Happy new year? Another defeat to Sassuolo

A year after costing Max Allegri his job, Sassuolo hands Milan another defeat
Match Report : A.C. Milan 1- 2 U.S. Sassuolo OFFICIAL line-up A.C. Milan: Lopez; Rami, Alex, Zapata, De Sciglio; Poli, Essien, Montolivo (C); Bonaventura, Menez, El Shaarawy. Sassuolo: Consigli; Gazzolla, Cannavaro, Acerbi, Peluso; Biondini, Magnanelli(C), Missirolli; Berardi, Zaza, Sansone. In the first match of 2015, we received the neroverdi at home, coming from a win (albeit a game that nobody cared about) against Real Madrid by a 4-2 scoreline, grabbing a point in the Olimpico against Roma and a 2-0 win against Napoli. Things started in our favor, with Milan dominating ball possession. We capitalized when bonaventura went clear on the right flank sending a cross to Stephan El Sharaawy that was taken advantage of by Andrea Poli on the rebound, making it 1-0. As time went on Sassuolo started growing into the game and taking on more possession, with their 4-3-3 morphing into a 4-1-4-1 in defense. Milan had a chance for a second when a through ball by El shaarawy was barely misplaced into Poli´s path. in the 24th Sassuolo had a chance to go level but a great interception by Alex on Sansone kept the game in our favor. it was a fair warning as in the next play, on the minute 27th, a beautiful pass by Berardi to the oncoming Sansone was buried into the net and the game was leveled. Sassuolo had a chance to go on top but Biondini missed a cross by Sansone, who was making Rami look like a traffic cone. In the Second Half Milan started uninspired, losing the ball and clearly not able to get the ball to Sassuolo´s area. Milan started to enjoy more posession eventually and pinned sassuolo to their box, with missiroli barely getting in time to interrupt a ball to Montolivo. in the 65th Inzaghi subbed in Cerci for Essien and Milan seemed to go for broke. The move nearly paid out immediately as Cerci sprung the offside trap and required Consigli to make a heroic leap to punch the ball away. From that clearance, Zaza shot’s was deflected by Zapata for a corner, which ended up with a fierce left foot volley by Zaza to get Sassuolo ahead. Pazzini came in for SES & Abate for Rami, which saw milan change to a 4-2-3-1 with Bonaventura on the left, Jeremy Menez behind Pazzini and Cerci on the right. The formation looked disjointed. In the 75th, Pazzini forced a wonder save from Consigli after a fierce right foot volley.Bottom line, Sassuolo deserved this win with a very smart tactics by Di Francesco and wonderful execution by his forwards. Mental fragility continues to be an issue for Milan, particularly at home, and Pippo looked clearly out of ideas. in fair thoughts, the lack of Bonera and Mexez was painfully evident, as the backline was poorly positioned throughout the game and our fullbacks were exposed with balls to the back of both Sansone and Berardi. Not having De Jong in the middle was costly as we lacked correct distribution in the middle of the pitch as Montolivo was doing his best Muntari impression –slow on the ball and killing counters. We have missed a clear opportunity to go into 4th place, and now we have two must win games against Torino and Atalanta, while still having to win against Sassuolo in the Coppa.
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http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/happy-new-year-another-defeat-to-sassuolo/

The long list of Galliani’s almost signings

Galliani seems to have a theme of almost signing quality players
Every transfer window, our resident vice-president and outdated sporting director seems to either bait or antagonize the fans by listing players that he almost signed. For example, this is January’s revelation:

Galliani: “We also tried to sign Griezmann last summer.”
@AntoGriezmann— AC Milan News (@Milanello) January 7, 2015

Granted, the old man is responsible for engineering the purchases and contract extensions of some of Milan’s legendary players. He will always have that honor, as well as being one of the architects of Milan’s dominance in the yesteryears. Regardless, the present Milan is not the Milan of old for a myriad of reasons. And it has to be admitted that this barren period was always on the horizon with the state of the San Siro, Italian football and Milan’s own hazardous spending habits during winning times.

Those things aside, Galliani always does this and there’s an extensive list of players that Milan “could have signed” but for one reason or the other didn’t. The current reason, if I’m allowed to guess, is because of cheapness.

