Davy & Chin Talk A.C Milan Weekly
Davy & Chin Talk A.C Milan Weekly
Milan's Renaissance: Davy & Chin Discuss The Return of Max Allegri and Preview Milan's New Season
The triumphant return of Massimiliano Allegri to AC Milan has sparked renewed hope for a Rossoneri renaissance after last season's disappointments. Having missed Champions League qualification and struggling with managerial instability in 2024-25, Milan has restructured with purpose – appointing Tari as sporting director and welcoming back the coach who once led them to Serie A glory.
Allegri's tactical transformation is already evident. The implementation of a 3-5-2 formation has repositioned Rafael Leão as a central striker rather than a left winger, while new signing Estupiñán replaces the departed Theo Hernández. The midfield has undergone a complete overhaul following Tijani Reijnders' move to Manchester City, with Samuel Ricci emerging as a revelation alongside new arrivals Luka Modrić and Jashari.
Perhaps Milan's greatest advantage this season? The absence of European football. Playing just once weekly provides Allegri with valuable training time to instill his tactical vision and maintain player freshness throughout the campaign. This single-competition focus proved successful for Napoli's Scudetto run last season, and many believe Milan could follow a similar path.
The arrival of veteran Luka Modrić transcends his on-field contributions, bringing a championship mentality to Milanello and becoming an immediate reference point for younger players. As Co-host Chin notes, " A mini God, whether Modrić plays or doesn't play, the fact that he's at Milan is exactly the kind of mentality Milan players need."
With Napoli strengthening under Conte, Inter transitioning to a new coach, and Juventus rebuilding, the Serie A title race appears wide open. Milan's disciplined structure, talented squad, and Allegri's winning mentality position them as legitimate contenders. Can the Rossoneri reclaim their place at the summit of Italian football? Time will tell.
The Rossoneri Renaissance is complete After 11 years. Once again, milan are the champions of Italy.
Speaker 2:It's they who wear the crown for the 2021-22 season. Hello everyone, this is Davie and Chin talk Milan, and we are back again. Welcome to 25- 26th season. Chin, how you doing, man?
Speaker 3:I'm doing good, Dave, I'm doing good. It's been a minute. It feels like forever. Yeah, at one point I was telling myself you know, I used to record a podcast every now and then, and now it felt so long.
Speaker 2:Good to be back. Anyways, it's also very, very good to be back with our boy, leo hey.
Speaker 1:Foza Milan.
Speaker 2:Leo, how you been.
Speaker 1:Well, what can I say? It's a new season, so I'm refreshed. Yeah, yeah, it's been a while.
Speaker 2:So so it's so funny. This is what has been happening, guys, for the fact that we've not been doing podcasts for over, like you know, a few months now, we still have a lot of listeners, like a lot of downloaders, so that's a good thing that at least people are. People have been expecting us to actually post, so it's. I think it's a very perfect time to actually start this season, which is again coming from a very positive result from barry um coppa italia. But before we go ahead, let's really just touch base about, you know, summary of last season. I'm gonna start with two chain last season. I'm going to start with you, chin. Last season, you had two coaches and it was a big mess, complete mess, not just from the on-field, off the field as well, with the management and everything. Just summarize last season for me, chin what do you think was our biggest problem and why do you think Milan failed last season? So for me.
Speaker 3:The season started I think I told you this before and I'll say it again it all started in the preseason, right. So Milan did a lot of good things. They had a new coach, finally purely left right, which to some people it's like the worst thing that has ever happened to humankind yeah, humankind yeah. But to some of us it wasn't. It wasn't the worst thing that has ever happened, so purely that we brought in Fonseca. We had a great preseason. You know, the biggest lesson for me last year was don't put too much on preseason. So it gave us hope going into the season. And we go into the season. And the first game of the season we played Torino, and that was when we knew it was going to be a long season and so that kind of set the tone for the rest of the season.
Speaker 3:Lots of drama. Rafael Leal and Theo Hernandez were revolting against the coach and unfortunately they fired Fonseca right before Milan had Supercopa tournament to play. They brought in the new guy, sergio Conceição, who ended up winning the Supercopa right. You, you know miraculously I think I said it then that he won by emotion. It was an emotional tournament for Milan. They came back against Juventus and came back against Inter Milan, to you know, to lift the Supercopa, and the season became like very inconsistent. It was a rollercoaster season. We couldn't really pick form in the league. To, you know, put a few string, a few wins together to push us up the table, and the worst part of it was the only tournament that we were hoping to actually, you know, win, to get us into Europe and maybe finally win the Coppa Italia after so many years. We ended up losing. We ended up losing after making it to the final. I think you know, if you use the Coppa Italia, it's actually like a definition of how Milan season went.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm going to go to you, leo, let me go to you, leo, leo. What's your take on last season, both from a, from the coaching and the players in general?
Speaker 1:Yeah, for me, last season was a lot of chaos and disaster. You know you can count how many clubs finished with like three different coaches in the same season, right, in our case, maybe two different coaches. We all knew at some point that Kostasar was going to leave even before the season ended. So, if not that they were just like you know what. There's nothing else to fight for. These guys were just there without actually getting the third coach to finish the season. So it was chaotic.
Speaker 1:There was a lot of unprofessionalism, if I use that word, from players. Coaches were not able to manage some players' expectations and the players started acting up on the pitch. We saw a lot of, like you know, really ridiculous things happen. You know, if you remember the incident with Corsair South and Calabria fighting on the pitch, like so many disgusting stuff, right, players were fighting for penalties against Argentina. Yeah, all sorts of unprofessional conduct and I felt, like you know, as a club, it was not well managed, you know, like there wasn't any discipline, bettered out the players and all that. But I would say it was a very bad season that you saw us not qualify for the Champions League, which to me, is the biggest tragedy from last season that we didn't qualify for the Champions League and, yeah, it was. You know, there was bright sparks at the start of the season. I actually, you know, was going to give Fonseca the benefit of that, because he had a good preseason and it felt like some players were finding form under him, because he used a lot of some of those players that never saw game time under Peone and he started giving them game time in preseason and it just felt like some of the big players were not happy about that. So everything happened. We also had a play out. So I don't think we should dwell too much on the past, because it just hurts, right, when you think about last season.
Speaker 1:Last season was, you know, because Milan started a project, right, that saw us need the Scudetto in 2021. We were all supposed to, we were expecting Milan to rise from that, you know, but it kind of felt like we took off and we crashed back down, which is why last season was really painful for a lot of Milan fans. But hopefully it's a new season. We have Allegri back.
