Match Review: Milan v Udinese

Milan faced off against Udinese at the San Siro yesterday, a match with rather important implications. Milan, after drawing 1-1 to Inter the previous match, needed 3 points. Of course, that has been the case for weeks now as the Rossoneri have been prone to dropping points with below average draws against clubs they should handle. The result of this match ended in a 2-0 win for Milan, with both goals coming from Jeremy Menez. Here is how the match went.

Milan fielded a 4-3-3 formation that looked as follows: (Diego Lopez; Armero, Rami, Mexes, Bonera; Bonaventura, Essien, Van Ginkel; El Shaarawy, Menez, Honda) This formation included a few new faces like Van Ginkel and Armero, who both made their first starts for the club.

In the first half, Milan controlled possession and it wasn't really a contest. Milan created numerous chances to take the lead and run away with this match very early on but nothing seemed to fall their way. Still, the club continued to generate chances in hopes of getting that decisive goal which we thought came from Rami, who headed a ball into the net. The goal was not granted despite it appearing to fully cross the line. Later, it was shown to have been the correct call. The 1st half ended 0-0 despite the dominance by Milan.

The 2nd half wasn't nearly as dominant for Milan. Udinese began to control possession more and it seemed that Milan would really be in for another disappointing result. In the 54', Essien received a yellow card which would come into play later on. Despite this, Milan kept Antonio Di Natale in check as the defense was stellar and allowed Diego Lopez to break virtually no sweat in goal. The match would turn in Milan's favor in the 62' when Honda was pulled down by Domizzi in the box which resulted in a controversial penalty and red card decision. Honda appeared to have touched the ball with his hand prior to the foul but regardless, both calls stood. Menez put in the penalty easily, giving Milan the 1-0 lead.

In the 71', Essien would commit his second yellow card offense and it was now a 10-on-10 match for the remaining 20'+. But Milan would add a 2nd goal and one that seemingly sealed the win. Bonaventura fed Menez who made a great individual effort to put himself in scoring position for the goal.

Finally, Pippo used his 3rd and final sub, which brought on captain Riccardo Montolivo for Marco van Ginkel. It was Montolivo's first appearance in a professional match since the devastating injury ahead of the World Cup. He played a few minutes which was a nice finishing touch for Milan's 2-0 win over Udinese.

There were several solid performances for Milan, including Menez, Honda, van Ginkel, Essien and Mexes. However, the ones that stood out the most for me were: Menez, van Ginkel and Mexes. Menez of course scored the two goals, giving him 7 on the year already. van Ginkel started his 1st match and didn't disappoint. Confident on the ball and was at the center of many build ups. Lastly, Mexes turned in yet another solid outing. He seemed to be the leader in the back and as a unit, the back line was organized and prevented Lopez from having to get his gloves dirty. Again, many were solid and this list could include more than three top performers.

Milan have Genoa next Sunday, December 7th followed by Napoli and Roma to end the first half of the season.

Preview: Milan vs Inter

After the current international break for Euro Qualifying concludes, Milan will take on their most hated rival, Inter, in the newest chapter of the historic "Derby della Madonnina."

As it stands, Milan is ahead of Inter in the league table but only by a narrow margin. Milan is in 7th with 17 pts while Inter is in 9th with 16 pts. Of course, there is more than half a season of fixtures left but like Milan, Inter can't afford to drop points and fall deeper.





So how is each team playing and what is their current form? Below is a small review of both Milan and Inter as well a preview of the upcoming Derby della Madonnina.

Inter's last 5 matches w/ result:
Oct 19 v Napoli- 2-2 draw
Oct 26 v Cesean- 1-0 win
Oct 29 v Sampdoria- 1-0 win
Nov 1 v Parma- 2-0 loss
Nov 9 v Hellas Verona- 2-2 draw

Form: D/W/W/L/D


Milan's last 5 matches w/result:
Oct 19 v Hellas Verona- 3-1 win
Oct 26 v Fiorentina- 1-1 draw
Oct 29 v Cagliari- 1-1 draw
Nov 2 v Palermo- 2-0 loss
Nov 8 v Sampdoria- 2-2 draw

Form: W/D/D/L/D

Inter have 8 pts out of their last five matches while Milan have 6 pts. Each team could really use three points here as it would be big in moving back into one of the Europa League spots.

