| |
|
| Friday 2 November, 2007 |
| Blog: Rossoneri revival |
| With Halloween done and dusted, is it time for Milan to take off their Jekyll & Hyde costume? Steve Wilson thinks we are about to see a sensational revival at the San Siro |
 |
 |
|
It is now November and Milan fans have yet to see a home win in a League match. It is hardly as if they have been given a Roma-esque run of difficult opponents either. The hosting of the Giallorossi and Fiorentina could be called legitimate tests – with a single point from the Viola all the home side managed – but to drop points against Catania and Parma and then losing to Empoli must have sent the tifosi home with faces flusher than the Red Devils on their flags.
Meanwhile, in the last few weeks at least, they have been rampant on their travels. Netting 10 goals in two matches against Lazio and Sampdoria – teams who are no slouches and have intimidating stadiums – is no mean feat. Add to that equation the fact that Alberto Gilardino has bagged four of that haul and things don’t look so bleak. Gila is one of those men who you would describe as a ‘confidence player’ – a run of goals is all it takes to see him back to his Parma best.
However, contrast their domestic form with the European stage and again it is a flip-reverse of grand proportions. At the San Siro they have mauled opponents in a manner that wouldn’t have been out of place 2,000 years ago and about 250 miles south. Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk, also no pushovers, were demolished with ease – with Gilardino again on target. But leave the peninsula for an away day and it all goes wrong, as the lacklustre, half-hearted effort at Celtic proved.
With a team bursting full of talent like Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta, it can only be so long before the wobbles and shakes disappear and the Rossoneri can focus completely on re-entering the Scudetto race. It may be viewed in some quarters with disdain, but Milan give the Club World Cup the respect it deserves. Once this distraction is out of the way the jitters in Serie A will be brushed away like artificial department store cobwebs on November 1.
By then you would imagine that Champions League qualification will be confirmed, Alexandre Pato will be mounting his steed to lead in the cavalry and maybe even Ronaldo will have ambled back to Milanello. Before the clash with Juventus on December 2 – which precedes their departure for Japan – Carlo Ancelotti’s boys will face Torino, Atalanta and Cagliari, the latter two away from home. With the recent flurry of net-bulgers giving the side belief in their abilities, I think the corner is about to be turned.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
