More good times ahead?

Just hours to go until the season gets underway again following the winter break. As the kick-off time for tonights match against Genoa approaches, I thought I would reflect on the season so far before looking ahead to Genoa and beyond.

For all us Milanisti, the last six months have provided us with a roller-coaster of emotions. The pre-season was tough enough as Milan suffered loss after loss, including against city rivals Inter. In the end, it proved to be the worst pre-season in the clubs history. But such a dismal pre-season came as no real surprise really. Considering that we lost arguably the three most important figures at the club prior (our captain fantastic Paolo Maldini, our Brazilian ace Kaka and our coach of eight years Carlo Ancelotti), it was always going to be a rough ride.

As the season got underway with the first match against Siena, it appeared that things were getting better. Ronaldinho provided one assist and created one other great opportunity as Pato bagged two goals and helped us to a perfect start to the season. But things went all downhill from here.

The next week, better we forget, our side we comprehensively defeated by Inter in the Milan derby. It was a disastrous evening as Inter completely outclassed us and when Gattuso was sent off, any notion of a Milan come back seemed impossible and so it proved to be.

The following week Milan then had to travel to Livorno in a match that represented a great opportunity for the side to redeem themselves. But this they did not do. The match against Livorno was the most uninspiring performance by our Rossoneri in years. We could not buy a goalscoring opportunity as the side seemed lost for ideas and motivation.

But hope was on the horizon as Milan then traveled to Marseille to reappear in the Champions League following a season of UEFA Cup football. And again, Milan showed the world why they are seven time European champions. From seemingly nowhere, the side came together on a wet and intimidating night at the Stade Veldrome and put on a truly professional display to take home all three points. It was a performance that us Milanisti have become so used to seeing when our side plays in Europe. For a season that was threatening to all but fall to pieces even before it had really started, the win in Marseille was just so important.

Despite the win and the much needed confidence the side drew from their midweek Champions League triumph, the side failed to inspire much confidence in their next outing which was at home to Bologna. Seedorf scored a great individual goal yet the performance of the side was again very poor. Controlling the ball for long periods of time, chances were still too few and far between. Things were not looking good at this point as we languished in mid-table.

With the side playing such poor football, it was inevitable that when facing quality opposition the team would really struggle. And that we did, as we were deservingly beaten away by a Udinese side that matched us all over the park. It was in this match that Leo started to lose faith in the recently acquired Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the Dutchman started on the bench losing his place to Inzaghi. The change did little to alter the fortunes of the team as alarm bells started to ring around the Milanello.

But if things were bad, they were about to get worse. A home draw against an energetic and youthful Bari side again showed the little progress Leo had made with the side as many were starting to call for his resignation. But it was when Milan resumed their Champions League campaign that things really hit rock bottom.

Milan 0 Zurich 1: Milan in crisis

Languishing in mid table in the Serie A, our Champions League campaign that started in perfect fashion against Marseille, iit was the one thing that was going right for us. That was until Zurich came to town and pulled of a shocking one nil win in a match that sent shock waves throughout Europe. For a Milanisti, it was a humiliating night and brought back memories of the 1997 Champions League when were beaten by Gothenburg.

Oh dear!

By now, more voices were calling for Leo to be axed. For the season had been nothing but a disaster. Results were poor but more than that was the performances of the team which were so utterly under par and uninspiring. My somewhat dramatic predictions of what had laid in store for Milan were starting to be proven correct.

But, things were just about to change. A few days later following the Zurich debacle, Milan traveled to Bergamo as Serie A resumed. It was by no means a great performance. We went down a goal in the first half following Tiribocchi strike and up until Atalanta were reduced to ten men, we failed to take control of the match. Atalanta, playing a man down, went on the defensive and subsequently, Leo pushed his men forward as we began our search for the equaliser. And get the equaliser we did, as Nesta pushed forward and became provider for Ronaldinho to volley home. Looking back, it was in this match that the Milan players seemed to have a renewed sense of fight, of motivation.

