The new season is set to get underway when Milan travel to Siena on Saturday. With the kick off of the new season a new era will dawn. Since the close of last season there has been great change at the Milanello. Our star player Kaka was sold off to Real Madrid, our most loyal servant of 24 years and club captain Paolo Maldini retired whilst our Champions League specialist Carlo Ancelotti moved on to greener pastures.

Milan have failed to not just bring in adequate replacements but also have failed thus far to bolster the squad in other areas in dire need of strengthening. Instead, through rather poor management of the team’s affairs, Milan have battered their own reputation through numerous failed transfer deals and the publicising of their apparent economic troubles (Like they are the only ones).

Whilst Milan showed notable improvement in their last outing in the Berlusconi Cup, overall their preseason performances have been well below par. Before victory against Juventus in the Berlusconi Cup, Milan only managed to beat lowly Varese before they went on to lose to Chelsea, Inter, Bayern Munich and Benfica. It has been a disastrous preseason on the field as well as off the field.

The transfer campaign: ‘The Comedy of Milan’

For a start, Milan fans had to watch as Berlusconi pressured Kaka to leave for Real Madrid. Berlusconi said that is was for ‘financial reasons’ that Kaka had to be sold. It does seem in hindsight, that if Milan wanted to get the most from the Kaka sale as I am sure they wanted to, then that they did not. When you consider that Ibrahimovics was sold to the Blaugrana in a deal that meant Barcelona would give Eto’o and 60 million US in return, then one has to wonder if Milan got the best deal. Kaka is undoubtedly the better player of the two. Whilst Ibrahimovic is a player of extraordinary talent, he does go missing in the big games hence Inter’s failure to win the Champions League let alone make a good go of it. Kaka on the other hand is the type of player that can single handedly win the big games. His performances in the 2006-7 Champions League campaign were something of legend and in the end his performances brought Milan yet another Champions League triumph. So in hindsight, Milan could have possibly done better with the sale of Kaka.

As the transfer campaign unfolded, Milan were linked with a host of players. Adebayor, Dzeko, Luis Fabiano, Pizarro and many more. However, most of these transfers failed and miserably too. In fact, Milan’s transfer campaign was so miserable that it was comical as I documented in a two post series entitled, ‘The Comedy of Milan’. On numerous occasions Galliani failed to make the deal as Milan continued to cry poor offering below market prices to other clubs for their players. How Galliani expected to negotiate deals with offers below market price is a mystery. The Cissokho affair really did sum up Milan’s campaign. The player was set to become a Rossoneri only for the player to fail the medical due to teething problems. The problems were apparently worth something in the range of 7 million euro as Milan were still keen to sign the player but for a price substantially lower, for 7 million lower no less. This failed transfer really did make a joke of Galliani and Milan.

In the end, Galliani did manage to sign Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege in a free transfer and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Real Madrid. The arrival of Onyewu is not one to cure the anxieties of Milan fans. The player was largely unknown before Milan snapped him up and it is questionable whether he has enough quality to help the Milan cause. Unlike the signing of Onyewu, the arrival of Huntelaar has brought much hope to Milan fans. Indeed, much of Milan’s hopes will rest with the Dutchman and his ability to score goals. After a not so successful period at Real Madrid Huntelaar arrives at Milan at still only the age of 25. Along with his youth, ‘The Hunter’ as he is known is a natural goalscorer with a phenomenal scoring record. Lets hope that Klaas continues the great tradition of Dutch success at Milan for he is surely more than capable.

It seems like Milan may have finished their business in the transfer market and unfortunately so. Milan still need reinforcements in other areas of the park. The squad is still relatively too old and lacking in quality. The arrival of the aforementioned does provide some comfort but definitely no reassurances.

Team analysis

Milan definitely have a number of options in attack. The arrival of Huntelaar along with Marco Borriello, the ever green Super Pippo and the prodigious talent of Pato provides Leonardo with a number of alternatives and back up.

