AC Milan Team Guide
Una Guida Per I Rossoneri
Patch 10.3
Una Guida Per I Rossoneri
Patch 10.3
Managing AC Milan can be one of the most rewarding and fun challenges for aspiring managers in FM 2010. It is a club with a proud history, and a list of competition wins most clubs could only dream of. Despite this, years of mismanagement and an inadequate youth policy has meant that the squad is mostly past its best, and the club itself is in a difficult financial situation. For the past few seasons the club has been unable to mount a serious challenge for the Scudetto, and a couple of seasons ago didn't even qualify for the Champions League and failed to mount a serious challenge on the Europa League despite being favourites to win it. It is a team crying out for a talented manager to end years of dissapointment, fix the structure of the club and make history at the San Siro again...
Founded: 1899
Location: Milan
Stadium: San Siro (82955 capacity)
Estimated Value: £202m (333m Debt) - Secure
Top Training Facilities, Good Youth Facilities and Youth Academy
Media Prediction: 3rd
Location: Milan
Stadium: San Siro (82955 capacity)
Estimated Value: £202m (333m Debt) - Secure
Top Training Facilities, Good Youth Facilities and Youth Academy
Media Prediction: 3rd
Start of season budget:
£13m - Title Challenge (£1.9m p/w Wage Budget) (Recommended)
£16.5m - Winner (£2.1m p/w Wage Budget)
£13m - Title Challenge (£1.9m p/w Wage Budget) (Recommended)
£16.5m - Winner (£2.1m p/w Wage Budget)
Minimum Expectations:
Serie A: The minimum expectation is that the team challenge for the Serie A this season.
Champions League: The minimum expectation is that the team reach the quarter final of the Champions League.
Copa Italia: Not important to the board.
Champions League: The minimum expectation is that the team reach the quarter final of the Champions League.
Copa Italia: Not important to the board.
The Squad:
AC Milan have an experienced albeit ageing squad. Over the next few seasons some serious man management skills will be needed to get the best out of past masters and to develop young talent to fill their boots, all the while managing the clubs funds as responsibly as possible.
Goalkeepers:
- Christian Abbiati: After spending the past few seasons out on loan, the decline of Dida has seen Abbiati emerge as AC Milan's preferred goalkeeper. A good shot stopper and generally reliable. Unfortunately he is injured for around 3 months at the start of the game. Start him.
- Dida: Once heralded as one of the very best goalkeepers in European football, now Dida is entering the final stages of his career. A very reliable and experienced backup for Abbiati and a great mentor for the youngsters. Keep him.
- Flavio Roma: A decent third choice option that doesn't moan about never getting near the first team. There is only one year left on his current contract, which is perfect because you should only keep hold of him for one more season.
Left Backs:
- Marek Jankulovski: The Czech international may be getting on a bit, but he still has one more season left in him. Despite losing his pace, he can still put quality crosses into the box, and his passing ability makes him great at keeping possession when under pressure. His versatily is also a useful asset, as he can provide adequate cover in central midfield. Rotate with Antonini based on fitness and form.
- Luca Antonini: Transfer listed at the start of the game and seemingly on his way out, you might not look twice at this guy, but the truth is the squad lacks depth in this position, and Antonini is actually quite good. His pace and work rate make him a very useful attacking threat and he is generally reliable in defence. Keep him and rotate with Jankulovski.
- Giuseppe Favalli: Aged 37, Favalli is a real testament to the work that goes on in the Milanello. Still reasonably quick and solid in defence, he is an ideal backup for most of the first season, but starts to deteriorate quickly. Keep as backup for the first season.
Right Backs:
- Gianluca Zambrotta: Quite simply the best attacking full back in the squad. Quick, tenacious and able to deliver dangerous balls into the box, he adds an extra dimension to the team. Start him.
- Massimo Oddo: Another full back who belies his years, Oddo is a very similar kind of player to Zambrotta, and has one more season left in the tank. Rotate him.
Central Defenders:
- Alessandro Nesta: Getting on a bit but still a rock in defence with a wealth of experience to draw on. Dominant in the air and with the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time, he an essential part of Milan's defence. He is also a great mentor for young defenders. Start him.
