It is obviously not a great time to be an AC Milan fan. Indeed the future of this club remains at a highly uncertain level after Li YongHong’s short-lived ownership of the club.
Financial insecurity has been at the heart of the Rossoneri’s plight especially since towards the end of former owner Silvio Berlusconi’s reign. Unfortunately those financial ills are likely to remain. Milan’s predicament highlights Serie A’s fall from grace and alludes to the greater problems that afflict it.
Setting their troubles aside, a new rumour has surfaced linking newly axed Chelsea coach Antonio Conte to the Milanese giants. While some may view him as the spark needed to ignite the flames of glory for the Rossoneri, this writer feels otherwise.
Infusing the right team spirit
Gennaro Gattuso was a surprise appointment when he took over last season however he quickly proved sceptics wrong as the team experienced a mini renaissance. Compared to Conte, Gattuso is tactically less developed but his man-management skills are second to none. He has inspired his troops indoctrinating them with the mantra that the team comes first. Indeed this was why they were able to challenge for a Champions League place last season. Moreover, with time there is no reason why Gattuso can’t improve tactically and be just as adept as Conte in this regard.
Youth
It is no secret that Conte’s time in England was marred by his falling out with the Chelsea board over the lack of funds. His insistence on wanting extra funds ultimately led him to the sack. In fact this has been a pattern that accompanies Conte’s tenure even during his time at Juventus. On the other hand Gattuso’s Milan has seen vibrant youthful talents coming through. Patrick Cutrone, Davide Calabria and Gianluigi Donnarumma have all excelled under the former Pisa manager. Even Manuel Locatelli was given minutes despite a midfield containing the likes of Lucas Biglia and Riccardo Montolivo. Ultimately Gattuso is someone who can work with limited funds while cultivating talented youths but for Conte it has yet to be seen.
Continuity
Should Milan sack Gattuso and appoint Conte then we might see a disruption of continuity. This could result in a drastic change of the squad and thus more time would be wasted on beginning a new rebuilding process. What Milan need is not a new beginning but a continuation of the work done last season. Significantly for that to happen the man at the helm must know the intricacies of the team. Thus it is only right that they place their faith in Gattuso because he is the only certainty at this period of uncertainty.