Milan-Torino Preview: The Main Event

Despite the final hours of the wacky sideshow that is the mercato and the distraction that is Galliani Day™, the main event is actually our match with Torino on Saturday night. And while I can confirm that there has been interest in me from other clubs this mercato, rest assured I have absolutely refused to even entertain any offers. I have a contract of the heart with Milan for life, and I will fulfill it. Even if we play poorly on Saturday. You know, that football match that we are supposed to be focusing on.

Will our favorite matador of the past even be at the club still on Saturday?

Podcast: Bringing Back the Milan

The first two weeks of the Seedorf era have gone by, and the reviews are in: it’s too early to determine anything. But that doesn’t stop us from discussing them. Whether it is his formation, substitutions, his motivational skills or ability to impact morale, nothing was off limits on this podcast. Despite it being too short of a time to really determine anything, we talk about his apparent impact on the squad for his three short matches in charge.

Nothing says heart like "I got your back"

Cagliari 1, Milan 2: Diary of a Madwoman

In the interest of time, today, I am merely sharing my thoughts on the game as it unfolds. So if this doesn’t make any sense, remember the game was at 6am for me. Or if these notes give you the impression of diabolical genius, remember, the game was at 6am my time. Delightful incoherency? That’s right, 6am my time. You’re welcome.

Cagliari vs. Milan: Payback

Here’s hoping we can make things right 

Cagliari-Milan Preview: Wait, What?

This blog is a magical place. New posts appear every 48 hours or less, with a preview, review, and gamepost for every game, amongst other things. But life is not always so magical, sometimes even superbloggers need a break. And so today’s post is a do-it-yourself preview. Wait, what?

One of these is a Milan youth product, the other is Balotelli. Wait, what? 

BUY ALL TEH PLAYRZ

With the news that the legendary Michael Essien is in talks with Milan, looking to get a contract through June of 2015, I could hardly contain my excitement. Here’s a 31 year-old player who has five appearances for his club this season and three of those were actually substitutions. So that means he has the same number of shots as substitutions, and the same number of yellow cards as he does starts. He’s never played in Serie A, and by some accounts doesn’t even have the pace for the English Premier League. SOUNDZ LYKE A MILAN KYND OF GUY. 

#DreamTransfer

Coppa Italia • Milan 1, Udinese 2: Chillaxin

When there is a coaching change midseason, it is typically done to impact negative results. And it often helps short term, as a squad with a string of poor results is often demoralized and deflated, and a new coach will provide new motivation and ideas to help a team achieve better results. How positive the changes and for how long this “honeymoon” period lasts depends on so many factors. With Seedorf coming in after half a season of frustration and horrible football, it was refreshing to see him bring the smiles back to the squad and to the fans with a win on Sunday. But that newfound joy and relaxed attitude may have proved costly today, as Udinese once again sent Milan out of the Coppa Italia, while Milan was caught chillaxin.

"I thought you were getting the donuts and Doritos"

Coppa Italia • Milan vs. Udinese: Target Man

Success this season is still in sight

Coppa Italia Quarterfinals • Milan vs. Udinese: Destination Europe

Tomorrow’s Coppa Italia match vs. Udinese wouldn’t mean too much in a normal season, but this is no normal season. Instead, each Coppa match must be considered do or die, as winning the whole thing could be our only ticket to European competition next year. Which I’m not even sure we want, with the extra matches and potential for fatigue and injury. But Milan are Europe, it’s in our DNA. And even if it is basically impossible to reach the Champions League next season, where we belong, it seems wrong to want anything less than the highest that we can achieve. After all, we’re the sole Italian team left for the knockout stages of the Champions League this season, it would be tragic not to follow the other “top teams” in Serie A.

That patch could be our ticket to Europe next season

Milan 1, Verona 0: Dear Max

I have tried not to refer too much to “he-who-shall-not-be-named” since last Monday. But after watching two different games this week from two different managers with the same squad as Lord Voldemort had, I decided to write this review as a breakup letter with the soulless one. You’re welcome.

My new main squeeze

Milan vs. Verona: Fan Wars

  

A long time ago in a stadium far, far away…

…fans supported their team…

Milan-Verona Preview: When Hellas Freezes Over

In the second match of the post-Allegri era, there is a general sense of optimism ahead of our match tomorrow. Seedorf is back, Il Professore is in charge, all will be well. That optimism may be a bit unrealistic, as we face the team that put the first nail in Milan’s coffin this season, the same team who currently sit 6th in the table while Milan are 11th. But after such an amazing week, I think we are all hoping to see a game where Hellas freezes over.

Watch out, Verona, we've got options now

A New Winning Cycle

After three and a half years under the stubborn and impersonal Massimiliano Allegri, having just about anyone or anything else in the driver’s seat of our beloved team sounds heavenly. But when Clarence Seedorf was announced as the new head coach, fans were divided once again on the possible outcome of this move. Many look at his resumé as a player and a man and see the potential for greatness, and many still adore him for his ten brilliant years in a Milan jersey, too. Others are skeptical, particularly about the fact that he is a complete unknown as a coach, having only a brief amount of experience coaching youth in Brazil while still playing. Another red flag is his strong personality. While he is extremely affable and charming at times, he has also shown a lot of pride and stubbornness, too, which may not be the ideal match for players like Balotelli. But the nearly universal sentiment is that the team desperately needed a change, and a sense of optimism has returned to even the most cynical and skeptical fans. Because the one thing we can all agree on is that it is time for Milan to win again.

