Milan 2, Atalanta 0: Twice as Good

Milan are getting used to winning again. And keeping clean sheets. This 2-0 victory over Atalanta was our fourth win in a row and as many clean sheets after an abysmal drop in form. It was also a landmark match for Pioli, his 800th career match, 169 of them for AC Milan. But Milan are not as used to winning against such tricky opponents, let alone having so many players available. With only three players out, that meant the glorious return to the pitch of both Maignan and Ibrahimović. In fact, the heavens wept with joy at their return. And that is what made this win twice as good.

Current mood.

Milan-Atalanta Preview: Milan Fashion Week

This is a very important match. Having dropped so many points, every Serie A match is important. But Atalanta are only three points behind us and are one of the five teams competing for the other top three spots behind Napoli for Champions League next season. Not that you would know that from Milan's social media this week, which is focused on the abominable new fourth kits the players will be wearing for this match. Because why talk about football when it's Milan Fashion Week?

The shirt was horrific enough. But the shorts, too? It is literally a fashion crime.

Milan's Fourth Kit by KOCHÉ: Optical Terrorism

Apparently, the Milan fashion elite are appropriating the "When in Rome" concept, because this week is Milan Fashion Week, so Puma and Milan released a fourth kit designed with French designer KOCHÉ. The press release claims the kit is "Rossonero reality reinterpreted in digital 8-bit glory." Or was that gory? Because my eyes are bleeding just looking at it. Worse still, our players actually have to wear them when we host Atalanta on Sunday. They deserve so much better. After what we've been through, particularly since January, we deserve so much better. This is not "street-inspired couture," it is optical terrorism.

Optical terrorism.

Choosing Thiaw

Last summer, Milan identified a new center back as a priority signing in their transfer window. When the sale of the club and a massive offer from a Premier League club removed their first choice signing from the market, they ended up signing another young, albeit lesser known German center back called Malick Thiaw near the end of the transfer window for a lot less money. Fans thought this was a failure, but not even six months later, we are reaping the benefits of Maldini and Massara choosing Thiaw.

Once again, our technical directors have made an excellent choice

Monza 0, Milan 1: The Ugly Art of Defending

Milan won the Berlusconi Lombardy Derby by defeating Monza 1-0 on Saturday evening. To be fair, Berlusconi did not attend the match, he was probably worried his players would hold him to his promise of 'a bus full of whores' if they had won. Which they didn't, obviously. Or maybe he knew that his cheap knockoff Milan side would lose to a Milan side built on the principles of youth, morals, and a fraction of the cash he used to splash to win elections trophies when he owned the club. Or maybe, like many Milan fans, he could not bear to watch Milan's new, more defensive tactics, also known as the ugly art of defending.

Defend as a team, win as a team

Monza-Milan Preview: Berlusconi's "Bus Full of Whores"

Saturday evening, Milan will visit former owner Berlusconi's new cheap knockoff Milan team, Monza. While Milan are fired up after back to back wins and finding their way out of a dreadful run of form, Monza are incredibly the only undefeated Serie A team since the return in January. Berlusconi widely credits Palladino for this success, who came in after Monza started with five losses and a draw, but he still had four losses before the break, including their 4-1 loss to Milan in October. The true secret to their success is more likely in an incentive that only Berlusconi would have offered: a bus full of whores. Since he made that promise in December, the 'little team that shouldn't' have had three wins and a draw, including completing the double against Juventus. So while Milan are winning again and inspired, it will be difficult to come up with a better motivator... at least one that is legal or ethical.

Stuck in his misogynistic and criminal past

AC Milan 1, Tottenham 0: Heartbeat

Milan finally seemed to resuscitate some of the life back into their form after five weeks of results that left fans dead inside. After flatlining in the league Derby with Pioli's bizarre tactical changes, they have fought back, and with the 1-0 victory over Tottenham, now have back to back wins. This one was especially important, on one of Europe's biggest nights. Their performance could certainly still improve, but their pulse is now strong again, they are smiling once more. Milan have found their heartbeat.

