Serie A
Fallen Giants Rising? AC Milan In Progress
Sitting in the fourth position in Serie A, this article is going to take a look at everything AC Milan. From their shady ex-owners to the new, reformed and structured Milan.
Financial Situation and Ex-Owners:
The “situation” in terms of Sporting Vision, Monetary Funds or any sort of Business Module at the club has been appalling. The club has had a tumultuous last couple of years. The Club is currently placed 22nd in Deloitte. This is the first time they’ve been out of the top 20 in 30 years.
The Club has had a record loss of €126 Million for the 2017/18 season. Milan has accumulated a total loss of €460 Million over the last 5 seasons. The Club is making lesser money than ever before. They made €192 Million in the 2017/18 season, €42 Million less than the €234 Million they made in the 2004/05 season.
Considering the amount of inflation in costs in football and the amount of money pumped into the game. That is a huge blow. Part of the reason Milan isn’t making money is the Serie A TV deal, which won’t be under renegotiation until 2021.
Li Yong Hong bought the club from Silvio Berlusconi for €740 Million. But to buy the club Li took a €300 Million loan from Elliott Management. This loan, however, was taken at a staggering 11.5% interest to be paid by October this year.
Li could not generate the funds and fell short by €32 Million. During his 18 month tenure, he introduced three different business plans. In comparison, most clubs make business plans that last around 10-15 years. The first business plan, it was stated they were estimated to make €180 Million in new ventures in China. In the third business plan, that figure went down to €42 Million.
After a rocky 18-months of Li’s ownership reign, the Club ownership was passed onto the more assured hands of Elliott Management.
Previous Transfer Windows:
Before we delve into the current condition of the club and how it’s being run, let’s take a look at the club’s previous couple of transfer windows.
Over the last few years, a lot of money was spent on new players. In the summer before 2017/18 seasons. The club bought in the likes of Nikola Kalinić, Leonardo Bonucci, Lucas Biglia, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglu, Andre Silva, Franck Kessie and Fabio Borini.
Of these players, Kalinic has been shipped off to Atletico de Madrid. Bonucci was sold back to Juventus, Andre Silva loaned out to Sevilla where he has been fantastic. Mateo Musacchio has been injured a lot. They sold up to eight players.
Similarly, the Club brought in nine players this summer. This massive kind of outlay and an array of disconnected signings, uncoordinated with what the manager needs are a waste of money.
Current Owners and the redefined Set-up:
The current owners, Elliott Management have been very busy from the get-go. Their first order of business was overturning the UEFA imposed ban that stopped them from competing in the Europa League. They took the ban to the Court of Attribution of Sport (CAS). Elliott requested the files from other FFP related cases, such as Inter Milan, PSG and Manchester City. Using this tactic they strong-armed UEFA into overturning the ban.
The club has set some money aside in case any future FFP sanctions. Elliott has also cleared large amounts of debt as they came in. Management has hired Ivan Gazidis from Arsenal as Chief Executive. Former Player, Leonardo has been hired as Sporting Director.
Club legend, Paolo Maldini was brought in to work alongside Leonardo. Elliott has set up an organized structure at the club with a clear chain of order. They have also made a new transfer policy. They’ve decided to go bold and direct, put the last few transfer windows behind them.
Their new transfer policy can already be seen in action. As they have confirmed, Brazillian talent Lucas Pacqueta as their first winter acquisition. And have also been heavily linked to Cesc Fabregas.
Manager good enough?
The current Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso has been given plenty of criticism. But in fairness, he has done a good job of steadying the ship a little bit. They lay fourth in the league. He managed a sixth placed finish last season after taking over from Vincenzo Montella in October. His win percentage is at 57%, better than any of the last five managers.
He has been playing three different kinds of formations this season. Constantly shifting between a 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and a 3-4-3. The general criticism aimed towards him is that he doesn’t know how to set up an attacking side. and doesn’t his best players and can’t get the best out of the current crop of players. But is he a good enough manager for the long run?
Considering the vast number of great managers not working at the moment, Gattuso could be dispensable. Arsène Wenger was linked with the job but ridiculed those rumors.