So as an exercise, I would like to list out some of my favorite almost signings with quotes from the vice-president himself:

Francesco Totti

“Not only did we dream of having him [Totti], we tried to get him…”
“We knew about him when he was a kid, but we didn’t succeed.

Alessandro Del Piero

“We nearly signed Del Piero in 1993 and failing to do that remains one of the great regrets of my career,”

Neymar

“We also followed Neymar but he was too expensive for us.”

And one from the big man himself, Berlusconi:

“I already told Adriano Galliani to start negotiations for Cristiano Ronaldo”.

More than these are the ones where he professes that certain players will not leave or that Milan is not interested in a player who we eventually sign. Understandably this is all part of his transfer regimen and a way to keep prices low and teams away from targets. yet, for the ones about players that Milan could have signed, it feels almost sarcastic.

The list is endless, feel free to share your favorite ones.
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http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/the-long-list-of-gallianis-almost-signings/

Addio bel ragazzo: Remembering Alexandre Pato

Two years ago, a Prince departed Milan to return to his native land
The story is well known by now: Pato came to Milan in the summer of 2007, but due to FIFA regulations, couldn’t play till the following January. On the 4th of that January was when the transfer became official and just a few days later, the Hermes of forwards scored his first goal in a 5-2 win against Napoli. Two weeks later? A brace against Genoa.
There were other goals as well, 48 of them actually, including a second half brace against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu during the Champions League group stages. That goal against Barcelona. That other goal against Chievo. The brace against Inter. And his last Milan goal against Anderlecht.
What followed his goals though, almost immediately, was a visit to the treatment table; most noticeably for his hamstring. It was if the fates were mocking his limitless talent by awarding him a body held together by paper mache and prayers. Every goal meant another tear, another strain, a fracture or general soreness. There have been no end to the theories on why the boy’s body couldn’t hold up to the rigors of European football –some have even speculated that it was because he was so fast that he was so often injured.
Nonetheless, he was a favorite of many –even dating Barbara Berlusconi– and he brought some real moments of wonderment when he was at Milan. It’s a story of what could have been, what should have been and the sad reality that no matter how talented you are, you’re still a servant to your own physical limitation.
Here’s the video of his departure that’s more heartbreaking than watching the Titanic and Mufasa’s death consecutively:

Trovommi Amor del tutto disarmato
et aperta la via per gli occhi al core,
che di lagrime son fatti uscio et Varco
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http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/addio-bel-ragazzo-remembering-alexandre-pato/

Thiago Motta confirm Milan talks

Doubt is swirling around the Italian’s future in Paris
After PSG expressed doubt that Thiago Motta might stay past the summer, the midfielder, who is contracted till 2016 confirmed that he’s been contacted by Milan.
His agent is quoted as saying “I received many phone calls, including from his former Coaches. Milan are particularly receptive, especially considering their own doubts over the future of Nigel de Jong. I won’t say there is something concrete in this, but there is certainly a lot of interest.”
He continued “The next few days will be decisive to understand Thiago’s future. We’ll see what the club says and wait to hear their intentions.”
As the agent mentions above, this move would only be possible if de Jong was to leave. Inzaghi has made it clear that the first priority is to extend de Jong’s contract and that he is confident of doing so. Regardless, it seems that Milan have already started looking for replacements if that agenda happens to fail and to be honest, one could do much worse than Motta.
Though he’s on the wrong side of 30, Motta is still a capable midfield general. He was instrumental in PSG’s title winning season last year, playing 47 total games and even scoring six goals. His best work though comes in intercepting passes and covering for his more creative colleagues.
Also, he’s a former Inter boy so imagine the pain on their faces as he scores a last minute header from a corner to win the Derby della Madonnina. It’s almost worth it to spite them.

http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/thiago-motta-confirm-milan-talks/

