You ask… We answer: The ANSWERS!

YOU’VE submitted your questions throughout the past week and now it’s our turn to answer!

Rossoneri Blog asked you for questions last week and it received all kinds all of those throughout the past week. Rossoneriblog.com is now delighted to post the answers to the questions that you have asked us!

A panel of three writers has answered the Milanisti questions: ESPN Milan Correspondent, The Milan Guy – Matteo Bonetti, our great contributor Pete Acquaviva and the admin of the Rossoneri Blog, Meytar Zeevi.

We’ve received all kinds of interesting questions and we chose 6 topics which were the most important in our eyes and actually required answers from three different people. As well as the 6 topics we’ve all discussed, each one of us has added something extra. Enough with this talk! Let’s start, shall we?!

Topic No. 1:It was very unsurprising to get so many questions about the January transfer market. Milan fans worldwide are eager to know who will join the seven-time Champions League winners in the winter and with some many names out there in the press, and Adriano Galliani’s half-clues half-lies, it’s always exciting to witness a mercato at the via Turati club. Let’s see what our panel of writers thinks about it…

Matteo Bonetti: Some might argue that last year’s transfer window is what helped us win the Serie A, by bringing in Cassano, Van Bommel, and Emanuelson. This year, all signs point towards former Manchester City rebel Carlos Tevez, a nostalgic player who can’t get motivated for £200,000 a week. Granted, Milan has a history of turning former bad boys into darling angels. Cassano, who has come out publicly in his book saying he would sleep with hundreds of women before match time while eating donuts, is now married with a child and acts like a model citizen. Anyway, back to the topic. Galliani a few weeks ago came out and said Maxi Lopez ‘is Milan class’.. Since when is a ‘Milan class’ striker one who cannot beat out Bergessio for the starting spot at Catania? My prediction: Milan take Drogba on loan (would be ideal). I want nothing to do with the brooding Tevez. Ship him back to Argentina.

Pete Acquaviva: As the match against Barcelona highlighted, we need a few reinforcements in the January window. A striker is being considered, but if a striker is to come, I believe it should only be on a free to low cost basis, and should preferably be a loan. The important areas of our team that need reinforcements are in the midfield. The first player should play attacking midfielder as an alternative to Boateng. We all know he’s class, but he’s not always the right selection. In any case, signing a trequartista is not necessary in January, and I suspect we will wait until June to do so. We do need a new young midfielder, however, and I expect Milan to use our non-E.U. slot to fill that position. What Milan fans need to keep in perspective is the financial climate of the world around us. Italy especially is in a dire financial situation, and spending large amounts of money would not only be seen as tasteless, but perhaps even repulsive to some. Berlusconi is out of office, so he may not care as much about his approval ratings, but I still see it difficult to spend a large amount of money. If I were to take a guess who we would sign it would be someone from Brazil at a low price, such as Paulinho on loan, and someone with an expiring contract in Europe, such as a Montolivo.

Meytar Zeevi: Milan should reinforce the midfield in January. While Aquilani and Nocerino have done relatively well so far, I believe Milan should be looking into a new, youngish defensive midfielder. Van Bommel is not the same player he was last year while Captain Ambrosini isn’t as reliable as he once was. Ever since the end of the summer I’ve thought a non-EU Brazilian would arrive in January, and Braida’s “scouting trip” to Brazil made me feel certain about my thought. However the recent Tevez rumours may have something in them. Milan are in fact looking for a striker (unless it’s a big smokescreen) and Tevez could be ideal for Milan – considering his footballing abilities only. Signing Carlos Tevez would have a lot of difficulties especially in the financial point of view: Milan can’t afford a second Ibrahimovic, as Adriano Galliani said in January when he was asked about Kaka. As of Eriksen, I think that in January it would be very unlikely since Ajax are very close to reaching the next Champions League stage and he is therefore cup-tied, while Balotelli and Hazard would be impossible even in the summer. Hernanes would be a great addition, but I can’t see it happening and the same goes to Paulo Henrique Ganso – Montolivo however can arrive. A striker swoop would obviously limit El Shaarawy and Pippo’s chances to play. Either way, signing a striker who is ineligible in the Champions League (Tevez as far as I know) would be stupid. Bottom line, if I were Adriano Galliani, I’d spend my time working to bring a defensive midfielder rather than an extra striker and give El Shaarawy more chances to play.