The real turning point of the season came a week later. Again, we went down a goal early to Roma following a horrendous mistake by Thiago Silva to let in Menez in. But in the second half, we found our way back into the match courtesy of a Ronaldinho penalty. Then, to much delight, Ronaldinho sent in a splendid diagonal ball picking out Pato on the run who duly rounded the keeper and sent the ball into the back of the net. It was a great result but more importantly the team showed a real sense of hunger to come back and win the match. It was this hunger, this fight, that was missing in earlier matches in the season.

Things then just got better and better from here on as Leo guided his men through the next eleven matches undefeated whilst picking up some important and impressive results. The most impressive being that famous victory at the Bernabeu just a few days following the Roma win. It was a match that will long live in the memory as, again, we came from behind to win in the most dramatic of circumstances. Pirlo’s equalizer on the hour mark was an absolute wonder strike of a goal that inspired the side to greater heights as Pato soon after slotted home our second of the night. Drenthe did equalise for Real but, despite have a perfectly good goal disallowed, we still managed to find our third goal of the night as Seedorf expertly picked out Pato at the back post for the Brazilian to volley home the winner.

Real Madrid 2 Milan 3: A special win for Milan

That is more like it

The side may have picked up their form but it was not without much drama that our good run was achieved. By this I mean, our win in Chievo was achieved through the most unlikely of sources in Nesta and both goals were scored late in the match. Against Napoli, it seemed like we had grabbed another three points until we let Napoli in to score two goals in injury time. And against Catania, the match where Huntelaar finally made a break through, his first two goals for the club that secured the win both came in the dying minutes.

We picked up three wins in Serie A with rather consummate ease against Lazio, Parma and Cagliari. Our Champions League campaign, though back on track, was starting to stagnate however with a draw at home to Real Madrid that we would have won if it were not for a terrible referring decision. The home match against Marseille was a particularly nervy affair. Having turned things around, it was in this match against the French that new problems (in midfield in particular) were starting to become visible.

The match against Sampdoria was the last high point of the first half of the season. For in our last two outings, one in Zurich and one at home to Palermo, it became clear and evident that new problems had surfaced as we struggled to a draw in Switzerland before beaten well beaten by the Sicilians.

Zurich had played our midfielders off the park and it were not for a Ronaldinho penalty, things may have become very ugly (we would may not have qualified for the round of 16). And against Palermo, similar to what occurred in Zurich, we were once again dominated in midfield and consequently unable to play the free flowing all out attacking football that we had began to play recently and to such great effect.

Despite our up turn in fortunes, we ended the first half of the season on a low point with some clear problems. Problems that hopefully will be addressed this January, though I am not so sure they will be.

As we head into the match against Genoa, we are still sitting in second place, eight points behind Inter and one point ahead of Juventus and with a match in hand. We are in the round of 16 in the Champions League and along with the rejuvenation of Ronaldinho, we will now have both Adiyiah and Beckham to call on.

I really do feel that we need some strengthening in midfield and that another full back would help too, but I am not so sure that such players will arrive. If anything the club seems intent on bringing in Dzeko, or another striker, which is all well and good. But, in Huntelaar I believe we already have a quality striker, he just needs more of a chance.

Transfer Talk: The incoming rumours
Transfer Talk: Who should leave

What the last six months have proven is that even when there are such prevalent problems, our side still has the ability to get great results and play some great football. Football being football, anything can happen. How our side turned things around following that win against Roma was completely unexpected. Nothing had changed for this to happen. No new players were brought in and we still had the same coach. So despite the problems we have, what we do know is that we have a group of champion players who, on their day, can match it with the worlds best as the ties against Real Madrid in particular proved.

It is for this reason that, despite my sentiments, I believe we can beat Manchester United and challenge Inter for the title of being Italian champions. And it all starts again with the match against Genoa in a few hours. Genoa, like us, finished 2009 on a bad note as they lost their last two matches. So both teams will be eager to get back to winning ways.

Always a Rossoneri, in both good times and bad

For Milan, the break will have served our team well with so many of our players being 30 years or older and having played so many consecutive matches before the winter break. The arrival of Beckham will help add some much needed depth to midfield and though he may not start he sure will get a run at some point against Genoa.

With both sides having lost their momentum in December, it is hard to predict who will come out on top. For this, I believe this match will be won by the team that is hungrier, and lets hope that team is wearing red and black.

All Hail Leo!