Milan reportedly agree personal terms with Liverpool starlet Suso

The 20 year old wonderkid may be on his way to Italy
Tuttosport is reporting that Milan have agreed terms with Suso and all that is left is to agree a fee with Liverpool and to decide whether to take the player in January or the summer. Suso is on the last year of his contract and with the prospect of losing the versatile playmaker on a free, Liverpool will have to decide on his future sooner than they hoped. Milan had already tried to sign the player on a loan deal in the summer.
Suso is a very interesting player at least. He has the potential to become the sort of player that Isco currently is for Real Madrid, though at the young age of 20, he still has glaring weaknesses. He spent last season at Almeria in La Liga, which was his first full season of first team football. During that season, he managed seven assists, which was frankly quite impressive. It was more than the total managed by such veterans like Arda Turan.
At a mere 159 lbs, the 5’10 is very agile, good in tight spaces and enjoys a dribble like any technically sound winger should. Unlike many youngsters who use their dribbling to offset their lack of passing ability, Suso is a magnificent passer –as evidenced by his assist total for one. He can read opposing defenses and make passes through the defense into dashing forwards without much difficulty, an attribute that’s very rare in players his age.
As mentioned above, the usually inverted left winger is already versatile. At Almeria, he was used as a right winger in a 5-4-1, an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 and as a deep lying forward in the 4-4-2. It will grant Inzaghi the freedom to move insert him into the lineup without having to sacrifice other creative players. With Alessio Cerci’s arrival and Stephan El Shaarawy’s return to form, both wings seem to occupied while the middle might also cause some problems with Keisuke Honda’s importance.
As far as weaknesses, while Suso has the technique and has shown that he can score from out of the box and from free-kicks, he does suffer from impotency in the goals category. With Almeria, he managed only three goals from 64 shots, 22 of those which were blocked. He also has a low pass completion percentage, 72%, which is easily explained by the fact that he does play a high number of through balls, while also indulging in unsuccessful crosses. He also has a tendency of holding on to the ball for too long or trying to create too much on his own. Which leads to losing possession and wasting opportunities.
Of course he also lacks a bit defensively as most young attacking players do. He’s not a very good tackler and he often em[ploys the fake defense tactic of jogging and pretending to engage an attacking player.
Regardless, at 20 years old, he contributed to 10 goals to help Almeria’s survival in his first full season as a first team player. Milan would be getting a player who has all of the ability to be a star with the proper development for free and that’s not an opportunity that comes along very often.
There’s also this video for those who haven’t seen him:

UPDATE!:

Suso’s agent: “I can confirm that there is an agreement between Milan and Suso for a 4-year contract.”
@suso30oficial
— AC Milan News (@Milanello) January 6, 2015

http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/milan-reportedly-agree-personal-terms-with-liverpool-starlet-suso/

Farewell from AviA!

Yep, I’m also jumping ship!
Fast on the heels of Gian’s farewell I feel I should formally tip my hat to the Milan Offside & SB Nation and bid my old haunt goodbye.
I’ve had a ton of fun ever since my 1st comment and even longer as a lurker back in the days and really enjoyed my time with my fellow Milanista who have come and gone over the years.
In the background some things have been simmering and finally come to a head but feel free to join me and Gian over at the new site http://fossadeileoniusa.tumblr.com.
If I dont see you there I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best and I mean this genuinely, sorry for any offence I’ve caused or if something I’ve said has come across the wrong way, I wear my heart on my sleeve and my love for this club overrides all forms of tact & diplomacy (lmao) but as long as you love Milan, we all good!
Yours sincerely
AC Milan Offside Ultra
AviA
PS: in case you’re wondering…… yep I did once touch Inzaghi….true story.

Poll
Goodbye AviA

All the best!

I’ll miss you!

See you soon!

F*** you Av, don’t ever come back here again!

57 votes | Results

http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/farewell-from-avia/

Milan reportedly agree to personal terms with Liverpool starlet Suso

http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/milan-reportedly-agree-to-personal-terms-with-liverpool-starlet-suso/

Chi se? che fai? che vuoi?: An introduction

A proper greeting
“We are a team of devils. Our colours are red as fire, and black, to invoke fear in our opponents”
As recently announced, Gianfranco is leaving the blog for reasons that have already been explained. For the mean time, if o…
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AC MIlan Transfer News and Musings