- Thiago Silva: A new arrival at the San Siro, Thiago Silva is seen as the long term replacement for Nesta. He has very similar qualities aswell as being a handy penalty taker. Get Nesta to tutor him and start him.
- Kakha Kaladze: Past his prime but still a solid option for the centre of defence or the left back position, Kaladze can provide some experienced cover for the first season.
- Daniele Bonera: Starts the game with a 5/6 month injury but is still an important part of the squad. Can provide good cover for central defence and the right back position. Keep him.
- Oguchi Onyewu: A new arrival from Standard Liege, Onyewu offers decent backup in central defence. His lack of pace and footballing brain do, however, expose him quite often. Keep as backup for one season then cash in.
- Michelangelo Albertazzi (Youth Prospect): Shouldn't be considered part of the main squad just yet but is probably the one of few good youth prospects at the club. Take an interest in him from the start, train him and tutor him and he will develop into a good option for the future. Can play centrally or at left back. Send out on loan or play in reserves with some playing time at left back during unimportant fixtures.
Midfielders:
- Gennaro Gattuso: Quite simply a force of nature. His strength, tenacity and stamina add energy to an otherwise lethargic Milan midfield. Start him.
- Andrea Pirlo: Still one of the best passers in the world and a master of set pieces, Pirlo is the creative spark of the team. His positional sense, anticipation and creativity make him able to keep things moving from deep in Milan's half. Chelsea are interested in him at the start of the game, and may test your resolve, but he is worth keeping and is a great mentor for younger players. Start him.
- Massimo Ambrosini: A fan favourite and Rossoneri through and through, Ambrosini adds a much needed physical presence to the Milan midfield. A tough tackler and great in the air, he is a great obstacle to the oppositions play, aswell as being a threat in the box. Start him.
- Mathieu Flamini: The former Arsenal player was the reason Fabregas looked so good in the 07-08 season. A similar player to Gattuso, Flamini is sure to get plently of playing time as the ageing players tend to be more injury prone. A great asset to the side, he will win the ball back time and time again. Rotate him.
- David Beckham: On loan from LA Galaxy in a bid to stay match sharp for the upcoming World Cup, Beckham can offer alot. His ball distribution, crossing and set piece taking ability add an extra dimension to the side. Rotate him.
- Ignazio Abate: A bit of a strange signing from Milan. Abate's preferred position is on the right wing, however the lack of wingers in the squad and the inadequate budget to rectify this means you will not be able to play a formation that uses wide players very often. He is, however, a decent enough backup for right back. Keep him for one season and if he doesn't improve cash in. You can usually get around £5m for him.
- Mancini: The former Roma star has struggled to adapt to life with Inter, and to be honest, its hard to see him making much of a contribution at their rivals AC. Extremely injury prone and lazy, he also is a misfit due to the lack of wingers in the squad. £84k a week is too much to pay a bit part player and Milan already has a massive wage bill, so I would advise you to terminate his loan.
Attacking Midfielders:
- Ronaldinho: The stand-out player in this position has to be the former Ballon D'Or winner Ronaldinho. Keen to get back to his best, and still only 29 he is a valuable asset to the squad, and following the departure of Kaka to Real Madrid, the responsibility of orchestrating the attack and chipping in with goals from midfield rests on his shoulders. He hasn't lost the ability to do the unexpected and has the ability to unlock the tightest of defences. He is also a great free kicker and penalty taker. With the right training and good man management he can be a star for Milan for the next 2 seasons. Also a great mentor for young players. Start him and rotate with Seerdorf depending on form.
- Clarence Seerdorf: Although not quite the player he once was, he can still do a job for Milan. His technique and vision are a great asset to the side, and he still possesses a great long shot. Start or rotate depending on formation and the form of Ronaldinho.
Strikers:
- Alexandre Pato: Described as a wonderkid at the start of the game, Pato is well on the way to becoming one of Europe's most fearsome attackers. A great dribbler with the ability to both score and create, his blistering pace makes him ideal to exploit any weaknesses in the opposition defence. Start him.
- Klaas-Jan Hunterlaar: Another victim of the Dutch exodus from Real Madrid, Huntelaar arrived at the San Siro in the summer. A clinical finisher, great off the ball and dominant in the air, he is the ideal partner for the pace and trickery of Pato. Start him.
