Power Ranking Every AC Milan Player from the 2014/15 Serie A Season
This season could not end soon enough. AC Milan sunk lower than last year, and they barely finished in the top half of the table.
A number of the players will not be there in a few months. Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera counts as many as 14 players leaving this summer (h/t Football Italia). That's the consequence of finishing in 10th place.
Aside from Jeremy Menez, who scored a career-high 16 goals, and Diego Lopez, who bailed out the team on a regular basis, no one really stood out this term. Milan scored 56 goals and conceded another 50 in all. They were a completely mediocre team, as bad as they were good, and that's not enough for seven-time European Cup winners like Milan.
It's not all on coach Filippo Inzaghi. The players failed too.
In order of worst to best player, here are the rankings for the 2014-15 edition of AC Milan. Rankings were determined by the player's impact on the team—positive or negative—in Serie A.
Only those players who finished the season with Milan were included. They also had to appear at least five times for the Rossoneri to register on the list. Cristian Zaccardo, for example, only featured in three Serie A matches and was therefore not considered.
26. Michael Essien
1 of 26
Games played: 13
Slow, tired and uninspired, Michael Essien could barely keep up with the play in Serie A. He was a constant liability the few times he appeared on the field.
Essien had trouble keeping possession of the ball, and he slowly lost the confidence of coach Inzaghi. His contract is expiring, and Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the 32-year-old is set to join Greek club Panathinaikos.
25. Daniele Bonera
2 of 26
Games played: 16
Daniele Bonera had his worst season in his nine years with Milan. He earned two red cards for his sloppy play in the middle of the defence.
The 33-year-old was not so bad as a full-back, where he played in relief of the injured Mattia De Sciglio and others, but he could not acquit himself as a centre-back, often losing his man and committing dangerous fouls around the 18-yard box.
24. Sulley Muntari
3 of 26
Games played: 16
Sulley Muntari successfully ostracized himself from the rest of the team. At one point, he was inexplicably the captain. By the end of the season, he was nowhere to be found.
He had asked Milan to omit him from the lineup after discovering that he was no longer in their plans, per Di Marzio. And for good reason: not only did he cause injury in training sessions—in one instance, tackling Marco van Ginkel and spraining his ankle, according to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia)—but he was equally a menace to his own team in real games. He was easily dispossessed by opponents, and he gave away penalties.
He has one more year on his contract, but his relationship with the club is all but ended.
23. Cristian Zapata
4 of 26
Games played: 12
Cristian Zapata still doesn't know why he played so little. "After my injury, the coach changed his mind, I had more problems with him than anything else," Zapata told AS (h/t Football Italia). As a result, Zapata could not find a place in the team. Perhaps it was a disciplinary issue: Zapata did get a red card in one of the early games of the season.
He still has a contract with Milan, and his future is uncertain.
22. Riccardo Montolivo
5 of 26
Games played: 10
The Milan captain simply could not stay fit. Even after recovering from a broken leg, Riccardo Montolivo then pulled his hamstring. He was not there at all to guide his team through one of their worst seasons.
The lack of leadership on this team is one of the biggest concerns, and Montolivo has a part in that. He cannot be blamed for all the injuries, but Milan must reassess whether he is truly the man to lead the club going forward.
21. Stephan El Shaarawy
6 of 26
Games played: 18
Much like Montolivo, Stephan El Shaarawy had trouble finding any consistency this season. He missed a chunk of action in the middle of the year with a foot injury.
When he was fit, El Shaarawy could not influence the game. He scored in just two matches for the Rossoneri—including a brace in the penultimate match against Torino—but he was often a passenger in Serie A play.
His future remains uncertain.
20. Alex
7 of 26
Games played: 21
The Brazilian centre-back came to Milan on the heels of a successful 2013-14 campaign at Paris Saint-Germain, where he had amassed a passing rating above 90 per cent. He led Milan in that category this season (at 89.6 per cent, per WhoScored.com), but there was an absence of calmness in Milan's defence this season.
Alex was slow to react on many occasions, allowing opponents the time to strike, and he was not confident with his clearances. This season was a step back for the 32-year-old.