Lots of tidbits coming out of the Holiday Break
– Fernando Torres takes a few parting shots as he leaves saying, “he was not important at AC Milan.” The truth is he had some moments but when your Coach doesn’t now what he wants to do tactically it makes it hard to have value if you are not scoring. Simply put Pippo’s Coaching is a lot like his career resume, scoring goals.
– In the ongoing quest for Pippo’s Goals Milan are in the running for strikers. The first is Stefano Okaka, the Sampdoria man can’t come to an extension with Sampdoria and Milan would be willing to return Giampaolo Pazzini to the Marassi as an exchange. This is move however is classic Milan…courting a striker who has scored on 1 in 10 of his shots in 16 matches isn’t really progress now is it?
– The second striker on the list is Mattia Destro. The mini Roman wants out and the fee on his head has been placed at 20M. The problem is Milan doesn’t have 20M but they have Stephen El Sharaawy who they value at 15M but is worth closer to 10M. A 10M plus SES is probably the ticket but I don’t think this is the right move in the long run. Trading a potential bandiera for someone else’s youth product is not Milan. Rumor had SES on the way to Dortmund for Ciro Immobile last week, so the silly season is going to get real silly fast.
– Pippo’s disdain for Pablo Armero has fallen right into hands of Gian Piero Gasperini. The Genoa Coach has an affinity for the wingback, which is what Armero really is, and could have home at the Griffone. In return Milan can get Luca Antonelli who can play LB, LM and LW. Knowing Pippo he will play him at LW, he does have 3 goals and he can also play RB.

Poll
Where Do These Rumors Leave Stephen El Shaarawy?

Bench

Milan

Gone

122 votes | Results

http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/ac-milan-transfer-news-and-musings/

Why Inzaghi’s 2014 Milan and Leonardo’s 2009 Milan Look Strikingly Similar

If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.
George Bernard Shaw

It isn’t just the sideline demeanor that got me thinking about the striking similarities between Leonardo and Filippo Inzaghi, but a look at the results and the tactics it seems history has repeated. Like Ebeneezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past and Future, Inzaghi must learn and change or be doomed to the same fate of the man who stood not only before him but very much like him.
The first similarity came to a few weeks back and while many will argue the False Nine versus Leo’s traditional 4-3-3 are very different on a fundamental basis, the way the team plays is eerily similar. Now the differences are so few, we will get them out of the way early, Leo had a fourteen goal striker in Marco Borriello, Filippo Inzaghi has no such thing. However, both Coaches are persistent in the 4-3-3 despite better alternatives and both are determined to play everything through the left side of the pitch.
Oddly enough, both Coaches seem to have pinned the tale on their favorite donkey, for Inzaghi it is Jeremey Menez. The enigmatic Frenchman makes magic as often as he goes missing and his choices on the ball create a frustration that is often hard to bear. Leo’s donkey? None other then the greatest of footballing jack-asses, Ronaldinho. He to prone to poor choices, both on and off the pitch, but also the driving the force behind that vintage AC Milan. Leading the team in goals in all competitions and assists. While many claim he carried the team, those who watched saw the flaws that he exposed and how opponents exploited. I can see it now, if Milan do in fact finish top three, they will champion the Frenchman as a the driving force instead of looking critically at the over reliance and hindrancethese players cause. A team does not play with players like these, a team plays for players like these. A team does not evolve with players like these, they merely exist and while Menez will never reached the lofty heights achieved by a younger and thinner Ronaldinho the point is a single player does not make a squad.
At the halfway point, Leo had achieved 27 points on his way to a third place finish. Conceding 39 goals in total, at the midway point Inzaghi has achieved 25 points and his position is not yet determined. Conceding 18 goals putting this squad on pace to concede 36. Why is this number significant? In Milan’s invincible they conceded only 23 goals, in Allegri’s scudetto season it was 24. Conceding more than 30 goals in a season makes it nearly impossible to win a Scudetto and the value, or lack thereof, on defense is a problem.
Having played under Leo, and in fact being unhappy, Inzaghi should have learned from the mistakes. He has not progressed or even fostered a team tactically. He has ridden goals from Honda and when he stopped he jettisoned him in favor of Menez, when he stops will it be SES? Cerci? It remains to be seen but the formation and the personnel are not growing and evolving. Like Leo before him when presented with a tactical problem he chooses to throw attackers at it. Leo’s second time around Serie A, his loss count doubled, Pippo can’t afford that kind of down turn yet he has not made any steps to right the ship.
The tie, the tactics, the sideline swagger are all to familiar and unless Inzaghi recognizes this the unemployment papers at the end of the season will be the same as well.

Poll
Pippo’s Milan vs Leo’s Milan

Coincidence?

Scary!

Totally Different!

124 votes | Results

http://www.newzwolf.com/sports/why-inzaghis-2014-milan-and-leonardos-2009-milan-look-strikingly-similar/

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