- Filippo Inzaghi: Another evergreen player, at 35 he still hasn't lost his ability to sniff out goals. A goal poacher extraodinaire, Inzaghi provides a potent threat from the bench. Keep him.
- Marco Borriello: After spending several seasons on loan, Borriello finally has the chance to shine at Milan. Strong, good in the air with a good left foot, he can provide more than adequate cover for the main strikers. Rotate him.
- Dominic Adiyiah: A decent young backup, but has no real future at Milan. Keep for one season then sell.
- Giacomo Beretta (Youth Prospect): Like his counterpart Albertazzi, shouldn't be considered part of the main squad during the first season, but will provide good cover in the second and will develop into a good Serie A striker. Get him on a tailored training schedule, have Inzaghi tutor him and either loan him out or play him in the reserves.
Tactics:
Considering the players at your disposal, the best formation by far is the classic 4 - 1 - 2 - 1 -2 diamond formation popularised by Carlo Ancelotti. The advantage of this formation is that it leaves everybody to do what they do best. The full backs are left to get forward when possible and provide some much needed width, the midfielders keep possession and win the ball back, the attacking midfielder has free reign to orchestrate the play and have a crack at goal, and the forwards finish and set up chances. This formation is also ideal for a high tempo passing game.
Below is how to set it out:
Philosophy: Balanced
Strategy: Attacking
Passing Style: Shorter
Creative Freedom: More Expressive
Closing Down: Press More
Strategy: Attacking
Passing Style: Shorter
Creative Freedom: More Expressive
Closing Down: Press More
Player Duties:
Pato: Advanced Forward/ Attack
Huntelaar: Deep Lying Forward/ Attack (switch to Poacher when trying to find a winning goal/equaliser)
Ronaldinho: Advanced Playmaker/ Attack
Ambrosini: Central Midfielder/ Support
Gattuso: Ball Winning Midfielder/ Support (switch to Defend if under pressure or preserving a lead)
Pirlo: Deep Lying Playmaker/ Support
Jankulovski: Full Back/ Auto
Nesta: Central Defender/ Default
Thiago Silva: Central Defender/ Default
Zambrotta: Full Back/ Auto
The tactics explained above are available to download from the tactics forum:
AC Milan Diamond Formation
AC Milan Diamond Formation
Note: If you find yourself struggling to break a team down through the middle and they are not posing much of a threat on the counter attack, you can change your full backs to support and set your defensive midfielder to anchor man / defend, to avoid your centre backs becoming too exposed. This will give the team more width and as long as you have a tall striker on the pitch, will provide a goal threat. This is particularly useful against some of the smaller teams in Serie A.
Signings:
First Season:
Transfer funds are tight in the first season so you should look to address the most important areas of the team.
- Diego Renan (Cruzeiro): Estimated transfer value: £10m - £13m (release clause)
With Zambrotta coming to the end of his career and no real quality in the left back position, Renan is an ideal signing for Milan, and will be a class act for years to come. His ability to play on both flanks is priceless.
- Rafinha (FC Schalke 04): Estimated transfer value: £8.75m upwards
Another Brazilian full back, Rafinha is just coming to the peak of his career. Unless he is unsettled though, its is unlikely Schalke will let him leave. Unless you get a transfer budget increase I would go for Renan first and chase Rafinha if you can't get the deal done this summer.
- Raul (Atletico Paranaense): Estimated transfer value: £4m-5m
Another option you might want to take is to sign the young attacking full back Raul. He starts the game good enough to rotate with Zambrotta, with a view to eventually making the position his own. He is also very cheap, which will allow you to strengthen other positions such as left back, and or invest in a promising young attacking midfielder to cover Ronnie and Seerdorf.
- Nicolas Otamendi (Velez): Estimated transfer value: £3.2m
With the squad lacking any real depth in central defence, Otamendi provides an ideal backup and eventual successor to Nesta in the first team. He is also ridiculously cheap for a player who becomes one of the best defenders in the game. Currently being linked with a move to the San Siro in real life aswell.
These are the signings I made at the start of the game to give you an idea. I lowered the wage bill and increased the transfer budget to buy Afellay, paying £5m up front and a fee per appearance. I would only recommend doing this in the first season.