Speaker 1:I wasn't a fan of bringing back Allegri, but what I'm seeing, I feel like he also has something to prove, because he's also had his own issues in football. Milan is kind of like his second chance to come back and show his detractors that he's still guided as the manager. So I feel, um, it's actually the best project for alex right now. Coming to the team with so much chaos and, you know, show that he's also been able to come with his own skills and his own stones and you can see that he he's he's doing a really good job, uh, with the team, because you know they are different. So, yeah, I feel like last season should just be in the past. It hurts, but we should all move on from that and hopefully there are some things that are promising and things to respect from the team this season.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Honestly, I think you hit the nail on the head and if I'm just to add to it right need on the head and if, if I'm just to add to it right, I think one of our big problem last season was basically um was structural issues right from the management, because when we started last season, right, and they brought paulo fonseca, which I had no issue with, again, like you know, we say like milan is pretty much an emotional team, right, what I noticed last season is there is no, you know, there's no structural hierarchy in the milan management. If you, what I noticed last season is there is no, you know, there's no structural hierarchy in the Milan management. If you look at them last season, like they said, ibrahimovic is the boss, nobody knows his position. Monkanda was there, fulani was there. You know we didn't really identify who is in charge of the signings, like who is approving all the signings. You know what I mean. Like there's a lot of structural, structural issue with management and I feel like that can like pass down the players because, again, if you look at the players as well, the amount of players that they bought in last season, again try to make it a non-italian club side where, like, it's a whole bunch of you know europeans and all over the country and stuff like that, most of them, majority of them, being playing in italy for, like, either the first season or the second season, making things difficult, right. And if you notice the way they structure this team last season, there is no leadership in the squad itself. You know, which is one of the reasons why I kind of felt disappointed again in a couple of players that I kind of had faith in to like take over the leadership role, when players like Giroud, left, right, people like Tomori, for example, there was no Again. Remember that Fiorentina game, they were all dragging the ball, who's going to play penalty, and stuff like that, right, and we ended up losing that game, which kind of break down the entire stuff. And again, fonseca lost the dressing room and everything like that. I feel like the management were very, you know, were pivotal to this issue of Milan last season. It's not just the coaches, not just the players. I think it's a structural issue and it started from the management.
Speaker 2:Now, this season I've seen quite a few changes. First of all, bringing Tari Igletari from Lazio right. When they brought him with the sign, when they announced him, I was kind of skeptical, like is this guy really going to be capable? Right, I mean, considering where he came from Lazio, right, that hasn't really won anything major for the past, like how many years, right. But again, when he came on and Allegri followed him and I was beginning to see the signs and everything Like how impressed. I was beginning to see the signs and everything like how impressed. I'm going to start with you, chin. How impressed are you so far with the management and the coach and the decision to bring in Allegri with a couple of players this season that I mean that came in and left. So I think you.
Speaker 3:You made a good comment there about lack of leadership with regards to the running the club. Right and just having that one, one truth to choke. Right, and just having that one truth to choke. You know, my boss always says one truth to choke Just having that one person that you can always pinpoint.
Speaker 3:I used to ask you a lot what does Brian Moves do for Milan? Now I don't have to ask that question because I know exactly who the sporting director of Milan is and I know where all the signing philosophy and whatever they need to do comes from. So I think that move alone even though it's not like a well-known name or a name that we actually have so much faith in or had so much faith in, that alone allows the team to just feel settled. And then you add Allegri to the mix. Right, allegri to me, even though he's not my kind of coach and my cup of tea, but what he represents is winning right. Allegri to me, even though he's not my kind of coach and my cup of tea, but what he represents is winning right. He's almost like Conte to some extent right, he will come in and he will win right. And he also is a very disciplined and serious person. He doesn't. He doesn't take no prisoners. I don't know if that makes any sense. So that alone brings stability to the team and that can actually just change the entire mentality of the squad. So it doesn't matter who you end up signing. You could sign the best players. If the team doesn't feel like they actually have what I call a good base or a good management that can hold them accountable, they're going to do whatever they want to do and get away with it, just like they did last year.
Speaker 3:And the other part that we missed too is also all this cleaning house and getting rid of some players, like your boy, teo Hernandez, and so on and so forth. Those things also kind of make people realize oh my God, you're indispensable, right, you can't get. Milan can get rid of you and find a replacement, whether they're the same level or not, but we need serious people at the club, right. So it's just all walking towards that stability, seriousness, and I do appreciate it, like I do, because to me, the biggest issue in milan last year was I felt they were just a joke and everything they were doing. It didn't make a lot of sense, right, even though I know we had a few, uh, you know, a few good signings, but I just felt they were just signings for signing sake, right. But now even we are signing players, but you can see the mask behind the signing, right, like it's replacement of except for Modric, which I cannot understand.
Speaker 3:Milan, always, every club, needs that veteran, that mature head that always tell the guys hey, I've been through this before. So calm the hell down, right, you need that before. So calm the hell down, right, you need that. And that's what, to me, modric represents for Milan and you can see the way the players rally around him, the way they look at him like a mini-god, right, and that's how Ibra was for Milan and that's what Modric will be, apart from him. The rest of the signing to me they all made sense because they were basically buying for replacement and buying for the future, right, um, a few people they saw this year, this season, I didn't like, but it's okay, it's part of, uh, it's part of the game. But, all that being said, I feel milan stability from the sporting director, uh, level and the coach stable, so it should be a better season for us. I don't know if that that answers your question.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it, does it does? I have a question though, like because I know if there's a big fan of Conte in this group, I think it's Leo, and again, I don't want to go back with me. I usually go back and forth on this Conte issues last season, right, my question is I've known to me personally, I think I think Allegri is one of the most decorated Italian coach in Serie A. You know what I mean More decorated than Conte?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think so. Is he more decorated than Conte? I think so. Yeah, no, he's not Check.
Speaker 2:Go check, conte has actually won more trophies.
Speaker 1:Maybe Trophy-wise Conte is the yeah, he's more decorated than Conte.
Speaker 2:If he's not the first, probably the second, I guess, but and you know it's not about business that's Allegri for you. So he has a lot of similarities with Conte in terms of the way he manages, the way he likes his things to be done right Now. Looking at this squad right now at his disposal, how confident are you with Allegri?
Speaker 1:Very confident because so far I've liked what I've seen Like, based on the preseason games and this game against Bari, you can tell that we're trying to form a play style where you can see he wants to bring back that stability in defending. That was something we lacked all through last season. We played really good football, especially under Fonseca, but there's this lack of discipline when it comes to defending. We're just all over the place. Players will not track back and that's what he's imposing on the team. I don't know how he's doing it, but that's what I see when I watch Milan play. The boys are playing for each other. People are, like you know, covering each other's mistakes. You know, without you know, much, much issues. So I feel like Allegri, he's being given a team that that would help him to succeed. Right, because so far, I feel like all the transfers are happening based on his impute. I think he has a good relationship with Iglitari and the identifying profiles that he needs and they're making those signs for him. So I think he's going to have a lot to be able to compete in his Serie A decision. Does he have everything that he needs to match the likes of Napoli or Inter? No, I still feel like we're still a couple of signings away from having a perfect Meccato, because we just sold Malik Thiel and I don't feel like we have enough depth in our defence to go all the way to challenge Napoli and Inter. Because if you, if you look at Napoli's score like it's, it's crazy, because they got a lot of money from the sale of Guevara during the winter and also Simen this summer, that he splashed a lot of that on new signings, but they basically got all the best players in Italy, because most 10 and close will sell talents to AC Milan anyways. But somehow Napoli was able to touch, you know, like Bukima from Bologna, they already have Bongiorno, so they have like, defensively they are, they are tight and they got KDB on the free transfer from, you know, in addition to McTominay. That did wonders for them last season. So I feel like these other clubs are stacked.
Speaker 1:In terms of the midfield, I feel like probably AC Milan has a much better midfield compared to every other Serie A side. You know, with Modric, yashari, richie, we have a midfield now that I feel very confident, you know, because in the game today against Bari, you could see how comfortable we were all through the game Because we had that midfield dominance right. It was never like watching Milan or last season where you're always afraid they're going to concede or something like that. All through the game we had control. So I feel like he has enough to challenge.
Speaker 1:It's up to Allegri to, you know, actually do his job, be professional and, you know, make use of you know the resources he has. Even if he doesn't get everything he needs, he still has the winter transfer market right. Identify the profile you need for whatever is missing in your team and push on management to get you what you want and be like Conte. You know, if you don't get what you want, leave.
