AC Milan: Alive and Kicking Once More

In his first press conference as AC Milan tactician, rookie coach Leonardo said that he wanted to see a Rossoneri that in its coming season would put the emphasis on playing entertaining, offensive-minded football.

We all know what happened from there.

The circumstances were anything but ideal. The close to zero activity in the player mercato combined with the lack of real training resulted in a disastrous preseason. On top of that, Leonardo missed the key components to his preferred 4-3-3 system—high quality fullbacks.

The bright start against Siena on the opening matchday was followed by the 4-0 onslaught at the hands of their city rivals, Inter Milan. As the Diavolo followed up with more mediocre performances and goalless stalemates against teams such as newcomers Livorno and Bari, it naturally resulted in the papers calling Leonardo’s future into question.

The Brazilian was, however, not the only one to be torn into pieces as both the media and the club’s supporters questioned many of the players’ commitment and attitude on the pitch. Only a select few were lucky enough to evade the criticism that was directed towards the team.

The team was having a hard time scoring the goals despite creating a magnitude of chances. In the defense, it was mainly down to the heroics courtesy of a rejuvenated Alessandro Nesta and second goalkeeper Marco Storari that kept sparing the Diavolo from blushes.

Twelfth place in the domestic league and a shocking defeat to FC Zürich in the Champions League wasn’t simply acceptable for a club of Milan’s standings.

Then came the turnaround.

In week eight, Milan welcomed AS Roma to the San Siro after a string of disappointing performances. Despite going down early due to Jeremy Menez, Milan completed a comeback in the second half as Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato lead the way. There was, however, some controversy surrounding the result considering some very dubious refereeing decisions.

The win gave the Rossoneri side a much needed morale boost as they travelled to the Santiago Bernabeu to clash swords with Real Madrid. As expected, Leonardo’s men headed into the interval with a deficit, 1-0. There were few who believed they could equalize, much less turn the score.

However, that was exactly what happened. Andrea Pirlo created a goal out of nowhere and invited his side back into the game. Due some exceptional play and the superb vision of Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf, Pato was able to bag a brace as Milan collected an unexpected victory which made them joint leaders in group C.

Next in the league, Milan came from behind to heap misery on Chievo, courtesy of a Nesta brace in the final stages of the game. The Rossoneri followed up with a dramatic draw against Napoli in midweek and went on to secure another victory against Parma thanks to Marco Borriello’s spectacular brace.

Soon, it was time for the return fixture against Real Madrid. The Spaniards came out with guns blazing at the San Siro, but after the explosive start by the visitors, Milan gradually took over and was able to play out an entertaining draw.

In the past couple of weeks, the Diavolo have showcased that the players described as “past their expiration date” still have much more to give to the team. You can’t take away class and lately, Milan has showcased that they still have plenty of it in their ranks. Despite lacking the obvious depth unlike some of their competitors, the team is still very much alive and kicking.

Out of favor Dida is performing miracles on a weekly basis. Nesta is probably the best centre back in the world at the moment and with Thiago Silva by his side, the duo creates one of the league’s most impressive center defenses.

The midfield is showing both heart and vision.

Ronaldinho can be downright stunning at times and Pato’s goal drought seems to be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the same things can’t be said for the full-backs which continue to be disappointing—but when the entire team raises its performances, the flaws are not quite as distinct.

A disturbing fact is, however, how the Rossoneri have stayed true to their bizarre inability to start games properly. Coming back from behind has been somewhat of a specialty for Leonardo’s men lately and perhaps that works as motivational factor, but inviting the opponents into the game is a habit that the team must break as soon as possible.

While it, at times, has looked like the team is completely devoid of ideas and even seems downright unable to get out a sticky situation, the team still possesses enough quality players who with their individual brilliance can save the day. The struggle against inconsistency continues, but the players are slowly finding it and being decisive once more.

Despite the mixed displays of form, Milan still sits at a decent fourth place with nine points currently separating them from the top. On top of that, the Rossoneri top their Champions League group with a superior head to head record to Real Madrid who are also tied on seven points.

History has repeatedly showcased that the Rossoneri never are to be written off. Evidently this time is no exception.