to look like more and more attractive by the minute, and the least Carletto can do to satisfy everyone at the table.

Sadly the rest of the list can go. There are rumors that Dida and Favalli will part ways with the club come January, good riddance. These two moves can open the door for the potential arrival of players like Ranocchia or Bonucci from Bari, and for a new GK to be groomed behind Abbiati, who will return to first team football shortly, such as Marchetti or Castelazzi, and yes I am being optimistic with these names, but the financial windfall of cut wages should be enough to make Milan a force in the transfer market with the pursuit of quality young players.

It still leaves a bit to be desired at the outside backs position, but frankly the talent in this position is a bit shallower than people are willing to notice. If you stop for a moment to consider the best players at the position: Ramos, Cole, Maicon, Evra, and Alves; these are all players that would cost a heap of money, and frankly would be like luring Maldini away from Milan. The best bet here is to push the issue with Abate and Antonini and promote from within the Club. I am not familiar with many of the names from the youth squad, but if you consider the wealth of wingback talent historically nurtured at AC Milan: Maldini, Panucci, Costacurta, and Tassotti, it cannot be without reason to think that this player SHOULD exist. If not, then versatility is the next big thing. A LM or RM with a penchant for defense can be easily pulled back alla Janks, or more recently Abate. No matter how you look at it, this position is and will be continue to be the biggest challenge for Milan and many of the other clubs looking to bolster this position.

Now it is your turn…

The cheap shots didn’t stop there. Soon thereafter Franck Ribery decided to let us all know that losing Gourcuff was like losing the next Zidane. Thanks Franck for your awesome input, really appreciates it. Maybe you should focus on getting Bayern back to good and best of luck in the WC playoff…but alas that was not the only cheap shot thrown by a player. Sometime good Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano said Milan embarrassed him and he would consider a move to Italy, but never to Milan, Juventus would be a place he would consider…hear that Alessio and Roberto…good luck with Luis, I say we made out OK on this one.

Fabiano was not the only striker with diarrhea of the mouth this week. Milan’s own new man KJH decided to get in on the act and ramble on about how Leo should start him against Livorno. Personally I hate players that run their mouth about playing time, having that player on my team only makes it more frustrating. I am sure the Dutchmen will earn his place, but do it on the training field and not with your mouth, if I was Leo KJH would see the bench yet again because of these antics, but an lower back injurty to Borriello may grant KJH his wish, nothing like reinforcing bad behavior!

As if all this banter and bambling was not enough to turn your stomach, someone got the bright idea to invoke Juande Ramos. The man who found some success in a soft La Liga, subsequently ran Tottenham into the ground and couldn’t stay on at Madrid for Galactico’s was suddenly mentioned as a successor for Leo if the Brazilian can’t get his act together…TERRIBLE. The guy is tactically incapable of adjustment and his transfer policy is abysmal, with guys like Spalletti and Zaccheroni out of work couldn’t a better link be brought about!? Who knows they may even consider Steve McLaren next…

All kidding aside, Leo and Company really have to get their game in gear. With a must win match on Saturday and two more home games after that nine points is almost a must to continue to be taken seriously this season. We have seen two Milan’s this season, the question is what are we going to get come Saturday? Rino is out with a red, Borriello is injured, and the rest is really a crapshoot!

-Wingback nightmares: Thanks to Oddo’s stubbornness it does not look like reinforcements will arrive for the position. Personally if we were buying just to buy then this OK, and if the player is not a longer term solution to a long term problem than it is best to save the money. I just don’t get how names like Grosso and Zaccardo
were not explored and young players like Rafinha, De Silvesteri, and Cissokho were lost, De Silvestri went for 6M, that is peanuts!!! Bottom line is looking more and more like we are stuck with Zambro/Oddo on the right and Janks/Antonini on the left, let’s just hope Leonardo keeps fresh legs and things work out in the end.

