06-12-2016, 11:39 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-12-2016, 11:58 AM by ACMILAN1983.)
(06-09-2016, 07:37 PM)slifersd Wrote: I am probably in the vast minority here, but I actually think adopting a small team mentality will do this team a lot of good. Our biggest problem the last few years is that we think like a big club but doesn't act like a big club. We keep thinking "We are Milan! This team needs to be full of champions and big name players at all times." but we don't have the money or infrastructure to actually get those players. And that's why we keep swinging for the fences with aging or questionable players like Menez, Alex, Diego Lopez, Monto, Berto, Menez, Balo and countless others. We focused so much on maintaining the name recognition of the team that we forgot to actually build a team.
Small teams, at least successful ones, always focus on nabbing young talented players and internal promotions. For us, that means we can promote guys like Locatelli, Calabria, Mauri and other youth players and finally give them the opportunity to show their worth. Many of them may not make the grades, but at least we will know what we have if we sell them, and not repeat the Darmian/Aubamyang mistakes from the past. Signing players that are young and talented, or even loaning youngsters from major clubs will also provide us with players who are actually hungry for success and values their playing time. As opposed to the Balo, Menez or Monto type, where the game matters little to them and they spend most of their game time thinking about which bars to hit after the game.
This team needs a complete rebuild, no other way around it. And the rebuild needs to start with young players instead of old/aging/overrated stars. This team can have success, if we focus on a strategy and execute it. I wouldn't mind us spending next to no money this summer and loan guys like Jese, Januzaj, Hojberg, and Rabiot if it means we can get rid of the dead weights on this team right now.
I don't think you're wrong there. I think the so called "big club mentality" is a false idea of success in the modern game, built on money and marketing far more than building a team or project. Milan's trying to do that with no money, so we get a bunch of players with big names, but no substance.
I think this is indicative of a fundamental problem in the game today, as Real have won the CL 2 times in 3 years now, yet how many would consider this Real to be a great side? They have strong individual talents, but the thing is the premise that they've built on is the same galacticos idea they started 15 years ago. I'd even say that side was better in terms of individual talent. I think the reason why this Real side is more successful is other clubs have followed suit and look to buy big marketing names than spend intelligently on a sporting project. I'd even say Inter from the 90s under Massimo Morratti was like this, and we all know how successful they were then.
It's the same story almost everywhere where a club has money. Man City spend huge yet I see nothing out of the ordinary about them other than some talented players. PSG looked like they started off building something of interest, but haven't moved on since and just look like other big spending clubs, all about the big names rather than a great team. Chelsea is the same story, Barcelona were something special under Guardiola when the foundations were built internally, today they have bigger names, yet feel like they've lost what made them special. I actually get irritated by Messi, Suarez and Neymar, because they are known for marketing buzz terms like MSN, as much as they are for their ability. It feels like something that's designed to appeal to pop culture kids rather than genuine football fans. This isn't new, let's not forget how Brazil were marketed by Nike ahead of the '98 world cup, but when it came to the tournament, they were destroyed by France and as much as people might want to put it down to the controversy around Ronaldo before the final, that France side was genuinely a better put together side and imo would have won regardless. The Brazil team in that tournament wasn't that great, it had great individual talents, but as a team looked shaky. Thing is, while back then that sort of marketing was still not too commonplace, today it's ingrained in every facet of top level football.
The problem is there's no real substance to this method of working. It's about money and marketing more than about sports and working towards building a successful team. I think there are teams that build on strong sporting projects with Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Leicester this year being the most obvious examples where they had a clear sporting project in their approach and built towards that goal. However, in the case of all of these teams, financial limitations mean it's difficult for them to build beyond a certain level, as they will end up losing key players to either make a profit or because the big money clubs will buy them out. Even in Italy, you look at clubs like Sassuolo, Empoli and even Napoli and you see there are clubs that build intelligently, but limited resources means that it will be difficult for them to grow to become more competitive. If there's one place that this mold can be broken, it's in the Premiership with clubs like West Ham, Swansea, Southampton and Tottenham (even maybe Leicester if they can build from this season), the reason being that the financial strength of these clubs means they could go on to be competitive financially and not just sporting.
Bayern and Juve seem the most interesting right now as far as clubs with money and developing sporting projects. In Juve's case, it's clear to see they are building the side again and honestly this past season felt like the first year of this process. The question is whether they can successfully start replacing the older players in the group successfully (e.g. Buffon, Chiellini, Barzagli etc) and try and hold on to their most valuable players. In Bayern's case they've spent huge on bringing in some of the brightest young talents around, it'll be interesting to know whether they formulate a clear strategy around the long term success of that group.
So regards to a big club or small club mentality, Milan shouldn't be trying to act like either, it need resources and money to try and bring in quality players and rebuild correctly, it's highly unlikely we'll do that without money and even if we do become competitive, without money we will be limited as we know other clubs are. However, if money does come in, the sporting project needs to come first. Unlike the other big clubs today, I don't want a club that spend because they can and want to sell to fans, I don't want a galacticos project at Milan. I want a structured approach to building a side that will compete at the highest levels, building a strong game rather than simply having a team full of stars.
I might seem cynical and old in my views on the sport today and that's probably true, but I also think the sport is in an era where business is now ruling ahead of the sport itself and that leaves me extremely bitter.
(06-11-2016, 07:37 PM)Joël Wrote: Hi everyone I´m new here I always check this forum out, but I just had to reply when I found out about this guy.
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/armin-hod...ler/166753
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug9vThO5...todounpoco
I know he has only played 12 games for zagreb with 6 goals, but he is only 21. It just seems as though this guy has something special and he reminds me to the young Ibra. What do you guys think, Would he be a good player to buy now? (for the future)
Welcome to MM
Honestly, beyond watching youtube clips and knowing he was close to joining Liverpool a couple of years ago, I don't know much about the guy, so really can't comment on him. He looks talented though.