Monthly Archive: August 2024

It is only week 3 and Fonseca is already feeling the pressure. Losing to Parma in week 2, combined with strange line up choices made by the coach, have brought intense pressure on the coach and indeed the whole team. The summer transfer market has been just as frustrating, more on that below.

Prediction, as late as a few hours before this match, has both Leao and Theo on the bench. This is surprising and telling. Neither has been on form very early this 2024-2025 season but the possibility being replaced by Terracciano and Chukwueze is risky at best. The aforementioned loss to Parma showed unpreparedness all across the pitch but perhaps Fofana and Emerson Royal might improve while getting Milan starts. The back four and midfield showed that they will struggle while the team holds a highline. Speed and concentration are points to watch while Fonseca and Milan try to prevent the new season from going south. Tomori and Pavlovic will complete the back four. The latter newcomer was perhaps the only out of the whole who came out of the week 2 match with positives. His physicality and ability to stop opponents will prove invaluable. Partnering Fofana should be Reijnders. Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek will partner Chukwueze behind Okafor. Loftus-Cheek is another player to watch as the season moves forward. The coach has expressed confidence in the English player but his performance and even his best position is questionable. Is he a more attacking player? He is almost certainly not suited for the double pivot of the 4-2-3-1. Morata’s early injury has put another dent in the hopes for the new season but he should be back after the international break that follows this match.

It is normal that Milan is linked with a multitude of players for them to go elsewhere. This summer was no exception. Despite assurances by Gerry Cardinale that the team is able and willing to spend big little transpired. Ibra perhaps promised less than the team owner but he too is deserving of criticism. The summer transfer window ended with Morata, Pavlovic, Fofana and Emerson Royal arriving for an outlay of €66 million. Plus Alex Jimenez was bought from Real Madrid for another €5 million (with a Real buyback clause). Late in the window Tammy Abraham arrived from Roma in a paid loan and swap wit Roma with Saelesmakers. It is questionable if these players fill all the voids on the team but more expensive – and presumably and arguably better – players were rumoured and went elsewhere.

Perhaps the bigger source of frustration, at least for this writer, is how the team managed the outgoing market. Not the first time for Milan. A total of nine players were sent on loan. If all nine return next summer, which is at least somewhat likely, this is a big postponement of player management. Adli, Saelesmakers, Lazetic, Vasquez, Colombo, Pellegrino, Romero, Pobega and Kalulu all exited the team, likely to return. Kalulu’s loan move to Juventus was perhaps the most surprising and arguably weakens the team while directly benefiting a close rival.

Lazio have a new coach, Marco Baroni, and have started the season with their own struggles. The Biancocelesti lost to Udinese after opening the season beating re-promoted Venezia.

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Week 2 of the new season features a travel to newly promoted Parma. Week 1’s result was not what fans and team expected as Milan feel behind 0-2 versus Torino as the defensive structure looked eerily similar to last season. This was not surprising however, as the team was virtually the same as last season’s defensive struggles. Thiaw came out of the match with his reputation anything but enhanced. This is likely to give an opening to Pavlovic, seeing the Serbian become a starter.

Morata came on a sub to make his Milan debut and with a center forward touch or deviation opened Milan’s scoring for the 2024-2025 Serie A season. As time was running out another sub, Okafor, volleyed Musah’s precise cross to give Milan one point. In typical Milan fashion the injury list grew early in the week. Morata has suffered a muscle injury and will miss two or more weeks. It is thought Okafor will take his place and relegate Jovic to the bench

Theo will get his first start against Parma. Saelemaekers’ left back experiment baffled some and may not happen again. In a another questionable decision Kalulu is loaned to Juventus leaving Calabria and Tomori to complete the back four. Reijnders and Loftus-Cheek should be the midfield pivots. The latter has not only left fans undecided but seemingly the coach too. Is he a more attacking player or should he start further back? Musah could start as a pivot if the Englishman plays further up. The Chukwueze, Pulisic, and Leao trio will be the attacking hope otherwise. All three had chances in the season opener but failed to capitalize or impress.

Parma started their season with a tie versus Fiorentina.

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The off season and summer of 2024 got of to a fast start with Pioli’s departure and Paulo Fonseca’s hiring as his replacement. The Portuguese coach was not the most anticipated or well perceived coach among fans and others but his era began early in the summer and is off to fast start on the pitch. Milan has just completed its pre-season undefeated and with some praise for Fonseca’s coaching style. However, Milan’s summer market has been a typical snail’s pace of changes. Three arrivals have signed on with less than consensus among fans. Morata, Pavlovic and Emerson Royal will have a lot to prove even if the first has had a successful summer and and more. Further arrivals might be few or perhaps just one in Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana. The latter, just like the initial three, fulfills team’s needs but to do better than last season’s second place and disappointing Champions League campaign will demand even more.

For now though the season opens versus Torino. The changes are still to be fully integrated. Morata for example captained Spain to Euro 2024 triumph and has been on vacation until recently. Pavlovic and Emerson Royal wont start needing more time to find their feet. A more familiar Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori and Hernandez back four will start in front of Maignan. Fofona now looks a certain arrival as he has insisted he wants Milan but the midfield has no new faces the very immediate future and will look just as familiar as the back four. Bennacer, Reijnders should anchor the midfield. Chukwueze’s summer form should earn him a start and if he does he will push Pulisic to the middle closer to Leao. If Pulisic is deemed not 100% as has been reported Loftus- Cheek will start instead. The injury list does have two long term names already with Sportiello and Florenzi out for an extended period. The former via a freak accident injuring his left hand finger and the latter reconstructing his ACL after suffering the injury during the summer preseason game versus Manchester City.

There have been some changes at Torino as well with departures like Ricardo Rodriguez, arrivals like Duvan Zapata and a new coach in Paolo Vanoli, formerly of Venezia and others.

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