Tip: Setting up a commercial link with a club in Asia or America and doing a tour there in the pre-season is a really easy way to generate some much needed revenue for the club and may see your transfer budget increased slightly before the January transfer window.
Second Season Onwards:
Should you manage to win the Scudetto or the Champions League in your first season (hats off if you do), the board will make between £80m-£100m available to rejuvenate the squad. Reaching the Semi Finals of the Champions League and mounting a decent title challenge will also see your work rewarded with a substantial transfer budget.
Below are some suggestions of players that would suit the needs of the team along with realistic estimates of how much they would cost in the second season (bear in mind I am using the 10.3 patch, but should be similar on all versions):
The main areas of the squad that will need addressing first are DL, DC (preferably a squad player if you already have Otamendi) and AMC (someone to rotate with or take over from Ronaldinho as Seerdorf will no longer provide competition and should now be considered as backup). Youngsters in central and defensive midfield to eventually take over from the likes of Gattuso and Pirlo would also be a good idea if you have enough funds. An extra striker to take over from Inzaghi on the bench also wouldn't go amiss (I would recommend Paloschi for this as he is also home grown).
- Alberto Paloschi (ST) (currently co-owned by Milan and Parma): £2.4m upwards.
- Federico Macheda (ST) (Manchester United): £9m - £11m
- Edin Dzeko/ Marouane Chamakh (ST): £17.5. - £20m
- Neymar (AMC/FC) (Santos): £15m - £20m
- Dudu (AMC) (Cruzeiro): £4.5m - £6.5m
- Marco Verratti (AMC) (Pescara): £350k upwards (might already have been snapped up but still available cheaply)
- Esteban Granero (AMC) (Real Madrid): £15m - £20m
- Yoann Gourcuff/ Miralem Pjanic/ Mesut Ozil: £20m upwards.
- Ricardo Montolivo (DM/CM/AMC) (Fiorentina): £15m - £20m
- Moussa Sissoko (DM/CM) (Toulouse FC): £10-15m
- Kwado Asamoah (DM/CM) (Udinese Calcio): £15m
- Sandro (DM) (Internacional): £5m - £10m
- Dodo (D/WB L) (Corinthians): £1.5 - £3m
- Domenico Criscito (D/WB L*, DC) (Genoa - Co-owned by Juventus): £15m - £20m
- Mamadou Sakho (DC) (PSG): £20m - £30m
- Daniel Opare (D/WB R) (Real Madrid): £4m - £5.5m
- Hugo Lloris/ Steve Mandanda/ Igor Akinfeev/ Rene Adler/ Manuel Neuer (GK): £20m - £40m OR Guillermo Ochoa (GK) (America Mex): £ 3.5m - £5.5m
- Neymar (AMC/FC) (Santos): £15m - £20m
- Dudu (AMC) (Cruzeiro): £4.5m - £6.5m
- Marco Verratti (AMC) (Pescara): £350k upwards (might already have been snapped up but still available cheaply)
- Esteban Granero (AMC) (Real Madrid): £15m - £20m
- Yoann Gourcuff/ Miralem Pjanic/ Mesut Ozil: £20m upwards.
- Ricardo Montolivo (DM/CM/AMC) (Fiorentina): £15m - £20m
- Moussa Sissoko (DM/CM) (Toulouse FC): £10-15m
- Kwado Asamoah (DM/CM) (Udinese Calcio): £15m
- Sandro (DM) (Internacional): £5m - £10m
- Dodo (D/WB L) (Corinthians): £1.5 - £3m
- Domenico Criscito (D/WB L*, DC) (Genoa - Co-owned by Juventus): £15m - £20m
- Mamadou Sakho (DC) (PSG): £20m - £30m
- Daniel Opare (D/WB R) (Real Madrid): £4m - £5.5m
- Hugo Lloris/ Steve Mandanda/ Igor Akinfeev/ Rene Adler/ Manuel Neuer (GK): £20m - £40m OR Guillermo Ochoa (GK) (America Mex): £ 3.5m - £5.5m
Tip: Check out the youngsters that are recommended to you during the Backroom staff meetings, and pick up the cheap ones under 18 with bags of potential as with many members of the squad close to retirement, you are soon going to struggle to find home grown players for the European competitions. 
Hope this thread was of use to you. Let me know how you got on or if there is anything you would like to add.
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