With the loss of Kaka however, our strikers have lost a valuable playmaker. The Brazilian had a great understanding with Pippo in particular. Kaka was also a reliable source of goals and important ones too.

With Kaka gone, Andrea Pirlo will have a greater responsibility to provide the assists along with Ronaldinho. If these two players can combine and perform well, then the goals will come.

In midfield and not much has changed. Pirlo will direct play whilst either Ambrosini, Flamini or Gattuso will do the dirty work. With Gattuso struggling for form and Ambrosini only getting older, a greater responsibility will rest on the shoulders of the Frenchman Flamini.

It is in defence where Milan are particularly weak especially on the on the wings. Thiago Silva and Nesta have struck up a decent partnership in the center of defence. If the both can stay relatively injury free, in particular the latter, then all will be okay. If they do not stay fit, the likes of Onyewu and Kaladze may fill in and this is when Milan may start to have problems.

Milan’s main weakness exist in the full back positions. Zambrotta is still quality, but age is catching up with him as he is no longer able to perform week in week out. Meanwhile the likes of Jankulovksi and Favalli are liabilities. They need to be replaced and very soon.

Roma or Storari? It is unclear who will be the number one goalkeeper though Storari looks to have the edge. For a club like Milan, it is absurd that these are the two options especially when their two biggest rivals, Inter and Juventus, have world class keepers. This department is another major weakness in the squad.

The coach

One with a great task ahead

The appointment of Leonardo is questionable. Untried and untested, Leonardo comes into the hotseat at a most critical time in the clubs history. An unknown quantity, much of Milan’s success this season will depend on this man. To make a success of it Leonardo will have to recover the career of Ronaldinho, instil new leadership and confidence into a team that has lost much of both and bring out the best of his aging squad. A tall order indeed, therefore it remains to be seen if this gamble by Milan will pay off.

Star Man

Will he deliver?

Another gamble Milan made was last year when they signed Ronaldinho. Milan took an even greater gamble when they sold Kaka and handed over the responsibilities of the team to Ronaldinho, a player well and truly past his prime. Though, this season he may prove the doubters wrong. We hope.

This season really is the final chance for Ronaldinho to redeem his ailing career. With a world cup on the horizon, if Ronaldinho fails to deliver his career will be effectively over. He is already on the outer of the Selecao not traveling to South Africa for the Confederations Cup so he faces an uphill battle to earn his place once again.

Much of Milan’s success this season will depend on the former World Player of the Year. A player of immense capability, if Ronaldinho performs Milan will be challengers. If he does not, then Milan simply will not be challengers. Lets hope the Gaucho keeps his head and delivers.

Young player to watch

Milan's great young hope

He could well turn out to be the star man but Pato is surely the only youngster in the Milan squad worth watching out for. Still at the tender age of 19, Pato will have a greater responsibility in the team this year. He has the talent, for that there is no doubt, but he may not yet have the maturity. A player of immense talent, Pato has a bright future and one that will remain in Milan we can only hope.

Player to watch

Milan’s only notable signing this transfer campaign, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will burden the responsibility of providing the goals. If he can link up well with Pirlo and Ronaldinho then the goals will come for the Dutchman is a natural and proven goalscorer. Though he did not have the best of times at Real Madrid, that experience will only help him to success at Milan.

The tale of two Brazilians

The is a real danger that if Milan pick up a few injuries to key players there really is not the strength in depth to fill in. Leonardo will have to hope that his players stay relatively injury free. With Milan fighting on all fronts again this year, there is a good chance that Milan’s lack of depth will be exposed.

Arguably, the two key figures for Milan this season come in the form of two Brazilians, Ronaldinho and Leonardo. If Ronaldinho can prove the doubters wrong and rediscover his form of old and if Leonardo can prove his worth as a coach, then it may turn out well for Milan. If these two fail in their quests, it is hard to see Milan achieving any success at all.