A Year with Milan

As fans, many look at our position on the table and think that this year was a complete waste. But actually, it was a year of so many changes, and in many ways, Milan are actually in better shape as a club, even if we are in a lower spot on the table. One of the advantages of having a blog is that everything about Milan is documented, good and bad. So for today, I present “A year with Milan.”

Looking to the future

The Importance of Being Ibra

After six weeks of media drama surrounding the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, drama that would have made even Oscar Wilde blush, he has reportedly agreed to terms with Milan, with an official announcement and contract signing still pending as of this writing. This signing is particularly significant after the soul-stealing loss on Sunday to Atalanta. The agreeing to terms shows Ibra’s desire to return to Milan, but it also shows the club’s faith in and the importance of being Ibra.

No one else like him

Milan Grinchmas

Things finally seemed to be heading in the right direction for Milan. Until Sunday, when the Grinch team, dressed appropriately in green, stole not only Milan’s Christmas, but all of our souls. With that historic loss, Milan fans lost their minds and abused a 23 year-old for posting about celebrating his birthday, and a 20 year-old for posting a video of an evening out from a previous week. To their own social media accounts. Ouch. Things go from bad to worse, and it feels like a Milan Grinchmas.

Okay, maybe there are some good things about Milan these days

Atalanta 5, Milan 0: Christmas Massacre

It couldn’t even be a game at a reasonable hour. Milan’s Christmas Massacre was a lunchtime game, a time that Milan has often struggled with. At three-nil, I saw my life flash before me, but at five-nil, my pulse was gone. Myself and fans around the world were DOA, Dead on Arrival, when La Penna blew the whistle. Amongst the carnage was all of the mentality Pioli had managed to rebuild, the faith of Milan fans everywhere, and the last shred of Milan’s dignity.

This is the intensity with which the entire team played

Atalanta-Milan Preview: Lunch Date in Bergamo

Full points last week against Sassuolo would have really helped to give us confidence for this one. Atalanta are the little engine that could, then sold all of their players, then did it all again and again. And instead of losing steam, they are actually in the Champions League this year and into the knockout rounds. Where we should be. Literally, they play at the San Siro. So Milan come into this one with slowly growing confidence, headed just up the road for a lunch date in Bergamo.

Champions League: where we should be

Results-dependent Response

Sunday’s nil-nil draw reiterated something that has been going on for a while now amongst Milan fans. Many seem to be ill-tempered, impatient, and football-illiterate “fans.” The week before, when Milan won, a Milan fan literally stabbed someone outside the stadium in Bologna, fighting for the jersey of a player who won. This week, they are “out of patience” with Maldini and Boban (again) because of a very unlucky draw. They don’t necessarily respond to the performances, or any heroics within the match. They seem to just check their phones, see the final score, and then overreact one way or another. It seems like it is a results-dependent response.

Maybe the gold letters were just too heavy for them?

Podcast: Milan’s 120th Birthday

Milan’s fortunes are taking an upturn, no matter how briefly, just in time to celebrate the 120th birthday of the club. We talked about all of the things going on at Milan, including recent matches as well as our favorite memories. Happy 120th Milan!

So much to celebrate

Milan-Sassuolo Preview: Party at San Siro

Milan come into this match with confidence, playing steadily better and now having won two in a row. It is also Milan’s 120th birthday celebration, so there will be a lot of Milan legends there, with a Walk of Fame scheduled for halftime. The players will need to focus, and as Pioli says, play with intensity for all 90 minutes against 14th place Sassuolo to earn a third consecutive win. If they do manage to pull it off, there will be a party at San Siro.

Intensity

The Raiola Effect

When we hear “something wicked this way comes,” there is fear. But something far bigger and far more wicked is slinking into Casa Milan. And when I say bigger, I mean 212 lbs. bigger. I speak of course of the dark evil that is Mino Raiola. Never content to have one or maybe two Milan players, he seems hell bent on taking over the entire squad. With the waiting for Ibra and some very important contract renewals, he is not to be taken lightly (no pun intended.)

"Yes, I'd like 4 large pizzas. And hurry up or I'll sell your favorite players"

Bologna 2, Milan 3: Precarious Win, Strong Victory

This match brought a much needed three points to a team that has worked hard to be deserving of a little more than their spot on the table shows. The players showed a confidence and level of teamwork that is growing quickly now that there is some stability. Both strengths and weaknesses were exposed, both risking and helping to secure the win. And we saw some good football, too. So it was a precarious win, but also a strong victory.

Exactly what Milan have needed

Bologna-Milan Preview: Heartstrings

This matchup has been viewed with emotion since beloved former Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was diagnosed with Leukemia this year. As head coach of Bologna now, he has recently returned to the bench again, making this encounter at the Dall’Aria enough to pull at your heartstrings.

Some battles are bigger than football

The Ibra Factor

When Milan’s mentality collapsed like a paper airplane under a car tire under Giampaolo’s three month tenure at Milan, everyone in management conceded that there was a need for at least one or two more experienced players, players that could make the difference and help the younger players keep their heads up under pressure. Since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left, he has been linked with a return to Milan. But the question is, can he, or another player like him, really make the difference this team needs to make it back to winning ways?

He is a god to the fans of Milan

Parma 0, Milan 1: Exclamation Mark

The mentality has been building since Pioli came. Slowly, but surely, even when the results didn’t come. The last three matches, we’ve seen the actual performances improve each match, but with opponents like Juve and Napoli, three points were always going to be elusive. Then against Parma, we dominated in both possession and shots and played at a steady tempo the whole match. Not a perfect performance by any means, but it started to feel like we were going to let the win slip away… again. Until the 88th minute, when Theo Hernandez scored, and Milan’s moment finally arrived. With an exclamation mark.

Exclamation mark