The new
season is always filled with anticipation, the possibilities unwritten. Until
now. Because to curb your jitters ahead of Saturday’s opening match, we are
asking you to actually write some possibilities for us. And because we like
you, we’ve gone first. You’re welcome.
I hope
that you will recognize my guests, as they are both repeat podcast offenders
around here, amongst other things. David was clever enough to come up with the
idea for this post and also the questions, but if you don’t like them, then
it’s all my fault.
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| Milan's future could depend on his health |
First up, David Swan, Twitter
fiend and wizard of all things Milan finance. You can check out his fantastic
site, acmilanfinance.com and follow
him on Twitter @DavidLSwan. Here
are David’s predictions:
Best signing of the window (so
far):
Andrea
Poli, but only because the midfield needs players like him. Still not utterly
convinced he will make it at the highest level, but we'll see.
Player you would most like to
see leave:
One of
the players who the club signed outright this summer - Kevin Constant. Not good
enough as a left-back or central midfielder. He takes space away from De
Sciglio, plus I think Emanuelson can be better than him as second choice
left-back.
It's a make or break year for:
Ignazio
Abate. I got the impression Milan were very tempted to sell him when the offer
from Zenit came in last January, but decided against it for one reason or
another (maybe the player's desire to stay). Needs to return to the levels of
two season's ago, where he was very good defensively. I feel another average
season, combined with the presence of De Sciglio plus two other guys who can
play left-back (Constant and Emanuelson), could see the club decide to cash in
on him while they can still get €10m+.
Can Milan challenge for the
Scudetto?
They
can certainly challenge. I think the fact they're being overlooked a little bit
is good for them. A lot of focus is on Napoli, and rightly so, but the first 15
or so players in this squad is good enough to compete, particularly if they get
Honda before the window ends.
The most important factor for
Milan having a good season is:
Mario
Balotelli staying fit for the whole season. His knee worries me - he had
meniscus injuries at a young age and has probably had some of it removed. But
there are clearly recurring problems with the bits left in that are causing
swelling and ongoing pain.
Predict the top five for the
2013-14 Serie A season:
Juventus,
Napoli, Milan, Inter, Fiorentina
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| Vergara a strong move in a weak market |
Next up is Pete Acquaviva,
tactical savant and Twitter pundit. For the best tactical analysis of Milan,
Serie A and more, check out his DAI DAI DAI
blog and follow him on Twitter @PDAcquaviva.
Here are Pete’s picks:
Best signing of the window (so
far):
Vergara.
Massive upside in a window without a quality high end option.
Player you would most like to
see leave:
Antonio
Nocerino or Kevin Prince Boateng, although Boateng is tougher to replace. Both
potentially, if a full-midfield revolution is going to take place.
It's a make or break year for:
Phillipe
Mexes. He's on the highest wages on the team and another solid year may
convince the management that he's deserving of an extension although he would
most likely need to forfeit some monetary compensation.
Can Milan challenge for the
Scudetto?
If they
qualify for the Champions League, yes. Then the reinforcements will make it
possible. But as-is today? No.
The most important factor for
Milan having a good season is:
Qualifying
for the Champions League. Without it, this season is a year zero 2.0. The +€30m
boost makes all the difference.
Predict the top five for the
2013-14 Serie A season:
Juventus,
Milan, Fiorentina, Napoli, Udinese
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| Giving our midfield a new look |
And finally, Elaine, speaking
about herself in the third person again. If that’s not crazy enough, follow her
on Twitter @milanobsession for the really crazy rants. Here are my predictions:
Best signing of the window (so
far):
Andrea
Poli. A breath of fresh air.
Player you would most like to
see leave:
Kevin
Prince Boateng - to make room and also so Allegri no longer has the option of
playing him up front. Ever again.
It's a make or break year for:
Antonio
Nocerino. I feel like if he can have a good season, he'll prove the naysayers
wrong. If not, he'll always be a one-season wonder. He's also one of those
players who, when he is playing well, the team plays well.
Can Milan challenge for the
Scudetto?
Yes.
Will they win? Not likely.
The most important factor for
Milan having a good season is:
Squad
rotation and avoiding injuries. (Sorry, that was two.)
Predict the top five for the
2013-14 Serie A season:
Juventus,
Fiorentina, Milan, Napoli, Sassuolo
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| Montolivo was recently seen casing the trophy room for space for new trophies |
Now
it’s YOUR turn. Copy and paste the following in the comments, and add your
season predictions:
Best signing of the window (so
far):
Player you would most like to
see leave:
It's a make or break year for:
Can Milan challenge for the
Scudetto?
The most important factor for
Milan having a good season is:
Predict the top five for the
2013-14 Serie A season:
Forza
Milan!
Our next match is
Hellas Verona vs. Milan
Saturday, August 24 • 18:00 CEST (12noon EDT)
(Preview will be up
tomorrow)