Fact is, we're being linked to players such as Pato and Julio Baptista. Although neither can be a bad addition to our squad, Julio Baptista is not a pilar of consistency. Pato on the otherhand is quite impressive for a 17-soon-to-be-18 year old. However Pato would only arrive in January. We would not be able to rely on an forward line consisiting of a highly inconsistent duo of Gilardino and Baptista, a reliable but aging Pippo Inzaghi, and an injury-prone Ronaldo.
Although high-quality strikers all 4 would be (implying Baptista were to arrive) they have their flaws. The then adition of Pato in January would not give him time to adapt until maybe the end of the season, to his new surrundings and completely new culture. It would take him 4-5 years before we can see his true potential therefore he is just a future prospect and nothing more for us now. We definetly won't see him have more than 10 goals in his first full season which would be the next after the upcoming one, should we get him in January.
If we were not to get any acquisitions this is our front line compared to Barcelona's, we would see the matchup like this Kaka' vs Ronaldinho, Inzaghi vs Eto'o, Gilardino vs. Messi, Ronaldo vs Henry. Kaka would take Ronaldinho, but i strongly doubt the other 3 would win out vs. their respected matchup, only ronaldo coming out close. Basically proving that Barcelona have a formidable offence, unlike Milan, champions europe, do not. Barcelona also have a vey strong backline and a good midfield, just like Milan, who's midfield and backline are, unfortunately, older.
Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have strengthened their squads to what seems invincibility. They already had a good squad and built upon it. These teams starting line-ups change from season to season and the fans see new, fresh faces in their team each year. There is nothing to a fan who hasn't seen his team play for 2 months, to get a world class acquisition for the new season.
But then you look at 3 teams, Milan, Manchester and Liverpool. They make maybe 1 or maybe 2 big name signing at the most each season, and reinforce the squad with older experienced players considered trash by some teams, and buy 1 or 2 young players for the future, usually to replace a star that seems never likely to leave the team.
These stars usually play out their days with these clubs, Maldini, Giggs, Carragher, Gerrard etc. and they are willing to take a backseat in the later days of their careers for the youngsters bought years back, to teach them, and in return they are valuable substitutes to give the young players a rest once in a while. You look at these 3 teams over the past half decade and you will see that their starting 11 have evolved much slower than al of Europe's major clubs, but also, have won the most over the long period of time.
Yes buying players immediately brings indeed, immediate success, as Inter showed last season, Barca and Chelsea 3 years previous. Now look at Chelsea and Barca, they have slowly faded and haven't really won anything of note. Why is that? Simply because they bought the best they could on the market, rather than buy young future prospects, who are somewhat proven to become good, and older players that bring valuable experience and depth to the squad. These squads have no more room for their experienced players therefore they let them go.
A perfect example was Giuseppe Favalli's purchase last summer. We thought it wa s a waste because he was old. But when he played, he fit into our system very easily because he had experience to do so. He was very solid at the back, more so than Jankulovski, and he was pretty dangerous pushing forward. Seedorf, who was on the road to another dismal season, turned the heater up a notch when he was truly needed. Other major clubs would have discareded him by now. Ambrosini who has finally shown his true value this season, and also starting to get up in years, would never have been given the chance by other major clubs because of his injury problems and inconsistency in the past.
But then you look over the past 20 years. You look at the history books and you constantly see 2 teams that continued winning using the same formula. 2 geniuses in modern football were at the help of each club, albeit in different positions. Manchester United had Sir Alex, and Il Grande Milan, who's legacy of the Berlusconi era is unprecedented, with Berlusconi watching over. Both men realised that the formula to victory is not money and talent: but trust, solidity, faith, and a strong belief in the dressing room that they were united as one team, and they would go out there every game and even though not the best on paper, they were the strongest side.
And if a player did not believe in this winning formula, they were set packing. Van Nistelrooij and Beckham for Manchester, 2 players who seeked a fake sense of glory and money. Same for Shevchenko with Milan. Even though Shevchenko was a heartbreak for us to lose, wasn't Beckham, Manchesters idol also a heartbreaing loss?
Other top clubs would not have the courage nor the balls to let their star player leave, because they cared more about winning quickly rather than have a united group of players. They would win immediately but in the long run, when things go downhill for a while, the locker room is not calm like that of Milan, they start to panick, and tempers flare. The group is no longer harmonious and the team struggles alot.
On the other hand, when Milan goes through a bad patch, players and staff alike always come out and say that the locker room is united and they will get back onto winning ways, rather than the inter or chelsea locker room where the finger is always pointed at someone, or in Real Madrids case where the coach is sacked, or at Juve where fringe players uproar at not being given a chance, or at Barca where we hear constant rumours of discomfort and fighting.
Although I agree with Italian Tsar that our transfer season is highly and worringly dismal, we must continue to trust Milan and its directors. We hve the money, and should we need further re-inforcement it will be spent. Players will eventually come but Milan is as strong a side as any and they will continue to win, because, no other team in history has accomplished what Milan has...find the balance between long-term victory and a long lasting harmony within the club.
) Our transfer policy over the past decade or more has been the best in the world, and our results prove me right. I trust our management, they will always make sure to let us stay up there at the top.
