With AC Milan 19 points off the pace in the race to pip Juventus to top spot in Serie A, the Rossoneri hierarchy may be thinking about a managerial switch.
Could Jose Mourinho Be The Next AC Milan Manager?
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No big players at AC Milan
AC Milan fans will be left disappointed after a lack of big names arrival at the Italian club.
Indeed they will have been hoping that the new AC Milan coach would have invested in some big players so as to improve the team but unfortunately, it has turned out be quite disappointing for them. In fairness, the Italian club is currently experiencing financial issues, and it was clearly impossible for them to sign quality players.
They will be hoping that the new Chinese investors will be investing money at the end of the year so that they can buy new players in the January transfer window. Discussions are still going on, and it is believed that any injection of cash will be done by the end of the year when talks would have been finalized.
At the moment the AC Milan coach will be looking to patch up the team here and there to help them compete in the first part of the season. The coach Vincenzo Montella has brought in 4 players during the transfer window namely Gustavo Gomez, Jose Sosa, Mario Pasalic and Matias Fernandez and he will be hoping that they could improve the club.
Continue reading No big players at AC Milan
Adriano Galliani feels Club will soon Dominate Italian First Flight
Adriano Galliani, one of the chief decision makers at AC Milan, feels the club would start dominating the Italian first flight again in near future.
The Rossoneri have not played consistent Football for quite a while. The board has tried everything to get the team back on track, but, none of the efforts has paid off.
There were high hopes with Filippo Inzaghi as manager. But, he has not had that much of an affect either.
Milan’s main problem has been their inability to build on a win. They just don’t seem to be able to carry the winning momentum on.
After winning a game or two, they happen to have a couple of poor games and that ruins everything.
The consistency factor is not there is the current bunch of players that the team possesses. Continue reading Adriano Galliani feels Club will soon Dominate Italian First Flight
AC Milan fans unhappy with Torres
The fans of AC Milan might have been getting a little impatient with the on-loan striker Fernando Torres, but, Filippo Inzaghi, the manager of the team, believes that the Spaniard would be able to get in form eventually.
Torres’ parent club Chelsea has placed him on loan to Milan for a couple of seasons.
The 30-year old has already made 8 appearances for the Rossoneri, but, has failed to shake the net more than once.
The fans want him to be dropped, but, Inzaghi, the other day, made it clear that he was willing to give Torres a bit more time to find his feet in Italy.
Talking to the reporters, Inzaghi said, “I back Fernando. We always knew he would be rusty to start with as he had not been active that much in the recent months. There is no point getting impatient. It’s about playing him as much as possible and giving him the much needed match practice. He would start striking sooner or later.”
When asked about the unhappiness of the fans after that Palermo loss, the 41-year old Italian said, “As I told you earlier, patience is needed. We were never going to be leading the table. We are an emerging unit. There would be off days, but, the important thing is that the boys were fully committed. There was no sign of recklessness.”
“If we keep trying hard, the results would go in our favour. There are positive vibes in the camp. We are all hopeful. More than half of the season is still there.”
Milan’s current position in the Italian first division table is 7th. The margin between them and the table toppers Juventus is of 9 points. All the teams have played 10 matches so far.
AC HUMBLED
AC Milan were left humbled after a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid on aggregate in the last 16 Champions League outing of the season. Milan came into the second leg with hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals, as they trailed the Spanish outfit by just one goal. However, things quickly turned sour after Diego Costa scored just two minutes into the second leg. Milan got one goal back through Kaka’s header, but it was not enough to prevent the club from capitulating in the second half.
Seedorf has laid the blame for this performance in the second half on the hands of former manager Massimiliano Allegri, who he thinks did not keep the fitness levels within the players at an optimum level. The club conceded two goals in the second half to give the scoreline a flattering look towards the Spanish club, but Seedorf reckons that the competition was much more even over the course of two legs. He has also said that the decision to become the manager of Milan is something that he does not regret because he is confident that the club can regain its former status pretty quickly.
Seedorf has managed just one win in the last five matches. He says that the club would have done extremely well have a qualified for the quarter-finals, which would have paid huge dividends economically.
“You could see after the second goal that the team struggled psychologically to react, as they often do. The second goal turned off the light and sapped the energy from the team. We analysed the situation together. Obviously the Champions League was an important objective for us and economically for the club. We had played well in the first leg and showed in the first half tonight we could play on a par with Atletico, but couldn’t be consistent for the whole game,” said the manager.
PRESSURE MOUNTS
Pressure on the Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri increased after the 3-3 draw with Bologna during the weekend. As a result of this result, Milan have only two victories in the last five matches. They have taken just five points from the opening five matches of the season, which sees them in the 12th place of the table. Allegri’s future was under a lot of doubt even after getting the team into the top three last season, and the speculation has increased even more after this very poor start to the campaign. Allegri, though, said that he was happy with the performance of his players after the Bologna match.
Even though they opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Poli, Milan were down 3-1 just after the hour mark. They would have been easily defeated in the match had it not been for the late goals. Robinho scored in the 89th minute to make the score line 3-2, while Abate’s injury time goal gave Milan at least a point from the match. They will be playing against top opposition like Ajax in the next few matches. Their only victories in the last five matches have come against Celtic and Cagliari.
The next league match will be against Sampdoria at the San Siro, and three points is a must if Allegri is to remain in the job.