Bringing back the win

Coppa Italia • Milan 3, Spezia 1: Free at Last

Milan progress to the Quarterfinals to face Udinese after dispensing with Serie B side Spezia tonight in the Coppa Italia. With all of the events of the past week, and interim coach Mauro Tassotti in charge, no one really knew what to expect. And to be fair, in the opening minutes, it was difficult to tell which team was the Serie B team. But like prisoners seeing the light of day for the first time in a while, the team experienced an awakening that was visible to the eye and came together with a performance that showed what many fans have believed all along… Milan were not playing to their potential under Allegri. So with excellent player selections and prudent and timely subs, Tassotti led the team many called ‘not fit to wear the Milan jersey’ to a convincing win with a performance that was actually starting to look like Milan again. Free at last.

The goal scorers 

Coppa Italia • Milan vs. Spezia: Go-To-Guy

He has been there for us for 33 years

Grazie Tassotti!

Podcast: January Madness

Midway through the January mercato, things would be crazy enough, but this week saw even more change with the departure of Coach Massimiliano Allegri. In fact, this podcast was recorded in two segments to accommodate the madness. From the do-it-yourself rumor advice, the heartbreak of the Sassuolo match, and the change of guard, madness ensues throughout.

Thanks for the memories

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

Allegri has been sacked.

Sassuolo 4, Milan 3: ……..

There was a game. It was really foggy there. Milan showed up, but their Curva didn’t. Robinho scored on a De Jong assist in the ninth minute. Balotelli scored on a Cristante assist in the 13th minute. Life was beautiful for about fifteen minutes.

The good, the badass, and the ugly

Sassuolo vs. Milan: Forza Acerbi

 ACERBI DON’T GIVE UP

You Are Always in Our Hearts

Sassuolo-Milan Preview: Uphill From Here

At the halfway point in the season, Milan only have 5 league wins, with only one of those being an away win. Having earned only 22 points in 18 games seems like it should be impossible with so many talented players, but for Milan, impossible is nothing. Fans keep hoping each week that this week will be the turn of fortunes, that this week, Milan will return to winning ways. And the fervor becomes more than twice as loud if there has been a good result the previous week. With Monday’s convincing win over Atalanta, complete with three heartwarming goals from Kaka and Cristante, it’s almost impossible not to go to 18th place Sassuolo with a positive attitude, even if we’ve been burned so many times before this season. Still, one can only hope with that result coupled with the signings of Rami and Honda, things will only be uphill from here.

Our hearts are with you, as your heart has always been Milanista

Adil Rami: Not Just Another Fairy Tale

Not everyone has the privilege of playing football professionally after spending years training and playing as a youth. And in fact, I would be willing to bet that even fewer players who ever played for an amateur side after the age of 18 ever wound up as professional footballers, least of all at Milan. Least of all wearing the jersey of their boyhood idol. Or representing their country on the national team. And yet, that is exactly what Rami did. Although he is 28 years old, he did not sign with a professional club until 2007. He is definitely not just another fairy tale.

Welcome to Milan, Shrek!

When Showing Up is More Important than Shutting Up

After insulting the legendary Paolo Maldini during his farewell match, Milan’s Curva Sud lost a lot of respect from people all over the world. Not that the people who make up the Curva Sud have ever been considered bastions of society. They are mostly ordinary people, with the distinction of being passionate and devoted fans of AC Milan. Human beings with a superhuman commitment to the club. And human beings make mistakes. But at what point are their mistakes hurting the club they claim allegiance to, rather than helping it? Are they so passionate that they’ve lost sight of their very fandom? Maybe they need to take a step back and figure out when showing up is more important than shutting up.

Your silence was mindboggling, but your absence will be criminal

Benvenuto Keisuke Honda

Welcoming a new player is usually exciting. Especially at a time when results have been so poor, and performances so unbelievably poor as well. It’s even more exciting when that player claims to have been a lifelong Milanista. But Honda is different. He is one of us. Well, if we were all as talented on the pitch as we are in our dreams, that is. And also really classy. And very fashionable. And really determined and disciplined. Okay, so maybe using “us” was not the best analogy. But unlike so many players who have a Milan scarf lying around from their childhood, Honda actually is a true Milanista. And that’s what makes his unveiling today that much more special.

Great fashion sense is just a bonus. As a true Milanista, he can be Emperor of my heart.

Milan 3, Atalanta 0: New Years Resolution

I was so not looking forward to this game. Anything at 6am on a Monday morning for me is not worth looking forward to. But Milan apparently knew my plight, and came through with a convincing win. Whether or not they’ve made it their resolution to win more games this year has yet to be seen, but for today, they took all three points, kept a clean sheet, and put a smile on my face. At 6am on a Monday morning. Bravo, Milan.

So much emotion

Milan vs. Atalanta: Gamepost

La Befana brings gifts to good children every January 6th…

Milanisti must have been very, very good this year!

Milan-Atalanta Preview: Reboot or Revert?

It’s a new calendar year, yet not quite halfway through a horrible season for AC Milan. With events, performances, results, and a league standing that many are drinking to forget, the obscure (if not extinct) optimists are anxiously hoping for a change in fortunes with the advent of 2014. But with 13th place Milan welcoming 15th place Atalanta to the San Siro on the Epiphany, will La Befana (the witch who brings Italian children gifts on January 6th) bring Milan good luck? Or will our misfortunes continue into the new year?

Will La Befana favor the Goddess or the Devils?

The Delusionist

While one countdown to the New Year came to a close, another began. Allegri gave an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport that was published on New Year’s Eve in which he reiterated that this season will be his final season at AC Milan. And while the cheers and celebrations of Milanisti worldwide upon hearing this from his mouth were audible, nay even palpable, the rest of the interview was a reminder of Allegri’s most enduring legacy at Milan, as the Delusionist.

"Look how handsome I am"