The Morning After

So the season ended, and after a crazy ride, we ended in third place, with more questions than answers as to how we got there. And, just like anything else in life potentially tinged with shame, it seems more prudent to leave those questions, at least for now. With the future of Milan’s manager still hanging in the balance, the future is also filled with questions that we don’t have any answers for. And now that the champions of Europe and the Italian cup have been crowned, and with the mercato still over a month away from officially opening, there are a lot of football-free hours to fill. So rather than try to answer those questions from the past that we do't necessarily want answered or speculate too much on the future with so much unknown, maybe we could give ourselves a good hard look in the mirror and face a new day. After all, the morning after can be filled with regret or revelation, or maybe a little of both.

So much regret, such a long contract

So let’s start with regrets, and get those out of the way. Who is your biggest player regret this past season? Which player made the least sense to you, frustrated you the most, played the least or the worst?

You have to know mine is Cristian Zaccardo. Since joining Milan in January in a swap deal with Parma for Mesbah and a 6 month loan of Rodney Strasser (that’s two players for the price of one, people,) and signing a contract that will keep him at the club through 2016, what has he done? He made one appearance in the second half of the Lazio game where they played on 10 men for 75 minutes and we were already up 2-0 when he took the pitch. He took one shot wide, that is his claim to fame for this season. And he’s 31. We couldn’t even give Pirlo a two year deal just two years ago, now this guy comes along and gets three and a half years of riding the Milan bench and collecting a paycheck? Is this what you call rebuilding? It’s like waking up in the morning next to a family member, or someone who is the opposite gender as you thought they would be, and learning the hard way that there are worse things out there than a serious hangover.

The force is strong with this one

Okay, so now that I feel dirty, how about some some revelation. Who is your biggest revelation player this season, the one who exceeded all of your expectations? Who surprised you again and again and made you truly grateful they were on the team?

We actually have so much hope and future in this squad, it is really refreshing to have to try so hard to narrow this down. But I think I would choose Mattia De Sciglio. After just a couple of appearances to tease us last season, De Sciglio was a mainstay for Milan this season. With 30 appearances and 3 substitutions in all competitions as well as 3 assists, he wowed us with his calm and easy presence, with his beautiful crosses, and his elegant, almost effortless style of play. Sure, he collected his fair share of fouls, and there was that one penalty he conceded against Fiorentina,. The kid has a learning curve, after all, he’s only 20 years old. But I still get chills thinking of the way he bossed Asamoah when we beat Juve in November, for example. And his versatility and humility just make him that much more of a dream come true. We must keep this one in the squad no matter what. It’s like waking up the morning after and realizing that you didn’t even drink the night before, but instead found someone that you might just want to spend the rest of your life with.

So who is your regret? Who is your revelation, the one to keep in the Milan jersey at all costs this mercato? Tell us who and why. And hopefully, all of our wishes will be granted… nah, who am I kidding? Hopefully we’ll survive this summer without having to be drunk before we check in on the mercato every time.

Here’s to a good mercato, a great FFP-aligned rebuilding, and as ever, Forza Milan!

This post inspired by the music of The Bravery