Taarabt – AC Milan
Seven minutes into his AC Milan debut Saturday and Adel Taarabt was already showing the Milanista exactly why he had been brought in on loan from Queens Park Rangers, bursting towards the Napoli defence and despatching a precise shot past Pepe Reina to lead at the San Paolo.
However, with the Rossoneri failing to improve upon that early lead, eventually suffering a 3-1 defeat, his impressive arrival onto Italian shores almost encapsulates his career to date.
A career that will leave fans wondering if he can actually have a long-term future with the club.
Desperate to improve their current league position, the Moroccan international is certainly capable of giving Clarence Seedorf’s side the creativity to win valuable points and provide a much need moral boost to fans and teammates.
With a swagger and directness like that displayed by fellow Premier League flop Gervinho on his arrival in Serie A last summer, the former Tottenham man’s skill with the ball will strike a similar fear into most opposing defenders he faces.
The way in which the Napoli defence retreated at the threat of the 24-year-old box of tricks bearing down on them had a certain deja vu of what many have witnessed the Ivorian undertaking this term and it is something that Milan and many others in Serie A do not possess in great quantities.
Robinho has been off-form since before Christmas and with Stephan El-Shaarawy a long-term absentee, the attacking threat at the Sa
n Siro of Mario Balotelli, Keisuke Honda and Giampaolo Pazzini is, albeit talented, somewhat static.
However, despite his immediate impact, the Rossoneri have (possibly out of necessity) made a shrewd decision in acquiring Taarabt on loan with his habit of fading once he has established himself as an integral member of the team and secured a transfer.
This was certainly the case at parent club QPR where, after 26 goals in 88 appearances to gain promotion to the Premier League, he wilted under the pressure of the top tier and gave sporadic glimpses of his undoubted qualities, arguably upset by the arrival of some big names and the club were relegated in their second season.
Even when ignoring his failure to break through at Tottenham, the inability to thrive at the highest level and alongside supposed ‘bigger names’, raises even more questions of his long-term suitability. This will be even more prominent at Milan, where Balotelli and Kaka are worldwide names and a Scudetto challenge is a minimum requirement.
The former Lens youth prospect could not even secure a first-team place while on loan at bottom club Fulham earlier this season, yet will be expected to give the Rossoneri hope that they can overcome high flying Atletico Madrid in their upcoming Champions League clash.
While the Moroccan may show several more examples of his undoubted natural ability this season during their attempts to overhaul a seven point gap between them and neighbours Inter and secure European qualification, fans should appreciate him for the short-term spark he may help create. But even with age on his side, Milan will need a much better options in the forthcoming years to become a force again.
Follow Kevin Pogorzelski on Twitter: @rabbitrabbiton
Get a life hater. Even when he proves u wrong, performs great and scores in his debut as a Milan player, ur still lookin for ways to bash him. He’s a better solution than all the offensive midfielders right now in Milan. And u know it.Leave the kid alone. Worry about your sorry life. But the caravan passes as the dogs bark.
and who r u to put that statement?! seems you have no idea of football field. go get some rest
I found the article little harsh, Adil is a talented young player he can always improve his mental strength.
I hope he found the right environment we can than watch some magic.
He has great skill, he is a world class player but he is just lazy and he has a bad attitude, maybe Seedorf will shape him up into a great player.
Not quite sure why Alef is getting such a harsh response to a completely fair opinion. Taarabt has only proved to be a one-hit-wonder in his career so far. Not because he’s arrived at Milan & Seedorf has said some nice things about him that it changes the facts. His goal against Napoli won’t make me change my mind either.
I find Milan fans to have become far too apologetic in recent times. This is player who has proven nothing, in unprofessional and I don’t understand why he’s getting the benefit of the doubt. If he does well, all the better but I personally won’t be holding my breath.
Just saying Milan environment and/or Seedorf will sort him out is a cop out IMO. But hey, whatever helps you guys sleep at night… who am I to judge after all
Gotta agree with Mr Sylla here, the article brings up the current facts as they are. Taarabt had one good season on the Championship but has not done anywhere near as well at his other clubs.
If he cracks it at Milan all the better but the article raises a valid point. To say he has a lot of skill is not enough…
Ogo Sylla. People like you and the author will always look at the negatives of a person they don’t like.
you said that he was given the benefit of the doubt? No he is given respect by Seedorf and Galliani who recognized his talent. He was not given a REAL chance in the Premier league. After promotion, all the coaching changes he was never given a chance. He was made a scapegoat by some unscrupulous coaches. Fulham looked worse without him in the line up and he has always performed great against bigger teams. The author is even bringing up his time in Spurs when Taarabt was 17! I bet the author was still asking for pocket money from his mom at that age.
you said he has proven nothing? didn’t he take a shitty team (QPR)to the premiership singlehandedly. Show me a player who did that?
The funny part is that you and the author are bringing doubts about him even after he did well in his FIRST game. I just wonder what you would have said if he played badly.
You’re right Sam, I don’t like Taarabt. If promoting a Championship club to the EPL is enough for you in terms of being Milan quality then that’s your prerogative.
My apprehension with Taarabt is that I’ve seen him at Lens and he’s the type of player Clairefontaine has been producing in the most recent decade who isn’t the most professional of characters. He is also a player that had a major fallout with Gerets and most of his Morocco national teammates.
I’ll remind you Sam this is the player who said that “Milan are a great club & great platform for me to step up to clubs like Barca or RMadrid.” This lack of self-awareness and everything mentioned above are a big red flag for me in terms of the player’s attitude.
Sure he’s skilled, he is. No one is denying that. Is that really enough for Milan? No, I don’t think so. But without singling him out, Taarabt is not the first player this club has brought in that didn’t fit the “Milan” profile IMO.
Glad to see the piece has initiated plenty of interest amongst you.
To clarify I think the lad does have the relevant quality to succeed at Milan, however, history shows us that once he establishes himself he seems to take his foot of the gas, this ultimately makes his permanent signing a risk.
Oh, and while I was never privileged enough to receive pocket money from my ‘Mum’ I was in fact 27 when Taarabt made his debut!
Look forward to more of your opinions…
Adel Taarabt is a exceptional talent who has incredible skill and technical ability the QPR legend was allways destined for the top level he is without doubt one of the most gifted players in world and is up with the best players in world football he is now at a club with players who will be on his wavelength even messi and ronaldo would have struggled at Fulham with inferior players alongside them and with very little minutes on the pitch whenever I’ve seen taarabt play he looks a class apart and seedorf and Milan have got a real gem of a player who will be a revelation at Milan and Italian football
Kevin pogorzelski Think you will find taarabt never got a chance at spurs he was only 17 still a kid yet he still looked a class act while at QPR he has legend and cult status and not only did he take the club up he kept them in it the first season when nobody gave them a hope in he’ll the following season Hughes brought a load of rubbish and kept picking flops with terrible tactics had he kept faith with taarabt he would not have got the sack while at Fulham once again Taarabt was never given a chance just look at the number of minutes he played and sub appearances coming on for the odd few minutes when the team were crying out fir him and jol and now melunsten have lost the jobs because they picked headless chickens who just run around aimlessly doing nothing in Scott Parker and Steve Sidwell how these clowns got ahead of taarabt is a joke it’s why English football is in such a mess not one English player including Rooney is in the sane class as Taarabt
who said AC Milan is a great club with that a big nam. that it doesn’t show with the results. Milan is trying is in a translation to become a big a club.