TF90M’s Italian Football Expert Marzia Hazra reports on the problems suffered by AC Milan and the alterations they need to make if they are to change their fortunes.
Ahead of the season, Vice-President Adriano Galliani along with the Milan players and board directors all promised a successful campaign that would end with honours.
It is now close to mid-march and we only have a mere eleven league games ahead of us. The Rossoneri currently reside in third place with 51 points to their name – 12 points shy of league leaders and city rivals Inter and five points short of second placed Juventus.
It feels rather safe to say that Milan are out of the title race. The misery doesn’t end there as the club was also eliminated by Lazio in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia, failing even to reach the quarter finals. On top of that, Carlo Ancelotti’s men also received their marching orders from the Uefa cup a fortnight ago after losing out to Werder Bremen.
In other words, the club is set to finish another season without titles.
The last time Milan won a major trophy was the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup in 2007. What about the Scudetto then?
The season of 2003/2004 was the last time the red and black side of Milan lifted the domestic league trophy. Considering the winning tradition that the club boasts, it is rather remarkable that they have made no secret that their sole focus has been on European glory. Their league aim is only to make sure of a forth place finish each year – a feat they failed to repeat last season.
A club like Milan – undoubtedly one of Europe’s finest and most prestigious – should have enough quality to be able to compete on all fronts without having to shed focus like the Rossoneri has. Stating that the club needs to undergo some changes is probably an understatement.
Although the club boasts big names such as Paolo Maldini, Kaká, Alexandre Pato and Andrea Pirlo – many of the players that run out on the field every Sunday have since long past their expiration dates. Despite the fact that the club has dealt with an alarming rate of injuries this season there should be enough quality players to step in to fill their positions, right?
Trying to pinpoint all of the problems that lie behind Milan’s less than successful last season could take days on end to analyze.
One of the most prominent issues that the club needs to reconsider is coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Milan tactician has never been one to motivate his players or change tactics when times have desperately called for it, but there is one aspect of which he has been rather powerless – deciding which players to bring in. Vice-President Adriano Galliani likes to take care of transfers and therefore it is useless to blame ‘Carletto’ for the unbalanced squad.
Another big reason that contributes to bringing down the club’s stock is the aging squad in general and the rearguard in particular. Older players keep getting contract renewals while the younger promising talents get shipped off to the minnows or lower leagues to gain experience – most of which are never to return. A good example of that is French forward Yoann Gourcuff who is now playing brilliant football for Bordeaux.
While Milan have found a brilliant young forward with early success in Alexandre Pato, the Brazilian tends to be rather isolated at the top and without enough support from the midfield when their creative force (read Kaká) is missing, it’s somewhat of a miracle that the youngster has netted so many times this season.
Andrea Pirlo has shouldered the biggest responsibility in the midfield and while he has done an admirable job for the majority of the time, the arrival of David Beckham has lifted some weight off of Pirlo’s much troubled shoulders. The English international’s pinpoint crosses into the box are lethal and add another dimension to the attacking force.
On that point, the Milan club has done extremely well in signing Beckham for the remainder of the season and while the Scudetto cannot really be considered a reality anymore, second place is still very much within their reach.
The changes that the club needs to implement ahead of the new season are first and foremost to bring in a new manager that can handle and motivate the team accordingly. On top of that, the newly appointed coach would have to receive more power when it comes to the transfer market as he is – for obvious reason – the most informed person at the club of what positions needs to be strengthened.
The club also needs to build the foundation around the younger players that will hold up the structure of the team for a long time coming – which subsequently means that it is time for a lot of the older players to bow out.
It’s ridiculous that a historic and prestigious club like Milan no longer seem to be able to compete on several fronts. If it is inspiration that they are lacking they need only to direct their eyes to the west to Turin and Juventus. A team not long ago was shred to pieces but is still very much in competition for the Scudetto, Champions League and Coppa Italia.
Milan legend Paolo Maldini is set to hang up his boots at the end of the season after some 25 years at his beloved club – the end of an era.
This means that it is time for Milan to start on a new chapter – in style.
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