Speaker 1:People give Conte a lot of criticisms to say, oh, he's not a stable coach, that he leaves after one or two seasons or he brings chaos. But this is him being a professional, because there's no way he's going to work without giving him the resources, because, at the end of the day, he knows that his name is on that team right. That doesn't make him a bad manager, it just makes him somebody that is principled enough and that is something I keep telling you, like for the likes of kiyo did, I will say, oh, they didn't give him enough of what he needs. And you are still there. I'm still going to hold you accountable, because if you don't ask for it and if you don't walk away, then it means you are saying, okay, I can work with this, and then whatever results you produce, that's on you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah I agree, I agree, chin. Let me just really touch, based on the tactical um, you know, tactical aspect of, of, of, of allegory, of what I've seen so far he has. Normally, we're so used to the 4-3-3 formation or 4-2-1-3 formation, where we have, like what, two midfield defensive midfielders or central midfielders, we have one attacking midfielder and we have, like you know, three, um, two wingers and one striker right. But I've noticed something that he's trying to, like, you know, move us away from that sort of style, which is having a three-man, you know, three-man defense. Now, I'm not going to start on that. First. I want to start. I want to talk specifically about Rafael Leal. Since Allegri started the preseason, he has not really been using Rafael Leal as a left winger anymore. He sees him as a central striker now, you know, giving him that freedom to actually roam, you know, in between the defenders and everything like that. What's your thoughts on this, though?
Speaker 3:Well, I think that's the 3-5-2 formation for.
Speaker 2:Allegri, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3:At Juventusus. He always used that right. So he, he's comfortable with that. Um, with rafael leao, to be honest with you, I think, when I was watching barry game today and I've seen him in precision, he's had a few headers. He's heading the ball more because we know sometimes we forget that he's actually bigger than most people, right, he's a tall guy. Um, he's had a few headers. I noticed he's shooting. He's more direct now with shots, with shooting no more unnecessary. You know, I don't know if it's because he's finding himself in the middle of the play, in the middle of the box, rather than just being, and it also helps because there's no more Teo Hernandez, right, estupinan is not Teo Hernandez, he's not going to run around and run.
Speaker 2:Let let's get that straight.
Speaker 3:No, yeah, I'm just saying. So that alone might just be the kind of change that Rafael Leal needed or needs in order for him to feel challenged, because sometimes I feel he doesn't feel like he's being challenged and that's where he gets a little bit bored with whatever is going on. So this is good for him. As for sustainability, like I guess the question is he will be taking a lot of bangs and bruises and so on and so forth. Right Today I saw him limping. When you play through the middle a lot, you're going to probably get hit by a lot of those Italian defenders a lot, so I don't know if that makes any sense. So he might end up getting more hurt than he used to in the past, but in terms of involvement in the game, he will be more involved. Right, and your most dangerous player.
Speaker 3:You want him to be more involved, and the reality is Allegri's formation doesn't really have a position for Rafael on the left side of the field. He's not going to play Estupinian's role, right? So he has to go through as a second striker or just in the middle, like he and Pulisic, because you're asking the same question for Rafael, it's the same for Pulisic, because Pulisic is now the second. Uh, he has two forwards it's Pulisic and Leal right, but how he uses them is not really like more like direct direct. It's more like you guys are there, use whatever space is in front of you, move around, allow those wingers to, or wing backs to, overlap, and so on, so forth. So I'm excited to see how that works out.
Speaker 3:All I know is to be honest with you, dave, I'm not looking forward to any high-flying you know, champagne football this season. I'm just looking for grit and winning. What, what do you mean by why it's Allegri we're talking about? What do you think Allegri represents? You think Allegri is coming to give you champagne football? No, I'm just hoping that Milan will just win a lot of games and be competitive and, you know, finish top four this season and get back to respectability. And you're right though honestly, let's be sincere.
Speaker 2:Like I know, I'm a big fan of Pioli and if you look up right from Pioli's era down to Fonseca, most issues we have in this team is having a disciplined team with a very good structure in terms of plays. You know what I mean. Like you don't have to like again when, when we started with Fonseca, there's a huge, huge gap in the middle. When we're attacking and we get counter, like this, we're always in trouble, right. I found the same thing with Conceição as well, even though at the end of the season, tried to like change it, but it didn't really work. But I think that discipline in between the midfield and the defense was what we've been lacking for a long, long time.
Speaker 2:If we can, if we can have a very disciplined structure where, like we play, we know when to attack, when to defend and when to, like you know, cover for each other as a team, I think I think we're going to have a very good season. In all, liguritz football is not bad and with this kind of squad, like I know, if you watch Juventus, like you know all through that year that he was dominating and winning the league at Juventus. Like it's a different Juventus, has a different set of style of play on its own. I feel like Milan's team is much more talented in terms of, you know, technicality skills and everything like that, so he is still going to take advantage of it regardless. Now, again having that sort of structure and discipline, I think that's very, very key.
Speaker 3:Now let's just quickly talk about Sorry, Dave, to add to it. So Milan, sorry, Milan players, most of our attacking players have more flair, right, but it is the lack of discipline that is a big deal. Juventus players like I was joking in the group that Salamakas is an Allegri type of player and you guys think I'm kidding he is because he's that kind of person that he will run his life out, he will do whatever is needed to get the result right. He's not there to you know, sometimes he do his flicks once or twice or whatever, but he's a hardworking player and that's what Allegri likes. He likes players that you just give it your all right. He doesn't Remember in Nochorino, and those guys used to win, this guy won't leave with Nochorino. It's like if he wins with Nochorino, I don't know what is left. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Right and Nochorino was scoring like double digits. I don't remember.
Speaker 3:So he just needs hardworking people. He needs people that are going to come in.
Speaker 1:He was all about this and try.
Speaker 3:So that was it. I actually found that one of the most interesting pieces was him coaching. Didn't he coach Cassano when he was at Milan? Yeah, he did.
Speaker 2:And again, that's more reason why, again, when they announced Allegri, I was so excited, Not because of the fact that, oh yeah, he's Allegri.
Speaker 3:No, like he has dealt with a whole bunch of players in the same team. Remember that season when we had like Robinho, it's Robinho, robinho.
Speaker 2:Ibrahimo, cassano, cassano. So lots of characters. These are like big egos in dressing room right, and there were big fights, gattuso, don't forget, these guys are not just. Yeah, gattuso.
Speaker 3:And it was even the other.
Speaker 3:Ndanguni League right point out too is that there's also a big factor in being there done that when allegory was at milan. Right, yeah, first time he was just a new young guy, you know, trying to make his cut his own, you know, teeth in the, in the trade, and then he won the one league, and then they, and then left and it says then he's basically been now known as a serial winner. Basically, right, the guy has gone to juventus, he has won sierra like he owns the league, and then he's gone to the Champions League final multiple times. Yeah, that's not easy. So now the guy is coming back to Milan as basically like a god, mini god I'm not even kidding, because he comes there. Nobody can tell him anything, right, especially where Milan is now, where they are begging they. Areri has a point to prove.
Speaker 2:Don't forget that the way he was you know was bonded out of Juventus wasn't really what he wanted, like they wanted the season he got sacked. He won the Italian Cup.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that's one part, right, he has a point to prove and he also has the, you know the, and he also has the resume to back it up. Right, it's to me similar to Conte in a way, right, where Conte has a point to prove when he went to what's it called Napoli, and he also has a resume to back it up. Because people like Conte and Allegri, they come with their own baggage, and that baggage is the extra stubbornness and the extra chaos that sometimes comes with it, where you might go to the press conference and the next minute he told you, he tells you, afelia is on the bench now for the next five weeks, until he learns respect, something like that, right, yeah?
