If Milan were Whoville, our Christmas has definitely been Grinched. We defeated Verona 1-0 away at the Bentegodi, but it does not feel happy at all. We cannot even enjoy our victories anymore, not even with sublime goals and assists. Because even when we win, if they do not get injured, our players are subjected to the horrific insults, gaslighting, and veiled threats our Grinchy manager makes to them. And this week, we found out that our evil overlord Cardinale refinanced his vendor loan to keep our beloved club under his incompetent tentacles through 2028. And as if that was not already a bad week, Verona fans shouted racist insults to Maignan, too. This does not feel festive at all, it's like the Grinch who stole Milan.
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| Stink. Stank. Stunk. |
In spite of this match starting out with the good will of promoting the adoption of rescue puppies, there have just been so many Grinch moments this week, including the referee for this match, Marinelli. He could not keep up with the brutal fouls the Hellas Verona players were inflicting on our players. Literally, in the first 15 or 20 minutes, both Tammy Abraham and Fofana had to receive treatment for the fouls they received.
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| Pushing the line between dangerous play and protecting the keeper. |
But then there was also the time when Chukwueze kicked Montipò, the Verona goalkeeper, in the face when he took a shot. There is a difficult line referees have to walk between protecting the goalkeepers and allowing attackers to shoot without it being dangerous play. After the horrific foul on Donnarumma's face this week, it was hard to watch a goalkeeper kicked in the face, even if it is a hazard of the job. Such a high kick is often deemed dangerous play, and Marinelli maybe should have called that one. But this was Grinchmas, not Christmas.
Chukwueze also had the first shot on target, but it was to Emerson Royal that the first yellow card was shown, for a foul on Suslov. The irony of that would play out for the entire 90 minutes, as Suslov seemed to have a magical "get out of cautions free" card, as he wantonly fouled Milan players the whole match without being cautioned.
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| Redefining low footballing IQ |
Also, Emerson Royal has had a couple of decent performances lately. I think he gets just a touch too much hate for who he is because of his hefty price tag and the complete incompetence of our management. But in this match, he was a hot mess. Especially that point where Maignan was letting a ball go out for a goal kick several yards from any threat, and Emerson, like some kind of puppy that had ADHD or something, chased it down to clear it, thinking he was some kind of hero for doing so, but in actuality, giving Verona a corner kick instead. And this is what Grinch-seca is benching Calabria for? Are you kidding me? I've seen plenty of kids' teams that know better than that. Like 6 year-old kids.
In the 30th minute things went from bad to worse as Leão went down with an injury. As he was unable to play after treatment, Grinch-seca actually allowed Theo Hernández on the pitch to replace him. Now there were technically four fullbacks on the pitch, but Terracciano was technically playing in the midfield, and Jiménez seemed to move up to a more attacking winger role. Please, though, do go on about the tactical genius of Fonseca. I mean I know he had injuries, but just look at how he has benched two or more of Theo, Leão, or Calabria at the start of most matches this season. His three captains and three of his best players.
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| From outcast to injured, Grinch-seca has taken Leão on a wild ride this season. |
Terrracciano had a decent shot in the 41st against his former club that Montipò actually had to push over the bar. In the 44th minute, Tammy Abraham went down in the box when battling Duda for the ball. While he seemed to be seeking the penalty, none was given, as both Marinelli and the VAR ref, Serra, had hearts that were two sizes too small.
Milan had a change of heart after the break, and Gabbia had a header saved, then Chukwueze had another chance that was stopped by Montipò. But it was in the 56th minute that the Whos in Whoville had their say. Fofana sent a masterful pass into the open space so that Reijnders just needed one touch to slot it home. 1-0 Milan. Reijnders would also be awarded the Serie A Player of the Match for his game-winning goal. Amidst the celebrations, the cameras even showed Grinch-seca pacing on the sidelines after the goal, as it is reported that his job is (finally) under scrutiny (again?) after his recent Grinch press conferences and poor performances.
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| The dynamic duo trying to bring Christmas back to |
In the 63rd minute, Jiménez had his shot saved. He has been playing so well for Milan Futuro, and it's about time that he has gotten some real chances for the first team, only why did they go about it this way? He is a right back. So is Calabria. And the €15 million Emerson Royal. They also spent €5 million acquiring Jiménez from Real Madrid. And sent Kalulu to Juventus for pennies. I cannot be the only one who sees the complete waste of resources and talent here.
