Milan-Roma Preview: Cry Wolf

One game under our belts against the Serie A runners up from last seasons, and there is a lot of speculation about a lot of things. Surprisingly, some fans are still incredibly optimistic about our chances for Friday’s match against Roma. Perhaps it was Atalanta’s three goals against them this weekend in the first half, or maybe they just didn’t see Roma’s comeback in the second half to come away with a point. Or maybe they are not familiar with the story of the boy who cried wolf, or what happened to his sheep when the wolf actually showed up.

Gattuso's got the proverbial ball

Podcast: The Gattuso Dilemma

One game into the season and the media has already called for Gattuso’s head. Amidst all of the ridiculous hyperbole of the media and the fans, we try to sort through what actually happened in the match and perhaps apply a more realistic view of what might happen this season, particularly with our grinta-filled coach.

Better than we thought, but will he be enough?

Napoli 3, Milan 2: Cauldron of Regrets

Since the draw was made and we saw our trip to Napoli week two, those amongst us with reasoning skills were able to deduce that this game would not be our finest hour. Then with the schedule change and it being made our first game of the season instead, the same numbers of us knew it could be a devastating way to start our season. But aside from some regrets (I will not type Biglia’s name here, I will not type Biglia’s name here…) it actually proved to meet or exceed expectations. Especially in that part in the early second half where we were up 2-0 due to two brilliant and most unexpected goals. What I wouldn’t give for that to have been the final score. But it wasn’t to be, nor was even a single point for those great goals. So we walk away from the cauldron of regrets.

Something to smile about

Napoli-Milan Preview: Cauldron of Heartache

I don’t know how I’m going to get through this match. Carletto was one of my favorite coaches, and I think that seeing him coach the opposition will be like finding my husband in bed with my sister or something. Under any other circumstances, I would be thrilled to see him reunite with Gattuso, Leonardo, and Maldini. I would probably tear up… no, I’m pretty sure I would be a blubbering mess. But I don’t even know how to process these conflicting emotions. And going into the Stadio San Paolo makes it even more stressful. Instead of simply playing a match, this week we are going into the cauldron of heartache.

It's all like a very bad dream...

Watching Castillejo

There is a lot of buzz about Samu Castillejo. Many of us knew little about him until he was linked with Milan. That is always disconcerting, because when a player comes to your team for a relatively large transfer fee, you would hope that they are well known for good reasons. But today I’d like to really take a good look at our new winger. Maybe not the kind of look you were expecting, but a good look all the same.

I don't think that's the kind of surprise Maldini meant

Optimism Agenda

OFFICIAL: The Milan Obsession Podcast has signed Jonathan to a longterm contract as cohost. Details of the contract were undisclosed.

Following Leonardo’s example, we have signed a permanent cohost, and expect the podcast to also qualify for the Champions League of podcasts this season. So while we were under the influence of extreme optimism, we previewed the new season with unicorns and rainbows.

Jonathan helping to prove that the best things in this mercato come in twos...

The Red and Black Blues

As the clock ran down on the transfer window yesterday, there was a palpable sigh from Milan fans, and maybe a few tears, too. “The dream” was only that, and for the eighth consecutive year, Milan did not reinforce properly at the central midfielder position. Milinkovic-Savic was not coming. Not even the fans’ second choice, Rabiot. And as if that wasn’t enough to be sad about, Our Sunday game vs. Genoa was postponed after 39 people tragically lost their lives when a bridge in Genoa suddenly collapsed. It’s enough to give anyone the red and black blues.

I know, Sergej, we're kind of upset, too.

The Milan Season Preview You’ve Been Waiting For

This is the post where I write about what to expect for this season. And once again, this season is all about expectations. After the past seven years or more at Milan, fans should have learned to temper our expectations. But with all of the changes this summer, I fear the worst for unrealistic fans. The mercato is still not quite closed, either, so that isn’t helping the expectation levels. But it is the beginning of the season, and that is always exciting, one way or the other.

Great expectations

Mercato of Procrastination

Milan have had a very unique summer. If you call changing ownership by default to a hedge fund and having a European ban overturned by the CAS “unique.” But those events directly impacted our mercato, more specifically, the club’s ability to make any moves in the mercato in or out. And with everything being delayed so late in the summer, it has fallen on our new management, minus an actual CEO, to work out a mercato of procrastination.