Preview:

With Nigel de Jong a question mark to play in the derby after sustaining a hamstring injury, I expect Inzaghi to strongly consider a different formation, perhaps one that is more offensive minded. He could maybe look at a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 with a centre attacking midfielder instead of a defensive midfielder, which is what they currently use with de Jong in the starting squad. Here is what the squad could look like with a 4-3-3 attack (again, STRICTLY an idea):

Lopez; De Sciglio, Rami, Zapata, Abate; Muntari, Bonaventura, Poli; El Shaarawy, Menez, Honda

The key players for Milan against Inter, in my opinion, are: Stephan El Shaarawy, Adil Rami and Andrea Poli. Obviously, Milan need Stephan to hit his stride and start scoring on a regular basis. His goal against Sampdoria on the counter attack was an encouraging sign for Milan fans. Adil Rami will need to be at his best for Milan if Alex cannot start. Inter have some good attacking players that will need to be contained and it will be up to Rami to anchor down the defense on set pieces, which has hurt Milan for quite some time. Finally, there is Andrea Poli who, if he starts, could be an x-factor for Inzaghi. Poli has always been a fiery player and one that shows the adored "grinta." If de Jong is unable to play, Poli will have to bring the energy and turn in a gritty performance in the midfield. Regardless of formation, I believe Poli will start and this could be the game he solidifies himself as a mainstay in Inzaghi's squad moving forward.

Milan need a good performance here, which is what they have been lacking since defeating Chievo and Hellas Verona in consecutive matches in October. A win would be huge for Milan especially in a game of this magnitude and with the next group of matches leading up to the winter break being pretty challenging.

Let's hope Nigel de Jong is fit and ready to go for Milan. He scored the decisive goal the last time these two clubs met back in May so his inclusion could mean the difference here. Forza Milan.

Milan in 4th after 9 weeks.

After each team in Serie A finished 9 weeks of matches, Milan is tied with Lazio on 16 pts but sits in 4th instead of 3rd due to goal differential.
Here are the standings of the top 6 teams in Serie A thus far:

1. Juventus- 22 pts
2. Roma- 22 pts
3. Lazio- 16 pts
4. Milan- 16 pts
5. Sampdoria- 16 pts
6. Udinese- 16 pts

As you can see, we are in for yet another tight race for European qualification. Juventus and Roma remain the favorites to battle it out for the Scudetto. However, the race for the 3rd and final Champions League spot as well as the two Europa League spots (4-5) could be a back and forth war until the end of the season.

Of course, Milan, under Inzaghi, are off to a better start compared to the last two seasons. We have seen quality play from the team's leading scorer, Keisuke Honda, and Ignazio Abate among other good performers. However, issues remain in the midfield for Milan as they still lack a creative presence. Stephan El Shaarawy still hasn't scored a goal yet this season but one positive is that he is fit and its only a matter of time until he gets into a scoring rhythm.

Additionally, Fernando Torres has only supplied one goal for Milan thus far, which arrived in his first start for Milan. Inzaghi has given Menez more time in the false 9 role so its still difficult to say what we can expect from Torres. Giacomo Bonaventura and Jeremy Menez have combined for 5 total goals which is a nice return. Still, unless Milan get production from El Shaarawy and Torres or perhaps Pazzini, staying in 4th place will be a challenge.

Despite being in 4th place, Milan have yet to get into a rhythm as a squad. Against some of the more easier opponents, they continue to earn just one point which could really hurt down the stretch. Sure, the point isn't bad but Milan have yet to play Roma, Inter, Sampdoria and Udinese. The positive to take from this all is that Inzaghi has yet to get the best of his squad. With the return of Montolivo and hopefully a more productive El Shaarawy, there is no doubt that this club could get back into a European tournament.

Top Performers Through 4 Matches

Milan has revamped the squad from last season and have added some key players to the squad as new manager Pippo Inzaghi looks to restore order to Milan and bring the Rossoneri back to the Champions League. Through 4 matches (Lazio, Parma, Juventus, Empoli), there have been some standout performers for the club that have surprised us all. Here are the top three players for Milan through four weeks of play in the 2014/15 Serie A season:

1. Jérémy Menez: Menez arrived from PSG this past summer for free. The move was questioned by many Milan supporters as issues surrounding the Frenchmen's work ethic and energy remained. Inzaghi was impressed with Menez in the friendly matches leading up to match day one so he decided to  start him in the false 9 position. In his first match v Lazio, he earned and scored a penalty goal to help seal a 3-1 victory for Inzaghi. Against Parma, he scored his second penalty and earned a brace by scoring a superb back heel goal in a 5-4 win. In four matches, Menez has 3 goals and has impressed everyone. Expect him to be a major contributor for Milan the rest of the way.

