The 2015/2016 campaign has been yet another letdown in a string of failures from the Rossoneri over the years, however there are some positives to take away from this season.
Milan sit adrift seven points out of fifth place in Serie A and again appear to be well on their way to another season outside of European play. In a year which has seen a few players flop, another coach fired (Milan are currently paying the salary of four coaches at the present) and the financial decay of another season without Champions League play, there are a few bright spots for the seven time Champions League winners.
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi last summer had finally opened up the purse and spent nearly €85 million on acquisitions in an attempt to spur his club forward. With the new coach, Sinisa Mihajlovic taking the helm at the club, it was a very encouraging sign to see Silvio finally giving the backing to a new coach in an attempt to break the cycle of dispair.
However, the more established players like Andrea Poli, Phillipe Mexes, Mattia De Sciglio and others had a really poor year for the club. Leaving Mihajlovic without crucial options in the midfield and defense.
On the other hand, there should be a sense of optimism around the clubhouse looking towards the 2016/2017 campaign with some of the new younger faces preparing to come through. With the appointment to the senior squad of Cristian Brocchi, the club’s primavera coach, a number of younger players may feel that they will be given the opportunity to make their debuts. Manuel Locatelli is one of the most highly-touted midfielders in the primavera league and seems very close to breaking through to the first team. In the waning days of the Mihajlovic regime, Locatelli was called up a few times to the bench, but did not make an appearance.
Brocchi in his first press conference, also gave a glimpse of what his Milan will look like when they take on Sampdoria this weekend. “The first thing I will say is that I will bring a culture of work, but I have seen that from the players this season and that is down to the methods of Mihajlovic and his staff. I really want to bring in my methodology and way of coaching, that could be different to that of other coaches,” Brocchi said.
“I would not say better, but definitely different in that I have worked in another way and I want to make sure the team apply that. Yesterday was my first training session and I cannot change the mentality of the players straight away. I am trying to explain what I want. I like to play with three in midfield and four in defence. I like the idea of playing with a play-maker which I did with the youth side in the second half of the season.”
This gives the allusion that Brocchi will revert to the famed 4-3-1-2 formation that could see Milan’s brightest player this season, Giacomo Bonaventura, play in a more advanced role, rather than on the wing.
With this year’s campaign already all but lost, it’s important to mention a few players who are set to make Milan a top club again, and unlike a lot of other clubs in Italy, the change comes from within.
In addition to Locatelli, Davide Calabria is another player who could make a big difference in the years to come, especially if Mattia De Sciglio is offloaded this summer as rumors swirl.
Other players like Alessio Romagnoli, Carlos Bacca, Gianluigi Donnarumma are beacons of hope for the near and distant future. The 17 year old goalkeeper usurped the role as the starter has been very impressive this season. Should Brocchi elect to keep him in that role, we could see the rise of the next great Italian keeper, and that is certainly something worth holding onto for AC Milan fans.
Admittedly, it’s been a very difficult year for the Diavoli, however with the chance of silverware at the end of the season in the Coppa Italia finale, and with a slew of young, talented and hungry players coming through to the starting lineup, there is a very strong sense of optimism in the AC Milan longterm future.
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