Speaker 3:and you'll be surprised, like where is this coming from? Yeah, that's true. I'm telling you that's konte and I agree. Before you play with you, 23 right, and you'll be surprised, but the reality is that those guys win right and, fortunately for him, he has won enough times that you cannot tell him anything. So I'm looking forward to that mentality in Milan, because that was lacking. And, to be honest, I keep bringing it back to Modric.
Speaker 3:Whether Modric plays or doesn't play, the fact that Modric is at Milan is exactly the kind of mentality that Milan players need. They need somebody to remind them that Milan is not your. They need to show up anytime kind of club and do whatever. This is a big club and it's been big. It's been big forever and it will continue to be big, and you have to always work with that at the back of your mind, right, exactly. And Modric, to me, represents that. Okay, today I was listening to the commentator and I was kind of like thinking, oh my God, like it's Modric right. He's won everything that is there to be won and nothing. It's not similar to Allegri. You can't tell him anything and when he tells you run, if he's running, you're running right. Yeah, that's so true. And again.
Speaker 2:this is here. Okay, so talking about, you know, modric and all the new signings, right, I just want to touch based on some exits players. Right, I know. If you ask any Milan fan right now, like, oh, which of the players left Milan that really hurt the most, it's obviously going to be Tijani Reinders. Right, and I knew this was going to happen. That's real, because the moment we lost out of Europe, we didn't get Champions League. Yeah, exactly, yeah, I know someone's going to come and scoop him up, and even before the end of the season they're already talking about him.
Speaker 1:I was wishing it was going to be Theo.
Speaker 2:I was silently praying it was going to be Theo, but we could cash in like maybe 40 million for him, because I just saw his value going down with all the shenanigans and his attitude towards the end of last season, all through last season, the last two seasons, right, I don't think his attitude has really been that encouraging to keep to renew his contract. In all honesty, like you know, theo, like the moment Puyol left and Maldini was asked, right, I think he just completely lost interest and was just waiting, instead of him to actually play, to prove himself and get a better offer. But again, I think his attitude kind of like speaks, you know, louder than you know, what we all expected. But the thing is, my question is, leo, I'll start with you, right, tijani, rwanda is leaving right, and looking at the midfield right now, the way you know, the new people that came in Modric, coming in Jashari as well, coming in couple I mean Richie, by the way, to me personally, if you ask me who is one of the most exciting players that I see in a midfield, it's Samuel Ricci.
Speaker 2:That guy is on a whole new level. Who's your? What do you think about the Milan's midfield right now? Because I know you two we've talked about it a couple of times.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I think last season the problem was that we had just a one-man midfield because we had Reinders. He was the only person that was carrying the entire team in that midfield. Me, fofana Fofana is still very rough when I watch him, even up till now, like I was watching his game. Today it's still. You know, there's still some edges that need to be refined. He's not there. You know, if you compare like edges that needs to be refined, he's not there. You know, if you compare him to Richie Richie is fast like you could see that this guy is his. His execution is like perfect in that midfield. He knows what to and he just came from Toronto, that's that's.
Speaker 1:I get a lot of like oh Milan fans saying AC Milan doesn't sign Italian players. But this is the type of Italian players that I want to see in AC Milan and you have to be able to execute it. So I'm so happy, I'm so glad we got him. In the past I thought he was just all hype, but when I saw his game at preseason, he has never put one foot wrong, samuel Ricci. So I'm happy for that.
Speaker 1:But I was gutted with the fact that we had to lose Reinders. I saw it coming. There's nothing anybody could do about it, the way it happened. I just felt like AC Milan management has a lot to learn from clubs like Brugger, for example. Like there was no point to be in a hurry to sell him off the way we sold him off. Like it's something you know. Okay, you were going to sell. You know you're going to sell because, trust me, brugger knows they were going to sell Yashari to us, because even the player has made it clear that he wants to leave, he wants to join a bigger team. But somehow they milked the whole thing and took us from. Like we're offering what? 30 million and we ended up at close to 40 million. Right, that is how you drag out transfers. And look at the guy he just he's literally primarily got fired and he's going to do great. Rangers is going to do great in the EPL because he's in a team that is suited for his play style.
Speaker 1:Like he's just the type of player that you know City needs, because the way man City plays, they play according to his style. Like you know this give-and-go kind of football. You know this kind of like where everybody has this high intelligent IQ of you know what we call like football sense. You know you could just watch him like in the last game they played and they won 4-0 very comfortably. He was really good on the ball and you know it was just so painful for us Milan fans, like you know, watching that. And what really hurts me is not that we sold him, it's for the amount we let him go for.
Speaker 1:I know we didn't have Iglitari when we made those transactions with man City. A proper sporting director would have known that man City needed this guy and would have like made them pay for it. We just like kind of just let the guy go because we just felt like, oh, we need to balance the books. And you know he was the sacrificial lamb and it was man City and the player was already like, oh, I'm excited, I want to leave because man City has come for me, you know. But then you as club has to start thinking okay, this is a business, right? Cj Nirendra was actually a valuable player for midfield last season. Now you just throw them off like that, like a defense back, and call whatever, like come on. That's crazy. So that's the only sad part. Well, I feel like overall, our midfield is much better this season, if that's your question. With Modric Richie and Yashari brought to the fold, I feel like you're going to see much better performance from our midfielders this season compared to last.
Speaker 2:Chin, I know you've obviously in the group this afternoon watching the game. Right, you were talking about Tomori being a best centre-back and being sort of like you've been sceptical about, about. You know, our defence in general. This isn't if Tomori is the the top-ranked centre-back of Milan. Like, what's your thought? Like, do you? We have Winter, by the way, which not a lot of people knows about, right? Do you think it was right for Milan to sell Malik Teo for the price that they sold him for?
Speaker 3:No, because for me I've said it before I would take Malik Teo over to Mori, but then again I'm talking to Dave. That's a different discussion. Yeah, because I don't know. Malik Teo is young. He has a lot obviously to learn, but his ceiling for me is way higher than Tomori's ceiling, and that's the difference, because I've seen Tomori's ceiling, you know what his ceiling was the year that he came and Milan won the league. That's his ceiling. Like since then it's basically Tomori, right, like nothing has changed about Tomori, not like. Okay, think about it, dave. What has improved significantly in Mori since you've known Mori?
Speaker 2:I think this question you're asking me, I can dissect it if you want me to talk about it more.
Speaker 3:No, no, I'm only just telling you that to Mori, to me, this is it right? But meanwhile, Malik Teo was like we're still getting to know him, like, like we're still getting to know him, like there's a lot of good attributes about him.
Speaker 2:Malik Teo spent three seasons at Milan.
Speaker 3:Three seasons, no, yeah, but Dave, he was literally, he was never a starter.
Speaker 1:He was never a starter to be honest.
Speaker 2:To be honest there, shane, I think I kind of understand what you're saying about, about Tomori my Malik Teo thing is simple.
Speaker 3:I believe that his potential is higher than Tomori's. Again, in as much as I complain about Tomori a lot, I said it today that he's Milan's best defender, and that's saying a lot, because in my own head there's a lot of teams that wouldn't take him as one of their starting defenders, right? So I just hope that the signing of Kony de Winter helps, like I hope he, if anything, because he's also a little younger, right, so he has room to grow, because that's how you have you have. You watched that guy, connie de winter.
Speaker 1:Have you actually watched him?