19. Salvatore Bocchetti
8 of 26
Games played: Nine
Milan claimed Salvatore Bocchetti out of the abyss. He was playing (read: not playing) in Russia, and the Rossoneri somehow remembered him in January. He was signed on loan from Spartak Moscow mainly as cover, and he wasn't necessarily a liability. He just wasn't game-ready.
Bocchetti was played out of position, way out at full-back, and he didn't have much time to adapt to this struggling side. It's uncertain whether he will remain with the team on a permanent basis.
18. Mattia De Sciglio
9 of 26
Games played: 17
Mattia De Sciglio had another underwhelming season. His stock keeps falling.
He had to contend with his own foot injury, forcing him to miss half the year, and he just wasn't right on the field. He picked up two red cards, largely because he could not time his challenges, and he could not produce good crosses or win the ball cleanly.
"I need to get some continuous playing time, but I was happy to return in time for this final game," De Sciglio told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Forza Italian Football).
17. Adil Rami
10 of 26
Games played: 21
Adil Rami was another one of the players who had problems with coach Inzaghi. The 29-year-old centre-back told French newspaper L'Equipe (h/t ESPN FC) that he will leave the club if Inzaghi stays.
The argument is likely down to playing time, even though Rami featured in 21 Serie A matches this campaign.
Rami's performances were simply mediocre. His issues with the coach interrupted everything else.
16. Alessio Cerci
11 of 26
Games played: 16
The move for Alessio Cerci was hailed as a masterstroke by vice-president Adriano Galliani in the winter. Galliani, it was thought, had successfully dumped Fernando Torres and picked up the player they had sought the previous summer for no cost at all. But Cerci was a shadow of the player that led Serie A in assists last season: he could not nail down a starting position at Milan.
Fitness was definitely an issue: Cerci joined Atletico Madrid late in the summer and missed pre-season training as result.
15. Suso
12 of 26
Games played: Five
Milan made an extra effort to acquire Suso from Liverpool in January. They could have waited until the summer to complete the move, as he was set to be a free agent. But despite that extra effort, Suso hardly played for his new club.
He did feature in the Milan derby, getting his first start for the Rossoneri in a big game, and he impressed. He was composed on the ball, and he made plays. Suso was not bad with the little time he had on the pitch: he was moored to the bench for reasons unknown.
14. Keisuke Honda
13 of 26
Games played: 29
Keisuke Honda took Serie A by storm in the opening months of the season. He had six goals in his first 11 league matches. Then he left for the Asian Cup in January, and his success trailed off after that.
His last goal for the Rossoneri came in October. In a 2-1 win over Roma last month, Honda produced two assists and showed just how well he can control a game. But it was a fleeting glimpse, much like the rest of his performances.
13. Mattia Destro
14 of 26
Games played: 15
Mattia Destro moved to Milan on loan in January, and he was supposed to help Jeremy Menez with the goalscoring duties. However, Destro did not get much service—in some games, he seldom touched the ball.
What was left was a striker without much confidence. He did score against his parent club Roma at the San Siro, but that was the highlight of a weird nine months for the 24-year-old.
He is a great poacher in the way Pippo Inzaghi was, but he only thrives when he gets the ball in the area. That did not happen enough.
12. Ignazio Abate
15 of 26
Games played: 23
It looked like Ignazio Abate would be having the year of his life in September. He had produced four assists in the first three Serie A games, putting in beautiful crosses and setting up team-mates with ease. But it was a brief hot streak in an otherwise dull campaign for Abate.
11. Andrea Poli
16 of 26
Games played: 33
Andrea Poli, along with Jeremy Menez and Giacomo Bonaventura, played the most for Milan in Serie A this season. He featured in 33 games, slotting in midfield where there was a hole.
Poli scored just the once, but he showed some technique and served as an adequate utility player.
10. Gabriel Paletta
17 of 26
Games played: 14
Gabriel Paletta joined Milan in January, leaving the ruin of Parma behind. He came at no cost, as he was released from his contract with the bankrupt club.
It wasn't a bad coup at all: He had gained international attention for his solid performances in the 2013-14 season. Paletta did a decent job at centre-back for Milan. He gave up one penalty in a match against Palermo, but that was an anomaly.
