Milan 2, Bologna 2: Critical Errors

This match was a perfect opportunity to do some performance testing on a system that finally seemed to be ready to run smoothly. Unfortunately, in addition to some referee bugs, Milan made some critical errors that saw them draw 2-2 to Bologna at home. Despite a fantastic Loftus-Cheek brace that defied even the Moneyball algorithms, two missed penalties caused Milan to drop points, just when they were about to win their fifth league match in a row. Pioli will have some mental reprogramming to do this week after multiple critical errors.

A physical battle that was relatively even, but for critical errors.

Milan-Bologna Preview: Auditions

Saturday night, Milan host Bologna at the San Siro, the return match of our first game of the season. Milan started off the season in stunning form, winning that match away to Bologna 2-0. So much has happened since then, with Pioli's position repeatedly coming into question. Meanwhile, Bologna's manager (and former Inter player) Thiago Motta is one of the people heavily linked as a potential replacement should the Club part ways with Pioli. So you could argue that this match allows them both to show what they can do, with the result being like some form of auditons.

Auditions for consistency and mentality will take place on Saturday at San Siro.

Udinese 2, Milan 3: Justice for Mike

Some matches are bigger than football. Udinese fans chose to make this one about everything but the football. Udinese fans in their Curva racially abused Mike Maignan. He could be seen notifying the referee, Maresca, pointing to the fans and gesturing like a monkey. They were racially abusing him. It happened again, and the match was suspended. Maignan walked off the pitch, and his teammates followed him. I have never been so proud. This forced a stoppage of over five minutes, which got the attention of the stadium, the fans, and the world. And although Udinese came back and scored two morally excruciating goals to go ahead, our team stood up and stood by their teammate and made sure that racism did not win. The 3-2 victory for Milan over Udinese was not so much a sporting victory as it was justice for Mike.

The best way to defeat racism is on the pitch.

Udinese-Milan Preview: Critical Stage

Milan travel to Udine sitting very comfortably in third place on the table, having dispatched Roma at the San Siro on Sunday. That match was the final nail in the coffin for legendary manager José Mourinho, whom Roma's American owners replaced with former Roma legend Daniele De Rossi. Pioli's job has reportedly also been on trial this season, even if fans declared their verdict of Pioli Out before he even signed a contract four years ago. In his defense, Milan's manager has come up with important victories even when injuries, the media, and all other evidence was stacked against him. But the season is long, and neither Milan nor Pioli are safe yet. With Udinese languishing near the bottom of the table, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. After the criminally poor results that began last January, Milan fahave reached the critical stage.

Will the players show up in defense of our season?

The Americanization of Serie A

With the American owners of Roma choosing to part ways with Mourinho on Tuesday following Roma's back to back loss with rivals Lazio in the Coppa Italia last week and losing again to Milan in the league on Sunday, the football world was once again surprised at the sudden sacking of such an important football legend. Fabio Capello was perhaps the first to point out the connection between the sacking of Mourinho and Cardinale's sacking of Maldini, calling out the American owners for their disrespectful treatment of two footballing legends. To be fair, unlike Milan's case, Roma did have grounds to sack Mourinho, given his multiple suspensions for abuse of referees and the fact that Roma sit in ninth place, well out of a European spot on the table. However, his dismissal was very abrupt and unexpected, after reported unanswered communications from management, similar to what happened with Maldini. But that is all part of the Americanization of Serie A.

Paul Singer, Gerry Cardinale, and Gordon Singer, Milan's American owners past and present.

Milan 3, Roma 1: Breaking the Spell

Milan have struggled to put together anything remotely close to a run of form since early in the season, when they started off with seven straight wins. After being knocked out of the Coppa Italia by referee Di Bello Atalanta midweek, this match seemed like it would be a big test. Particularly considering that this same fixture last year was the match that began our downfall. However, even if it was as much about Roma not showing up for this match, Milan did, with a convincing 3-1 win over the Giallorossi. That is how you go about breaking the spell.

A Serie A first - three different French players scoring for one team.

Milan-Roma Preview: Showing Up

Last year, at virtually this same time, on January 8th, Milan hosted Roma at the San Siro. They gave up a 2-0 lead after the 87th minute to draw with the Giallorossi, the game that many said was the beginning of our descent into oblivion last year. The parallels between that match and this one are uncanny. Mourinho is suspended again, and last year Milan were missing nine players to injury. With so many freakish coincidences, how do Milan rewrite their story and create a different result on Sunday? By showing up.

As players slowly return from injury, it's time for Milan to show up again.