Speaker 3:well, I, I know, okay, let me put it this way, I watched enough sierra to see him right, but he's, it wasn't like in my mind. He was like oh, we must go and get him right. I don't know if you understand what I mean. There's a few players in italy that you like, oh, oh, if you can get that guy. But he wasn't that guy to me in my mind. But all of a sudden Milan finds him. Sometimes that's what you need.
Speaker 1:I think it's going to be a good sign for us. Okay, because if you follow Genoa from last season, they don't concede too many goals. He's been in a side where he's actually owned the art of defending. If you play for Genoa, you know how to defend very well. That's the way you were Exactly Under Patrick Vieira. He's always been their model. They just sit back, come, break us down if you can. Tony De Winter is somebody I know that you know defensively.
Speaker 2:He's a good addition for us and I think, in all honesty, this is, this is how I see this is. This is what Allegri is doing. If you look at the way he's structuring this defense line, right, he's having and again, your right chain, which I can I can make a case regarding Malik Chiaf's exit, but again, the price is too the offer is too attractive not to accept it. That's what I'm going to say. But, however, though, allegri is playing with three-man defense, having someone in the middle that has that sort of stationary aerial dwell and have two defenders left and right, which is Pavlovich and Tomori, that has that ability to sprint forward and come back at the same time, so Gabia being in the middle of them both. I cannot relate to Malik Thiel being able to do a very good job if he is in this defense line, right? However, again, this is where most people are not understanding the situation here. You cannot have Gabia or Malik Thiel play on the right of the three-man defense. It's going to be a disaster. You cannot have Tomori or even Pavlovic play in the center of a three-man defense as well. It's going to be a disaster as well, because these two players, they have a different ideology. When it comes to defending Tomori specifically. He is very, you know, quick, loves to go forward. Now, having that freedom to go forward as well, like he did what he did today against Barry right With that spectacular cross, which I wasn't even expecting, like the last we both knew, that is. I used to beat this sort of crosses when he was at Billa right. So to me, I feel like it's a good thing.
Speaker 2:Now, winter coming in, I feel like it's gonna add much more if it's gonna be playing in the center and not the right. I think it's gonna make a lot of sense. However, this is my take. We still need one more central center back to join the squad, to make at least, you know, to have that sort of, because we're going in a long stretch of season. I agree, some of my get injured at any time again and we have, like you know, we now start having to force ourselves to, you know, reshape ourselves, and it won't work now. The way the things are set up right now, I think it's okay, but again, we still need one more person now. My question now to you leo is estopian.
Speaker 2:So is I think it's just right, yeah, a subpoena exactly yeah, coming in for Teo Hernandez, like looking at this guy, I think he plays differently as a left back right. What's your thought on him so far?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the thing is we're always fond of comparing players, right A subpoena and Theo. They are two different players. Yes, they play the same position, they're both left-backs, but they are not the same. So I just feel like Theo's era is over. What is this guy going to bring to the team? That's all I'm after. Right, Is he going to be defensively solid? Is he going to when he pushes forward, is he going to be an option for attack?
Speaker 1:And so far I've seen good things from him. He's energetic, he's all over the place, he runs forward. He also has a good understanding with some of the midfield players, like Yashari. You could see them passing the ball to each other. When I watched that friendly against Leeds, that first half, they were beginning to form a sort of connection with each other. Right, so far he's been good. He plays with his heart. He picked up a yellow card today, which I don't really think was supposed to be yellow, but I'll take that. So far I would say it's good. It's good. They kept a clean sheet. He's part of that defensive line that kept that clean sheet. So he started well. Let's not, you know, be in the of the mindset that he's going to be Theo. He's not going to be Theo. He's not going to dribble everybody and score that kind of like Theo scored against Atalanta.
Speaker 2:He's and score that kind of like he scored against Atalanta he's not that type of player, but he's a good player.
Speaker 1:Like, yeah, but he's a good player and we just have to give him time to, you know, keep forming those bonds with the rest of the team and, yeah, I think he'll do great. The only fear I have for him is he may be a bit injury prone, which is why we still have Pettersaghi in the squad right, so that in case he picks up enough, pettersaghi would come feature, because Pettersaghi is also. He's been with the senior team for, I think, two seasons now.
Speaker 1:I don't think he's improved, he has, improved, he has. He needs to start getting more, you know, more responsibility and more game time. So, him and Estupendian, that left-back position is going to be Gerson's responsibility in this season.
Speaker 2:Okay, this is my next question for you Chin Now, looking at this sort of like shape that we're playing now? We're not talking about Ruben Ovtuscik so far, which I think he's again every coach that comes in Chin. Always he plays on Ruben Loftus-Chick. I'm watching him today. I think he really gave us a convincing performance of what he's capable of doing.
Speaker 1:Not just today. All three pieces.
Speaker 3:So is Ruben Loftus-Chick going to start in this midfield?
Speaker 2:Because we're talking about Zazari we're talking about Ricky and we're talking about Fofana.
Speaker 3:So where is he going?
Speaker 2:to play Love to shake is part of Milan, part of Allegri's plan, and again, he's going to be playing alongside Fofana Ritchie. Yeah, he's going to play on the left side, right hand side, so Ritchie stays on the central midfield, then Love to shake plays left. And so what's your thought on this?
Speaker 3:Well, I don't have a thought. You already know my thought on Ruben Loftus-Chick. I don't know what else you want from me.
Speaker 2:Well, well, I mean, if you tell me that Salamakas has improved, I think to me so far, if Loftus-Chick has been put in a very good position, I think he's going to get the best out of it, aside from I think you can get the best out of him, aside from the injuries, which I think has been my worry so far, but hopefully if he stays healthy this season, I think he has a lot of value to bring to the team, because I don't see anybody in our midfield that has the sort of ability to use his strength to push the ball forward like Loftus-Chick. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I agree with you, dave. I feel like the problem we had with Loftus-Cheek was he was being misprofiled. I think Pioli was kind of like using him as an attacking midfielder role, you know, just like behind the striker kind of thing, and he's not that type of player. No, yes, he got a couple of goals that season and he felt like, oh, this guy is good, but under the next coach I felt like, oh, this guy is good, but under the next coach I felt like they still kept making that mistake, playing him as an attacking midfielder. I think with this team right now he's more set up for success because now we have more press-resistant midfielders in Richie or Modric that can just magnet that ball and he can just start running into areas where he can be more of an attacking threat. And yeah, I feel like so far you've seen his performance this season he also carries the ball on us well and drives forward really great. So I think he's going to have a good season.
Speaker 1:And also the fact that we are spoiled for choice in the midfield activities right, because we have a good season. And also the fact that we are spoiled for choice in the midfield activities right, because we have a lot of other options to always bring guys in and make guys take a rest. We're not going to play the Champions League, so I feel like we are stacked with our midfield. There's no issue with our midfield. There's a lot of game time that's going to go around for everyone, especially with Nodri being in his 40s right, he's not going to play every single game. So the likes of Tashari they are going to be pivotal this season they have to pick up games and pick up shifts and if he's going to put the kind of performance he put into the shifts, then I think we're good.
Speaker 2:No, that's good. Again. Now my question goes to the attack right now, because basically people were expecting some players to leave. For example, okafor is still there and he had a very good preseason. In all honesty, okafor had a very good preseason. Milan is also looking to sign in a couple of names, top profile names actually linked to Milan in terms of central striker. Right, I know, obviously Jimenez is not going to be the only striker that's going to go into the season with us. We need someone also that has a bigger profile. Right, there's Rasmus Heuland, there's Blachowicz as well, linked. My question is do you think if Milan end up bringing one of these guys, do you think that will be enough for Ataka? Do you think maybe some changes still need to be made, or do you think players like Okafor can be given that opportunity if we're unable to bring in a big profile this summer signing change?