Signing of the Century.

Real Madrid 3, AC Milan 1: Royal Rumble

In Spanish, “Real” translates to “Royal.” And Real Madrid have been successful at living up to their name over the years. This match was no exception, with quality play throughout and three excellent and deserved goals for the win. But something that struck me about this match is the way they respect their opponents. No whining and diving like their Catalonian adversaries. Just respecting their opponents by playing their best, then respecting the game, the ref, everything. I was impressed with the level of class, even if it was a royal rumble.

Maldini was part of the royalty that made this clash classy

Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu: Glory Days

Tonight Milan visit Madrid to face our biggest European opponent, Real Madrid. In our glory days, Milan were Real Madrid’s biggest challenger for Champions League Titles. In 2007, when Milan last won the Champions League for our seventh title, Real Madrid had nine titles. But while Milan fell into the abyss of mismanagement, Los Blancos won four more titles, including the last three in a row. However their glory days look to be in jeopardy now that their marquee player, Cristiano Ronaldo, left the club for Serie A. While their roster is still far more competitive than Milan’s, this friendly could be a little more interesting in his absence.

Bringing the glory days back?

Podcast: Return of the King

The long awaited Return of the King, Paolo Maldini, has finally occurred. I have a theory as to why, and it all started with one lucky fan. He won a chance to meet the team, but ended up meeting Gattuso instead. After that, Leonardo was hired on. Then Higuain and Caldara came to Milan. And finally, the return of Maldini. That is a whole lot of luck.

Milan's luck changed in this moment

The Cristiano Ronaldo Effect

When I heard the news that Cristiano Ronaldo was going to Juve, my second thought was that it would mean greater access to Serie A fans for all of us. (The first thought, of course, being that they should just award the Scudetto in August before the season kicks off.) It turns out that at least for American fans, it is going to work out very well for us. Yesterday, it was announced that ESPN has purchased the exclusive rights to Serie A beginning this season. With far more resources than the shambolic BeIN Sports USA, this means that we will all have far more access to our games. I like to call it the Cristiano Ronaldo effect.

Blessing fans of all Serie A clubs

Maldini Day

We have been waiting for this day since May of 2009. The return of the living legend, Paolo Maldini, to the club of his family, the club of his life, and the club of his heart. There are so few one-club players anymore, but not only did he only ever play for Milan, his father played and coached for Milan, and in completing the Maldini Dynasty, his sons have both played for Milan’s youth teams. After being mistreated by disgusting and reprehensible Milan fans during his San Siro farewell, blocked from joining the club by the tyrant Galliani, and turning down offers to return by Yonghong Li’s initial investment group because he didn’t believe in their project, he is finally coming home. Happy Maldini Day!

Nine years later , his interrupted fairy tale begins again

AC Milan 1, Barcelona 0: Summer of 69

One out of three isn’t bad, right? Milan scraped through 90 minutes of Barcelona attack to win their final match in the International Champions Cup Tournament this year, having lost their first two. Donnarumma kept the team in the match, since the rest of the team were constantly pinned back by what was largely Barcelona’s youth team. And finally, in the last play of stoppage time, Silva stepped up and scored the lone goal, winning a game Barcelona should have easily won themselves. Ironically, he had just handed over his number nine to the more experienced newcomer, Higuain, and had just chosen his new number today, ahead of this match: number 69. His last gasp heroics make me wonder: will he be leaving the club this year? Or was this his way of telling the world that this will be his Milan breakthrough year, beginning with the Summer of 69?

The perfect ending to a not-so-perfect match

AC Milan-Barcelona Preview: Sorry, Allegri

After putting a young and talented center back in a car on Wednesday to send him to AC Milan, and saying goodbye to Higuain from Atlanta while the Argentinian striker was in Turin, Allegri’s Juventus struggled to pull off a penalty win against an MLS All Star team. Maybe it was the loss of the two players, who knows? Meanwhile, his old center back, who is known to have had disagreements with the Mister, flew from Minneapolis to Turin to make a very controversial return to the club. As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, on Saturday, his nearly forgotten former club will be facing his favorite nemesis: Barcelona. Too bad, so sad. Sorry, Allegri.

Sorry, Allegri