The Hit List

So far our transfer market has been mediocre in terms of bringing new players in, but in the meantime it's encouraging to know that we are removing deadwood with the efficiency of a professional arborist...

Amelia --> ELIMINATED (FREE AGENT)
Coppola --> ELIMINATED (BOLOGNA)
Agazzi
Abbiati
Zaccardo
Silvestre --> ELIMINATED (RETURNED TO INTER)
Constant --> ELIMINATED (TRABZONSPOR)
Mexes
Bonera
Zapata
Emanuelson --> ELIMINATED (ROMA)
Nocerino --> ELIMINATED (TORINO)
Traore --> ELIMINATED (BURSASPOR)
Essien
Muntari
Birsa --> ELIMINATED (CHIEVO)
Kaka --> ELIMINATED (ORLANDO CITY --> LOAN TO SAO PAULO)
Robinho --> ELIMINATED (SANTOS)
Matri --> ELIMINATED (GENOA)
Torres ---> ELIMINATED (ATLETICO MADRID)

TALLY:
Eliminated: 12
Survived: 8

I'm going to venture the controversial opinion that Bonera should be retained at this point. Whilst I have been a well recorded critic of Daniele, I believe that whilst he must be removed if considered first choice in any way, in a likely position as a reserve he is well suited to the needs of the squad. He has a professional attitude and is a respected personality within the locker room and he can cover every single defensive position in an emergency. Whilst hardly a stellar defensive talent, given the fact that we will have only a single competition to deal with, Bonera serves as a capable reserve. We can not expect to have outstanding talent on our bench given our current state and Bonera's position as an elder statesman should be respected. It is imperative that we reduce the deadwood in the squad, but whilst the others are either liabilities or have outlived their usefulness, Bonera's experience and flexibility remains useful to the side. It could be argued that we could also retain Zaccardo to play such a role, however Bonera's history with the club must be respected to give him the edge.

On the other names, I do not expect Zapata or Muntari to leave, decisions I'm indifferent to but as the old sayings go, better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Their replacements would likely be even worse under this management. The only one I really couldn't stomach staying is Essien given his wages and his performance against Atletico.

Controversial indeed. I'll put forward the counter-argument...

Bonera has been rubbish for years and it has cost Milan dearly. For me, he's a prime example of the club choosing the poor quality veteran over the potentially good (or great) youth product, like Pacifico. 'Better the devil you know' is an interesting phrase to use in this situation because I don't think we could get any worse than Bonera.

Zaccardo is in exactly the same boat - the only difference being that he's a more recent arrival to the pile of deadwood which has accumulated over the past few years.

Bonera and Zaccardo's supposed 'versatility' is another interesting point. Sure, they can both play LB & RB in addition to CB, but let's take a step back for a second. What does it matter if you can play in these positions if 1) you are rubbish in your natural position; and 2) you are even worse in LB & RB? Are these really people we want on the pitch under any circumstances?

Wages were touched on with respect to Essien. However, let's not forget that Milan are dirt poor and stingy as hell. Every dollar counts. I know Bonera and Zaccardo aren't our top earners, but if I was auditing the club and needed a few million in savings - gone, gone and gone. Not to mention that a youth product promoted to the first team earns only a fraction of the wages that Bonera & Zaccardo earn.

The difference between Zapata and Bonera & Zaccardo is that we know Zapata could be a decent player. He was solid for Udinese back in the day and returned to functional capacity with Colombia, playing next to our old friend Yepes. Unfortunately, I think Zapata has had his run at Milan. The damage he and Mexes caused last season is unforgivable. The problem is that having bought Zapata so recently, it is unlikely that our management will sell him - even though they should.

Muntari is a question of opportunity cost. How much does our team suffer when he is on the field as opposed to if we had someone who wasn't an undisciplined, headless chicken, glory-hunter with no passing ability? And he's not exactly on minimum wage either. We can do better.

I agree on Essien. He is complete cannon fodder.