Topic No. 2:Silvio Berlusconi is no longer the Prime Minister of Italy after losing the majority in his government. The man, who wrote the AC Milan anthem, is due to return to his post as Milan’s President. Many of you wanted to know what effects will Berlusconi’s return have and can it even hurt Milan…

Matteo Bonetti: My recent article on the ESPN Milan blog talks only about the situation with Berlusconi, but here’s a shortened version: Our polarizing leader HAD to get out of the limelight. The media all over Italy has been lambasting him for his plethora of naughty wrong-doings, such as orgies with minors, tax evasion, and.. well.. more sexual acts with underage women. While Berlusconi is obviously going through a late-life crisis, his Milan side is one that he will keep at the top levels until he’s in charge. As he once said: “Milan is a side that has to play Champagne football, whether at home or away.” Anyway, Berlusconi resigning as Prime Minister (because he no longer had majority of vote in parliament) can only be a good sign for the rossoneri. He can finally shy away from the spotlight and not worry about what a country in an economic crisis thinks when he shells out 20 million for a player. Good news all around.

Pete Acquaviva: It’s hard to say what the impact of Silvio leaving his position will be on the Milan squad. The one thing that it is safe to say is that it will not hurt Milan. Seeing as how he is no longer under the accountability of the Italian peoples, Berlusconi is now free to make the previously unpopular decisions that he would not have been able to before (making a promise not to sing Hamsik at a dinner event in Naples comes to mind). It’s hard to say if he will spend, and if he does, he doesn’t have much time to do it, as Financial Fair Play comes into effect soon.

Meytar Zeevi: The former Italy Prime Minister’s expected return to being the President of Milan cannot hurt Milan. On the contrary, Berlusconi will now be able to do things he couldn’t do before (and I’m not talking about crazy sex parties – which he did): Silvio couldn’t spend too much as seeing the Prime Minister breaking the bank while the country’s economic situation is poor never looks good. Berlusconi’s return is a sign of confident from the Berlusconi family and maybe one day the lovely Barbara Berlusconi will take over the club. Until then, I will always be delighted to see the love-songwriter in the stands next to Adriano Galliani and Ariedo Braida.

Topic No. 3:You would most certainly get an exciting and lively debate about Kevin-Prince Boateng. The Ghana man has been used in the trequartista role (attacking midfielder) for the most of his career at Milan, but many claim that Boateng’s role should be in midfield rather than in the hole. Many Rossoneri fans would have liked to see Boa playing in midfield and see Milan signing a new, more traditional trequartista…

Matteo Bonetti: Side note: I’m staring at a picture of Leander Schaerlaeckens for inspiration now. As he recently wrote that ‘Boateng is a waste of talent.’ Waste of talent he is not, and I’m going on the record and saying that Kevin Prince Boateng WILL become the best, and most complete midfielder in the world. Yes, you heard it right. His ceiling is astronomical. His array of skills is subliminal. He’s one of the most versatile players who can play (and succeed) as a trequartista, a winger, or a defensive midfielder. His recent goal scoring spree, namely two world class volleys, was capped off by his stellar goal vs. Barcelona. He is the anti-Robinho. A player that shows his best against world class opposition. I think we all have a man-crush on him by now. Oh, and did I mention he’s a terrific dancer and singer?

Pete Acquaviva: I’ve long been a supporter of KPB, and I feel that he’s finally coming into his own in this Milan squad. Last season, the main criticism of him was that he couldn’t shoot. He worked on that, and has scored 6 goals in all competitions so far this season. Another criticism was on Boateng’s passing, which while still needing improvement, has improved on his aerial passes and crosses.  He will continue to improve, as this is only his second season with the club, and his role in our squad cannot be underestimated. He is one of the key players in the Milan squad.

Meytar Zeevi: I had my doubts about Boateng in the trequartista role earlier this season but I am now convinced that Boateng’s best role is behind the strikers. When he’s on his day, King Boa is one of the most dangerous players in Europe. He has certainly improved his shooting abilities and it doesn’t take a genius to see that Boateng’s goals this year were world class, with the one against Barcelona in particular. Putting Boateng is the hole gives Milan something more than what a traditional No. 10 would give (a No. 10 can still work well at Milan) as Boateng presses the opponents often and links up well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While many blast Prince for his decision to quit the national team, I’m fine with it as my no. 1 priority is AC Milan and I want ‘my’ players to stay fit. Boateng is the best trequartista Milan have to offer at the moment (even though many would claim he’s not a trequartista at all, but still he’s much more of it than Urby Emanuelson) and he should be in the starting XI in that position at least until the summer. Boa has a big upside and he has improved greatly compared to last season. We need to remember that Boateng is only 24-year-old and in my view, he is certainly a future star.

