(02-19-2016, 12:28 AM)slifersd Wrote: I see what you are saying, quality is, at the end of the day, the most important attribute to a player's success. I have no problem with that argument whatsoever. But, what you are not taking consideration is the risk factor in all of this. As a good manager, it is important to factor in all the risk you are taking on when making a decision. A good team should always try to layer its depth chart with quality rotation players to account for the risk.
Young players, by definition, are more prone to having major fluctuations with their performances. This fluctuation isn't necessarily because of their level of talent, but rather the ability to deal with all the issues that comes with being such a public figure. Imagine the life of a professional soccer player in Milan for a moment, think about how many things they need to think about on a daily basis outside of their performance on the field. A player needs to know how to train, study tapes, maintain their body, deal with media, coaches, fans and their own inner circle. That is a lot for a young kid who has only been famous for a year or two to learn in a pinch. And that is teams who are good at developing young talents always tend to have a group of solid veterans on their team to pass on their wisdom to these young kids. Many young players failed at taking that next step to stardom because they couldn't handle the environment rather than their talent level (think Balotelli).
Mammana is the perfect example of this. I agree that this kid could be an amazing player for us for a very long time. But put yourself in his shoes and look at how many obstacles he has to overcome in order to perform at a high level here. He is moving to a different country where he has to adapt to a different culture, learn a new language, leave all of his friends and families behind, work with a completely new coaching and training staff and face tougher competition on the pitch. Not an easy situation for a 20 year to deal who probably never slept away from his own bed for more than a week at a time. The kid needs the time to settle into his new environment before he can completely dedicate himself to the soccer aspect of his life is all I am saying.
In order to fully maximize his potential, Mammana has to situate himself into Milan (find a comfortable place to live, figure out transportation, know where to eat, shop and play etc), learn to work with new training and coaching staff (how to train, what to train and how to do tape study, etc.), learn a new language, and build chemistry with his teammates. Again, all of this stuff takes time to happen, and without them, it is hard for a player to go out and play his best. Can you imagine if you get send to work in Korea and you try to be 100% productive your first week there? We like to think a player will just play because he knows how to kick a ball, but the game of soccer is much more complex than that. There are a lot of things that need to go right behind the scenes for players to be good on the pitch. Guys like Romagnoli and Donna have an easier time with this because they don't have to go through a lot of the struggle that Mammana does. They already know the language, the city, the culture and in Roma's case, even the league and the competition. The transition for Mammana will be a lot more difficult, and that is why I am concerned that he might not be ready roll starting the first match of the season. Thiago Silva was a failure in his first European stint because he was too young to handle his new environment, not his quality.
It is always easy to fall in love with a player and think he will just go out, play great, and play every game for us. But reality is often much more complicated than that. I think Mammana is a terrific player who will have a fantastic future, but I do recognize that he has a lot of obstacles to conquer before he can be fully unleashed. Unfortunately, European soccer is a "what have you done for me lately" type of environment for all players. A few bad games in a row, media and fans could be screaming bloody murder at a player. And that is why I think it is important to get insurance for Mammana in the form of solid, reliable veteran players who can hold the fort down until he is truly ready. If Mammana is ready by day 1, fantastic, but I really don't want to trout him out there before he is ready.
There is not a single word in this that I don't agree with. Which is why I suggested that we keep Alex and Zapata for 1 more year so that they can be that bridge for Mammana (IF HE NEEDS IT). Our opinions differ where you mentioned for us to buy Tonelli/Glik PLUS Mammana, which will cost us 10-15 mil (for Tonelli/Glik) and 10mil for Mammana. I am saying that I trust in Mammana's ability (and hopefully all the other stuff will fall in place too with time) that I would not waste 10-15 mil on Tonelli/Glik and would rather use that money for a midfielder....and hold on to Alex and Zapata.