Q&A: Adamo Ritacco (@AdamoRitacco)

Adamo Ritacco is a panelist on Rossoneri TV on a consistent basis. He does a good amount of work on there, shedding light on all things surrounding the Rossoneri. As a passionate fan of the game, Adamo was kind enough to answer some questions for me. Here is my Q&A with the man himself.





Q. I ask everybody. Let's hear your story on how you became a Milanista. Why this club over others?

A: "I'll admit it, I nearly became a Romanista, mainly due to the fact that Francesco Totti has been my idol since I could remember, but something about the red and black of Milan shouted out to me. I couldn't resist. It wasn't even due to all of the legendary players they had at the time, more so, the connection I felt when I first saw them walk onto the pitch."

Q. It's very early in his managerial career, but what traits do you see in Pippo Inzaghi that you can compare to past/present managers?

A: "The thing I like about Inzaghi is that he thrives off the unity/confidence of the squad. something Milan have been missing in recent years. Not that Milan is a complete unit at the moment, but he's guiding them to the right path. The key will be to find consistency within the squad as a whole. I'm willing to give him time."

Q. In your eyes, who has been the top performer for Milan in 2014?

A: "In my opinion, it's got to be Menez for the amount of important goals he's scored for the club. There's a bunch of other mentions I could make but he stands out for me."

Q. You contribute on a weekly basis to Rossoneri TV and occasionally Italian Football Daily. How does your work impact football for you?

A: " I feel that it gives people something to look forward to, as well as being something they can rely on either as a source or for a sense of entertainment. I love working within football as it's always been my dream, and hopefully I can make it to another level."

Q. Finally, I want a quick prediction from you. Does Milan make Champions League this season? And is it contingent on what they do/don't do in the January mercato?

A: "It's definitely a possibility. There are plenty of teams fighting for the position, which makes it an even tougher objective to obtain. I can see them making Europe at the very least."


Once again, I just want to thank Adamo for taking the time to answer some questions for a string of fan blog posts we are doing for the AC Milan Brothers account. If you don't follow Adamo on Twitter, please do so, @AdamoRitacco.

Q&A: Gio, from Rossoneri TV

If you follow Milan and you enjoy being involved in the large Rossoneri community that has evolved on Twitter, then you definitely know what super-account, Rossoneri TV, is all about. Rossoneri TV has amassed a large following on Twitter with over 2,000 followers. Gio, the account manager, also takes to Youtube, which he uses to share match previews/reviews, fan reactions and breaking news surrounding the Rossoneri among other things.

Over the past several weeks, my brother and I have been frequent guests on his Youtube videos and he truly has found a unique way to bring the entire Milan universe together with his work.

Because he has welcomed the AC Milan Bros (@ACMilanBros) numerous times on his post match reviews, he decided to take some time to  answer a few questions for me.


Q: How did you become a Milan fan? What attracted you to this club as opposed to other clubs in Europe?

A: " I became a Milan fan at the age of 9. My Italian decent definitely played a part in me choosing Milan over other clubs. At the time, Inzaghi, Maldini, Gattuso and Nesta were the players that I enjoyed watching the most. Shortly after, I developed a love for the entire team. I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed some great club achievements such as the 2003 and 2007 Champions League title wins.

Q: As for Milan, if you had to pinpoint the three primary areas of concern for the current squad, what would they be and why?

A: "I think the three primary areas of concern for the current squad are reinforcing the defense, getting some technical midfielders, and getting rid of the waste. As far as reinforcing the defense, Milan took small steps this summer, however we are still lacking something. I always strongly believe that defenses make you win championships. Technical midfielders are another must in our current squad. I think we're pretty set as far as defensive midfielders go, however we need players that could make the defensive-attacking transition as smooth as possible. Finally, there is a list of players that are just taking up space at Milan and must leave. A mild cleanup was done throughout the summer, however the club must keep getting rid of the junk in the next transfer windows."

Q: How long do you think it will take for Milan to be back into the Champions League as a legitimate threat?

A: "I think right now the focus is getting back into the Champions League. We need to return being competitive in Serie A before we can call ourselves a legitimate threat in Europe. Without money being spent and without the appropriate players to challenge on all fronts, we will never be a legitimate threat again. When the club changes their current philosophy and demonstrates to the fans what they're truly capable of, then we can start talking.

Q: Long term, do you feel Pippo Inzaghi is the right man for the managerial job? And do you feel he is the one to lead us to a Champions League run?

A: "Pippo Inzaghi has the right qualities in my opinion to hold the manager job at Milan. For a club that currently has many problems and has to do without top players (unlike the top teams), I feel that he is doing a pretty good job. I believe fans are over-criticizing him at times when the results don't come. No one should expect any coach to perform miracles at Milan right now. I sincerely hope he stays at the club for a long time. It would be wild to see him win the Champions League as a manager after having witnessed him winning it as a player twice."

Q: Lastly, Milan take on Roma this Saturday, which is the last match of the year. Predictions? 

A: "Roma is a very strong team of course with qualities in every sector. They're currently battling with Juventus for the Serie A title and they will want to keep up the pace with them. It will be a tough match at the Olimpico on Saturday, but I don't write off our chances. Christmas could come early for us Milanisti. After a win against Napoli, our morale is high enough to capture a result against Roma."

If you do not follow Rossoneri TV on Twitter, please do so, @RossoneriTV. Also, be sure to subscribe to his Youtube channel as he covers everything one would need to know regarding Milan. Here is the link to his Youtube channel: (www.rossoneritv.com) Forza Milan!

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.