“We knew it was going to be a tough season and to make it into the top three will be very difficult. But by Christmas we will be in much better condition in terms of form and league position. Other teams have started well and we have dropped a few points. But the side is improving and I have complete faith in the players. We can’t rely on individuals,” said Allegri, who was without the suspended Mario Balotelli for the match.
ANTONINI EXPECTS
AC Milan defender Luca Antonini has said that the club should not miss out on the qualification for the Champions League next season. Milan made the most incredible recovery seen in the Italian league in recent years to finish in the top three last season. They were in the bottom half of the table by Christmas, but they completed a stunning turnaround to finish in the third place by the end of the season. Antonini has said that he does not want a repeat of the same, as he wants Milan to comfortably qualify for the Champions League every season.
Milan are one of the prestigious clubs in this competition, as they have won this trophy an incredible seven times in their history. This is only second best to Real Madrid, who have a record nine trophies. Further, being in the Champions league also helps the club to sustain the massive wages since it provides more than £ 30 million in revenue alone. Progressing further in the knockout stages of the competition helps club’s earn more money. Antonini has also said that he wanted dreams of winning this prestigious European competition and also the Italian Serie A title as well.
After a lot of discussions about his future, Massimiliano Allegri looks set to stay with Milan.
“We are preparing for the play-offs of the Champions League because without Milan there is no Champions League. We are concentrated on working to achieve the important objective of qualifying for the Champions League. Milan’s objective must always be to reach the top, to obtain the best result possible, so first we are determined to get beyond the hurdle of the Champions League play-off, then we’ll see,” said the defender.
Milan have made a couple of signings in the transfer market, but they are yet to spend huge money.
THIRD IN REACH
AC Milan have the opportunity to potentially seal the third spot in the Italian Serie A with a win over, during the weekend, but manager Massimiliano Allegri is aware of the fact that this will not be an easy feat. Allegri has managed to bring about a huge change in the Milan fortunes this season. The team were struggling down near the bottom of the table, but they are within touching distance of reaching the Champions League qualification spots. However, the work is not done yet because of the threat from Fiorentina in the final few matches of the campaign.
Allegri is aware of the fact that a win against Roma will be enough for his team. There are only two matches left in the season and AC Milan have a four point advantage over their main rivals Fiorentina. However, if Milan lose the match against Roma, then Fiorentina will certainly be back in the race for the top three. Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella, though, has said that he is not extremely optimistic about his team’s chances of finishing in the third place. He reckons that they have ultimately left themselves with too much to do at the end of the season. Milan’s final match of the season will be away to Siena.
“We hope to take the win on Sunday against Roma that would mathematically guarantee us third place. But we have to remain focused,” said Allegri ahead of the match with Roma. “Our season has been very positive and we’ve made few errors. We can’t change anything, but we have no regrets. I want to consolidate this fourth place,” said Fiorentina manager regarding his team’s chances of finishing in the third place. Fiorentina’s last two matches will be against Palermo and Pescara. They have a four point advantage over Udinese.
ALLEGRI STAYS ON
The Italian club AC Milan have confirmed that the current manager Massimiliano Allegri will be retained as the manager next season as well. The future of the 45-year-old has been subjected to a lot of speculation over the last few months, with many expecting his impending departure. However, the form of the club has shown an incredible rise over the past few months. Milan, who were struggling with the prospect of relegation earlier in the season, are now closer to the top three positions than their arch rivals Inter Milan. This coupled with the arrival of a few quality signings during January has improved the mood at the club.
The vice president Adriano Galliani has taken time to confirm that Allegri will remain as the manager of Milan. He also compared Allegri to the former manager of Milan – Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti had a lot of success with Milan and he was especially famous for a stable time at the club. Milan are just a few points below the top three positions, which will guarantee them Champions League football next season. Due to the financial situation of the club, Milan certainly need to play in the group stages of this competition. The club recently signed Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, who scored two goals on his debut.
“Allegri will still be Milan’s coach next season. He is a good tactician and we have always known that. He reminds me of Carlo Ancelotti because he is so balanced,” said the Milan vice president Adriano Gallaini. Milan have been on an incredible run of form in the last few weeks, which has seen them drop just two points out of a possible 15 points. As a result, they are only three points below the third placed Lazio. They are ahead of their arch rivals Inter Milan on goal difference.
NEW YEAR HOPES
After suffering one of the worst years in the history, the AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has said that he is extremely confident that the New Year will prove to be significantly positive for the club in every aspect. After suffering a number of financial problems, Milan had to sell a number of high profile players like Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic summer. The loss of such magnitude has been simply too much to take for the team, which has suffered with inconsistencies and poor form since the start of the season. As a result, they are currently seventh in the Italian Serie A table.
Milan recently lost 4-2 to one of the top teams in Italy – Roma. Despite this defeat, Allegri has said that he remains upbeat about the chances of Milan finishing the season positively. It looks highly unlikely that Milan will be able to qualify for the Champions league next season. They are currently at the last 16 stage of this European competition with the Spanish club Barcelona. Hence, they will find it hard to even progress to the quarter-final stage. In addition to this, they have also lost the services of the star Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato, while the departure of Robinho is also expected shortly.
“After the defeat to Roma, we need to bounce back. Hopefully in 2013 we will solve our problems at conceding goals from set-pieces. The important thing is to improve our mental approach. Our objective is to qualify for the Champions League and we need to start picking up points,” said the Milan manager. The future of Allegri has been in a cloud of doubt over the last few months, but he now looks set to complete at least the season with Milan before possibly leaving the club in the summer.