Our series of 2014-16 mid-season reviews continues with an examination of the wayward Serie A giants AC Milan.
Story So Far
After AC Milan beat Frosinone 4-2 in the final match of 2015, it left them sixth place on 28 points, eight adrift of their local rivals Inter who sit in first spot on the table. The Rossoneri’s season can be defined by one word so far – inconsistent. They have shown that they have the ability to take control of a game and win comfortably, however, they struggle to actually produce this sort of performance on a reliable basis. Losses and stale draws to teams languishing at the bottom of the table have left fans wary and fearing they may fail to produce for a consecutive Serie A season. A 4-0 drubbing from Napoli at home is a sore point so far and it sent the faithful reeling. It was followed, however, by five matches without a loss, finally succumbing to Juventus 1-0 towards the end of November. The team have shown what they are capable of, it is just harnessing that consistently that is the issue.
The Manager
Sinisa Mihajlovic replaced the failed Filippo Inzaghi after the former player coached Milan to a terrible 10th place last season. The Serbian was given no easy task, returning the Rossoneri to glory in the Serie A and back to Champions League football. So far, he has struggled to get the most out of his team and his tenure at the club is shaky at best, with constant reports of his position in doubt. Injuries have not helped his quest, with enigmatic forward Mario Balotelli (who re-joined Milan again this season) injured for the majority of the early season, just as he was looking dangerous. Mihajlovic is in a dangerous position, managing a team that is demanded of so much by the owners and fans, nothing short of a top four finish and Champions League qualification is the expectation. Whether he can deliver depends entirely on the players, who need to perform far better than the first-half of the campaign.
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Standout Player
There are two standout players for Milan this season. The first, Giacomo Bonaventura, has four goals and six assists to his name so far and has been the best player on field for the Rossoneri on numerous occasions. the fiery midfielder’s combination with Carlos Bacca is becoming a real threat to the opposition and his maturity is something Milan desperately need.
The second player on the list, who has possibly performed even better this season is young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. After coming in to replace the injured Diego Lopez, he has not left the starting position and the giant 16-year-old is a fearsome presence between the sticks. With brilliant save after brilliant save, he has sometimes single-handedly kept the Rossoneri alive during a match.
Gianluigi Donnarumma's Serie A season by numbers:
4 games
12 catches
11 saves
2 clean sheets
0 defeatsHe's 16! pic.twitter.com/iu9cgOuBK0
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 7, 2015
Prediction
Milan take on Bologna for their first match of 2016, who are 15th on the ladder. With the Christmas break over, Mihajlovic will be searching for consecutive wins to kick start the new year and the second-half of the season. They then take on Roma just three days later, which will pose their first real test of 2016. Roma are sitting just one place above MIlan in fifth on 31, so positive showings against Bologna and Roma would see the Rossoneri leapfrog up the table.
January is a huge month for Milan. After the first two matches, they then play Carpi in the Coppa Italia, followed by Serie A outings against Fiorentina, Empoli and Inter. Earlier in the season a top four finish looked out of reach, now it seems it is achievable. AC Milan play their final match of the season against Roma, and it could turn out to be a very decisive game.
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