Speaker 3:I think only you just need one striker, right, one out-and-out striker, and you're good. Because you have to remember, like to what Leonard just said, milan is not playing the Champions League, so you can't bring, bring too many players that want to play and they only have one or two games, one game per week. It's not even just that Milan is not playing the Champions League, milan is not playing any European football this year. Yeah, right. So that is something we have to bear in mind, and we talked earlier that Rafael Leal is now going to be more like a forward, like an actual, you know, like striker, not wing anymore, right? Same with Pulisic. So you have to ask yourself, like, where are all these guys going to play? You know what I mean? And then if you bring in a Haaland, haaland will want to play. Or if you bring in a Vlajovic, he will want to play for sure. So it's just an extra player would help.
Speaker 3:I also like Okafor. I don't know about you guys, but I think he can actually do a job. He can do a job on, if you want to go more attacking and take out Salah and Marcus maybe you're playing certain teams you can have Okafor on your wing. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to remember that Milan are not always going to be playing against your Inter's and your Napoli's of this world. There are games where we know we're going to dominate. You can bring in a guy like him to play on that side of the field, right? So the whole thing you guys said about Ruben loves to streak, you know what. Good for you guys, because one thing that you forget is that the guy gets injured a lot always. He's always been injury-prone and I don't know exactly what his best value to the team is usually. But we'll see New coach, we'll see what happens. But yeah, as for the attackers, we need one.
Speaker 2:We need one for sure, Okay. So now let's ask the question this season, is it going to be all or nothing, or what would you consider a success this season? I'll start with you, Leo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for me we need to win something, even if it's Coppa Italia. I'll take that. I used to always be like we are the greatest in the language, the best in the world.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's low because we're at our lowest point right. So I'll take a Coppa Italia, but we need to come back to the Champions League. So I say top four is a reasonable ask. Napoli and Inter, they are still like you know. They have a really good team. So we may not win the Scudetto, I'm not going to kid myself with that. So top four, finish Coppa Italia, and if you can go all the way to, you know, sneaking the Scudetto in there, I would say that that would be a 10 over 10. But if we can just get back to the Champions League, top four finish and win the Coppa Italia, I will be very satisfied this season.
Speaker 3:What about you, chim? I think exactly what Leonard just said, because for me I already I think earlier on I mentioned that top top-four finish would be a good goal for Milan. We almost never win the Coppa Italia, so let's stop deceiving ourselves, but if we can, that would be great. As for the league, let me put it this way I just want Milan to be a little bit more competitive. Last year I feel like we're not that competitive. They can lose seven times to Inter Milan, those kind of things they show up. But I want the consistency in terms of the competitiveness of the team. I want it to be consistent throughout the year, and I think other teams might be distracted.
Speaker 3:Sometimes we underestimate the value of only playing once a week, especially with a coach like allegory. The players get more time to uh, practice right, they don't have to travel, right. Um, a player was talking about how crazy traveling those champions league weeks are. You finish a game on sunday, the next day you're traveling, you're in a new city, you practice for one day or you're playing on like. You know what I mean by. Monday you're traveling and you know by tuesday you're playing a game and or you're playing on like. You know what I mean. By monday you're traveling, and you know, by tuesday you're playing a game, and then you're traveling on wednesday and you're back again, and then by saturday you're playing again. That's crazy. So with milan now, they only get to travel once a week. They get to play and practice majority of the time. Knowing allegory, they'll practice twice a day. So the team will be well drilled and they will very competitive and that should propel us to at least a top three, top four finish in the league. You see, as for Wyn.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, if you ask me. Honestly. I just feel like you guys are still doubting Allegri. Allegri is on a whole new level when it comes to the league.
Speaker 1:Babe, babe, have you seen Napoli squad? Have you seen Napoli squad? Look Napoli squad. Have you seen?
Speaker 3:Napoli squad. You know the problem I have with you and I've always had this problem. The level of optimism sometimes is unrealistic.
Speaker 2:It's not level of optimism. This is what happened here. See, the same way, napoli was able to get it without playing any. Don't forget, napoli didn't play any. They weren't playing in Europe last season and they got kicked out of Coppa Italia way early. So they only had one job all through last season Play one weekend and that's it, and despite the fact that they had to still drag the league with Inter up to the last draw. I feel like it just says a lot. This season there's going to be a lot of expectation on Napoli, and I've known Conte for a while. He's not a coach that really succeeds after his first season. He struggles a lot.
Speaker 3:I like Green, so you're hoping that Milan will sneak in, eh, and win the league.
Speaker 2:To be honest, I feel like we have no excuse not to win the league. We have no excuse not to win the league. It is true. It is true, we only play once a week and we have.
Speaker 1:You want to set Allegri up?
Speaker 3:for failure no.
Speaker 2:I'm not setting him up for failure. This is the reality, though. We don't have, we have a squad, we have a depth in our midfield, which has been our main problem.
Speaker 1:But it's still a new team. Yes, they may be producing bright results now, but they still need time to gel. They still, you know, I get what you're saying because Conte came into Napoli kind of like disjointed Napoli that season and it took them to win the Super League. So what you're saying is not in the realm of impossibility, right?
Speaker 1:But I don't want us to put ourselves in a corner where we just feel like we are underperforming when we are not right. Because what Konte did with Napoli last season is just because it's Konte and that's why I've always I don't like the guy. Trust me, I don't like Konte, but I respect his work. Like you can't argue with what he's doing as a football manager. He achieves the results right and that's why I wanted us to go for him when we were shopping for a coach. Well, now we have Allegri. My allegiance is with Allegri. I want Allegri to succeed. I want to give him all that support because I'm a Milanista. But I won't kid you, konte is a top-class coach.
Speaker 3:So the other thing to do, david, to try to be more optimistic, right? The reality is my boy, simeon Inzaghi, is no longer at Inter Milan, so that's a big deal. Right? Christian Kivu has to come in and prove a point to the rest of the.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, because I think sometimes you underestimate the value of the Kivu is going to flop this season.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I just feel like he's going to flop. The same thing happened to Juventus. Do you guys remember when Allegri left?
Speaker 1:Yeah, they brought in Tudor or something like that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like all these new coaches. So, no, juve will be better, for sure They'll be a little better, but they won't be okay, crazy good. Napoli will be distracted with the Champions League, even though they have additional players. They will be distracted. And, to David's point, it's second season for Conte. He always has all these plenty of issues. Milan, this is Milan's year to sneak in and be sneaky, competitive and probably, who knows, push themselves to the brink right. What I was going to say is that in Italy, I've noticed there's almost no repeat champions since Juventus stopped winning the league, like back to back to back to back to back.
Speaker 1:It means they stopped bribing, bribing, bribing.
Speaker 3:So there's no think about it, right? Every year there's a new champion and in my own, in my own mind, that means that Napoli is not going to win the league this year and it's going to be somebody new. So why not Milan? Right, I could see that. But, my good friend, can we just throw the expectation on the ground and then hopefully it doesn't?
Speaker 3:Because last year we came in with very high expectations after pre-season. And then look at all of us. Nobody could even do podcasts to the end of the season because of disappointment.
Speaker 2:I understand how you guys feel about this, though the thing is again. What I will say is our biggest problem. I said it before. We had a structural issue right from the beginning. There was no leadership on the pitch and off the pitch, so it was obvious that the season was going to be a disaster.
