So with an International Break around the corner, gives us and the team some time to recharge, regroup, and hit the ground running. Palermo will be first to town so the schedule doesn't get any easier, and neither does the volume of matches. But its time to buck up, no more excuses, if Milan can go on a hot streak before the Winter break the slow start to the season will be in the rear view mirror. In the meantime let's check out some odds and ends...
- Milan are being linked with Madrid's Khedira in the January transfer window. Do yourself a favor, pretend this rumor didn't happen, because it is unlikely if not impossible. At 24 the Tunisian born German already has over 40 appearances for Mourinho's Madrid and I wouldn't expect the Special One parting ways with one of his hand selected players for any reason. The Diarra's maybe, but Khedira, don't count on it. Anyone else feel like the January transfer window is like Christmas, before you didn't have to deal with it until after Thanksgiving, now they are shoving it down your throat before Halloween!?
- Zlatan has back-pedaled his comments about being bored of football and his agent has promised us five more years of Zlatan!? To be honest yesterday's comments were a bit annoying to me as a Milan fan. Why would I want one of our more influential players coming out and saying the game is becoming a chore and he is growing disinterested? Not to mention his timing was pretty poor, considering the "crisis" the team is in right now. If you don't want to play, then don't play, but don't half ass around the pitch and say you are disinterested, because you are hurting the team in the process. We need Zlatan at full force, and maybe someone should remind him that he still hasn't won a CL, that ought to get him interested again.
- Robinho may be fit to face Palermo. This is huge, simply for the fact that his work rate in collecting the ball from the midfield is second to none. His return should give Allegri a bit more flexibility in formation and let the ball winners do what they do best, win the ball, and pass it short. No need for Van Bommel and Nocerino playing Hollywood passes to nobody, lets get back to last season's short passes and hopefully the return of Robinho will be step one to that goal.
- Milan appear to be tracking new Prandelli call-up, Angelo Ogbonna. The Torino CB is a big part of why Torino is atop Serie B but the his price tag won't be the cheapest at 16M, and seeing that we let Astori walk for far less, you have to wonder if an heir to Nesta is ever in the cards?
- Bologna's stellar Uruguayan Gaston Ramirez is on many Club's radar, including Liverpool and Man City, but oddly enough not Milan. Allegri has commented on the player in the past and while he is currently deployed as a left sided striker, he can play behind the strikers and in the middle of the park. I am not saying we need attackers, or that this is a must buy, but in order for Milan to continue to be frugal and refresh the squad these are the types of deals that need to be explored, like El Shaarawi a few shrewd deals for up and coming players will go a long way.
- In an unexpected twist, the AC Milan Offside is officially pro booty!! It appears that the "ass men" of the blog have won out over the boob crew, and the legion of legs. Now this blog has been fractured over many different things in the past, but I can't help but feel no matter how you slice this one, everyone wins, except the ladies of course. So ladies, I ask you to avert your eyes for a moment while we celebrate this victory for bottoms everywhere!
There was a video here, that was a bit racey, it's gone now, sorry...I am sure you can search bottoms on youtube and come up with some special!
-If at any point this weekend you feel like the sky is falling or you look at the mirror and you have a slight face contortion like Zamparini, don't fret. It is not to late for you to get on the AC Milan Offside Health Plan to kick the doomsday bug.
-On a personal note, I am moving, leaving my humble one bedroom bachelor pad in favor of domesticated living with Miss ACMilan Offside (heavy emphasis on the Miss). So this International Break will be a moving break for me, but I should be back up and running by early next week. Who knows maybe a few internet and cable free days and a lot of manual labor will do me some good. Enjoy your International Breaks!