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fossadeileonixv · 6 years ago

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FDL Season Preview

It’s go time babies.

First and foremost, If you have not submitted your picks for the kit contest, DO SO HERE. I will repeat this at the end too. Some of y’all still need that push!

Anywhoo...

The season is now upon us. We’re gonna skip the game preview this week for a few reasons (all completely on me) and run with the season preview. For this, I’ve reached out to Mike and Av for their insights on the upcoming campaign and all three of us have given some input on the mercato and our expectations from the upcoming season. So let’s get to it.

What was the biggest signing of the mercato?

Mike: The biggest one going into the year is easily Higuain. We haven't had stone cold killer up front like him since Ibra left in. That's not hyperbole, that's the truth. Having a striker with kind of ability and history is like a nice warm blanket on a cold night. He has scored against the biggest and best teams on the boot and should continue to do so. Hopefully having him on the team gives us a confidence we just didn't have last year.

Av: Pipita! Pipita! Pipita! I can’t get across just how excited I am about having this guy here. Due in part to the fact that his transfer was triggered by the C-Ron arrival at Juve and overshadowed somewhat by the LeoDini Show at Milan, I genuinely don’t think Milanista have had the chance to drink in the significance of this move. During the mercato I was developing a stomach ulcer whilst we were shopping for strikers as it looked equally likely that we might sign Morata (barf!) or Falcao (double barf!), but instead we signed the premier striker of Serie A! Pure Win Baby!

After a string of pure "meh" involving Matri, Menez, Destro, Torres, Adriano, K*****c and Silva we finally have an out and out striker for the first time since Ibra left. When you recall how impotent we looked in some games last season I think a very large part of our success this year will hang on how well Pipita does and the idea of him being shadowed by Poaching Patrick has me dreaming! I genuinely think Pipita will play a significant role in our march to the CL places this year. I'm hoping that guys like Hakan and Castillejo can play their part to give Higuain a platform to work from and he'll do the rest. I think if Pipita starts to bang them in he will help galvanise the team with a mentality that they can win. I honestly think he will give us the exact same boost that CRon is giving Juve if not more and that belief is going to be crucial for us this season, mark my words!

TR: Pipita without a doubt. Like Mike and Av said, we haven’t had a striker, or really a player, of his caliber since Zlatan. I’m going to go a little further than Av and say that there is probably no other player who’s performance will have a greater impact on whether or not we qualify for the Champions League. That is the upgrade we absolutely needed in the position that arguably needed it the most.

2) What is your biggest concern going into the season?

Mike: Last year Gattuso fell in love with a certain XI which was fine for about 8 weeks but then he, and the congested schedule drove us into the ground. We tried battling on 3 fronts while playing the same XI almost every game. Total madness. Suso and Jack were total zombies late. Biglia got hurt. Donnarumma looked exhausted. Part of that was Gattuso coming on board midyear, and I understand that. He has to be willing and able to rotate more and he's definitely equipped with the players to do that this season. We have have a lot of players that can play multiple spots in multiple formations. Let's see how he puts the pieces together.

Av: Have we finally got rid of our "Misfield"? My gut says maybe not. Baka, to me anyway, is a Kessie clone which is fair enough if it reduces our over reliance on Frank but I really wished we had landed someone like SMS. Yes, he was a dream ticket purchase that was never likely but you have to admit that having SMS flanked by Frank the Tank woulda been hella sweet. As it is, I feel our biggest deficiency is the mid unless the new additions are a class above what we had last season and only time will tell. We have guys like Borini & Biglia but we need some midfield brains to go with the brawn and still think we are lacking that outside Hakan. My other issue is that we seem to have only two genuine strikers? I dont want to jinx anything ......but you know....injuries!?!?

TR: An injury to Biglia or Higuain. For all the hard work Leodini did this season, they were unable to address the depth, or dearth of, particularly in the midfield. And to be honest, that’s not fault of their own. We’ve seen how building teams overnight perform, and they put together the puzzle pieces they had in a way that creates something recognizable. However, while injuries to Franck and Jack can be mitigated with Baka and Laxalt, a Biglia injury or one to Pipita and we face a rather dramatic dropoff in quality in relation to their backups. Unless you switch formations, you would have Montolivo pulling the strings in midfield or Patrick, my dear sweet baby Patrick, leading a line for an extended period of time. Not a death knell, but one that instantly jeopardizes CL contention.

3) Conversely, what gives you most hope.

Mike: I'm an eternal optimist so I can find a way for everything to give me hope, even Suso. What gives me the most hope is our combination of youth AND experience. What i mean is our young guys have played and played a lot. R13 is 23 but has already played 171 games. Donnarumma 19/135. Caldara 24/126 Calabria 21/52. We are young AND have a lot of game time under our belts. That's huge going forward. All that youth with vets like Higuain up top, Biglia in the middle and a backup like Reina? That's a nice mix.

Avia: Elliott Management. Crazy, I know, but their clean sweep of the previous administration and the introduction of Leodini was a master stroke. It now feels like we have people in charge who remember what Milan were all about and not naval gazers who made a nostalgia based purchase. It feels like we have taken a genuine step towards the Milan we all know and love. If they land Gazidis then colour me happy, we have Leodini taking care of the football side of things and someone like Gazidis coming from the EPL to help boost our off field business acumen. Milan.... the footballing fraternity welcomes you back from your self imposed exile.

