Arsenal

Milan’s transition must begin long after it was needed

By Ravin Sampat ⋅ March 20, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

From Istanbul to Athens, Milan need a new project if they are to return to their recent heights.

The current England manager Fabio Capello once inherited a fantastically built AC Milan squad from Ariggo Sacchi in 1991 after the owner Silvio Berlusconi had decided that Sacchi’s tenure had ended. According to Berlusconi, every team has a three to four year lifespan, and when that period ends, not only should there be a overhaul of the players but also of the manager, bringing in a fresh approach. One cannot really criticize Berlusconi’s point of view. If the manager employment turnover rate is anything to go by, he just might be right. In Europe, only two managers have the prestige of maintaining long tenures in charge. Alex Ferguson has been in charge of Manchester United for 20 years, and Arsene Wenger with 11 years in charge at Arsenal. The difference here with Berlusconi’s theory on football management is that although these managers have stayed in charge for numerous years, they have still replaced the players and adopted new tactics in the face of the ever changing game that football is.

Don Carlo however, is slightly different. Since the European Cup finale against Juventus in 2003, Milan have also not changed their style of football or replaced a ageing squad. Of the current squad, 8 players played in that European Cup finale of 2003. Of course, there are a number of issues that need to be addressed regarding Milan’s sporadic form.

Transfer Dealings

Money is not a issue. If Ronaldinho, Eto’o or Robinho became available tomorrow, Milan could easily afford their transfer fees. However, Don Carlo’s reluctance to spend on a ageing squad has backfired. Regardless of the European Cup win in Athens, Milan has stil not adapted to the modern realities of football. Ancelotti has instead stuck to a system of experience and despite its success, sometimes the experience of the Milan squad is its downfall as it relies on the realites of its successful footballing past, and does not adopt the tactics that football has evolved into. One example is the back four. Reading the game is one thing, but understanding the dynamics of a modern striker who peels off into deeper positions is another, as Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney demonstrated in games against Milan this season and last. Replacing your defence with players like Favalli and Pancaro has not boded well for Milan. Of the three left backs on the books, Maldini is 39, Serginho is 36 and Favalli is 36 also. When Shevchenko left Milan, instead of buying a quality replacement, Milan invested in injury prone Ronaldo. Alexandre Pato is the only sign of a future Milanese project, but when you buy older players as replacements, it hardly shows your moving forward.

Tactics

The current Milan project of Ancellotti may have actually ended long before Arsenal’s 2-0 win at the San Siro. In the year they defended their Champions League crown, Milan lost convincingly to Barcelona in the semi finals. Despite Milan’s 8 point reduction in the 2006/2007 season, they only managed to get fourth spot (just) and finished a astonishing 36 points behind rivals and Champions Internazionale. Of course the argument to this is that they won the European Cup but domestically Milan have been poor. The Scudetto has eluded them for four years and they will end this season without another trophy as well as a battle to even make the qualifying rounds for the European Cup.

It all comes down to tactics. Milan is not the Milan of the 2005 Champions League season. Despite Liverpool winning on the night, Istanbul actually was significant in another way as it spelt the death of the Milan side that had so greatly achieved in the swagger and style of Ancelotti. They had strikers in Andrei Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo, a midfield three who were able to play a possession game because the dynamics allowed them too, and full backs who were energetic and able to play as Milan’s wing threat. All has changed. Columnists forecasted and represented Milan’s current project ending during their two legs with Arsenal in which the Gunners not only controlled and cajoled, but convincingly ran Milan ragged for 180 minutes. But for the last two years, Milan’s domestic form has shown signs of this apparent weakness in adaptation. Slowing down the ball for Pirlo to pick out perfect passes is no longer a threat from a ageing Milan side. Football has got faster, and Milan’s attempt to control match pace with a midfield three who hold onto the ball so well is now a weak point for the team. Had it not been for Kaka’s solo performances, Milan may have been in trouble a long time ago.

Reliance on Kaka

Most Milan fans would vividly remember the ‘Invincibles’ that went 54 matches unbeaten during the early nineties. That Milan team consisted of Desailly, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Gullit, Massaro, Donadoni, Maldini, Savicevic. The list is endless. The victory over Johann Cruyff’s awesome Barcelona in the 1994 European Cup finalNot since those early nineties days when Jason Donavan was fashionable, has Milan had a team full of stars. All too often, Milan have relied on the brilliance of one Ricardo Kaka. Despite claiming he ‘belongs to Jesus’, Kaka really does belong to Don Carlo, not least because he has acted as his saviour on many occasions. Milan need more stars, or at least more impact players. Clarence Seedorf has in fact had a decent two seasons, but Milan still need a different angle as they cannot solely rely on two players.

Ancellotti

Despite winning a Scudetto, Italian Cup and two European Cups, it is sometimes argued that Don Carlo has too much of a romanticism over the Champions League. For the last 4 seasons, the European Cup has prioritized Milan’s season, much to the dismay of its fans, but more detrimental in their subsequent decline domestically. Don Carlo’s love for the trophy may have in fact cost Milan not only their domestic prestige but has actually put them back further than they were when Ancelotti’s project began. At one point this season they were 25 points behind Inter. They have lost to Inter, Roma and mediocre teams this season. These are signs that change is needed. In the past, Milan would boss games; now they are being bossed.

The end is not exactly coming for Don Carlo, significantly because Adriano Galliani gave him the vote of confidence after the defeat to Arsenal. But if Silvio Berlusconi wants trophies, he must either force Don Carlo to spend, or replace, like he believes, the current lifespan of this Milan team with a new project.

Solution

Ageing Squad: Milan must replace Favalli, Serginho, Cafu and Paolo Maldini (who will retire) and bring in players who are around 27 with experience

Life after Maldini: Gattuso should be made captain, as Milan are in desperate need of a fighter, and Gattuso represents this. Maldini’s loss will be felt, but Gattuso’s spirit should guide them a long way

Attack: When you have Kaka and Seedorf feeding you a strikers dream ball, you hardly want the lacklustre Gilardino, or the ageing offside King Pippo Inzaghi on the end of the ball. Milan need a 25 goal man, and a second striker that can create and finish too.

Will the manager be need replacing? Well, if Milan want to continue the current Don Carlo project, then they will need a ejection of new players because not only are his tactics not adapting to the current state of the game, but they are not working with the players he has either.

Milan’s future will be decided this summer. And so will the Don’s.

Arrivederci

Tags: AC Milan, Paolo Maldini

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