Antonio Conte who won four Serie A titles on the bounce with Juventus is out of a job. Ex-Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim is available. Zinedine Zidane hasn’t worked since he left Real Madrid in the Summer. Plenty of great managers available. Of all the managers Conte and Jardim make the most sense.
Conte is known for playing a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2. He has plenty of experience in Serie A and would continue the solid defensive structure but would also bring a little more flair to the side. The side is already accustomed to playing with 3 at the back.
Gattuso
He can also work with fewer amounts of money as seen in his first few years at Juventus. He is a very good tactical coach. excellent at reading the game. The only issue the personnel at the club don’t completely suit his style of play. And he isn’t big on developing young players.
Leonardo Jardim is a great fit for the club. Has plenty of experience in overhauling squads. He is quite adept tactically. Jardim doesn’t have any particular formation but plays a formation that suits the crop of players at his disposal.
He is also good at working with less money, as was seen in Monaco. Jardim is also very good at developing young talent, which would fare well for the likes of Cutrone. He’s also an astute Man-Manager and gets the best out of his players.
Current Squad:
The Squad has been chopped and changed over the last seven years. The club finished in sixth place in the last two seasons, before which they finished seventh. And before that, they finished in 10th. They dropped to 10th three seasons after winning the Serie A in 2011. They did, however, win the Super Copa in 2016/17.
The current club captain is 23 years old Alessio Romagnoli. He is at the heart of everything good in the defense. He arrived from Roma for €25 Million. He’s been solid for the last couple of seasons. He attempts 3.5 Long balls a game, which are quite elite numbers.
The side has been heavily dependent on Lucas Biglia’s five tackles and interceptions a game to keep the defense solid and protected. And that is the fundamental weakness of this Milan Side. They’re depending on a 32-year-old to keep them solid. That’s not acceptable.
AC Milan has 30 players in their squad at the moment, which is bloated. Yes, the number of players is an issue, but the bigger issue is the balance. Of which there is none. The Squad consists of four Goalkeepers, 11 Defenders and seven Forwards. That’s absurd.
Another issue is the dead wood. Milan has many players that are injured for long spells or are too old, or just don’t contribute to anything. The likes of Ignazio Abate, Cristián Zapata, Mateo Musacchio, Riccardo Montolivo, Lucas Biglia, Fabio Borini and so on.
Other Areas
Other than the DM position there is no glaring weakness in this Milan side. Tiémoué Bakayoko has improved his form of late. They have 10 players under the age of 25 so the squad is well future proofed.
What the team needs right now is a run of form. And a consistent lineup, with less chopping and changing. They’ve lost to Napoli and Inter, drawn to Lazio. And won against Roma. They are the 6th best-attacking side in the league and the 2nd best defensive side. Milan rank 3rd in the number of shots taken and shots on target. They’re taking 18.3 shots per game.
But the worrying stat is Milan are taking 47% shots from outside the box. Comparatively, Juve has 39% and Inter has 36%. Suso and Hakan Çalhanoğluare one of six players in Serie A to create three or more chances per game. Gattuso has been slightly Unlucky on one front. He has faced an injury crisis this season. The likes of Davide Calabria, Biglia, Giacomo Bonaventura, Mattia Caldara and Çalhanoğluare have all been out for lengthy spells.
Suso – Star Player?
Suso has been Milan’s star player this season. He’s 24 years old. Suso has delivered 2.3 key passes and 2.8 shots per game over his career. But this season, he’s getting three key passes and four shots per game. Suso is running Supernova this season because these are World Class numbers. He has two goals and eight assists this season. If he keeps at this rate, Suso will get 19 Assists at the end of the season.
His weakness though is taking shots from outside the box. He actually has horrible shot positions. He has taken 45 shots this season, but 0.04 are expected to go in. That’s how bad his shot positions are. He is a great player and just needs a little one on one coaching and he’ll become World Class player.
In conclusion, AC Milan needs to figure out their best XI, sell some dead wood and reduce the number of players in the squad. Get in an elite coach and give the coach time to implement his idea. Milan faces Bologna next in the league on Tuesday.
Photo credit to Donald Trump via Flickr
