June 5:

- Berlusconi admits that Kaká might end up staying and that Milan will try and make a move for Trezeguet. No moves for Robinho or Eto’o.

TREZ?! Out of all the strikers out there, they want the player that is NOT wanted by Juve?!

June 4:

- Zidane announces that Kaká has signed for Madrid and that he will take the #5 jersey. Goal.com BS.

Shit. I like to think of it as a luring mechanism.

- Berlusconi speaks to Mediaset and reiterates how Milan need to sell Kaká to balance the budget, and how he can’t compete with Real Madrid in terms of salaries. He emphasizes that the decision is up to Kaká, and he hopes for a surprise. He compares Leonardo to Capello and hints about C. Ronaldo being in Milan. More here.

Certainly much better talk than earlier today. But still, I don’t think a comparison should be made between Kaká and Sheva. Kaká does NOT want to leave. He’s said it 1000 times over and over again. I certainly doubt Kaká really wants more money, but I believe that he’s demanding more as a polite way of saying thanks, but no thanks. If Kaká was done with Milan and showed no ambition of doing well for the club, then that’s a different case, but this guy is using his brother to make the deal fall through. At least that’s how I see it. C. Ronaldo in Milan? Hmm.

- Berlusconi likes Milan as it is. He claims that with Kaká’s departure, Milan don’t need any new players. No need for reinforcements at the back with Nesta and Kaladze’s recoveries. Meanwhile, Galliani claims that Kaká will be replaced by a superstar forward, as Milan will play 4-3-1-2.
- 200 fans are protesting outside the club headquarters.

So let me get this straight. The Prime Minister of Italy is the one who decides if his team needs players or not. The vice-president decides the tactics, and who they’re going to buy. What does the coach do then? Hell, if Milan are going to depend on the likes of Dinho and Seedorf in the middle, then I feel very sorry for Leonardo. Dinho is by NO means a replacement for Kaká. Nesta and Kaladze enough at the back? Are you f**king kidding me? The former is as fragile as glass, and the latter is an inconsistent and unreliable center-back. Watch Nesta get injured in mid-October, and watch Milan have another shitty season. I hope it’s clear to everyone why Milan supporters DO NOT want Kaká to leave. Look at our SHITTY management!

- Interesting twist of events, as the Mirror claims that Bosco Leite, is asking for a signing-on-fee of an additional €11.5 million, plus a transfer and €1.5 million for Kaká’s younger brother Digao. It also claims that Real Madrid would be unwilling to go that far.

Very interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, seeing how many times Kaká has reaffirmed his desire to stay in Milan and his ambition to captain the team. And talk like that from Kaká is not just bull, so it makes sense he wants his brother and a lottt of cash to be included in the deal. Again, just comes to show his reluctancy to leave the club. But still, this is speculation. Nothing concrete yet.

- Berlusconi claims that no deal has been reached yet, but admits it’s all up to Kaká. He mentions that he will hold a dinner with Kaká and Galliani on Monday.
- Galliani confirms that negotiations are ongoing and that the reason behind accepting a bid is economical. He believes Milan have to sell, in order to compete. More here.
- Sky Italia claims that everything is done and dusted, and that Berlusconi is delaying an official announcement in fear that it will affect his chances of gaining a place in the European Parliament. Voting ends Sunday, June 7.

Okay, the plan is clear. Of course he won’t announce it sooner there are elections going on. Oh and the best thing is he also claimed that Milan lost games because his advised tactics weren’t implemented. Are you f**king kidding me? Galliani, please, enough with BS about how Italy is so poor compared to Spain and England. It’s true, but Milan’s failure in the transfer market is largely because of you, and your boss.

June 3:

- Sky Sports claims that Chelsea have made a move, but Chelsea quickly move to deny it.
- British journalist, Sid Lowe claims a deal is in place, but there are on-going negotiations over the salary. More here.

Okay Sid Lowe. Fair enough, I believe you. Chelsea? More media BS. Blah. I wish it were true though. Maybe it would force Madrid to bid higher? Not that 65 mil isn’t enough, but hey, Milan need as much money as they can get. We just lost a great legend in Maldini, a great coach in Ancelotti, and the potentially great Gourcuff. Oh summer, how I love you.

June 2:

- Marca, AS, and Sky Italia claim a deal has been reached between all parties. €65 million is the price and €9m is the annual salary for five years.
- AC Milan President, Berlusconi, admits offer is very difficult to resist.
- Diego Kotscho, official spokesman for Kaká confirms that an offer, substantially lower than that of Man. City’s in January has been made. No agreement yet, he adds.
- Spanish radio claims Galliani and Bosco Leite (Kaká’s father) arrived in Madrid to discuss the transfer. Statement on AC Milan’s official website says ‘Milan Delegate Administrator Adriano Galliani is in the city of Madrid exclusively for the dinner inaugurating Florentino Perez as the new Real Madrid president.’

