Milanese, who have steadily embarked on the road to rejuvenation, have already seen a glimmer of light in 2021.
If you can paint the past time, 2021, which belongs to Milan, must be a hot red. Rid of the financial debts carried by many years, and returning to the Champions League stage after 7 years, the Rossoneri completed the first step from silence to revival, and also made the red year of Milan City become intense, becoming an indispensable bright color in the European arena.
The data records Milan City's strength during the year: the second in the history of annual Serie A away wins, the second in the annual number of away goals scored in Europe's top five leagues, and the second in the history of the team in the past decade of Serie A points in the 20-21 season... Using data and records, Piao led the Milan team to continuous progress and re-outlined the blueprint for the revival of the city of Milan.
Red Aria: The Road to Rejuvenation at the Beginning
The big three of Gazidis, Maldini and Masala reunited in the match against Sassuolo. The trio led the team to get out of debt and return to the ranks of strong teams on an economic and competitive level.
From the time Elliott entered the city of Milan, clearing the club's debt and driving down the sale price to find a suitable buyer was the whole desire of American capital. To complete this wish, it is inevitable to rely on commercial development and economic cost compression alone, and it is inevitable to double the prize money and enhance the value of brand image brought about by the improvement of competitive performance. Since then, returning to the Champions League has been the most direct goal and pursuit of the team to play in Serie A.
The Milanese tried several times, each time failing. Gattuso almost, pioli, who took over Giampaolo, although he played a dazzling high-pressure play in the rematch stage after the epidemic, changing the previous passive and rigid style of play, but in the end he was excluded from the top 4 because of too much debt in the first half.
At that time, no one would have imagined that the Milanese would blow a hurricane in 2020 and become the focus of the entire European football world. After the resumption, the Rossoneri, who was unbeaten for more than 20 rounds, left the half-course jersey in Milan City, and behind the unbeaten record, people are full of expectations for the team's 2021.
Pioli, who completed his contract extension in November 2021, has become a key figure in leading the revival.
For Milanese, however, 2021 doesn't start well. Consecutive ataxias at Atalanta and Juve can also be seen as a result of strength, and the only defeat against the promoted team in the last 21 times has completely shattered the team's dream of winning the championship. The 2-0 loss to Spezia was Milan's lowest point in 2021, with the goalkeeper quickly dropping from the top of the table and the prospect of competing for 4 once again in doubt. Maldini recalls that time: "No one believed that Milan could finish the 4. "Except for Milan's fans, almost everyone is doubting that Milan, who have become accustomed to falling behind in the end-of-season chase, will once again miss out on the Champions League.
In the final battle with Atlanta, the Milanese finally waited for the light. That victory declared the end of the long seven-year wait of the red and black camps, and the Champions League armband returned to the Milan shirt, and the master of the king who had once been on par with Real Madrid on the Champions League stage flew back.
Milan, which returned to the Champions League after 7 years, is still far from the top teams.
When they return, their former opponents have already left themselves too far behind, and Liverpool, as the catch-up behind them, has begun to threaten the exclusive glory of Milan's 7 champions. Anfield's defeat may be regrettable, and the defeat of San Siro is irrefutable. In the passage of 7 years, the status of the strong has changed dramatically, and the city of Milan has to admit that the gap on the field is incomparably real.
Even so, for those who love this team, from the time they qualified for the Champions League, the growth trajectory of this team has been red. Fans who have been waiting for a long time, since they have survived the suffering of the invisible in the darkness, do not care to hold on to the little dawn before the dawn. The red aria sings the glory and dreams of the city of Milan for 122 years, and the beautiful hopes of Rosenelli for 2022.
Black Variations: The Road Ahead, How to Continue?
Rational harsh people will point out that Milan's side comparison in 2021 is not outstanding. Compared with the same period of points in the 19 rounds of Serie A, 21 years is 1 point less than 20 years, 3 more games have been lost, and the weaknesses and problems exposed in the past have not been reasonably solved.