-Seedorf: Easily the goat of last season behind Ronaldinho, except no one was behind this guy! It seems that suddenly a single good preseason performance and the subsequent inability to crack the winning eleven in game one has caused many a Rossoneri fan to clamor for his return in the derby. I can see both sides of the coin on this one, Seedorf offers a bit more “attack” than the likes of Flamini or Ambro and he also allows for a different dynamic of play in and around the box, but at this point how many players do we need with their back to goal to make the pass? I am going to cover this more in tomorrow’s derby preview, but for now I have to stick with my gut and say that Seedorf should remain on the bench come Saturday.

-CL Draw: Inter/Barca and Milan/Real REALLY! Zlatan and Kaka back to the San Siro, I mean you couldn’t make this stuff up and to think UEFA is not into storylines. Sadly the Italian Clubs are the losers here and though there is a good chance both teams move onto the next round, less so for the Rossoneri (still not sold on this team as a whole to compete on two fronts), the Spanish boys will probably wipe the floor with the Milan squads. Arsenal getting a cushy draw and oddly enough Chelsea has drawn Porto, maybe they forgot that Jose is at Inter and Carletto at Chelsea…don’t be surprised if the first knockout rounds sends Milan on a trip to Stamford Bridge!? Hey at least we don’t have it as bad as Alessio and Roberto…

Ok..ok…everybody just breathe!

Sigh, well it’s been a heck of a summer folks, one long ass summer and I have to admit there have been few seasons which I have awaited the start so anxiously

From memory it all started with the loss of our venerable Captain. Regardless of whether you have followed Milan for the last 5, 10 or 15+ yrs we will ALL find it strange to watch Milan play and not see Maldini out there solidifying the backline

His retirement was made worse by the manner of his send off from the Ultras. Even here in the UK there was some headshaking at the fact that such a loyal servant was badly slighted on what was a historic & emotional event. To so publicly insult the figure who has given so much to your team is a complete lack of appreciation of the man and all his achievements in our colours. I for one STILL harbour resentment towards the Ultras responsible (the Brigate Rossonere for those who are interested) and still find it hard to comprehend their actions. Shame!

I’m sure after the loss of Carlo that there is a sense of impending doom enveloping many a Milanista (he did have his fans let’s not forget!). I for one didn’t have Leo at the top of my wish list for replacing Carlo and recent results have only been reinforcing the belief that we should have gone for a Hiddink, Rijkaard or Van Basten calibre candidate. As things stand Gian is currently more qualified to run the show at Milanello! I for one wish Carlo well at Chelsea and would like to see him spank the EPL, God knows, he has the squad capable of bulldozing its way to the right results

Again, his undoing imo may be the inability to get the right performance & results out of a squad who are more than capable of winning both a league and a CL final. Something else Carlo will now have to contend with is that his Chelsea squad is massive and player power has a lot on influence in the boardrooms in the Blue parts of London. It will be interesting to see if Carlo implements/drops his favourites regime at Chelsea as he attempts to juggle a squad of such quality with genuine contenders for every position

One reason why I won’t be missing Carlo is summed easily………..GOURCUFF. The whole manner leading up to and eventual loss of one of Europe’s most promising talents neatly packaged together some of Carlo’s lesser attributes for me, his stubbornness and inability to sometimes think out of the box. Remember how badly players like Pirlo, I-Cant-Believe-They-Havnt-Kicked-Me-Out-Yet-Dorf, and even to a point Kaka played last season? Meanwhile, over in France, Mr Cuffy was setting everything he touched alight. He should have never been loaned out in the 1st place and just as we struggled in the sharp end of our midfield last season and we look set to struggle again, AAAGGGH!

On one side we had a shrewd but self serving manager and on the other a kid with some natural talent that simply needed nurturing. Some may, and no doubt will, argue that by staying at Bordeaux the kid is showing signs of limited ambition but I say he is simply doing what is best for himself (just like Carlo!) but I’d be surprised to find anyone on this blog who doesn’t feel deep down that we could really use Gourcuff right at this moment and feel free to mark my words, in around 2/3 seasons time one of the bigger teams will snap up Cuffy and we will all see what could have been

Ah yes, then there was the selling of Jesus Boy! We may have seen the best out of him and it’s maybe even true that the last two seasons had seen him in decline but boy would I give anything to see him tearing down the field in Red & Black right now. His recent trip to Milanello on the eve of the Trofeo Berlusconi made me feel worse when the following words were attributed to him “We hope to beat Juventus,” he said to the fans. “We have to get the victory”

Damn those words are such a kick in the stones as he quite clearly still see’s himself as one of us. I’m an admitted Dinho fan boy but there is NO WAY the samba king can fill the boots of our former choir boy in so many ways

All I can say is GOD BLESS YOU RICKY! Again, I hope to see him do well in Spain (just not against us!)