Milan 1, Atalanta 2: Karma is a Goddess

Milan have lost plenty of matches due to incorrect ref calls. Whether it was in the ultra-tight Scudetto race in 2022, or our first time back in the Champions League, or so many others. What stings about this one is losing when Gasperini was sent off for being such a lowlife human being, then had the audacity to say the ref was rude to him for not saying hello to him, and then went on to brag about how great his team is. Even though they only won because of a wrong penalty call. It also stings that the wrong penalty call went against our 18 year-old player, who actually managed to get to the ball first, but was penalized for an opponent's convincing dive. I get that this management deserves all of the bad Karma in the world after everything they have done, but Milan fans and players deserve better. This game was very evenly matched until Di Bello's penalty call gifted La Dea (the Goddess) the 2-1 win. Karma is a Goddess. 

Mood.

Coppa Italia Quarterfinal • Milan-Atalanta Preview: Second Chances

Wednesday night, Milan will host Lombardy neighbors Atalanta in the Coppa Italia Quarterfinal at the San Siro. Having just played Gasperini's side and lost to them in Bergamo one short month ago, Pioli will be hoping that the old adage, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" does not hold true here. Because this time, if Milan can get past our other Nerazzurri nemeses, we have a very realistic chance of making it to the final, if not winning an actual trophy this year. Milan having exited the Champions League at the Group Stage this season was tragic, but Pioli's side can gain a tiny bit of redemption if they are holding a piece of silverware at the end of the season, even if it's not one we were necessarily aiming for. Perhaps this season will be one of second chances.

Speaking of second chances, Jović has demonstrated the importance of them this past month.

Empoli 0, Milan 3: The Path of Least Resistance

Milan finally celebrated a third consecutive win once again, as well as their first away win in Serie A in three months as they destroyed Empoli 3-0. And while they won convincingly and are to be commended for their accomplishment, it cannot be ignored that Empoli were completely demoralized and did not offer much of a challenge for a team that has a wage bill more than triple their annual wage bill. Yes, Milan have desperately needed to string together three matches in a row with victories for their mentality, but it is important to remember that their opponents were all teams that were significantly weaker on paper, and struggling in form as well. So, even if Milan are on the right path, it is the path of least resistance.

An appropriate emotional response for a win against a side who didn't put up much of a fight.

Empoli-Milan Preview: One for the Road

Milan have not won an away match in the league since the big 1-0 win over Genoa exactly three months ago in October. And we have only won four of our nine away matches in Serie A at all. While Pioli is so desperately trying to string together a series of wins, playing 19th place Empoli away gives Milan a chance to either break their struggling away form with a convincing win, or snap their budding winning form with yet another draw or defeat. With Empoli's near tragic form this season, let's hope that this lunchtime fixture is one for the road.

Milan need to stick together like they did at the end of this match away to Genoa.

Milan 4, Cagliari 1: The Kids Are Alright

When things go wrong, fans look for someone to blame. When things go right, however, they fail to give credit where credit is due. Obviously, Cagliari faded before the first half was even over and were not the most difficult team to beat. But missing ten players due to injury and AFCON, Pioli managed to find the right balance of just enough experience to piece together a side of mainly bench and very young players. And the very young players were actually quite impressive, giving hope to our season and our future. With a brace from Jović, a goal from the young Chaka Traorè, and a goal from the recently maligned Leão, they gave us a 4-1 win over Cagliari to send us into the Coppa Italia Quarterfinals next week. Without taking the usual Milan Way. And, it showed us that the kids are alright.

Plenty of youth woven in with that experience.

Coppa Italia Round of 16 • Milan-Cagliari Preview: The Milan Way

We are in a new year, and Milan are joining a new competition for this season – the illustrious Coppa Italia. Normally, facing a team that is 18th in the league would mean that this would be an easy win. But that is not the Milan Way. The Milan Way is having a third of our players out injured, fielding a team with a wage bill that is three times the wage bill of our opposition, and making it a difficult match. Ideally, if we are really being true to ourselves, we at least go to added extra time and penalties, if not get knocked out completely. Especially because Inter were knocked out last week and we have the chance to make them look even worse, but we won't take that chance. That is the Milan Way.

Milan's fans don't deserve them if they cannot appreciate them.

Milan 1, Sassuolo 0: Happy Pioli New Year

In a match that was reportedly an essential win for Pioli's job, the team Allegri'd Sassuolo with a 1-0 victory to keep Pioli into the new year. The irony, of course, being that when Allegri was in that same position 10 years ago, Milan lost by 4-3 to Sassuolo, and he also lost his job. On Saturday, the guys actually scored two goals that were called back for offside before Pulisic finally got one in that stuck, and Berardi was unable to score against his favorite victim, continuing Sassuolo's poor form. That describes a Happy Pioli New Year in a nutshell.

Celebrating Pioli New Year in Pioli style: United.