I've been a very vocal critic of Bonera, however my view is in part a recognition of the qualities that he does possess and in part an appeal to pragmatism. Dramatic reductions in squad size are troublesome and rarely meet expectations. The issue Milan face is that what should have been a gradual process has been continually postponed, with the situation allowed to fester and deteriorate. We can not expect to clear out 17 players in a single transfer window and it is inevitable, particularly in central defence, that revolution will be avoided by the management.

Naturally, a clear out is meant to create opportunities for new arrivals, however given the need to reduce the absolute size of the squad, versatility at the back is an admirable quality. For all of Bonera's faults, his reading of the game is competent and whilst he is understandably poor at advancing the ball as a fullback, his role would be as an emergency only. Bonera is no less talented than many of the back lines that shut us out this past season or indeed that have thrived during the World Cup. Organisation, height of the line and cover in midfield matter considerably more than individual ability more often than not. Whilst we would no doubt run into trouble with Bonera starting constantly, his presence as a reserve is tolerable given his experience and relatively low wages within the squad.

Zapata has done well at times when the team as a whole has been playing well, or on rare occasions as a stand out - the game against Roma last year leaps to mind - and as I said, I can stomach his continued presence if it is part of a gradual process of renewal. Neither he nor Bonera are good enough to get us back into the Champions League, but both are capable of contributing as reserves. Bonera though has essentially no value on the market, something that can not be said of Zapata if opportunities arise, whilst Zapata's over confidence on the ball is frankly terrifying. The only thing more dangerous than someone who can't pass the ball is someone who doesn't know they can't pass the ball.

In an ideal world, we'd attack the problem with a few smart, appropriate signings, however I'd have said we couldn't get anyone worse than Antonini and we brought in Mesbah and Taiwo or worse than Muntari and we brought in Bakaye. We've already kicked out many names unworthy of the club this summer, to hope for much more might end in disappointment. Once realistic names arise in the market I might venture another opinion, however for now I feel we've greater issues than shipping off certain depth players.

Why are we loaning out the likes of Birsa, Matri and Nocerino? Its not like we're gonna use them next year

Because nobody wants to buy them.

Essentially what Surag said, though at least I feel there is a fair chance the clubs will look to make the moves permanent.

I'd say you're both looking at it the wrong way , or at least , you're right in part.

Of course they aren't what fans would call desirable players going by top teams standards , yet the majority of teams are not top teams . There are teams all over the football world who are buying all sorts of bad-finished players , a team can always do worse than buy one of these 3 players from Milan , considering they are still on their peak , regardless of their quality . 3 players that have made their names by now (for what's worth) and had some good seasons not so long ago , but coming from a mediocre-bad last season . Coming from the mid-lower tier , said teams would estimate this is an opportunity even .

The fact they where of the the first to leave the club says to me only one thing , that teams were well interested to acquire them . But like i said , them coming of a mediocre-bad season makes it a lot easier to acquire and gives a good advantage to the buyer to ease up their preffered method to get their hands on them .

Meaning , they were loaned out because a loan was in the best interest of the buyer , it doesn't have anything to do with their desirability . The seller , Milan , looking to offload them would have to take a step back and consider everything coming their way for said players . This is how the market goes , if you can take it cheaper , you take it cheaper , you don't exercise other options . And when keeping said player is not in your best interest , the buyers best interest comes in first.

The players nobody wants to buy are the ones from the scrub-list that will still be here in August (imo), someone like Constant , who fully understands that Milan's management does not want him at the club having already tried to include him in exchange deals , but does not want to leave anyway , knowing he won't find himself in a club like this one again . So for said scrub to leave , a team would either have to pay up in wages to said player , a player Milan are badly looking to sell thus making it a bad deal for them or for Milan to accept ridiculous deal terms to get rid of constant and get robbed in some way or the other , something that won't be worth to Milan even for getting rid of Constant.

That's how Robinho has managed to stay all this time at Milan and many others take this path. These are the trully unwanted players , those who are unwanted by their clubs and also making it difficult for other teams to sign them , often stopping any proccess from ever happening . The ones who leave somewhat soon , had enough of interest surrounding them , given their quality , of course . Like i said , they were only loaned because that was in the best interest of the buyer , cheap and low risk , high reward if potentially succesfull . Had they managed a better season and Milan were supposedly still looking to sell , they would have been properly sold , even at a lower price they would have .