Now if all this wasn’t enough to make you turn to whatever vice helps you deal with trauma we then had the Mercato to help heal our wounds…..

Cissokho, if we had simply included a dental facility as part of the medical setup at Milanello we wouldn’t have made total asses out of ourselves. I mean WTF, in the end the player ended up at Lyon for the same 15Mill Milan had originally said yes to!

I don’t know why we just didn’t throw some kinda exchange into the deal (Oddo, Favalli, Zigoni, Viudez etc) but regardless, it’s obviously a position the hierarchy felt needed reinforcing and as yet, has still to address

Then there was the Fabiano fiasco, fine, we didn’t get him but at one point there was possible talk of forcing a move through the courts? As much as I was glad not to see Milan get fleeced for (imo) a so-so striker, is THIS the approach Mighty Milan are taking nowadays with shady back alley shenanigans and envelopes of money changing hands?? This simply wont do Mr Berlusconi!

All this lead to me feeling that this Club is on its knees, and I’m sure that around this time some of you had either switched off, turned to booze, got yourself medicated (legally or otherwise) found another pastime to numb the pain that was killing the joy of following this great Club, but then there was the American friendlies by which time my depression had manifested itself as a stomach ulcer. I had to note that the tone on our beloved Milan Offside by this time had went south as there was a lot of infighting, personal vilification, general short temperedness with one another. Call me crazy, but I saw this as kinda understandable based on the summary of events you have just read but there is more

Full Backs: Janks was on the wane last season and it now looks like that maybe Zambro is likely to follow. Neither of these guys has been convincing in the matches played so far and even Abate’s crosses makes Janks look like he should be taking lessons from this kid during training. Antonini hasn’t been all out convincing yet and appears to be apprehensive in going forward maybe? Don’t get me wrong, he has been ok here and there but the overall impression i’m getting is what Shehan used to argue in that if he’s green he can’t be an automatic starter. Lets be honest Ants isn’t likely to be pushing for Santons place in the Azzurri anytime soon and still needs to clock up some match time as a sub before he can truly take that position for himself

I for one STILL hold out hope on landing at least one of the three Lazio “rebels” (De Silvestri, Ledesma, Pandev) before the mercato closes and I’m more than happy to ship over to Rome any of the following, ShitDorf, Oddo or Kaladze assuming Lazio will take them and we can get our player to agree as I’m sure we can get at least one of the wantaways relatively cheaply from Lazio

It’s easy to see it all as Doom & Gloom at the moment but lets not overlook a few silver linings in the clouds hanging over us.

Silva – Barring Maldini, most of last season was spent sticking pins in voodoo doll replicas of our defenders and highlighting each and every mistake they made, which is why I feel that Silva’s near constant solid performances in large have gone unnoticed. I went to the Rangers vs Milan friendly last year and even then he seemed cool and self assured. This was oh so different to the usual panic that seemed to hit our backline as everyone fell over each other in haphazard attempts to clear a simple ball. In the matches he has played so far Silva has shown himself to be a worthy teammate of…..

Nesta – He’s back damnit! From what I have witnessed so far Nesta is back and with a vengeance and not in the semi-skimmed variety, he has blown away any ides that he might not be the full product on his return. We just need to keep our fingers crossed that his back holds out (eek!) but he seemed to be happy to get stuck in against Amuari on Monday night

The above two guys teamed up with Abbiati look solid and I can (forgive me for saying this) see where Berlu is coming from with the recent praise. Yes, ok, we aren’t talking about the re-birth of the Baresi & Maldini era but the more I think about it, Nesta & Silva are pretty much one of the stronger CB combos in Serie A at the moment and will hopefully make Abbiatis life easier between the posts with Gooch and Bonera for back up