2. Keisuke Honda: Honda arrived for free last January from CSKA Moscow and was immediately expect to be a big contributor. People began to debate about whether he would be best suited as a right-midfielder/winger or a central midfielder behind the striker. In the second half of last season, Honda failed to live up to the immediate high expectations placed on him. It was unfair for a guy to be asked to be his normal self after changing to a completely different environment in Italy. This season, he has improved dramatically for Milan, playing out wide. Through four matches, he has scored 3 goals while assisting 1. Honda has looked far more comfortable this season, playing out wide while cutting in at times to score which he did v Empoli. Honda has given Inzaghi a quality talent on the right, a strong left footed free kick taker and perhaps a good scoring threat. This is the Honda we expected and he has shown why we coveted him so much.

3. Ignazio Abate: Abate has been with a Milan for several years now and has seemingly been the number one option at right-back. However, last season, he had a down year as did the entire club. Rumors began to swirl around about a possible departure from Milan but he has remained for at least one more season. His contract expires this June so his great run of form this season will surely appeal to many teams across Europe. Abate has always been a suspect crosser at a position that desperately cries for that ability. His ability to move forward and back to defend with sprinter pace has always been appreciated but his poor ability to swing in consistent crosses has left Milan fans questioning his stay. This year, he looks like a rejuvenated player for Inzaghi. He still has great speed and his work rate is just as good. Abate has improved dramatically as a crosser through four matches which is great for Menez, Torres and Pazzini who are the top three number 9 options. The 27 year old Italian international has arguably been the club's most improved player as he has finally learned to cross with consistency. In four matches, Abate has 4 assists (leads the team). Factor in his quickness, effort and ability to now provide good service on the right flank, Abate has been reborn. Milan will surely want to offer him a contract and keep him away from reported suitor, Juventus.

New "Kid" On The Block: The impact of Jérémy Ménez

The arrival of Jérémy Ménez to Milan for free this past June was, at the time, a questionable move for Galliani. Questions surrounding his work ethic and the impact he would provide swirled throughout the summer. But with 3 goals in 2 Serie A matches (both wins), Ménez is all ears, asking "and you were saying?"

Mnez arrived to Milan this past June for free in the hopes of lighting a fire under the rear of his career which seemingly started to decline a bit. PSG didn't have a place for him and when Pippo Inzaghi and management met with the player, Ménez instantly felt Milan was the right place to go to prove to the world that at age 27, he can still be a dynamic player. Of course, Milan had a few wingers already penciled in to be given ample time so Ménez would have to prove his worth both in training and in friendly matches leading up to the Serie A campaign. Ménez showcased himself at the summer tournament, International Champions Cup. This was his "tryout" for Pippo to see how much he could be relied on this season being as Milan lacked the amount of quality wingers needed for Inzaghi's 4-3-3 formation. Despite the club underachieving at the ICC as a whole, Ménez showed determination and energy which were two of the main concerns with him coming in. Still, most Milan fans wouldn't think much of just a few decent performances in friendly matches with little meaning. Milan is in a downfall and unless the club starts winning, individual performance don't really mean much. Postitive results are what Milan fans desire. Simple. We all wanted quality play in games with meaning and with the Rossoneri opening up the season with three tough opponents, one being the Juventus, this is the stage.

Match day one arrived and Milan opened up the season v Lazio. Ménez got the nod from Pippo to start up front in the false 9 position, a spot he typically doesn't play. Throughout the game, we saw the "grinta" and passion of not just Ménez but the entire squad. Pippo appeared to have instilled a different type of motivation into this squad that we haven't seen in some time. The club looked genuinely thrilled to be playing for Pippo and Milan. Ménez earned a penalty and scored it with ease, netting his first goal in his debut for the club. The result was a 3-1 win for Milan and Ménez, being asked to play out of position, performed extremely well and was Man of the Match in the eyes of most Milan supporters. At this time, Milan fans witnessed just a glimpse of what this player could provide.