Paletta cleared his lines with strong headers and emerged as the main starter in central defence.
9. Giampaolo Pazzini
18 of 26
Games played: 26
Just for his sheer professionalism, Giampaolo Pazzini deserves a lot of credit. He made by far the most substitute appearances of any Milan player (22) and did not complain once. He was always smiling.
Finally he earned starts in the final two games of the season, scoring twice across those matches—including his 100th Serie A goal. In some sense, he was able to enjoy personal success in spite of the lack of playing time.
8. Philippe Mexes
19 of 26
Games played: 20
There is no question about his behaviour: Philippe Mexes is a bit of a hot head. He earned himself a four-match ban after trying to choke out Lazio's Stefano Mauri, and he collected the second-most yellow cards on the team (9). But there is also a decent defender beneath all the madness.
Mexes averaged just under six clearances a game for Milan, according to WhoScored, more than any other player on the squad. He also showed that he can be responsible with the ball if he wants to be.
With his contract ending this month, Milan have a decision: re-sign him with some kind of "bad boy" clause, as suggested by Calciomercato.com (h/t Football Italia), or eliminate the headache altogether.
7. Luca Antonelli
20 of 26
Games played: 12
Luca Antonelli was a reliable pick at left-back, starting 10 matches in a row at one point and earning himself a call to the Italy national team.
He replaced the injured Mattia De Sciglio and performed consistently. His defensive contributions were solid, but nothing else about his game is flashy. Antonelli brought some much-needed stability to a tortured position.
6. Christian Abbiati
21 of 26
Games played: 11
The unquestioned starter over the past few years, Christian Abbiati had to deal with being the No. 2 this season. And he did just fine in that role, relieving Diego Lopez when he was injured.
Abbiati's reflexes are still there, despite the 37-year-old thinking about retirement. He's been with the club for 15 years, and his contract ends this month. "If they don’t renew my contract, I will retire," Abbiati told Milan Channel (h/t Forza Italian Football).
5. Marco van Ginkel
22 of 26
Games played: 17
Marco van Ginkel struggled to stay healthy in the first few months of his dry loan spell at AC Milan, but he slowly gained confidence on the pitch and stole a spot in the starting XI.
His progress was steady: Van Ginkel would make deep runs and try to penetrate the defence. He won penalties and played through key passes.
The 22-year-old Dutchman works best as a box-to-box midfielder, and he impressed with more minutes. "Unfortunately he is not our player," Inzaghi said, per the Daily Mirror. “But he has grown a lot."
4. Jeremy Menez
23 of 26
Games played: 33
The main thing about Menez is his goals. He scored eight from open play and another eight from the penalty area. Those strikes won Milan 25 league points, saving the team from further embarrassment. But there were also shenanigans: the selfish runs and the four-match ban to end the year.
Menez was dispossessed 2.5 times a game, per WhoScored.com, more than any other Milan player. He was reckless with the ball just as much as he was brilliant.
3. Giacomo Bonaventura
24 of 26
Games played: 33
Giacomo Bonaventura played almost everywhere: on the wing, in midfield, in an advanced position. He scored seven goals—second only to Jeremy Menez—and registered another four assists, making himself available as both a goal-getter and a playmaker. His versatility has proved to be his best trait.
2. Nigel de Jong
25 of 26
Games played: 29
Nigel de Jong did not make one appearance as a substitute. If he was fit, he was starting that game. There is no denying his importance to Milan. He was the midfield engine once again.
Heading into the final match, De Jong had more interceptions than any other Serie A midfielder, per Opta, and he chipped in with three goals over the course of the season. He also shares respect with the fans, giving them a salute after every one of those goals.
Milan have to do everything they can to re-sign De Jong or risk losing him on a free at the end of June.
1. Diego Lopez
26 of 26
Games played: 28
In six games this season, Diego Lopez had to make five or more saves. His workload in his first year with Milan never let up. Lopez kept Milan in games, and even if they lost, he kept the score respectable.
He was by far the most valuable player to Milan.
.jpg?w=600 "Browns Rejected Cowboys Trade Offer")