Speaker 2:The moment I saw Rafael Leal, you know, banging up with Theo Hernandez, you know, trying to separate themselves in one of the games and stuff, or in different internal games, that we had issues with people dragging the ball to know who's going to play the penalty, and stuff, I feel like this squad right now is more structured and more disciplined and the hierarchy is there. Like you know who knows who, like you know who's responsible for a particular thing, and stuff like that. This team has the quality that we all do. We're under-expressing the quality of this team and it's because of, again, last season was a very strange season for us and that's why we have a leader now. We have a coach that is a pragmatist, that he knows what he wants, and if you don't get it from you, you're going to the bench, matter who you are, and I think that says a lot about this squad right now, to me, milan is playing once a week aside the Coppa Italia that's going to be coming in. We're not going to be playing in the Supercoppa, the thing that they play in January, because we didn't you know what I mean. We finished completely out of the top four.
Speaker 2:Whatever, to me, I feel like this season is a defining season for both the management, the players and the new coaches. And Allegri, knowing the kind of person he is, he is not going to take anything less than winning the league. He might get crashed out of the Copa Italia. The Copa Italia might be just maybe a salvage, whatever if the season goes wrong. But if you ask me, this team has the quality to compete at the top level that we're talking about Now.
Speaker 2:Let's really just start based on the other teams. I know Napoli brought in some couple of some few players as well, kdb being one of the top figures, right, but again, kdb that I know like he's been what, he's very injury prone. And again, this is the new season where Napoli now get to compete in all four fronts both the Coppa Italia League, the Champions League, the Supercoppa as well. So there's a lot of you know games for them. Same with Inter as well, having a new coach, you know, juventus as well, lazio coming in with a new coach as well. So there's so many things going on right now, currently, right, if you were to, I'm going to ask you, leo, I'm going to ask you, um Liu, I'll start with you. Predict your four, your top four for for this 25, 26 season.
Speaker 1:I would say Napoli, obviously, because I feel like, uh, they, they have good day and, uh, they did really good signing, so I'll put them on number one spot. Uh, I'll put Milan on number two for the table. I feel like somehow we're also going to edge out Inter Milan this season because, yes, we have a new coach, but we have an experienced coach. Inter they lost Simone Inzaghi. I feel like the successes they've had these past few seasons is all because of how good Simone Inzaghi is as a manager. That's something they're going to realize that they're going to miss with Diagon.
Speaker 1:Now Chris Enkivu is going to show, because most of the players at Inter they're not spectacular, right, most of them are on the toilet of their careers and all of that it's just the genius of Inzaghi. That's why they get the results they're going to of Izagi. That's why they get the results they're going to struggle this season. So that's why I would think that maybe third place and fourth place, I don't know, maybe that would be between Juventus and Roma. I don't see Atalanta going to be much of a challenge this season because they lost obviously Gasperini as being the talisman of the bench, because the loss obviously Gasparini has been the talisman of the bench. So yeah, so it's going to be Napoli, milan, inter and Juventus, in that order.
Speaker 2:What about you, Chin? What's your prediction For?
Speaker 3:me I will. I will not be predicting Napoli winning the league. I think they will probably finish. It will be a competitive league between them and probably Inter Milan maybe, but I don't know. It's a. To be honest, it is very difficult to predict the only consistent team. The more I think about it, the more I realise that the only consistent team, the more I think about it, the more I realize that the only consistent team going into this season is probably Napoli, the only stable team In terms of the same coach. They just won the league and they improved right. So you know what I'm going to follow Leo and just say Napoli is the top gun. They are probably going to.
Speaker 3:I know you said KDB is injury-prone, but one thing to forget is the intensity of Serie A does not really match the intensity in England, right? So he might come to. It's the same thing. Everyone says Ruben Loftus-Chuk is injury-prone At Milan. He is compared to everybody else, but he's still not as bad as he was when he was at Chelsea, right? So Pulisic never gets injured all of a sudden at Milan, right? So I think KDB will make a huge impact for them. They added a few other good players, so Napoli is still top dog, even though I wish they don't win the league.
Speaker 1:Maybe it's because Italians eat better. Yeah, maybe they eat better. Maybe it's because Italians eat better food than in England.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they take the whole alternative method of training seriously, right? Instead of running and running and running all the time, they maybe do more massage and physio and taking care of themselves. You know what I mean, rather than just running practice Monday, tuesday, wednesday, the high sprint intensity. Okay, that's one side. Then the other part of it is that I wish Milan finished second, but I know Milan will finish top four, so it's going to be Napoli for me. I still believe that Juventus might be good. I watched them in a few games in preseason. They look sharp. So Juventus and then Milan and, last but not least, it's probably going to be Inter Milan. I think Inter will take a major step back. They will. They will take a major step back simply because they lost in Zaghi, but they might surprise us, you know and push themselves.
Speaker 1:They were brutally traumatized in the Champions League final.
Speaker 3:And then, plus, I watched too. One thing that people don't realize is this whole international. What did they do this World international? What did they do this World Club? Whatever that they did, that thing threw them all off right, because their preseason is not the same. They are regular. You know what I mean. They all just came back like less than three weeks or two weeks ago.
Speaker 3:Meanwhile other people have been getting ready for the season. They will start slow and, as a result, they will lose confidence and faith in Christian Kivu and, before you know it, they will probably fire him and bring another coach in. You know how Napoli lost their coach that year and then everything went crazy for them the following year. That's what happened in Milan. So I believe Milan will finish top four for sure, but I believe if things fall right for Milan, they may end up competing for the league, but I don't think they are a contender going into the season without you know what I mean. Knowing what I know, I don't think they are. But with the right things, you know how 2021, things fell in place, in my own opinion, for Milan and they won the league. Same thing can happen again this year, but things have to fall in place, a lot of chaos has to be things falling in place, chin.
Speaker 1:If Napoli does not win the Scudetto, unless something goes really wrong at Milan, milan will win it. Just mark my words. If Napoli doesn't win it, if Napoli doesn't get this crazy run where they go game after game after game, not losing right, and they just keep getting 100% consistency in results, if they don't do that, then Milan is going to win the league this season. Mark my words.
Speaker 3:Yeah, unless something goes wrong. Allegri is a winner.
Speaker 2:Allegri is a winner, and that's one thing that we should not underestimate and, again, that's what I've been trying to echo to you guys in all honesty, if you ask my prediction, this is it. I am very like 80%, 80%, I would say 80%. Milan has a chance of winning this league this season. This is my prediction. Now, again, I Again I've already given you my reasons. We play once a week.
Speaker 2:Milan hasn't, in the last four to five seasons since 2019, milan hasn't had this time off in any of the seasons. This is the first time Milan is playing once a week in four to five seasons. I'm not talking about, like you know. This is the reality and I'm playing under a coach like Allegri that knows how to put this team, how to structure this team very solidly in terms of defense, midfield and attack. I think this season, milan has more chance than any of the top four teams that you guys have mentioned to win the league this season, and I'll stand on Milan winning the league this season. Secondly, if you ask me who's going to be the second team, I'm not going to write off Roma and I'll tell you why. Gasperini. People always overlook this guy, man, like he's not a coach that you can just. Nobody's talking about Gasperini.
Speaker 3:Well, the only problem with Gasperini is that it will shock you. He will think that Roma is Atalanta.
Speaker 1:That's the thing that people think Big teams, it's big team syndrome.
