Winning - that is easier said than done. AC Milan have not won anything of note in the last 5-6 seasons, with the Serie A title of 2010/11 being the last trophy to be added to the cabinet. At the point, the team was of a better quality and the league was much weaker. That statement appears to have reversed at this point in time. Milan’s perpetual fall from the pinnacle of European and Italian football became hard to watch for fans of the sport, let alone for the fans of the club.
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Over the years, Milan have disappeared further down the league table, dissolving into mid-table obscurity. Many factors have facilitated the breakdown of this once great football club. Haphazard management, a humongous addition and retention of average players and a revolving door for coaches are amongst the prime factors accelerating the collapse of this magnificent footballing institution.
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The recent takeover appears to have infused some life into the team and fans. Once again, big names are being linked with the club. Smiles are returning on the faces of the Milan faithful. There is hope, after all. Rejoicing aside, there are a few matters that the men in power must look into, if they intend to build Milan into being a force to reckon with in Europe.
1) Place faith in the coach
Milan hit the reboot button with Vincenzo Montella this summer. L'Aeroplanino, as Montella is fondly called, appeared to be biding his time at Sampdoria, while he waited for the call from Adriano Galliani. Montella arrived with the promise of ‘beautiful football’ on the agenda, a style of play he became associated with following his successful tenure at Fiorentina.
Milan have changed seven coaches since the UEFA Champions League triumph in Athens in 2007. Make that 8 coaches, if you were to count Mauro Tassoti’s brief stint as interim coach between 13 to 16 January 2014. This mindless shuffle distorted any sense of order within the club, frequently translating into a confused identity on the pitch. A team renowned for ‘champagne football’ became long-ball merchants capable of laugh-out-loud moments in defense.
Montella brings a clear footballing philosophy to the club, a distinct understanding of how football should be played. Moreover, he is a results-oriented man. He led Fiorentina to fourth-place finishes in the league in three consecutive seasons. No mean feat, that. La Viola had relative success in Europe by reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2014/15 and missed out on a trophy in 2014 by losing to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final.
Montella is undeniably capable of improving Milan’s footballing style along with meriting success along the way. However, in order for him to be effectual, he would require the necessary tools. A bunch of technically compromised players are unlikely to achieve the desired result. Patience is key, and the management must exercise the same with Montella, establishing a foundation for future success.
2) Purchasing the right players
A team’s success is largely dependent on its spine. Heavy investment is required to build Milan’s core to be worthy of a great team. The club seems fortunate to have stumbled upon a goalkeeping gem in Gianluigi Donnarumma. Alessio Romagnoli arrived at a steep price, but by virtue of being a rare breed, quality centre-backs will be expensive.
Milan are missing a ‘regista’, the deepest-lying midfielder of a three-man-midfield. This position is currently occupied by Riccardo Montolivo. His appalling performances have made him the butt of all jokes among the fans and have forced Montella to reinvent Sosa into a central-creative-midfielder.
Rodrigo Bentancur, Milan Badelj and Borja Valero were openly pursued by Milan over the summer, but the lack of readily available finances prevented the club from confirming the signatures of these players. Needless to say that this position must be addressed at the earliest, as it is the fulcrum for Montella’s system to function effectively.
Rodrigo Caio, Brazil’s talented central defender and Mateo Musacchio are periodically linked to the club. Gabriel Paletta is holding fort beside Romagnoli admirably. But, Paletta is a limited defender and would, at best, be a strong option for a third choice centre-back.
Milan have gaping holes to address elsewhere on the pitch. The wings seem heavily ignored with the current options being desperately average in quality. These additions will take time, as the Chinese would be required to handle the market responsibly. Large sums of money may be required in the short-term to bolster the squad, but continued acquisitions of mediocre players might not be pardoned by the Milan faithful.
3) Trimming the squad
Part of this process was initiated even before the Chinese were mentioned in the papers. The outgoing management has done a mighty good job of trimming the squad by relieving players of limited value to the squad.
Jeremy Menez, Philippe Mexes, Alex, Christian Abbiati, Mario Balotelli, Kevin-Prince Boateng, and Alessandro Matri were among the many departures. While Galliani has shown these players out of the club, he has the task of further shaving the squad size and depth.
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Andrea Poli, Cristian Zapata and Luiz Adriano stick out as sore thumbs in the current squad. In the absence of European football, the squad seems unmistakably large. Selling players who are merely warming the bench will aid in reducing the wage-bill.
Those funds could be directed towards rewarding some of the top performers with improved contracts, further cementing the core of the squad.
4) Establishing a new leadership
The Berlusconi era had to draw to a close. Silvio enjoyed unparalleled success as club president. But, his compromised financial situation meant that he couldn’t fuel Milan’s success going forward. His most trusted comrade, Galliani, had better days as the CEO and needed to be replaced with a man with fresh ideas. Enter Marco Fassone.
Fassone is currently finalizing his team of honchos. Talks are ongoing with Internazionale Milano’s Massimo Mirabelli and AS Roma’s Walter Sabatini for the ‘Director of Sport’ role at AC Milan. In addition, Paolo Maldini, Massimo Ambrosini and Demetrio Albertini are being courted to join the club as ambassadors.
A new regime is being established. New money is being channeled and new ideas are being installed. We may not witness Milan dominate European football in the near future. Nevertheless, there appears to be an attempt at making that come to pass.
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