Winter Mercato January 2016

[Jay Crisp]

This team, in its current rendition is just a group of mis-matched parts, and that's what's causing the biggest of our problems.

From a structural point of view, it takes quality players who fit in with each other well for a team to be successful. Looking at the old Ancelotti led Milan team, we had quality players, but they also were good fit with one another from a stylistic perspective. In that midfield, for example, we all know Seedorf, Pirlo, Gattuso and Kaka were quality players. But would that midfield worked if Seedorf couldn't play the LCM or Gattuso can't play the RCM? Would everything clicked if Gattuso didn't have the lungs of two men to cover the defensive duties of the entire midfield despite playing on the side? What would things be like if Kaka was not the dribbling wizard that he was but a slow footed technique type like Pirlo? Bottomline is, simply getting good players does not guarantee success. In fact, with bad chemistry and problematic fit, good players can look horrendous, which is really what's happening to us right now.

If we take the players we have out individually, they are not bad at all. Diego Lopez, Antonelli, Romagnoli, Abate, Monto, Bona, Honda, Adriano, Bacca and Balo would start in most of the teams that are higher in the standings than us. But these guys are poor style fits with one another, and therefore, the combination of them is less than the sum of each part. I would point out a few examples of how I just don't think this team fits stylistically:

Diego Lopez is a good keeper for a top level team who controls possession and receives minimal threat. He is more of a sure handed keeper than one who can make splashy and athletic plays that can bail a bad team out in a game. And that is why he is not a great fit for what we have right now. This team's leaky defense and shitty midfield gives up way too many possessions and open opportunities, which makes it paramount to have a keeper who can cover space and make the big plays repeatedly in a game. Lopez, given his athletic limitations, will never be that player. That is why, even though we have signed him, a clearly higher caliber GK, our defensive record hasn't gotten any better.

Honda is another example of this. The guy was born to play in a more technical and possession based game. But at Milan, our midfield is basically too busy running around trying to chase the balls they just gave away for no reason. Under this scheme, Honda isn't even half the player he can be.

One thing I like about Miha is that he seems to have a clear idea on what kind of team he wants to deploy. This is the first step toward making the right moves on transfer market. How do you know which player is right for you when you don't even know how you plan to play? Now Galliani needs to get his head out of Berlu's ass and start doing some serious work to get the right player that not only can play but also fits into the scheme.

I agree with everything on the first part and have nothing to add   

On the bolded , well what you say again makes sense ...but we know it wont happen.Galliani will not get this club out of the funk its in , as long as he's here making decisions AC Milan WILL!!! be a midtable team.I give up on any hope of that changing with him.