And now, Grinch-seca is benching Theo Hernández for Jiménez, when we could have both, with Jiménez deputizing for Calabria, whom he also enjoys sadistically benching. But this Grinch management are that terrible. It should also be noted that neither Theo Hernández nor Calabria have had their contracts renewed, while they renewed Gabbia, whom they originally sent away a year ago on loan, and are reportedly on the verge of renewing both Pulisic and Reijnders, who have only been here a year. Is there anything more Grinchy than this?
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| Jiménez has impressed, but is caught in the web of management incompetence. |
Speaking of Gabbia, in the 69th minute, Montipò jumped up for a ball and simultaneously kneed our defender in a very sensitive part of the body. Again with the Verona players brutalizing our players. Grinch-seca then made his first sub after the forced injury sub, bringing on the aforementioned out-of-his-graces captain, Calabria, to replace Chukwueze. Because why have only four fullbacks on the pitch, when you can have five of your 11 players be fullbacks?
Emerson Royal took a shot that was, of course, wide, and then in the 85th minute, Gabbia was down and required treatment. While he was down, Maignan could be seen talking animatedly with Marinelli, I am not sure if this was when he was reporting the racial abuse, but the reports say that when that was reported, there was an announcement made over the speakers that was met with loud jeers and boos from Verona supporters.
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| Speaking of protecting your keeper, what happened to #StandUpToAllHate, AC Milan? |
While Milan went all out after the abuse against him vs. Udinese, where people were arrested and even got lifetime bans, and Milan started a whole #StandUpToAllHate campaign against racism, this time, the club simply sent out a single half-hearted tweet. Absolutely pitiful. Just because it was out of place in Udine, doesn't make racism any less harmful. Actually, the fact that Verona fans often racially abuse players would be the time to really make a stand. But not this impotent Grinch management. They were too busy crying that the fans all hate them with a white hot passion. Maybe there is a correlation.
In the 88th minute, Grinch-seca had run out of fullbacks to sub on, so he subbed Tomori on for Emerson Royal, which was a massive upgrade with only two minutes of regulation left. He still only used three of his five subs. It has been weeks since he used all five subs in a match, and suddenly we have all these muscle injuries. Milan started this match missing nine players, Leão's injury made 10. Maybe there is a correlation.
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| After taking an early knock, Fofana the Destroyer stepped up and absolutely killed this match. |
In the 91st minute, a member of Paolo Zanetti's staff was sent off for dissent. How Grinchy do you have to be to out-Grinch a Grinchy ref like that? But then, the torment was finally over. Sure, Milan won, but the Whos down in Whoville were not singing. Barring that moment of brilliance from Fofana and Reijnders, this match was an apalling dump heap with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots.
Fans online have spent a lot of time debating who the Grinch of this club really is. Fonseca certainly looks and acts so incredibly Grinchy, and the manager is the most obvious change you can make to impact results immediately. When he arrived, I pointed out that the club may have set him up to fail, but he has done so much worse to our players, our mentality, and our league standings than I could have ever imagined. His heart's an empty hole, his brain is full of spiders, he has garlic in his soul... if someone were to ask if we wanted him as our manager, I wouldn't touch him with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.
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| "Did she just call me Grinch-seca?" |
But obviously, the Grinchiest Grinch of them all, whose brain is also two sizes too small, despite graduating from Harvard Magna Cum Laude and being a Rhodes Scholar, receiving his Master degree from Oxford University, is Gerry Cardinale. He was already detested by the fans, with chants of "We are not Americans" and worse being sung in the stadium and elsewhere, and his cowardly management slinking in the back door for their 125th Anniversary party, while Cardinale even more cowardly did not even show up for the big match or the party.
It was in this environment that he proudly announced that he refinanced his vendor loan, to assure (threaten?) the fans that he was committed to keeping the club (keeping it hostage?) through 2028. And that was not all, no that was not all. The Whos down in Whoville could not celebrate Christmas no matter how small. He gave a beyond-tone deaf interview that is so narcissistic and so difficult to choke down that it should come with a warning label.
