What I Like:
1. The Bonucci Signing – Zvonproir Boban critiqued Milan’s transfer window just after halfway through the window with the comment, “They’ve signed good players, but no one world-class.” Fair point. Not after the Bonucci signing, though. It seems the club agreed, as someone was able to expel Montolivo from the halls of Rohan and return the King to his former glory.
I’ve been waiting for the right time to pop up with some new writing, and I think we’ve found the right occasion. Every time I was going to talk about how pleased I was with a transfer, or a potential exit (Montoleader) – something paused me. It’s an incomplete picture, this Milan side, and it didn’t seem prudent of me to hop in and speculate midway through the project.
What would I say? It’s going well. I like the signings? You’ve read this dozens of other places. There’s no new insight. I don’t have anything you would take away from reading this that you couldn’t surmise on your own, or have someone spoon feed you on the latest “how the tactics shift” piece with each new arrival. That being said, who doesn’t read those?
Here we are. To be honest there was more than a moment of doubt, and before we all jump for joy, let’s contextualize what happened here. Silvio Berlusconi’s holding company Fininvest sold just over 99% of the shares of AC Milan to a holding company headed by Yonghang Li, a Chinese billionaire. Deliberately, this has been a clouded process, and staring through the murk has yielded more frustration than answers, with this consortium changing pieces over the past two years. You can find the how and the specifics in many places, and that’s not really why anyone reads me.
We might be whistling past the graveyard. I don’t think it’s necessarily there yet, but there’s certainly a lot of misplaces huberis surrounding this club right now. Since this won’t see the light of day for several weeks, let’s contextualize what’s going on as this is written. Sino-Europe Sports have made two confirmed hirings, Fassone (Inter, Juve, Napoli) and Mirabelli (Inter chief scout, scout at Southampton).
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2016
Kickoff: 2:45 PM ET / 20:45 CET (ITA)
Serie A Positions: Milan (7), Juventus (1)
Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Well, here we are. Another thoroughly disappointing season, and yet there is still a trophy on the line. After perhaps the easiest road to the final in Coppa Italia history, the Rossoneri face off once more with a Juventus side that has bullied them for years now. Do we deserve it? No. Do we desire it?
Um, maybe? Read More
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2016
Kickoff: 2:45 PM ET (USA) / 20:45 CET (ITA)
League Position: Milan (6), Juventus (1)
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Milan, Italy
Alright, this should go well. Read More
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2016
Kickoff: 3:45 PM ET (USA) / 20:45 CET (ITA)
League Position: Milan (6), Lazio (8)
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
Oh cautious optimism, why did I allow you to creep into my skull? Things are looking, well, pretty typical for Milan both on and off the field of play again these days. Our unbeaten run now decidedly at an end, a lame squad with a likely lame-duck manager welcomes Lazio, fresh off of their own humiliation, to the San Siro on Sunday. Read More
There’s an awful, overused and misapplied quote by Marilyn Monroe who gets reverence mostly because she died young and beautiful. It goes something along the lines of, “If you can’t handle me at my worst, then you don’t deserve me at my best.”
First of all this is a terrible quote for so many reasons, but just factually – it’s adrift of reality. That’s not how things are. That’s not how people work, that’s not how life works. But at the same time it’s also true in the sense, that Monroe is the sort of person who IS able to play it like that. If Kathy Bates said that quote, nobody would remember it.
Date: Sunday, March 6, 2016
Kickoff: 9:00 AM ET (USA) / 15:00 CET (ITA)
League Position: Milan (6), Sassuolo (7)
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy
After the results went our way last round Milan now sit just one point back of Inter and the fifth position, and perhaps more surprisingly just 6 points back of third place. Now, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but it’s nice to be this deep into the season and still have every match be of real, vital importance. Read More
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2016
Kickoff: 2:45 PM ET (USA) / 20:45 CET (ITA)
League Position: Milan (6), Torino (11)
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
Even the most cynical Milanisti have to admit the recent undefeated streak has been at least slightly encouraging. Mihajlovic at the very least has made them hard to beat and the chase down the stretch to catch Inter might actually be fun. But we’ve got to keep the good times rolling as a sputtering Torino side visits the San Siro this weekend. Read More
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