Pirlo – Pffft! Forget Dinho, if we need any one player to recapture past glories its Pirlo. I was a supporter of the notion of selling him to Chelsea as I honestly think he’s in decline but I noticed in the Benfica match that when he does manage to stay awake he is still worth rolling out onto the pitch (I just hope Leo keeps some adrenalin shots in his back pocket!) Pirlo with one or two deft touches can make an attack out of nothing and I’m kinda excited by the idea of Pirlo feeding balls through to newer players like Borriello and………

Huntelaar – All hail the new Van Basten! Well maybe not just yet, but the kid has an eye for goal and that puts him in my good books for now. My only worry is that when both he and Pato are on the pitch they appear to run into each others space (or is it just me?) Either way with his addition Milan actually has a strong line up in attack; Pato, Borriello, Huntelaar, Inzaghi, and hopefully we can ease some of the pressure off of Pato whilst giving Borriello the competition he maybe needs

Leo – He already knows he is on a steep learning curve but in both the matches against Chelsea and the win over Juve in the Trofeo Berlusconi we played some good tight pressing football. We appeared to have shed the inertia in our attacks and I honestly believe that all we currently lack is match fitness in some of our players

(Note to Mssrs Berlusconi & Galliani) Instead of jetting around the world making money in near pointless matches, a new manager should be left alone with his squad back in Milanello to train, train, train damnit!

I have painful memories of last season where I was just plain BORED with some of our performances but a new season awaits with a new guy at the helm, lets give him a chance to win us over or to darken our hearts!

I for one cant wait for the season to start

Forza Milan!

Avia

It is even harder to have this discussion not knowing if Leo wants to play 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-1-2, which makes this all the more frustrating, frankly with the personnel we have on hand, I wouldn’t even venture a guess on what to do. A lack of creativity, width, and hell a lack of everything has left me wondering how many more players can we lose without replacing them and still make this all work. Move Pirlo, but do it right, get some value. If it means Kalou to fill the striker spot GREAT, if it means a guy like Belleti or Ferreira to add width and team depth than fine, but don’t take Pizarro just for the sake of getting a player, do we really need more Chelsea failures?

-Cesc Fabregas has been tossed around as a potential Milan target and considering his age and ability this move would certainly be welcome. We have the defensive midfielders so a guy that can operate around the center circle and forward would be a plus. He may cost a bit more than Milan want to pay, but his upside is tremendous. He would grow with the youth around him and if Milan wants to settle themselves present and future this is a good way to start. As Avia mentioned earlier it would also free Dinho to move up and to the left adding width, and let Leo use his 4-3-3 formation. Sure it is a pipe dream, but a little optimism in my doom and gloom is probably good for everyone.

-Personally I am not sold on Hernanes, Brazilianness aside, he has done little to prove his worth or cost. Succeeding in Brazil does not always guarantee success and playing in Europe is a shock to any player. Historically speaking Milan have not been all that successful with these type of purchases directly into the first team. Recent young Brazilians like Kaka, Pato, and Silva were given time to acclimate and learn the system prior to first team football, and if Hernanes was purchased I would hope he would be afforded the same luxury.

-The defensive flanks still look pretty bad and based on preseason performances I would say this is the where the most help is needed. Talks have been on and off for De Silvestri has been given the green light to leave Lazio and sending Oddo back to his club of origin may help in luring the young RB to Milan. He would be welcome addition to a club that has boasted some of the World’s best at the positions and his move would greatly benefit his own chances of going to WC10, a player hungry to prove himself is a plus no matter the squad or position. With Inter boasting Santon, shouldn’t we have our own wingback in the mix?

-In the next few hours Fester, Berlu, and Leo will have a heart to heart, this little meeting represents the turning point of our preseason. If Leo can assert himself and demand what he needs to succeed he will gain valuable leadership points and credibility. If he comes out of this meeting with nothing to show in the way of transfers than he is in fact a yes man and we dead before the ship even sank!