On match day two v Parma, Ménez again played as a false 9 due to Torres not being active for the match. Again, it was the Frenchman providing the spark in the attack and even at times dropping into the midfield to retrieve passes. He was doing it all for Milan and the confidence Pippo instilled into Ménez paid dividends. He earned another penalty and punched it in but it was his second goal that caught the attention of not just Pippo, Milan and Serie A but also Europe. Ménez took advantage of a
poor back pass by the Parma defender to Mirante and he took a delicate touch brilliance to beat the keeper before finishing off the play with a nifty, out of nowhere back heel goal that had the manager erupting on the sideline. Milan hung on to beat Parma 5-4, earning 6 points in two matches.

Through two Serie A matches with Milan, Jérémy Ménez has netted 3 goals from the false 9 position. Yes, you read that correctly but in case you don't believe me, rub your eyes and read again. 3 goals in 2 games and he has instantly earned the confidence of Pippo. His motivation to score, the drive he shows up and down the pitch and his immediate love for the crest has ignited the Milan fans already. With a huge contest this weekend v Juventus, Ménez will surely get the nod to start regardless of whether or not both El Shaarawy and Fernando Torres are fit. Currently, Ménez is clicking on all cylinders and if this is what he will bring to Milan week in and week out, he will no doubt be the best signing Milan had of the summer.

"El Niño" Rossoneri-bound?

If you haven't heard, Milan have sold their best player in Mario Balotelli earlier this week to Liverpool as the Italian signed a contract with the Anfield tenant. Balotelli made a €20M move (£16M) and in the blink of an eye, Milan were faced with the tough challenge of replacing a player who scored the most goals and had the most assists last year for a poor side that finished 8th in the Serie A league table. With the departure of Mario, who will be the main man up top for Inzaghi?

Several names have been mentioned by multiple reports throughout the week including Roma's Mattia Destro, Liverpool's Fabio Borini and the now frontrunner to fill the vacant centre-forward role, Chelsea's Fernando Torres. After Destro's asking price exceeded what Milan wanted to dish out, he was ruled out. Borini, although a player Milan liked, wasn't considered a player the club was convinced with as he has been disappointing with both Liverpool and Sunderland who he played for last season on loan. So, Fernando Torres is the favorite to be Milan's number 9, also the number he wore for Liverpool when he was in the best form of his career. Let's discuss Milan's potential new signing.

Fernando Torres ( now 30 years old) has been nothing short of a disappointment since arriving to Chelsea in January 2011 for a record £50M fee from Liverpool. At the time of the move, "El Niño was 26 and despite the major leg injury he suffered around the time of the World Cup 2010, he was still one of the world's best at his position. There is no need to go into detail how bad he has been at Chelsea. All you need to know is that he has scored a grand total of 20 league goals in 110 matches. That is about 1 goal every 5.5 matches which isn't exactly impressive when you factor in his past scoring rate. What is perhaps more shocking is that he is still with Chelsea, particularly because they are a rich club who don't hesitate to go out and spend to reinforce the squad. Now that Demba Ba has been sold to Besiktas, Drogba has returned from Galatasaray and the big arrival of Diego Costa as the main hit man, Torres has finally been shown the door as he is no longer an option for Mourinho.

Of course, Milan need a striker and Chelsea want to allow one to leave. Seems like a match made in heaven for Berlusconi and Galliani right? Fernando Torres has become Galliani's top target for the number 9 role and talks have ignited between Chelsea and Milan officials as they both look to come to an agreement for the Spaniard to make a move to San Siro before the summer transfer window shuts. Let's just say Milanisti aren't too fond of this news and based on the current form and wages of the player, who would be?

Torres has reportedly agreed to make a move to Milan but only on a permanent basis, not a loan. Also, his extraordinarily high wage pay has put a snag in a deal to Milan as well as the contract length demands by the player. Torres currently earns about €6M/yr but it appears he could be set to take a pay cut of around 50% to join Milan if Chelsea agree to pay the severance package to cover the wages he is reducing. Torres' agent, Chelsea and Milan officials are to meet tomorrow to negotiate and fine tune the deal. According to Sky, Milan have offered Fernando Torres a 3 year contract worth €3.5M + bonuses per year.

