Summer Mercato 2016
I think we can talk about possible transfers until we're blue in the face, but ultimately I think we won't see results until there's a clear shift in focus within the club. For me, that starts at management level. I won't go into detail because I've written a LOT of posts about it, but first and foremost, I find it insane Maldini and Albertini haven't been reintroduced into the management structure.

Secondly, I think we need to work out what we need from the current squad. Fundamentally, I think we need to work out who needs to be kept on and in what capacity. If it was me, I'd be looking at those who will contribute, on the pitch obviously, but arguably more importantly in the dressing room. Montolivo, Abate and Abbiati imo need to stay in the group. These guys are the senators these days and need to be active and vocal leaders in the group to help people adhere to the values the clubs aspires to and has traditionally had.

Alongside these guys, I think others like Antonelli and Honda need to take a prominent role in the squad and be active in driving the group towards the correct work ethic. Think of silent leaders if you will, players who lead by example and attitude, even if not vocally. Obviously having strong leaders like Maldini and Albertini can help ease the pressure on these players in the dressing room.

I think the club should also then identify those who are important in potentially becoming leaders in the next year or two. Bonaventura, Bertolacci, DES and Niang are examples of players who can step up, but need to play consistently at the highest level with the correct attitude to taking a step towards being players who would eventually take the mantle from Montolivo, Abate and Abbiati. These guys need to take on more responsibility to grow in their career and they need to understand that they are being depended on to provide leadership in the future. That means that when they play, even if it's not the best performance, no one should be able to say that they didn't give it their best.

This whole focus on ensuring players with the right mental approach should be relied on should also be a priority in the market. Any player being evaluated as a possible purchase should first and foremost be judged on how they are as a person. If there's two options available, one player who is a big talent, but lacks the right attitude and another who is less talented but is prepared to do everything it takes to try and get the results, the second player should be chosen everytime imo.

Finally, I think the club needs to start changing its culture. In recent years, Milan's tradition and culture feels like it's disappeared. Everyone, from top to bottom, needs to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, behaving with confidence, having a hard work ethic and being respectful. Milan's culture needs to go back to being a club where being at the club doesn't mean reaching an endpoint, but it's the beginning to make dreams of success a reality. I can't stress how important it is that the club has the right culture. Milan has traditionally had a culture of great ambition and success, not just winning but winning and acting with class and quality. Milan is a premium (I choose the word carefully) club, it's time it started acting that way again.

What it comes down to is before we even think about players we should be buying, we need to have a clear identity that we're striving back towards. Only once we have done this, the players we buy need to represent the qualities and values that fit with our identity and culture.
I agree with your points. To add to that the management needs to get realistic and start being honest. Fans are a big part of a football club and you cannot lie to them or be ambigious.

Let's accept the fact that we will not play CL and not get the big fat TV paycheck. Why suffer losses and appear shocked and sell big players? Let us just plan for it in advance. It is not like the lack of revenue is a sudden surprise. We know well by now that TV money from CL won't be coming.

Let's just buy young players. Even if they do not work out, you can always sell them off as other clubs will surely buy a young one who didn;t work as compared to a 50 year old Mexes on a gazillion euro wage.

I understand they are scared of Maldini and his presence is likely to make them insecure but Albertini, a guy who has proven that he can work in football administration - how is he not a part of the management? By eliminating past legends they have removed the Milan DNA, the culture at Milanello we were so proud of.
People like Maldini won't just sit there and watch Galliani conclude deals with a couple of his friends and do favors for agents left and right. Galliani has gone too insensitive and it seems like his motivation is different these days.
I agree with both of you, I'm sure you're both aware on my feelings on Maldini and Galliani, but I generally avoided my thoughts on the management structure in the post yesterday. I also think Silvio needs to go too, he's just as bad as Galliani.

Interesting comment from Albertini today that relates to your post somedevil, in that he thinks teams need to plan better for long term success rather than always reacting.
I don't understand why we are calling up Menez and Balotelli and neither are performing. Both should be dropped and not called up until there attitudes improve. I would rather see a youth team player take there spot.
^
Agree! I mentioned this after the last game and wanted Menez as far away from this team as possible. Yet, he was given another chance to do what he does....walk around and not be part of the team!
Albertini and Maldini will never be welcomed back with Berlu and Galli in charge. It's fun to think about how our beloved players can come back and make a difference in management, but Berlu and Galli will never allow it. The oldies in charge are absolutely committed to their own way of running the team, despite the fact that they are out dated by about 15 years. And they need people who are willing to play along with their vision and plan in order to be able to do that. Albertini and Maldini represents changes to management philosophy, and that will never be allowed in this Milan.

If we sell the team to another investor who has some say in the management decisions, then that could obviously change things up. We might be able to get Maldini and Albertini into the management team. But until then, status quo is the way to go. Berlu has seen Galli's ineffectiveness and still rewarded him with more power. If Barbara couldn't get rid of him, Maldini and Albertini have no chance in hell.
I am hoping that yet another low point will finally make baldie and pervy see that they need to change up things. Or that Barbara can perhaps talk some sense into daddy dear.

Sabatini is free to go. I'd like him to come to us. He might have made his mistakes but he has done good work at Roma.
To be honest, I don't think Milan will be back as a top club until Berlusconi leaves. Nothing that he does now is for the good of the club. The fact that we're firing Mihajlovic at the end of the season just shows what a joke we've become. Obviously the best choice for Milan would be for him to sell a majority stake. That way we'd have money and the new management that we desperately need. The fact that he can't let Milan go just shows you that it's all about his own ego, no matter how much he claims to care about the club.
(03-22-2016, 11:39 PM)devoted_dm Wrote: To be honest, I don't think Milan will be back as a top club until Berlusconi leaves. Nothing that he does now is for the good of the club. The fact that we're firing Mihajlovic at the end of the season just shows what a joke we've become. Obviously the best choice for Milan would be for him to sell a majority stake. That way we'd have money and the new management that we desperately need. The fact that he can't let Milan go just shows you that it's all about his own ego, no matter how much he claims to care about the club.
#truth. I will love Milan but like you said , I'm done hoping for anything real until B&G leave.