-Word from the boot is that Pirlo is closer to Chelsea than many of us are even aware of. He still speaks daily to Carletto, and a reunion with the man that made his career seems to be what Andrea wants. I am not happy, and I can’t help but think Rino is next, but if this is what Pirlo wants then I do believe he should get it. I am not all that keen on the money because I do not want Hernanes, but if Fester could swing Mikel, Kalou, or even Essien…I think I can swallow this move.

-So if Pirlo really does leave, one would think that Seedorf is really working on keeping himself entrenched in the first team. Do you think Clarence actually owns the club? More alarmingly however is that the Rossoneri are REALLY betting the farm on Ronaldinho. Yes many of you can call me a hater, but really, can we expect him to become Dinho circa 05? We all waited with baited breath last season and it never happened, and he was a fringe player. Now he is the linchpin and if the exodus continues he may be the longest tenured Milan player and Captain of the club!? I am just not all that keen on putting all these eggs in one heavy set, slower than usual basket…does anyone suggest we buy Sheva again and build the team around him? Probably not, but for some reason it is OK because it is Ronaldinho…they have both fallen very hard, and I am not about to give the benefit of the doubt to one and not the other.

-Anyone else think John Terry will be a traitor if he leaves Chelsea? I considered Terry a bit like Paolo, but this would ruin that in an instant, in fact just discussing with Man City is enough for me…

-World Football Challenge kicked off in earnest last night and Milan will be in action on Wed, Fri, and Sunday. The team should improve slowly each game, and at least help the team see the glaring holes for reinforcements.

-Luis Fabiano and Nardo are getting hot and heavy, and frankly I don’t like and most of all I don’t get it. Some of us chastised Onyewu for his performance in the Confed Cup, with bold claims like, “It is only the Confed Cup, and no one was trying!” Then in the same breath we praise Fabiano for having a superb Confed Cup!? Isn’t this a double standard!! He is to expensive, and by no means an upgrade from what we already have. Do we want to push Borriello to Napoli, if he leaves because he wants first team football can we blame him? This Fabiano move is crap if you ask me, he is older than we need, and doesn’t really do anything all that well to make this courtship worth it, anything over 12M is a waste of money that we apparently do not have.

-Speaking of transfers these Madrid player rumors out of Milan and anywhere else for that matter are crazy. If Perez and his Galaticos want to buy everyone under the sun for inflated prices, why should any club be made to pay full price for their players? Nothing against the Dutch Madrista’s but wouldn’t one consider those players surplus to need? Therefore shouldn’t Real be looking to unload at one point or another? Milan and any other interested club should cash in then, not now, make them sweat it out, and buy when the price is right. Remember VanDerVaart and Huntelaar couldn’t game at the end of the season, their value has plummeted and should be bought that way, don’t fuel the Madrid madness.

-Onto more crazy transfers, Man City is now linked to former Milan target Adebayor. If he does in fact go there, then I too will jump off the bandwagon. He wants CL football right and to prove himself the World’s best, he can start by saying no to Man City who seems to believe that the key to winning football matches is having more strikers than the other team. If Adebayor and Tevez go to Man City to join Santa Cruz it will only be a matter of minutes before Milan are linked to Jo and Bojinov, and that will be a travesty all in itself. It is a shame a guy like Stevie Ireland played his heart out for that club and no one seems to give a crap, shame on Mark Hughes, and shame on anyone who goes there.

-The newest Brazilian that Milan has a hard on for is Hernanes. The 24 year old DM is said to be in talks with Milan which means that A. Gattuso is will be made obsolete B. Flamini will either be sold or made to play RB (which he doesn’t fancy) or C. Nardo will play 3 DM’s behind 3 strikers. Frankly I don’t get it, I don’t like, and I want to stand for it. We need creative depth, Dinho can’t play every single game, and Seedorf shouldn’t play any period. If Pirlo does in fact play CM, shouldn’t we but someone comparable to him as well!? D’Agostino wants out of Udine, and Rosina is on his way to Serie B, wouldn’t these be more sensible targets based on need? Just a few days I was renewing my faith in the cause, today however it seems to be plummeting yet again…welcome to the Rossoneri rollercoaster!

-On a side note, many of us engage daily here with Pat Cook, whose incite and discussion are superb, his website carries the same edge here. Always worth a read after your trip here of course!

