When Fonseca arrived, I conceded that this management had set him up to fail. But he lost my support with his words and actions by the Lazio match at the end of August. Benching his three captains as a power play was wrong on every level, and has backfired in further loss of respect, as well as Milan losing points. His bizarre outburst after the win vs. Red Star on Wednesday might have given him credibility if it would have worked, but it did not. Milan drew 0-0 to 14th place Genoa. A tragic irony that we could not score a single goal as the Club honored three of its most prolific goal scorers of all time. Not to mention that after his rant about the referee last week after Atalanta, he should not have even been on the bench. The entire match, his entire presence was just one gigantic party foul during Milan's historic 125th Anniversary celebration.
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| The party crashers. |
Obviously, the kits were spectacular. Ahead of the match, Milan had promised surprises to celebrate the 125th Anniversary. After handing out their engraved plates from luxury brand Tiffany & Co. for their fake new Hall of Fame (although the fans' welcome to the legends was very real,) players warmed up, then it was time for the big show. I think they thought they were putting on a Super Bowl halftime show or something, with music and people dancing with light sticks.
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| "Three men with plates," by AC Milan, 2024. |
The highlight, of course, was the parade of former Milan players carrying a number of our trophies. Which kind of tugged at the heartstrings, but also gave the vibe of a gang of former players having raided Casa Milan, especially in the current environment. Let's just say that I was far more impressed with the surprise of having the entire first team at the Christmas party for the Youth Sector this week, because you could see in the reactions of the children what that meant to them.
The match kicked off and was far less entertaining than the music and people dancing with light sticks, which, as someone who has reluctantly watched far too many Super Bowl halftime shows, still did not even register on a scale of one to ten. Notable moments in the first half included Jiménez forcing Genoa players into both yellow cards of the match trying to stop him, Thiaw getting treatment for a clash of heads, Liberali trying to earn a penalty from Miretti at one end and almost giving away one with him at the other end. There were a few shots of course, and even a couple of Leali's saves.
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| Liberali is absolutely brilliant, but still emotionally naïve, he is a player for the not-so-distant future. |
The second half kicked off with Morata subbed on for Tammy Abraham, who was Fonseca's darling on Wednesday, but unable to make a difference in this match. He also replaced Liberali, the other Futuro player who had started, with Camarda, his other darling from Wednesday. His third and final sub was Okafor for Chukwueze. Note that once again, as injuries are hitting, Fonseca did not use all his subs. Morata hit the crossbar in the 79th minute, which was as close to scoring as anyone got in this match from either side.
That's really all there is to say, other than the fact that we kept a clean sheet. But Genoa only took five shots, with none of them on target, so Maignan basically had a night off. Milan took 22 shots with only four on target, zero goals, and only got one point. And Fonseca praised them for their efforts in not getting the win. He said, "There are not many games in which we have so many opportunities as we had today." Yet on Wednesday, Milan took 20 shots with 10 on target, got the two goals and all three points. Contrast his reaction in this match with his complete meltdown on Wednesday about how not all the players were giving 100%, despite the win. This is not normal.
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| Jiménez did not disappoint, he was "only missing the goal." |
I do understand what he is and is not happy about, he likes a certain intensity and style of play. He insists that the players play his way and bend the knee to him in every single match, results be damned. On Wednesday, we did not play his preferred style, plus we conceded a goal, but more importantly, Calabria rebuffed him as he was subbed off, and Theo and Tomori both got foolish yellow cards. But they still won. In this match, all the players did their best. But their best was not enough. Which brings me to my next point, dropping points.
After insisting on Wednesday that the antidote to winning poorly was to bench these derelict players and play young players from the U23 and Primavera teams, he only managed to prove (again) that they could not win without their best players. There are three specific matches this season where Fonseca benched two or more of his three captains, three of his best players, in a power play to try to get control of his team. In all three matches, we dropped points, a total of seven points dropped in matches that were all winnable if he had just played his best players. But he did not.
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| The egg on this man's face at full time would have been entertaining if we hadn't also just dropped points... again. |
Against Lazio, he sat all three, then when down 1-0 after 70 minutes, he sent Leão and Theo on to save the day, and they immediately scored to salvage a point. We lost vs. Napoli, so three points gone, and then again vs. Genoa, when he once again sat Theo and Calabria, we dropped two more points. Seven points is the difference between Milan being in eighth place, like we are now, or being in sixth, just a point shy of those fourth and fifth place spots. Literally, we currently sit out of Europe altogether, or we could at least have Europa League or be vying for Champions League if he hadn't benched his best players.