Aside from the business view of the whole negotiation, Milanisti have taken to social media, Twitter in particular, to express their dissatisfaction with Torres as the replacement. After selling the club's best player for less than par value for a player of Mario's age and ability, fans feel that Torres isn't the man to help Milan win matches. Of course, we feel the same. Torres is a player we respect simply because he gives it his all on the pitch and he will take the field with no issues about work rate. However, most feel that he has little to give a club and he is far past his Liverpool days when he was one of the world's most prolific scoring threats. At the moment, we are disappointed in the reality that Torres could be leading the attack come opening match day v Lazio but Milan fans are veterans when it comes to questionable moves. However, once (or if) he becomes an official player of Milan, I will welcome him to the squad with optimism and open arms which is what all Milanisti should do as well. Remember, club first over player. Put your disgust aside and wish for the success and positive results of the club.

The Italian transfer window shuts on September 1st, 2014 so stay tuned to Twitter in the coming days as Milan could find a deal with Chelsea that would bring Fernando Torres to the Rossoneri. Forza Milan.

UPDATED: (as of 08/29/14)

According to Sky Sports, Milan have reached an agreement with both Chelsea and Fernando Torres. Torres reportedly won't receive any severance package. The length of Torres' contract with Milan will be for 2 years with a reported annual pay of €3.5M. Torres is believed to be arriving to Milan on a free transfer but it has not been confirmed so stay tuned to the usual reliable sources on Twitter (Di Marzio, Amoyal, Milanello etc)

Milan Channel are also reporting that Torres could undergo the medical tests tomorrow in Milano. The player should arrive tomorrow morning in Milano to take the medicals, the first at La Madonnina clinic and the second at the Milanello training ground, via @Milanello.

Is There Time To Save The Summer?

Late last summer, Milan made some major moves at the end of August, adding and subtracting from the squad. Milan sold Kevin Prince Boateng to Schalke but of course, Kaká returned back to Milan for what would be his final season with the Rossoneri. But with Milan supporters pleading for a revamped squad that can contend, can Galliani and the Berlusconi's save this disappointing summer transfer window?

Earlier this week, Milan were busy trying to regain the respect from the Milan faithful as they made some key subtractions with a few additions as well. Kevin Constant was sold to Trabzonspor for a fee north of €2mil and to fill the void, Pablo Armero has been brought in from Udinese on a season loan. Perhaps the most important move was the deal to send Robinho on loan for the season to Santos which could help get the ball rolling for Milan to address some areas of need this summer. Milan are also in heavy talks to bring in Real Madrid keeper Diego Lopez. Lopez is a player Milan surely need as Abbiati is nearing the end of his career and Agazzi already showing to be a disappointment in just a few friendly matches. Diego Lopez is a very good goalkeeper who would be welcomed with open arms unless of course his wage demands exceed what Milan is willing to pay.

The three areas Milan need to address before their first league match v Lazio on August 31st are the midfield, goalkeeping and of course, right wing. Milan appear to be getting close to securing Lopez but what about the midfield and right wing? Let's take a look.

Starting with the midfield, its quite clear that an upgrade is needed. The projected 3 midfielders to start for Inzaghi are Poli, de Jong and Saponara. Of course, Cristante and Muntari are options with Montolivo not expected to return until the winter months. In all honesty, I doubt this area gets addressed. Inzaghi will have to get creative and understand how his former Primavera players fit into the squad.

As for the right wing, Milan remain a suitor for Alessio Cerci with Atletico Madrid also courting him. With Robinho out, the time is now to pursue Cerci as he is the prototypical option to play right wing in Inzaghi's 4-3-3 formation. However, Niang has been showing signs of quality in the past few weeks particularly in the match v Chivas earlier this week where he scored the first Milan goal of a 3-0 win for the Rossoneri. The Frenchman is still a young 19 years of age and his better years are certainly ahead of him but perhaps this year isn't the year to become a starter for Milan. Honda is also an option outside although most would say he is playing out of position. Milan could also look to bring back Adel Taarabt who played well under Seedorf last season when he made the loan move to Milano.

Here is the bottom line: Cerci needs to be acquired. He is left footed and has tremendous pace which is just one of his many skills. Robinho is out on loan, making the move more likely. But will Milan dish out the €18-20mil for Cerci? Will they look to match the asking price for Taarabt? Or will they find the solutions from within the current squad? The final month of the transfer window could either be disappointing or enjoyable. Stay tuned. Forza Milan.