Abate is truly a solid addition. I like him, he has promise, speed and versatility and given Leo’s tactics he may have a chance to really blossom. In the same sense Leo can continue to progress Flamini be it in the mid or at the back, and also allow Pato to fulfill his world player potential. For all we know he may even find diamonds in the Uruguayan boys who were given little opportunity last season. We now have the potential to start 7-9 Italians on the pitch, and for that fact alone I am pleased. Not to mention the returns of Borriello and Nesta are like addng two new players if they can stay healthy and produce at the level we expect.

We still have the promise of the August frenzy in the transfer market where Leonardo will have a better feel for his squad and his needs. As the window draws closed Milan can make a push for needed players possible a Rosina, DeSilvestri, or even a player like Ruud can be added for some veteran guile and goal scoring ability. The more I really investigate the less bleak the outcome really looks. This team is not World Class, and no one will mistake them for that, but this team has the potential to play hard and tough to be successful. There are a lot of what if’s, but if just a few materialize and pan out we may be pleasantly surprised with the new look cost effective AC Milan, and will be even more pleased as we are positioned not only for success today, but potential for success tomorrow.

-The Dzeko deal appears to have hit a snag, though it seems Wolfsburg are shopping for strikers. Price is probably an issue, but at this point this deal seems far from complete. Many of you rate Dzeko highly, I am lukewarm on him as a player, and we all know scoring in one league doesn’t always translate to others. Luca Toni, outside of the Bundesliga (national team), can’t seem to hit the broad side of barn, which leads to me believe the Bundesliga presents more concrete scoring chances which leads to more goals. Again, Dzeko may be great, only time will tell that, but if we are going to invest time, money, and effort to sign him, I can’t help but think we can do better. Problem is save splashing a ton of cash, I don’t see where better is at the moment, and again Italian would be preferred. As you can see I am at a bit of an impasse here as well.

-Paloschi will remain at Parma for another season. I like Alberto, but he just doesn’t seem fit to carry torch at AC Milan. He is smallish in stature and his ball skills are not great, but boy can the kid finish. He reminds of Pippo, and plays a bit like him as well, but at the moment that is not the type of player this club is really looking for or needs. Another year on loan will do him well, and his value may increase with a good season in Serie A. I would be more surprised if Paloschi was brought home than sold, but again that is just my opinion on that matter, and I am sure feelings are different on the teen.

-Guiseppe Rossi is easily becoming the hottest thing since sliced bread after his past nine days in the National Team blue. His goals have been sublime, and his work with Pirlo last night makes me wonder why on Earth Milan isn’t burning down Villareal for a transfer. The kid is a proclaimed Milan fan, and his return to Italy will be good for him and the league. What I saw last night was a player who could easily fill the void left by Kaka, with a more penalty area friendly style of play that Milan could really use. He seems equally comfortable with or without the ball, and his willingness to shoot is a plus. I am sold, and sooner than later so will GRossi, the question is where?

-Last night’s performance from Pirlo was top class. Yes he was playing against ten man, but for the majority of the match the US seemed to be in control and was operating quite nicely around the World Champs, kudos to them for playing tough when many people believed they couldn’t. As the game wore on and the US wore off, Pirlo really began to shine, his move on the final goal was beautiful and the pass was even better. Many of you have asked why he doesn’t play that way at Milan, and the answer is simple, he doesn’t see the ball in the same type of areas or play with the same type of personnel. At Milan he operates in his own half, whereas with Italy he can move forward and become more a part of the attack. Milan seems to prefer the ball at the foot of Seedorf, Dinho, and, last season at least, Kaka this may change now with Leo at the helm, but for Pirlo to be successful he needs to more of a Xavi style playmaker than a long pass hucker, and that was evident last night. It also helps that Lippi employs big target style strikers which force defenders deep into their area and make space for Pirlo to come forward, at Milan even Pato comes back to half to begin running at defenses. Hence the need for a target man!!! Seeing Pirlo in such form was AWESOME, can that form be found at Milan with Leo at the helm is the real question? My fear is that we may never know, as Pirlo has the eye of Carletto, and after last night possibly a few more clubs to boot.