TR: Agreeing with Av here, it has got to be the management. Elliot, as evil as they are, are astute businessmen so I take both solace and self-hatred knowing that they’re the ones overseeing this thing. The financial side of the club is out of the hands of old buffoons and con artist thrill-seekers. On the technical and sporting side, they’re making all the right moves. Maldini’s return can’t be overstated and I truly trust Leonardo to work alongside him building a project. Both sides seem to be on the same page and for the first time in a long time, I’m truly excited and hopeful to be a Milan fan.

4) What or who you think will surprise us?

Mike: I think Laxalt will be the signing of the year for us. I've loved the guy for a while now and can't wait to see him in our colors. He can play both LB and LM an provide some spicy sauce on that left side that we haven't seen in quite some time. His play and runs behind guys like Hakan, Jack and Castillejo should be fun to watch.

Av: Laxalt. Had a pretty good world cup and hope that he comes alive and helps boss our "Misfield". Got my fingers crossed for him, will be great to see some damned speed in the midfield and see how well he can work with RRod. Maybe its his hair but he kinda reminds me of a very young Edgar Davids.

TR: Baka. If Leodini saw enough in him to take a flyer (or maybe flier) on him, then I trust their judgement. His CL performances for Monaco are still very fresh in my head and I think the slower pace of Serie A may draw that player out once more. How he fits in is something I still can’t call, but I have high expectations for him. Much like you do at the beginning of a relationship when you first see only the best of someone and misread their potential as unlimited so you accidentally say ‘I love you, Timoue’ way too early on and while he may not feel the same, he says it too because he thinks that he might fulfill those words some day. But that day never comes, with the ash from that damning phrase’s impact with your small, vulnerable planet, still lingering high in the sky, refusing to settle and slowly impairing the life on this once fecund planet from regenerating, with only the most stubborn, prickly, and aesthetically uncompromising life forms surviving.

Anyways, I’m fine.

5) Ummm, moving on. What or who you think will disappoint us?

Mike: I probably shouldn't answer this question. I'm not sure about disappointment... but I am worried about how the CB pairing goes. Working out a new pairing always takes time. Folks are gonna have to be patient and there's gonna be speed bumps the first few months.

Av: Donna. Due in part to his a-hole agent, i just know that at some point during this season his performances will make me wish we had shipped him to land SMS. With Reina in place I think Donna is more than just surplus. This will no doubt elicit a groan from most but I'm praying Rino doesnt let us down! The squad is pretty solid apart from the reservations I harbour about our midfield so it will be interesting to see how Rino goes about business this time. Wide down the wings or narrow through the middle?

TR: I’ll be that guy. Rino scares the hell out of me. He’s my favorite Milan player of all time, so I assure you this isn’t something personal, but I’m not entirely convinced as of yet. That winter run was magic, but there were a few distressing decisions and performances when we came back down to earth, so my worry is even more-so now with the expectations ramped up, that he is in over his head. I trust Leodini and I definitely think he’ll benefit from his relationship with them, but I think more than any other factor, Rino is going to make or break out chances at a top four finish.

6) Make a bold prediction!

Mike: Higuain leads the league in goals. PERIOD. (League-wide, my bold prediction is that Ronaldo doesn't finish top 3 in scoring and SMS has a Belotti-esque fall from grace and Lazio finish out of Europe)

Av: Write this down or screenshot it kids ....#15in6! I think Higuain will finish Capocannoniere, help us secure a CL spot and then decide he wants to make his loan to Milan permanent! Buy your official shirts while you still can!

TR: Rino switches formations before the first international break. I think he’s slowly moving towards a 4-2-3-1 and expect to see that sooner rather than later.

7) What will satisfy you as a Milan fan this year? More precisely, what constitutes a successful year?

Mike: Champions League for next year. It's CL or bust. F the Coppa. F the Europa league.

Av: The ONLY thing that will make me happy is a finish in the CL spots. Anything less will have been futile. CL PLACES. ARE. A. MUST! Bearing in mind that Elliott are asset stripping hawks I don’t want to see what they have in store for us should we continue to finish outside the CL spots the next 2-3 seasons. Either we finish in the CL spots or Rino is gone at the end of the season.

TR: While I think it is fair that Mike and Av have concluded that missing out on the CL is a failure, I personally don’t see the season as a waste if we finish 5th. Finishing below fifth is indeed a failure in my eyes, but I think if we see growth, whether it be a deep Europa run, a more dynamic attack, consistent performances, not dropping five points against newly promoted sides, and so on ad so forth, that that in itself is enough for me. Maybe I’m setting my expectations too low, but when was the last time you saw something connecting two consecutive seasons? When was the last time we built off something the season prior? We have team capable of finishing fourth, but in many respects, last year was 0 and this year is year 1.

7) That was great guys. Especially TR’s responses. Outstanding work. So let’s wrap it up. Who finishes top 6?

Mike: Juve, Napoli, Milan, Roma, Inter, Fiorentina

Av: Juve, Napoli, Inter, Milan, Roma, Nazio

TR: Juve, Napoli, Inter, Roma, Milan, Atalanta

Sowwy! I hope I’m wrong!

Aiight kids, that wraps it up. 14:30 EST tomorrow and hit us with da feedback

Again, make your kit contest picks here!

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