AC Milan: Complete Guide for the 2012/13 Serie A Season

Here is Bleacher Report's complete guide to AC Milan's 2012/13 season.

We will summarise transfers in and out of the club, the manager, formation, current roster and more.

Can Massimiliano Allegri wrestle the Serie A title off Juventus with the current roster, or are there major concerns for the season ahead?

Preseason Schedule

AC Milan are frequently subjected to a longer preseason experience than most teams.

They play cups and travel the world in order to fulfill sponsorship regulations and generate revenue, showcasing their organisation to a global audience.

Milan will have played a total of eight preseason games by the time they kick the domestic season off against Sampdoria, including prestigious friendlies against Internazionale, Juventus and Chelsea.

Formation

Massimiliano Allegri used a 4-3-1-2 last season and looks set to continue in this fashion. According to WhoScored?, AC Milan used this formation in every one of their 38 games in the 2011/12 campaign.

It's a solid, possession-based system that utilises one pure striker and one slightly deeper forward.

The midfield three are required to work hard, get wide, track back and get into the opposition area when possible.

It's almost a midfield diamond, but not quite. Cesare Prandelli's Euro 2012 Italy side used a diamond, and since Andrea Pirlo left Milan, they haven't utilised a true "regista."

The full-backs have freedom to bomb forward when necessary, and Philippe Mexes leads a relatively high line from central defence.

Transfers

AC Milan have had a turbulent summer. There's a revolving door at the San Siro which has seen a multitude of players come and go over the past two months.

Transfers in

Bakaye Traore (Nancy, free), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina, free), Gabriel (Cruzeiro, €500,000), Francesco Acerbi (Genoa, €4 million), Kevin Constant (Genoa, loan), Edoardo Pazzagli (Fiorentina, free), Cristian Zapata (Villarreal, loan)

Transfers out

Filippo Inzaghi, Massimo Oddo, Gianluca Zambrotta (released), Alessandro Nesta (Montreal Impact, free), Mark van Bommel (PSV, free), Clarence Seedorf (Botafogo, free), Gennaro Gattuso (FC Sion, free), Flavio Roma (AS Monaco, free), Dominic Adiyiah (Arsenal Kiev, undisclosed), Davide Di Gennaro (Spezia, undisclosed), Thiago Silva (PSG, €42 million), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG, €23 million)

Goalkeepers

On the roster: 1. Marco Amelia, 32. Christian Abbiati, 59. Gabriel

Abbiati, now 35 years of age, still guards the sticks for Milan despite a mixed last season.

He's a veteran stopper who is highly reliable, showing his class early on in the last campaign throughout the Rossoneri's rocky start.

Amelia, signed from Genoa in 2010, is largely seen as a backup option and has only made a handful of appearances in the famous red and black.

Gabriel is a new recruit and will spend this season playing youth and reserve football after his €500,000 move from Cruzeiro this summer (via acmilan.com.)

Starter: Abbiati

Full-Backs

On the roster: 2. Mattia De Sciglio, 15. Djamel Mesbah, 20. Ignazio Abate, 77. Luca Antonini

Silvio Berlusconi's concerns about the defence may not have been exclusively about central defence, as the full-back position for AC Milan could use some help.

Taye Taiwo's transfer hasn't worked out, so he's out on loan again. De Sciglio is a promising kid, while Mesbah is a total liability.

Abate showed his worth last season and for Italy in Euro 2012, while Antonini remains a steady if unspectacular fixture in the side.

Starters: Abate, Antonini

Centre-Backs

On the roster: 5. Philippe Mexes, 13. Francesco Acerbi, 25. Daniele Bonera, 76. Mario Yepes

One of two stories dominating AC Milan's season preparations is the €46 million transfer of Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain.

That hasn't put a dampener on Silvio Berlusconi's temperament though, as while he acknowledges the need to strengthen, he places faith in new signing Acerbi (via football-italia.net).

Mexes was Silva's regular partner last season and should continue now in a leading role. Bonera and Yepes are clearly backups, and while both do a job now, Milan may need two more defenders, not one.

Cristian Zapata is a brand-new addition to the team, joining on loan from Villarreal. He is very capable at centre-back, can deputise at full-back and will pressure Acerbi for a spot in the side.

Starters: Acerbi, Mexes

Midfielders

On the roster: 4. Sulley Muntari, 8. Antonio Nocerino, 10. Kevin-Prince Boateng, 12. Bakaye Traore, 14. Rodney Strasser, 16. Mathieu Flamini, 18. Riccardo Montolivo, 21. Kevin Constant, 23. Massimo Ambrosini, 28. Urby Emanuelson

AC Milan's midfield is both creative and solid. Willing runner Nocerino is a first-class box-to-box midfielder, while Prince-Boateng represents one of the most technically brilliant players in Serie A.

Ambrosini, the club captain and role model, has seen his playing time reduced gradually as he ages, but he still plays an important part.

Montolivo, Milan's major summer signing, comes in and should immediately fill the attacking midfield position. Emanuelson will play where you ask him to.

Starters: Nocerino, Prince-Boateng, Muntari/Ambrosini, Montolivo

Forwards

On the roster: 9. Alexandre Pato, 70. Robinho, 92. Stephan El Shaarawy, 99. Antonio Cassano.

Italy's Euro 2012 campaign has been kind to AC Milan. First, it showed Montolivo can play the attacking midfield role just fine. Second, it showed Cassano is excellent in a deep-lying forward role.

Cassano should play that role for Milan now and has tried it during preseason. Robinho becomes the main scoring threat unless Pato threatens to realise his vast potential.

El Shaarawy might just enjoy a true breakthrough season in the absence of a replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Starters: Pato, Cassano

Areas of Concern

Milan have battled a significant pile of debt this summer and their summer acquisitions suggest they don't have money to spend. 

Striker

If Alexandre Pato finds form and fitness, this isn't a concern. If he fails to produce consistently, however, AC Milan's lack of goalscoring threats becomes rather apparent.

Robinho, too, is inconsistent, while Cassano cannot be seen as a long-term solution or a 20-goal-per-season hitman.

Left-back

Taye Taiwo was supposed to be the answer, but another loan for the season suggests it's just not working for him.

Luca Antonini is thoroughly average and Milan need to find a new left-back.

Expectations

The Rossoneri faithful will still expect a great season despite losing prized assets Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva.

The club's hierarchy, however, appear more realistic in their goals. According to Goal.com, the club offered to refund any season tickets to fans who no longer wished to watch Milan following these two high-profile sales—an act which could be construed as a lack of intent.

The capital club still have an excellent squad which will be more than competitive in Serie A and should qualify from any group in the UEFA Champions League.

Do they have enough to win the Serie A title, though? It doesn't look like it. Finding goals from a consistent source will be tough, while signing Riccardo Montolivo and Cristian Zapata doesn't quite level out the personnel losses incurred.

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