The Current State of AC Milan and a Look into the Future

peter sevdin by Contributor Written on June 27, 2009
MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 28:  Ronaldinho of Milan in action during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 28, 2008 in Milan, Italy.  (Photo by New Press/Getty Images) (Photo by New Press/Getty Images)
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Gennaro Gattusois the battling midfielder who is the spirit of Milan and even if he is out of form, just the presence of him on the pitch inspires the players around him.

However, there are some players that need to go such as Clarence Seedorf and Giussepe Favalli, they can be reserve players, but in no way should they be part of the starting eleven anymore.

To sum it up, age is just a number—it doesn't matter how old a player is, just as long as he can play good. He can be 21 or 35, if he can contribute to a team than it shouldn't matter. And certain players on Milan's roster that are over 30, can still bring the heat.

Furthermore, AC Milan have a host of young talent who are more than likely going to be making appearances next season, seeing as Milan haven't been that active on the transfer scene.

One youngster has already made his way into the starting 11 and featured prominently for Milan last season—Alexandre Pato. He is the future of the club, tipped to become World Player of the Year in a few years time, and with the form he's in it seems pretty likely. He could be just what Milan need to fill the gap left by Kaka's departure in attack.

Defense is where the new blood is needed most, and that's also where it is coming in. Thiago Silva, age 24, is likely to partner Nesta at CB next year. Matteo Darmian is also a promising prospect, age 19.

Ignazio Abate has recently come back from Torino where he was on loan, and he adds a nice new feature for Milan since he plays as a left winger; Milan hasn't had an out-and-out winger since Serginho.

The last thing to adress is the acquisition of new players and the question of whether or not the current players have the hunger to succeed. First of all, I know I'll probably get grilled for this, but I don't think that Berlusconi and Galliani should leave Milan.

Berlusconi is the man who invested so heavily in Milan in the first place. When he first bought the club, it was flirting with relegation. In a few short years time, he had transformed it into the juggernaut that it was throughout the late '80s to the early part of this decade.

Galliani has also been instrumental in acquiring key players such as Kaka. These men gave us Milan fans the golden age of Milan and I trust them still, trust them to keep us on the right track. As for buying new players, we have to be realistic.

I know everybody likes to play fantasy manager, saying "Oh, we should get Benzema, and Ribery, and David Villa, and Sergio Ramos, and Vidic, etc.", but that just isn't possible. You have to look at who we can actually get, and the team is making those moves for the right players.

Dzeko is a confirmed target and he is exactly what we need. We nearly got Aly Cissoko but medical issues have halted talks. The club is making the right, REALISTIC moves and the fans should show a little patience and faith.

Also, I believe the current players do want to win, especially Ronaldinho. It hurts him to not be in the national team, and seeing as this  is a World Cup year, you can expect him to give it his all.

Plus, the way the team and the players are talked about these days, the way they're being insulted, I think this will in the end only serve to motivate them to prove everyone wrong.

There's a sense of wounded pride about the team, and they want to restore their place in the upper echelon of European clubs. These players have tasted success before and they haven't forgotten how sweet it is.

I'm not saying that this Milan side will win everything next season, or that they'll blow all the opposition away, but if they sign two or three more players and address the issue of defense, then they could be a very competitive team that goes some way towards dispelling the notion that the Seria A is no longer a quality league.

Let this be a warning to any team that underestimates the danger of AC Milan.

Vote Now! - Author Poll

How well do you think Milan will perform in the coming season?

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Results - Author Poll

How well do you think Milan will perform in the coming season?

  • Very Well

    31.0%
  • Good

    17.2%
  • Mediocre

    24.1%
  • Bad

    17.2%
  • Horrible

    10.3%
  • Total votes: 29
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written on June 27, 2009 Preview/Prediction

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