Reviewing Milan’s 2014 January

THE FIRST month of 2014 saw Milan sign 4 players, get rid of 4 players, sack their coach, and hire a former player in his position. 9 points out of 12 in the Serie A has seen them rise 4 positions in the table, however it doesn’t erase the club’s Coppa Italia exit. Considering all of this, it has indeed been an eventful January for the red and blacks.

The first game of the year against Atalanta saw Milan win 3-0. Kaka grabbed his 100th and 101st goals for Milan, while the young Cristante scored a goal and showed us why he is considered one of the best teenage midfielders out there.

Then happened the biggest change at Milan. After their embarrassing 4-3 defeat to newly-promoted Sassuolo, Milan’s manager Allegri was sacked (something that should have happened long ago). Soon after, former legend of the club, Clarence Seedorf was announced his replacement. With no managerial experience at all, Seedorf had many doubters. But as of now, his intelligence, personality and experience as a player have made up for the lack of managerial experience. So far, Seedorf has changed Milan’s formation to a 4-2-3-1, added more attacking fluidity, and learned to make substitutions before the 80th minute (something Allegri never did). We will see more of Seedorf’s new tactics in the coming months.

2014 January mercato comes to an end
Milan confirm Taarabt signing, Biabiany talks break down

Milan’s first game in 3 and 1/2 years without Allegri in charge (coached my assistant-manager Mauro Tassotti) saw Milan advance to the the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia against lowly Spezia in a 3-1 victory. Pazzini grabbed his first goal since returning from a 7-month injury while Honda scored on his starting debut.

Seedorf then arrived at Milan and within 72 hours, coached his first game in charge of the Rossoneri which was a victory over Hellas Verona. Although the goal came from a penalty, the players showed more attacking fluidity despite Verona’s stable defense. Joy was then restored to the fans of Milan.

Seedorf’s honeymoon with Milan ended with being knocked out in the Coppa Italia by Udinese in a disappointing 2-1 defeat, which eliminated the easiest way for Milan to get into European competition next season.

The last game of January for Milan was epic: last minute comeback win against Cagliari. Something to note is that both goals came from a set piece, something that doesn’t usually happen.

Now moving on to the aspect of transfers, Milan got rid of 4 players (all on loan), and said hello to 4 new faces, (which are written about in more detail in later paragraphs). The speedy M’Baye Niang was sent on loan to Montpellier and has already impressed, scoring 2 goals in 3 league games. The unused reserve player Jherson Vergara was loaned out to Parma, while misfiring Matri and Nocerino were loaned to Fiorentina and West Ham United, respectively.

Milan welcomed Keisuke Honda to their squad on a free transfer in a deal that was already completed last year. With quick feet, and excellent vision, Honda has filled the trequartista role in the 4-2-3-1 formations. The only downfalls to the deal is that he is cup tied and won’t be able to play in the Champions league, and at 27 years old, he doesn’t exactly fit into the youth policy. Nevertheless, he is a great player.

To solve Milan’s defensive issues, Adil Rami was acquired. At 6 foot 2, The strong Frenchman is an areal threat and is set to solve the defense’s biggest weakness: defending set pieces and headers. Like Honda, the deal was completed before January. The deal is that Rami is on loan from Valencia, but has an option to buy at the end of the season.

Michael Essien was the second midfielder purchased by Milan. The deal agreed between Milan and Chelsea will keep the 31 year old at the club until June 2015. The Ghana international coming from Chelsea will give Milan depth and experience in the midfield. He can also play right-back.

Adel Taarabt was the final player to join the club. On loan from QPR, Milan have the option to outright purchase the 24 year old at the end of the term. Taarabt can play anywhere in the attacking midfield of Seedorf’s new 4-2-3-1. Taarabt’s style of play is based around dribbling and skill moves. However, his attitude has limited his potential, and hopefully at Milan he can get his career back on track.

In conclusion, it has been a month full of changes at Milan. The biggest one being the managerial sacking of the goof that is known as Massimiliano Allegri. His replacement, Seedorf, has injected a different formation, and style of play. The biggest disappointment of this month was their exit of the Coppa Italia: the easiest way to get into Europe next season. Something else to note is that Milan are 5 points from the last European spot, whereas at the start of January they were 5 points away from relegation. I think overall, it has been a eventful, yet successful month for the Rossoneri.