Topic No. 4:A lot has been discussed about Taye Taiwo. The Nigerian left-back has failed to break into Milan’s starting XI since arriving on a Bosman transfer this summer from French side Olympique de Marseille, and many fans around the globe are starting to lose their patience with him and calling for reinforcements in this area while Taiwo has been linked with an early Milan exit, as early as January it is…

Matteo Bonetti: This guy is better than Didac Villa? I was one of the most excited fans when Milan took Marseille’s feisty left back. We finally don’t have to play the team masseuse at left back (Antonini)! Taiwo had all the ingredients to be a steam rolling train of fright on the left. Strength, adequate pace, and technique. Instead, what we got is a player who looks uncomfortably awkward on the ball, has defensive lapses that made the ‘honorable mention’ section on Antonini’s newly released blu-ray DVD titled: ‘How not to defend’, with special commentary from Digao and Phillippe Senderos. Milan has little patience with these types of players, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Taiwo was shipped away in January.

Pete Acquaviva: Taiwo is a player who is yet to fully integrate into the squad. He shows flashes of talent, but also boatloads of indecision and poor decision-making. I believe people over-estimate his defensive frailty, as his main defensive crack is that he’s often too far up the pitch from attacking to track back in enough time to catch counterattacks, which is something that modern fullbacks are doing more and more (Dani Alves, Abate, Phillip Lahm). He needs work, however, Taiwo has the physique, strength, and screamer of a left foot to carve himself out a place on the left of defense. I simply don’t see anything in the rumors of him leaving Milan.

Meytar Zeevi: Calling someone a flop after two or three games is easy, but most of the times wrong – Nocerino was part of Gazzetta’s flop transfers team but proved everyone wrong. Taiwo has to improve if he is to break into Milan’s XI; he has the physique to play in a big club like Milan but is not reliable at the back – which is why Zambrotta is preferred over Taiwo. I like the Nigerian’s attitude and it doesn’t seem as though he’s going to give up. I do believe that if Max and Mauro will be working hard and insist on him like they did with Abate, Taiwo will turn into a more than decent left-back. I would certainly like to see him playing more often in Serie A, but still I could understand Allegri’s decision to keep him out of many games. I highly doubt he will leave in January. Adapting to a new league and a new country is never easy and Taiwo should be treated with patience rather than hate by the fans.

Topic No. 5: Many people have asked about Alexandre Pato. The Brazilian, who joined Milan in 2007 from Internacional, has been failing year after year to fulfill his incredible potential as injuries have stopped him from turning into the world class striker he can become. What should the Rossoneri do with “The Duck”…?

Matteo Bonetti: Ahh, the bouncy Brazilian afro that has divided Milan fans for quite a while. First off let’s be clear on one thing: Alexandre isn’t going ANYWHERE as long as he’s hooking up with Berlusconi’s daughter, Barbara. His injuries have become a punchline at this point. As my good friend Anto from the popular podcast Beyond the Pitch has said: these muscular problems are most likely due to his sudden growth spurt, and added muscle mass in a short period of time. When he first arrived at Milan, he had a retainer, he had so many pimples that not even Proactiv would use him in a commercial, and he was the physical equivalent of a stack of toothpicks. Fast forward four years later – A chiseled, shirtless Pato graces the cover of men’s health magazines. He also grew 5 centimeters, and has the physicality to be a leading striker. However, his injuries will never allow him to be consistent on the pitch. How can he truly make the jump and become world class if he can’t play half the year? His cameo role against Barcelona summed up his career at Milan – for every wonderful finish, he has these types of games that leave you scratching your head in frustration.

Pete Acquaviva: Pato is a polarizing figure: either your favorite player at Milan, or you think we should sell him.  He has shown his class on so many occasions, averaging about a goal every two games throughout his young career, however, the problem seems to be the amount of games he can play in a season, as he has only had one year, 08-09 in which he played more than 25 Serie A games. He has the ability to be world class, it isn’t known if he has the consistency to rise to the level of a Messi or a Ronaldo.

Meytar Zeevi: Injuries have stopped Pato’s improvement in the last two seasons (11 injuries over the past two seasons) but there is certainly something special about this guy. Pato will eventually (and hopefully) grow and will stop getting injured so often, otherwise Milan will have to consider letting him go, or have an Arjen Robben or a Rafael Van der Vaart of their own. I think that Milan would make a mistake by selling Alexandre. He’s one of my favourite players in this Milan team and his goal per minute ratio is very impressive. Injuries are a major problem now, but I wouldn’t trade him for Mario Balotelli. Pato’s my of those players you always want to watch and he showed glimpses of brilliance this year – against Barcelona in particular.