One goal to jumpstart our hearts

Champions League Round of 16 • AC Milan-Tottenham Hotspur FC: Hearts' Desire

Tonight is the big night. Milan host Tottenham in the Champions League Round of 16 on Valentine's Day. Milan fans had been looking forward to this night until 2023 happened, with only two wins in ten matches, having conceded 19 goals in all competitions. But Spurs fans have seen their season have ups and downs and have new injuries and a manager coming back from surgery. Still, it is the Champions League, and both teams will dig deep to play for the win, everyone's hearts' desire.

My perfect Valentine's Day looks something like this

Podcast • Milan-Tottenham: Parallel Universe

Milan are finally back in the Champions League knockout round facing Tottenham on Tuesday. For this Frenemies podcast, I had the good fortune of having the legendary Spurs expert Ricky Sacks of Last Word on Spurs to help me preview the match. We found out about Ricky's background as a Spurs fan, then compared notes on our two teams to find how much Milan and Tottenham have in common in what seems to be a parallel universe.

Frenemies

Milan 1, Torino 0: Third Time's A Charm

Milan have faced Torino twice this season, and lost. The second time knocked us out of the Coppa Italia, in front of our own fans at the San Siro. Then we went for five more matches without a win, something Ibrahimović described this week as simply a "moment" that would pass. As you would expect with deity, his mere presence returning to the bench after over eight months seems to have put an end to that "moment." So, while he did not even feature, we finally managed to both defeat Torino 1-0 and keep a clean sheet doing it. Apparently, the third time's a charm.

What the doctor ordered.

Milan-Torino Preview: A Moment

Milan are having a moment. Or at least that is what Ibrahimović calls it. He returned to full training this week and will reportedly be available for the bench for this match. However, this match is a very important "moment." It will be the third time Milan have faced Jurić's Torino side this year, after they knocked us out of the Coppa Italia last month. Being winless in seven matches and facing this particular team means a result in this match would give an added boost to mentality. Whereas another loss would damage mentality that much more. Not to mention that it is our last league match before the Champions League Round of 16. So this one may be more than a just "moment."

Dazed and confused.

Podcast: Milan Season Survival Guide

Despite having lost to the Champions of Arabia in the Derby, Søren was kind enough to join me to discuss how to survive the rest of this season with Milan (Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of alcohol.) We caught up on the latest news, including the Champions League list, injuries, and then ran down recent matches, and we even discussed the tenuous position of a certain manager.

Don't turn your back on Milan

Inter 1, Milan 0: Density

Milan lost the Derby della Madonnina, 1-0 to cross-city rivals Inter. But that was really not the news of the night for Milan fans. The surprise was Pioli's bizarre tactics, which he said were to create "density" to protect the defense. Milan definitely conceded far fewer goals, so that seemed to work. But his plan to also create an effective attack by using two strikers absolutely failed. While he seems to be restoring the team's mentality, and to his credit, in his prematch press conference, he said that "There are no shortcuts for effort," the tactics he used were mindboggling. Worse still, he said afterward that he plans to use them again for the next several games. It seems that it is not just his defense alone that has density.

Are Pioli's tactics an act of defiance, denial, or sheer density?

Inter-Milan Preview: Missing Persons Campaign

Milan continue their search for their identity as they head into the Derby della Madonnina. Earning the very unfortunate distinction of having conceded the most goals of any team in the top five European leagues thus far in 2023, Pioli is also reported to be in search of a new tactical system. As usual, Milan are missing at least five players, pretty much all starters. So although it is a Derby, and I hate Inter so much more than a person should, this match will be more of a missing persons campaign than just another football match.

A true Derby at the San Siro will have all of the fire and none of the pyrotechnics

Milan Misinformation: The Importance of Facts in the Face of Crisis

The media is full of clickbait, and never so much as during the transfer window. Or during a crisis. Most of the time, their false stories are allowed to disappear into the vast echo chamber that they originated from. But on Tuesday, there was one story that was not allowed to stand. Milan took a stand and posted a contradiction to a false story that La Gazzetta dello Sport had run that day regarding their negotiations with Leão. They went so far as to point out that not only was the story completely unfounded, it was harmful to the Club and the player. While this is a very rare occurrence, that the Club would make such a strong statement to correct misinformation, it brings up a very crucial point: the importance of facts in the face of crisis.

So important to separate fact from fiction