This morning, as I completed my normal morning ritual checking soccernet and football italia for any new relevant Milan news, it hit me. Not the usual, "oh crap I have to go to work" or "what did I drink last night that gave me this miserable blank" it was a strange feeling of anxiety, embarrassment and loathing. Wasn’t sure what it was but then it dawned on me, the Club I have loved for 20 plus years was now causing me dread. This wasn’t just your normal day to day dread about going to class, work or the dentist, this was a whole new feeling, and as I clicked each article about the Club it got worse! I can now honestly say that I have lost all faith in management and ownership of this Club. I am fearful of their next hair brain or is it (hair less brain?) and stupid maneuver, my feelings toward Milan’s transfer window are no longer that of hopeful optimism but are now officially steeped in damage control mode. Instead of hoping for a new reinforcements I sit around biting my nails hoping we won’t sell the few valuable pieces left of our team (heavy emphasis on FEW) in favor of some bum or has been. This is summer's transfer window has been a torture that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy and the fact that there are still a few months only makes it worse, lets recap a few of the brainless maneuvers shall we.
-We all know this team needs a RB, seriously, our starting RB at the moment is Zambrotta or Oddo. Simply put we need a RB, yet every single player linked to us is magically, NOT A RB. How does this make sense anywhere other than AC Milan? Strikers, sure come on in, more strikers you say, by all means! The single position with the highest glut of players is the position lusted after by our management. To think strikers are not vanity!? Did I mention how badly we need midfield depth as well?
-The Brass hires a new Coach, it takes something like 38 days to get finalized, and then the guy goes into hiding and doesn’t say a word about what he plans to do with the team. Playing your cards tight to your chest is OK by me, but at least come out and assert yourself. If you are guy who has coached and fine tuned a single formation for most of your career shouldn’t you make some demands instead of being a yes man on day one? Should you be given the opportunity to come in and make your mark? Instead I fear he will coach Silvio, I mean Ronaldinho’s, I mean Leo’s, I mean Fester’s formation, the 4-3-3, and then we can relive the last season all over again. What happens if our "best offensive threat" has a down year?
-The Club has made an unprecedented investment in youth talent and what do they decide to do with said talent? Send it away on Co-Ownership deals so that these promising players will have to be bought a second time around! Prudent fiscal management or dumbest thing you ever I heard, I will let you be the judge? Why not commit hard to youth movement now while the rest of the stars are fading into the sunset, they can’t possibly be harboring any serious beliefs of a Scudetto or worse a CL can they?
-Back to the new Coach for a minute, Allegri plays a 4-3-1-2, a formation dependant on a CAM. Do we even have one on our radar or shopping list? Wait we do, his name is Honda and if rumor has it correct Fly Emirates is willing to pay his salary for some advertising dollars with the player in Japan on the side. Makes a lot of sense right? Bring in Honda, break into the Japanese market and get Allegri a guy to play in the hole behind the strikers. In fact makes too much sense when you think about, so it can never happen, but last I heard they were haggling between a fee of 15 or 18M, a difference of around 3M!! Remember when Galliani was a force at the negotiating table, he used get his man for less and make you like it, now we can’t even get a bum from Real Madrid without overpaying. Who do you get when your best negotiator has lost touch with the modern game and talent? You get Adriano Galliani…
-At one point we were linked with both Robinho and Adriano. Read that again slowly. Can you imagine if those two joined forces with Ronaldinho? Don’t get any ideas, I am implying off the pitch. I remember once Arrigo Sacchi said he could no longer be a Coach when players didn’t respect their curfews, and he was seeing that at restaurants late night! Restaurants, he said nothing about night clubs and transvestites, what would Allegri have to do here? The mere fact that bringing that group of known party people together was even considered is alarming in its own right! Thankfully Adriano is Roma's problem now...
-Oddo was extended, yes you heard me write, and while it looks like a dumb move, it was actually prudent. With the extension his wages were lowered making him more attractive to other teams, but herein lies the problem, unless his wages are FREE I can’t see how any team would want him after last season’s horrific performances! No word on Janks or Kaladze.
-At the start of the transfer window Milan was proud owner of one of Serie A’s best goalies, he was promptly sold, to Juventus! Not only was he sold, but Milan didn’t even have the simple forethought of possibly trying to get something out of the deal, anything. Instead it was a quick easy 8M gentleman’s deal, I am all for doing good business with historically friendly teams but last time I checked we have done Juve a fair amount of favors and haven’t cashed in yet. Diego? Giovinco? It’s time we cash that IOU…
-Last year the Brass let De Silvestri go to Fiorentina for a measly 6M, this year they let Motta go to Juventus for pennies. Who will be the next available 25 and under Italian player that goes slipping by without a whiff? Rossi? Poli? Lazzari? At this point I can’t blame them for not making Milan there "go to spot," unless of course they like sitting on the bench.
My ranting and raving is done for now, but as you can see my frustrations have no boundaries at this point. Feel free to add in your rants and what you find absolutely stupefying about our Club this summer, it helps, at least until tomorrow when I start the whole process all over again.