It is normal for there to be lots of excitement ahead of AC Milan’s Serie A opener away to Crotone. The fans’ renewed fervor has already been shown with record crowds during the team’s Europa League home ties, a stark difference from how silent and hostile the San Siro had become over the recent years.
For many of the supporters, it feels like a fog has cleared, mainly thanks to the work of new Milan CEO Marco Fassone and sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli. It feels like finally reaching the end of a long line to get into a fancy restaurant. Of course that isn’t to say that Milan have been seated at their table yet, but Vincenzo Montella will have the biggest say in all this.
Back in 2014, it was Antonio Conte who had infamously bemoaned that Juventus’ spending was insufficient to match his ambition: “you cannot go to eat at a €100 restaurant with just €10 in your pocket.” Milan haven’t gotten into the €100 restaurant yet, but can congratulate themselves on matching the dress-code — thanks to their new-look squad — to at least access the waiting room.
Essentially, it means that talk of knocking the six-time reigning Italian champions off their perch is too hasty, and there would be nothing worse for Milan right now than to have eyes bigger than their stomach.
Indeed, since the 2010/11 Serie A title, the Rossoneri have had to endure a long period of famine. Thanks to Montella, the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana was the first trophy since that Scudetto, with seasons in-between marked by the fans’ frustration and mismanagement both at board level on and on the pitch.
Thankfully, the 2017/18 campaign has marked a new dawn with a whirlwind of activity during the transfer window. The arrivals of Atalanta starlet Franck Kessie, highly-rated Portuguese striker Andre Silva, and Juventus stalwart Leonardo Bonucci have been some of the highlights of a flurry of activity.
The issue however with such a busy transfer window, is that new dawns can quickly turn into false dawns if the most important individual is overlooked: the coach.
It will be the first time Montella will work with such a large squad and in such a pressurized environment. He was impressive at Fiorentina, drawing much praise from observers whilst his short stint at Sampdoria was forgettable. For the upcoming season, Serie A fans will likely find out who the real Montella is.
With so many new additions, the players will need time to gel. He will have to be the accelerant for this. Overall however, defining an identity will likely be Montella’s biggest challenge.
The Rossoneri tactician is inheriting a completely new team from 12 months ago, meaning he is starting from scratch all over again.
So, in spite of Riccardo Rodriguez looking like the most competent Milan full-back in ages, Kessie offering much-needed energy to a once pedestrian midfield or Andre Silva finally getting off the mark, the tougher tasks of managing two competitions and playing up to expectations — both the fans’ and the club’s — remain ahead.
What matters most is reaching the Champions League qualifying spots at the end of the season and doing so in a style that is reflective of the investments made.
After all, taking into account a brand new Rossoneri outfit that cost upwards of €200 million, not gaining access to a seat at the restaurant’s nicest table and looking out of place with its poshest patrons would constitute failure and embarrassment that will be difficult to digest.