You would think nobody in their sane minds would want Matri and i would like to agree of course , but at least 4 teams were reported to be interested to get Matri all this time , Lazio-Cagliari-Palermo-Sampdoria , before Galliani handing him over to his pal at Genoa , because Gilardino went to play in China. Let's not forget how Matri even found himself at Fiorentina after an awful first half of a season , playing most games till the end as well. What i am trying to point out here is , they are not unwanted ; lvl:99 scrub they may trully be , but teams are always going to be interested when they are available , essentially that's what it is about. When Constant rejects an opportunity to play more regularly at Napoli and preffers to stay at the bench at Milan , that player will most likely become unwanted by other teams which otherwise would be interested ..

Which team would be willing enough to tryhard by investing their time to persuade and money to convince a player who preffers the bench of a big club , rather playing time somewhere else with somewhat the same money . These players are the unwanted ones , i'd never buy a player like that after knowing how Constant dealt with something like that . You see players like Kaka and De Sciglio saying in the past that Milan is all they want , but if Milan had other ideas they would agree. And then you see scrubs like Zaccardo and Constant refusing to leave where by all means they were shown the door , that's extremely unproffesional and does not go unnoticed in these circles . Potential buyers would have to sell them one day as well , having them doing the same to them is definitely something that they would like to avoid getting themselves into .

In light of the Olympiacos game I'd like to remind everyone of this thread.   

Think you should cross out Robinho, Forza

Can't wait to see Essien and Zaccardo's names crossed off

El Shaarawy wrote:Think you should cross out Robinho, Forza

Can't wait to see Essien and Zaccardo's names crossed off

Done. Party at my place when Essien is crossed off.

Wow, we have gotten rid of, a fair amount fodder.

But still, going from Constant to Armero is like going from a 1/10 to a 4/10.

I'm adding Agazzi to the Hit List.

Forza wrote:

El Shaarawy wrote:Think you should cross out Robinho, Forza

Can't wait to see Essien and Zaccardo's names crossed off

Done. Party at my place when Essien is crossed off.

Just saw this, I'll be there

Spoiler:

Muntari survived as well, he got a contract extension

Casciavit wrote:Muntari survived as well, he got a contract extension

I could be the only person who thinks having a player like Muntari is good for our team. Essien can go though, he's washed up.

Zaccardo is the latest, and in all likelihood the last, to be eliminated from the list in this transfer window.

This leaves us with a few players left who aren't ideal, but I think most of them can be handled because we have more quality than last season:

Agazzi - 3rd choice GK (used to be 2nd choice)
Abbiati - 2nd choice GK (used to be 1st choice)
Mexes - 5th choice CB (used to be 1st/2nd choice)
Bonera - 3rd/4th choice CB, 2nd choice LB (no change)
Zapata - 1st/2nd choice CB (no change, but hopefully he makes the long awaited improvement back to those mythical Udinese levels that seem ages ago)
Essien - 3rd choice LCM (should've sold him)
Muntari - 2nd choice LCM (might still be useful, but I require convincing)

Forza wrote:Zaccardo is the latest, and in all likelihood the last, to be eliminated from the list in this transfer window.

This leaves us with a few players left who aren't ideal, but I think most of them can be handled because we have more quality than last season:

Agazzi - 3rd choice GK (used to be 2nd choice)
Abbiati - 2nd choice GK (used to be 1st choice)
Mexes - 5th choice CB (used to be 1st/2nd choice)
Bonera - 3rd/4th choice CB, 2nd choice LB (no change)
Zapata - 1st/2nd choice CB (no change, but hopefully he makes the long awaited improvement back to those mythical Udinese levels that seem ages ago)
Essien - 3rd choice LCM (should've sold him)
Muntari - 2nd choice LCM (might still be useful, but I require convincing)

the vagi is off the charts

Massive deception. Zaccardo can gtfo anytime he likes though.

next thing to do for galliani is to immediately negotiate with De Jong for contract extension.