Speaker 3:Local regional club. I can manage everything you may not be able to handle yeah, when you go to the Roma's and Milan's of this world. You realize that once more sneeze and then it's not normal sneeze.
Speaker 2:You're right on that one.
Speaker 3:I'm looking at him, and then Roma is also in a financial situation too, that they can't really get the signing that they want.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Do you know how I keep saying? Milan is an emotional club. That is how a club like Roma very emotional as well Like every little thing is a big deal for them, right? And in Atlanta he can decide that he wants to have issues with Lukman for no reason and nobody will say anything, because he's the there now. The next minute he says something about Spinozola. Even Mourinho went to Roma and has problems in Roma, mourinho of all people, right? Think about that. So, nivo, we'll see how it goes for him.
Speaker 2:For me, if I'm going online again, it's going to be Milan. I feel like, yeah, you say, milan will win the league by 20 points. Milan, napoli, inter, milan, napoli, inter. And then I see either Abramo or Juventus being top 4. Now don't forget that my boy Pioli is upset that people are mentioning top 4. They didn't mention Fiorentina.
Speaker 3:I'm surprised you did not mention his team. Mention his team.
Speaker 2:I think. If you ask me to name top 6, I think yes, fiorentina has a chance in the top six.
Speaker 3:Because of Pioli nah.
Speaker 2:It's because I feel like a lot of teams, because of Pioli. No, not really because of Pioli. I think a lot of teams have really improved this season, right In terms of their players and the transfers and everything. So, which is more is why I kind of find it difficult to actually say team losing to PO Leeds for NTN.
Speaker 1:No, no, I think one of the results is probably just going to be an old you know last season we gave them four points for free, so they should enjoy that one, Because we Well, this season they won't get even one point.
Speaker 2:I watched them this preseason right One. One thing I noticed about them is that they're actually not bad defensively, but the problem is just that the attacking is they're, they're, it's kind of off, so I don't know which is is it I'm surprised?
Speaker 3:Why am I surprised? I'm not surprised that you're watching Fiorentina and Prince Izzy.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God.
Speaker 1:Oh man Like real Pioli fanboy shit oh my god, you have a.
Speaker 3:I think in his part of your brain is etched like Pioli is on fire like somewhere there, dave started watching Dave, started following Saudi League and started propping Saudi League as one of the best things.
Speaker 1:Like I was like this guy coming from like see, saudi League I'm talking about, but but Saudi League, I think it was like one of the best leagues.
Speaker 2:Saudi League has the best leagues Thanks to coaches like.
Speaker 3:Pioli, baby, you know? Do you know what is funny? I'm actually happy Pioli is back in Italy now, so we don't have to go far right to see how things are working out for him. Is that Now at least we see the Pioli every week in, week out, and we can talk about Pioli. Dave, this is the best thing that has happened to both, all of us, because now I can rest. You know, I can sit.
Speaker 2:I have one more question for you guys before I go, please. I'm going to start with you, Chin. Who do you think is going to be a surprise?
Speaker 3:player of Prize player for Milan this season? Well, that's a great question, actually, that's a great question. So I think it's going to be one of the new signings. Right, it's going to be one of the new signings. So what do I mean by that? It's going to be one of the new signings that will just basically blow our mind and we'll all just fall in love and make him the new Tijani Reinders, right?
Speaker 3:I know a a lot of you already fall in love with Samuel Iriki. I think he has good walk ethic and good passing range. Yes, he might be that guy, but I just believe that Rafael Lea will not blow our mind. He's already did that a few times in the past, so there's nothing new there. Christian Pulisic will know what he will do. It's going to be one of those new midfield signings. Or might just be coney de winter who just come in and stabilize the defense, right?
Speaker 3:Because I haven't, truly, I'll be honest, I haven't really. I've seen some of his uh highlights here and there. I paid attention. He gives me uh like he's a very calm defender, but I haven't. You know, in milan situation think about it, it's milan one small mistake. Everybody will say sell the guy, kill, kill him. He's the worst, since you know. You know what I mean, so let me see how it goes, but my belief is it's going to be for sure. One of the new signings will just take things to the next level for the fans and that's what I'm looking at.
Speaker 2:What about you?
Speaker 1:I'm thinking what's this new boy we signed for right back Atakami?
Speaker 2:Atakami, atakami.
Speaker 1:Atakami. Yeah, so I watched his comms and that boy is like Maldini, like the way he just like tackles, like he never misses, right, he's probably goes for those lunges, so like he's a key man for young boys. Before we signed him, swiss player, swiss, nigerian actually. So I'm looking forward to see how he is going to integrate into the team and maybe, just maybe, because we've really suffered on right, back right, like going from Calabria to Emerson Real putting up stinkers at the Brazilian League now.
Speaker 1:But if this boy can come in and, you know, put some sanity in, that gives the leg more options. Right, you don't always have to play in 3-5-2 all the time. You can actually, you know, play 4-4-3-3, because I feel like we'll be more for threats if we play 4-3-3 than 3-5-2 because of our midfield and they will have, like you know, a solid base to attack, with Kylian going back to his natural position on the left, having your striker and then Pulisic on the right. So, yeah, if that boy can come in and, you know, start putting in solid performances and ride back, that will be the surprise of the season for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay For me, if you ask me. I think, like Chin said earlier, it's probably going to be Samuel Richie to me. I think he has that sort of understanding of what's required from a central midfield.
Speaker 1:Why are you guys still calling Richie a surprise, like we've watched him in preseason?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, richie a surprise, Like we've watched him in preseason. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Richie is good. It's not going to be a surprise, Like the boy is good.
Speaker 2:I know, but we're going through a long stretch of the season, right, so we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 3:I was going to say. I say surprise because for me personally, right, I did love having Tijani Reinders at Milan, right and the surprise would be the fact that we might stop actually talking about Tijani Reinders maybe you know what I mean and they just start embracing the fact that, because, think about when Tonali left, it's the same thing. Some people will not let me hear what. Oh, my god, Tonali, oh, oh. And then, guess what? Tijani Reinders came in and basically became the guy, right. So I'm hoping that Samuel Ricci becomes that guy as well, right, when he actually then makes us forget that you know, TJ Hernandez was a Milan player, right, which for me would be a little hard, you think.
Speaker 1:Tonali was bad and you gave Shane. You think Tonali was bad and you gave a bowler like TJ to Pep.
Speaker 3:Forget, it forget it. I know we keep crying I've told you guys I'm not going to cry because I would enjoy watching him, because it's no different to me, just milan on blue, basically. So I'll just be watching my city and enjoying the janirindas, and okay.
Speaker 1:So I'll tell you my secret, you're're lucky, You're lucky those of us that don't like man City, that don't support man City. So my secret is this I was telling Dave that I wish we got more money for that guy, yes, so that I think we're crying, but we're using the money to clean our tears.
Speaker 3:To wipe our tears. So my secret thing is this right, I don't know if you guys haven All the players that leave certain leagues come to England. They come and they just automatically become good in the league. But then if you're a Premier League watcher, you always assume that no other team, no other league in the world exists and they don't play football there, right? So when I tell people how Tijani Reinges is good, they always yeah, anyways. Anyways, guys, it's.
Speaker 2:Richard, I was just talking to you guys today about Milan. I'm so excited for the new season. Thank you so much, leo. Thanks for joining in. Thank you, chin. Hopefully we get to do this more and more and you know, the season gets interesting and then we have a good um, we'll have a good season, thank you. Thank you, listeners thanks for hosting. Yes, do have a wonderful week, everybody, thank you bye-bye.