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| At least the Grinch in the story was competent. |
He spoke of "winning smartly" while the first team are eighth on the table (completely outside of European spots,) down from winners when he bought the club and second place last year. His Milan Futuro project sit firmly in 18th place in Serie C. Well actually, after Sunday's loss, the 19th place team tied them on points. There is so much in this interview that is completely devoid of reality that I cannot even begin to talk about it. I am not even starting with Furlani's pathetic words, either, but I will point out that something. When people speak of unwanted sexual advances, and the person continues, perhaps even increases their efforts, despite being told profusely and absolutely no, this is exactly what that feels like. Except this management is harassing 500 million fans worldwide.
Clearly, Milan fans will not be feeling much like singing this Christmas, unless it is to sing "You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch." Despite pulling off the 1-0 win away, it just does not feel like Christmas at all. And while we have to dream of Grinch-seca choking on his panettone (managers in Italy who still have their jobs at Christmas are said to "eat their panettone,") a reward that he would never have at any other club with the way he has behaved, let alone the results vs. expected results, there is someone far more vile and repulsive who has not just destroyed our Christmas, but is destroying our club. Gerry Cardinale is truly the Grinch who stole Milan.
Milan Primavera Defeat Sassuolo Primavera 4-2 Midweek
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| Scotti celebrates his first goal in the Primavera's win midweek. |
Guidi's boys earned a had-fought victory over reigning title holders and league leaders away on Wednesday, with a 4-2 win over Sassuolo. Scotti started off the scoring in the third minute with a sweet little cucchiaio goal, but Sassuolo equalized 20 minutes later. Then Sala scored from the top of the box in the 37th, followed by another Sassuolo equalizer in the 40th to make it 2-2. But Siman's first goal of the season put Milan ahead 3-2 before halftime. Sassuolo had a player sent off in the 64th, so were on 10 men, setting the stage for Scotti to score his amazing second goal of his brace in the 69th minute to bring it to 4-2 Milan Primavera. Brief highlights are available. This was a great momentum boost going into the weekend, pushing Milan up to fifth place on the table.
Milan Futuro Out of the Coppa Italia after 2-0 Loss to Caldiero Terme
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| Bonera also undeserving of his panettone this Christmas season. |
After doing so well only in the Coppa Italia this season, Bonera's Futuro side are out after losing 2-0 to Caldiero Terme at home in the Quarterfinals. Both goals were conceded in the first half, in the 15th and 38th minutes, making the score 2-0 at halftime. To their credit, Milan Futuro kept a clean sheet for the second half, but were not able to come back at all after going down so early. Brief highlights are available on the Serie C YouTube channel. Why Bonera still has his job is beyond me. He's a nice guy, but not a good footballer or manager.
The Primavera's 2-0 Win over Monza Sees them Climb the Table
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| The two goalscorers. |
Milan Primavera made it back to back wins with a convincing 2-0 win away to Monza on Saturday. After forcing the Monza Primavera keeper into a couple of big saves earlier, Duțu opened the scoring with his header in the 55th minute with an assist from Victor Eletu. Scotti assured the win with his third goal of the week in the 87th minute. Brief highlights of the match can be viewed here. This win pushed Milan Primavera up into fourth place, tied on points with third place Fiorentina Primavera, and Inter also on 31 points, behind them both in fifth place ahead of the Christmas break.
Another Loss for Milan Futuro as Bonera's Side Lose 2-1 to Virtus Entella
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| I suppose Zeroli should have known it was too early to celebrate. |
Week 20 of Serie C saw Milan Futuro lose 2-1 to Virtus Entella. After a first half filled with five yellow cards, Zukić scored an own goal in the 52nd minute to give the visitors the lead. Zeroli managed to get the equalizer in the 70th minute, but it was cancelled out when Virtus Entella scored just five minutes later. Highlights are available on the Serie C YouTube channel as always. It's really getting old to say this, but Bonera's job really needs to be evaluated, as the 19th place Sestri Levante have caught Futuro on points, and we are now into the second half of the Serie C season.
This post inspired by the music of Thurl Ravenscroft's' "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
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| Wishing all Milan fans who celebrate a very Merry Christmas, in spite of all Grinches. |