Topic No. 6:The contracts of many players come to an end this June and Milan’s new policy is to discuss contract renewals only at the end of the season. Will Milan bid farewell to another legend like they did with Andrea Pirlo or keep the “Old Guard” in the squad for at least another extra year. What our panel thinks…

Matteo Bonetti: I hate talking about contracts the same way I loathe the calciopoly talk. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another mass genocide of the old guard like last season, when Pirlo, Jankulo, and Oddo saw the axe. (Whatever happened to an inebriated Oddo running around with shaving cream at the Olimpico to get a new contract?) Seedorf, quite frankly, deserves a spot on the team. He’s class on the field and in the locker room, and he looks like shaft which is adds to his overall aura and mystique. Pippo is a question mark, even now that he’s healthy the old striker is having problems finding his routine 10-15 minutes at the end of the game. He should retire as a rossonero instead of decomposing on a lower level team.

Pete Acquaviva: I believe we have an excellent policy in place for the renewing of contracts, and that is to not discuss any contractual matters until the end of the season. Allegri needs a new deal, and I’m sure will get one. Flamini should be resigned, but at lower wage demands than 4M. Roma should be let go, so Piscitelli can become our third choice keeper and play in friendlies and the Copa. Nesta should re-sign if he wants, as should Clarence Seedorf and Mark van Bommel. Filippo Inzaghi has earned the right to stay if he wants, however, based on his play-time this season, it appears Allegri is ready to move forward without him. The other players with expiring contracts need to play their way into a new deal: Gattuso, Ambrosini and Zambrotta.

Meytar Zeevi: Very tough to say whose contract should be renewed at this point of the season. The contracts of more than 10 players expire this June, but I repeat it’s very early in the season to say ‘he should re-sign, he should not’, and Clarence Seedorf is the perfect example of it: Seedorf had a brilliant 2nd half of the season last year, which earned him another year. I do believe that Milan’s new policy for 30+ is excellent as these players know that they have to fight for their place in next year’s squad. I do believe that Ambrosini, being the captain, will renew as well as Rino and probably Seedorf, but I’m very uncertain of Inzaghi and Flamini’s futures.

Extra: Matteo Bonetti: Best Beard at Milan: This award was always between Favalli and Pancaro, but a new wave of Milan beards have swept through the Milanello in recent times. From the barbaric strands of man hair on Gattuso’s face that could cut through a chainsaw, to the rugged metal filament on Nocerino’s visage. It’s an intriguing battle that pits two of the toughest men to ever grace a pitch. The winner – #IamRino. Simply put, there’s a reason PETA cringes every time Gattuso shaves. It’s a beard strong enough to be used as fiber optic cable on a NASA space shuttle.

Pete Acquaviva: A question we’ve got: ‘What do you guys think about Calciopoli? How come Inter got off so easily?’ I think it was blown out of proportion. In my opinion, Inter managed to get off so easily because of the lack of a credible response by Juventus, and the fact that not all the phone calls had been gone through in their entirety. By the time Juventus had their counter-case ready, the issue was years out. There was never going to be enough time to punish Inter. For what it’s worth, I think there was cheating all-around on some level (at the end of the day, a referee only has so much ability to affect the outcome) and Inter were the ones who cried “foul” and pointed the fingers. It appears Milan could have/should have been punished even more than they were. I think it’s best to just look forward, as this year seems to be the first year that the entire league has shaken the effects of Calciopoli.

A pair of stats on Barcelona v Milan: Barcelona had 59% possession, and 84% overall pass accuracy, which is their lowest rate of any match this season | Xavi completed 89% of his passes against Milan (which was second to Thiago only) which is his lowest pass completion rate of the season.

Meytar Zeevi: Abbiati vs. Amelia: Christian Abbiati has showed he’s worthy of being Milan’s first goalkeeper with brilliant performances and world class saves last year. Abbiati is still the best goalkeeper Milan have to offer but in my opinion, Milan should be on the market for a younger goalkeeper in the summer with Samir Handanovic being my personal favourite choice. Amelia should play in the Copa and against Viktoria. I wouldn’t be surprised if Marco decides to leave as he’d want to relaunch his career as a first-choice goalkeeper. Amelia showed, on the little chances he was given last year that he’s good , but not enough to be a starter for Milan. With Abbiati being in such form (despite some slip-ups this year), we can understand why Christian plays.

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