How is anyone okay with this? How does he still have a job? He has used all kinds of excuses for his failures, and refused all accountability. But more importantly, he has publicly created rifts with our players. Yet he expects exact obeisance to his football, his rules, and his whims at all times. His press conferences are becoming more and more detached from reality, and he has had to be publicly corrected by both management and his captain, and players are having to show public support for one another on social media after each press conference he gives because of what he says about them.
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| Subbing a 16 year-old on for a 17 year-old... great, but they need time to develop, and we need the points. |
The Curva Sud started out with a banner asking the team to honor our champions, but ended the night booing the team and with banners and chants saying things like "We are not Americans," "Enough is enough," "Incapable managers, a company without ambition," and "Milan: We have waited for you and supported you endlessly, we have had enough of mediocrity." Their criticism was compounded by Cardinale's decision to skip the big celebration, which most people saw as cowardly.
There were also some cowards criticizing Paolo Maldini's decision to decline the Club's invitation for him to attend. Probably some of the same snakes who immediately threw him under the bus when he was sacked. But as usual, Maldini made a very clear statement on his Instagram account that was both refined and incisive:
"Happy Birthday, AC Milan. No one will ever be able to undermine your bond with the Maldini family, history is memory."
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| The Maldini family is Milan. |
Theo and Tonali were the very first players to like it, followed by Calabria, Leão, and Maignan. Many fans said it was not a 125th Anniversary celebration without Maldini, but it wasn't just his absence that spoiled the party. It was the reason for his absence, and everything that has happened since. He told us a year ago now what happened, and evidence shows he was telling the truth. The words and actions of all in management demonstrate that they do not know what they are doing.
Ibrahimović was reportedly largely responsible for Abate's departure. He was apparently upset that Abate did not play his son. So he had Abate's father, longtime Milan goalkeeping coach fired, and did not renew Abate's contract, which sent Abate to his current position, while Ibrahimović was personally responsible for putting together the Milan Futuro project. Abate's Ternana team are in first place in our Serie C group halfway through the season, while Milan Futuro, with Ibrahimović's choice of Bonera as manager, are in 18th place in the same group. Friction with Ibrahimović is also the reported cause of the recent departure of our Sporting Director, D'Ottavio.
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| I'm all about looking good, but at this point, we also need the points. |
Obviously, Ibrahimović and this management also chose Fonseca for the first team. Their first choice was actually Lopetegui, who has West Ham currently in 14th place in the Premier League. They insist they want to win, they want to make the fans happy, but the truth is, none of them know what they are doing. Ibrahimović as a Senior Advisor, belongs in football boots, not corporate suits. And his knowledge of playing football is excellent, but his knowledge of how to run a club, play well with others, or choose a manager is next to nothing. Which is slightly more than the rest of this management combined, but still makes for a very awkward celebration. More like a party foul.
Milan Primavera Fall to Juventus Primavera
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| Maximilian Ibrahimovic feeling the loss vs. Juve. |
After a win in the league last week, then the loss in the UEFA Youth League midweek, Guidi's Primavera lost 2-1 to Juventus on Sunday. They conceded a goal in just the 11th minute to the visitors, but then Sala got the equalizer in the 58th minute. Unfortunately, Juve scored again in the 79th, and Milan Primavera were not able to get another one, so it ended Milan Primavera 1, Juventus Primavera 2. Highlights of this one are available. That sees them in sixth place in the league as the will face off against the first place Sassuolo on Wednesday.
Bizarre Referee Call Denies Milan Futuro Three Points in their 2-1 Loss to Vis Pesaro
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| This match gave all new meaning to the phrase, "Protect your goalkeeper." |
Sometimes, referees get the blame for a match result. But I cannot think of a more blatant example than in Milan Futuro's 2-1 loss to Vis Pesaro, where it was very much true. Vis Pesaro went ahead in the 58th minute when our goalkeeper, Navas, had been kicked in the head and was down, and the referee not only did not stop play, as the rules dictate, he ran right around Navas and allowed the home side to score a goal on our keeper-less net. You can watch the highlights for yourself, it was incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. Samuele Longo was subbed on and almost immediately equalized by heading in a shot from Sia, but Vis Pesaro got the late goal in the 87th minute to win the match 2-1.
This leaves Bonera's side with just 16 points from the first 19 matches, and in 18th place in Group B halfway through the season. In contrast, Abate's Ternana are at the top of the table with 40 points. Milan Futuro have their Coppa Italia Quarterfinal on Wednesday.