Areas Where AC Milan Are Actually Better Than Last Season

Last year was a horror season for AC Milan.

The team started brightly. Going into the winter break, they were being considered serious contenders for a place in Europe. Instead, they crashed and burned. They lost three of their first four games after the Christmas and only managed to string together consecutive wins twice. The tailspin buried them in 10th place.

It became imperative for Milan to improve. Coach Filippo Inzaghi was shown the door, replaced by Sinisa Mihajlovic. The playing staff was also given a significant overhaul. Dead weight was trimmed in the form of releasing players such as Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien and Daniele Bonera.

Owner Silvio Berlusconi opened the checkbook for the first time since the turn of the decade, spending more than €86 million in an attempt to upgrade the roster. Carlos Bacca, Luiz Adriano and Mario Balotelli were brought in to bolster the attack. Andrea Bertolacci and Juraj Kucka came into the midfield, and Rodrigo Ely and Alessio Romagnoli were signed in an attempt to finally close up a leaky defense.

Some of those moves have panned out; some haven't. But despite the team's lackluster results to open the season—they have five fewer points than Inzaghi's team at this point last term—there are areas where this team has very much improved.

The most obvious place is the forward line.

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In the years since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left the team for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, the Rossoneri have relied on a motley crew of forwards to lead the line. Few of them proved themselves capable. Stephan El Shaarawy came out like gangbusters in 2012, but his top form only lasted half a season before burning out. Balotelli picked up the slack, but he couldn't replicate his form of the winter of 2013 for the 2014-15 season.

Aside from them, the likes of Giampaolo Pazzini, Antonio Cassano, Robinho, Alexandre Pato, Maxi Lopez, Bojan Krkic, Alessandro Matri, Fernando Torres and Mattia Destro have all taken turns at the top and failed to make the position their own.

That has changed. While Adriano has yet to find his footing, Bacca has shown why he cost €30 million. He's scored four times in eight games, and according to WhoScored.com's detailed statistics, he has hit the target with seven of 12 shots he's taken this season.

The addition of a truly world-class forward and proven winner—he helped Sevilla win the last two Europa Leagues—makes a massive difference. He's been augmented by Mario Balotelli. The 25-year-old is back from Liverpool on loan this year, and early indications are that he's finally starting to mature.

If he works out his issues and starts coming close to his potential, he could give an improved area of the field a true quantum leap.

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The defense has still given the team some issues, but from the standpoint of sheer talent, it too is better. That has to do with Romagnoli. The Italy under-21 international has a bright future ahead of him and is worlds more talented than any of those who tried to fill in in at the back before him. With some seasoning, Romagnoli could be the cornerstone of Milan's defense for years to come.

Perhaps the most significant change, though, came off the field.

It was clear last season that Inzaghi was in over his head. Having never previously coached at the top level, Inzaghi did not make an impression on the veteran players. He stuck to his guns tactically for far too long, even though it was apparent his system wasn't working and his selection pattern, both from the start and with in-game subs, was at times mystifying.

Mihajlovic, on the other hand, has already explored new tactics after his 4-3-1-2 provided mixed results to start the campaign. He's kept to a pretty consistent starting XI, only really altering as a result of injuries or suspensions. He's experienced enough to know when something is working—and when his tinkering provides results, he'll likely be able to capitalize on them better than Inzaghi did.

There is a lot of improvement at Milan in individual areas. Now the question relates to how the team can take those improvements and meld them together into a cohesive whole.

If they can do that, the Rossoneri will be able to reclaim the place at the top of the table they held for so long. If not, their exercise in mediocrity will continue—possibly for the foreseeable future.