Milan's Serie A goal conceded position is schematic, and mistakes have become an important part of the team's season goal conceded.
For example, the defense at the back. In the 21-22 season, Milan conceded a total of 22 goals in Serie A, of which 10 conceded an expected goal index of less than 0.2. That is, nearly half of the goals conceded by the team are caused by mistakes, allowing opponents to turn opportunities that are not chances into goals. Of the 10 goals conceded, 6 came from inside the penalty area and 2 from the top of the penalty area.
There were many mistakes at the back: for example, Casey's dribbling into the penalty area in the Milan derby was broken, Ben Nasser's direct pass from the middle was wrong, and Bakayoko's mistake in stopping the ball at the back was cut off. It is no wonder why there are still rumors of midfielder transfer intentions in the case of the team's reserve of 5 standing players in the defensive midfield position. After Tonari finally played after a season of adaptation and rest, the other teammates were still unable to contribute a consistent performance. Bennacell has not found his form since last season's major injury; Casey is as demigod as ever, always with a nerve knife performance in key occasions; Bakayoko is at a low point in psychology and competitive state under many years of wandering career, and even has an amateur performance in the game without confrontation. As for Kronic? Bosnian blacks are tepid, in position they can act as a golden oil, but in terms of ability, they cannot assume core responsibilities.
In the eyes of many fans, Poberga, who has already played a famous role in Serie A, should occupy a place in the team.
In this case, the question of staying in Torino, which has already played a famous role, is no longer a simple transfer transaction, but a matter of the team's future team building plan. Cayce, who is willing to throw his head and blood for Milan, is not willing to give up the persistent pursuit of high salary, and it is no longer possible to get a high salary for 0-value exodus, but a high probability reality. At the competitive level, this means that Milan will lose another main candidate in the back position, and economically, his departure will not be able to exchange milan for half a financial return.
"Mercenaries" are unreliable and have been confirmed as early as the Chinese-funded era. Emotional identification with the team should be the first of Milan's future candidates. Bayern has always found high-quality players in the Bundesliga, which is not unrelated to the wide recognition of the "Southern Star" club culture pattern. If the city of Milan is to move towards a brighter future, it will inevitably need the appointment of a group of cultural identities. Counting the success trajectory of the Berlusconi era, the team's success in the early stage has a "own person" leader such as Maldini and Baresi, in the middle of the period, there are lovers such as Inzaghi and Gattuso, and there are integrators such as Sheva and Kaka to lead - only when the club culture is recognized and loved, can the team form a cohesive force and continue to achieve glory in a good atmosphere. Therefore, players such as Donnarumma, Char Khan and Casey should be treated more as trading objects than as training objects, and if Maldini had understood this earlier, they would not have fallen into the passive transfer transaction.
Although Ibrahimovic has declined in playing time, his goal efficiency and shooting conversion rate are no different from 10 years ago. Who will take over his shift is a big question for Milan.
This understanding basis, coupled with the realistic requirements of the team's salary control, means that the youth and role players of the team such as Poberga and Colombo should be continuously enriched into the team lineup. Young local players themselves are not paid high, the willingness to stay is relatively strong, and they can follow the pace of the team more down-to-earth and become the backbone of the team's development. Locatelli, who ran away because of the lack of appointment space, proved two things: one is that Milan City has a good seedling; the other is that Milan clubs should change their thinking. In today's market environment, Serie A teams can only become a springboard for the development of many foreign players, unable to continuously meet the inflated salary needs of Casey and Vlahović. Instead of expending effort on the cultivation of these foreign mercenaries, it is better to give young players more room for development. Kalulu's surprise is already not small.
The New Year's bell rings, and the road to the red and black revival of the city of Milan has entered a new stage. The figure of San Siro is gradually fading away, which means that the red and black camp will usher in a new chapter. Greeting the new year's sunshine on the road, the future road of Milan city may still have a long way to go, but the people who insist on it are still waiting for the voice to change, and in 2022, we still believe that the fiery red will paint Milan with another bright light.