Noting is official yet. Just more claims by the media, except on a more detailed level this time. One thing is for certain though, Milan are willing to sell him for the cash. The final say is for Kaká. This is not the first time it happens, as Kaká rejected Man. City in January. But then again, that was Man. City; now we’re talking about Real Madrid. As of now, I’m accepting Kaká as a Blanco.

ON THE MATCH AGAINST ROMA
“The week is going well, we are preparing very well and when you train the possibilities of winning on Sunday afternoon against Roma increase strongly.”

ON ANCELOTTI’S FUTURE
“In the dressing room the voices on Carlo Ancelotti’s future create no problems because there’s been talk of a possible departure of his for a long time. Certainly these voices disappoint us, but at the moment we are all concentrated on Sunday’s match against Roma, including the coach himself. Let’s wait, on Monday we will know everything. Personally I try not to say anything, there’s a lot of speculation, but again, let’s wait. For me Ancelotti remains the best coach Milan could have, the team is happy with him and he is able to handle the dressing room like no one else.”

“Juventus have brought in Ferrara, this means they want to give space to a new generation of coaches, it doesn’t revalue Italian football. If Milan decided to aim for an emerging coach, it would also an opportunity for us to have a new cycle of young coaches. In the past Milan have had many cycles of coaches and players, but always with the same president and the same management: this means that certainly there will be another winning cycle. Just look at the positive example of Guardiola, no one expected much from him because he had only coached the B team of Barcelona, he brought the team into the Champions League final. Van Basten? I would be happy to be coached by someone like him who made Milan’s history. Tassotti? He’s been us for many years and after winning so much he has made up a certain experience.”

ON HIS FUTURE
“I am close to the club, certainly, also to the coach, but I have a contract with Milan until 2013 and not with Carlo Ancelotti. At the moment my contract says enough, any other transfer news regarding me will be discussed by the club. The offer from Manchester City in January was real, but if in the future the club receives other offers for me, it will be the club themselves who will say it. If they don’t say anything it means there is no offer. As for me, I’m happy here. In the future many things can happen, but it’s difficult to imagine me not being at Milan. As I’ve said many times, as long as Milan and I have the same objectives, we will certainly come to an agreement.”
—
Hmmm.

Nov 27; Portsmouth 2-2 AC Milan:

A dramatic match. Milan started off with Kaká behind the ancient duo of poacher Pippo, and the one and only rusty Sheva. That trio proved to be clueless on the pitch, although Pippo missed a few chances, which could have so easily been goals on any other day. Milan conceded two until the 74th minute, when Dinho and Pato came on to replace Kaká and Sheva, respectively. Those changes (in addition to Seedorf’s) turned the game around, as Dinho slotted in a beautifully taken free-kick, before Pippo found the equalizer with seconds left to go. A performance Kaká would rather not look back at as he did little offensively. Add to that the fact that when he was taken off for Dinho, Milan managed to equalize, and you get a game that should be forgotten.

Next game for Milan was against Palermo, in which Kaká was banned for after collecting 5 yellow cards. Milan struggled and dropped all 3 points in a game that ended 3-1 for Palermo.

Dec 3; Milan 1-2 Lazio:

I couldn’t recall anything from the match, so I watched one of the highlights videos on YouTube. I kept an eye out for Kaká and there was nothing really notable. Shevchenko had a few handful of chances (most of which he missed, including one a result of a Kaká through ball), but managed to score the equalizing goal. After that, things got frustrating. Frustrating enough that I don’t want to talk about this game anymore. (hint: a Brazilian, as slow as a sloth, who is claims he’s 32, and Ancelotti likes loves him a lot)

Dec 7; Milan 1-0 Catania:

The first positive note in this post. Kaká played behind Pato and Sheva, which means this was his chance to show what he could do without Dinho. What a game for him it was in terms of work-rate and effort. The lone goal came from a corner kick, and Kaká headed the ball in the back of the net, with the final touch coming from Sheva. Kaká was the focal point of the attack, and was all over the pitch. Overall, very good game for Kaká and the score-line would have been very different if it was any other striker a grandmother playing instead of Sheva. Here’s a 6:32 compilation of only Kaká in the game; (I lasted 35 seconds before I began tapping my feet. Can anyone beat that?)

Juventus were up next for the Rossoneri, and Kaká was a doubt for the match due to an unknown injury problem that forced him to miss the last training session. An epic encounter it was, with Juventus prevailing 4-2. However, if Kaká was playing, I really believe it would have been different, as Milan certainly felt his absence. After the match, there was minor confusion over the cause of Kaká’s injury. While some sources reported it was an upper thigh problem, others claimed it was a hernia problem. Kaká then spoke out saying it was an inflammation around the pelvic area, and Galliani was quick to confirm that it was a hernia problem. (athletic pubalgia aka sports hernia aka groin disruption) Wolfsburg were up next for il Diavoli, and it ended 2-2. 3 days prior to the next match against Udinese, Kaká resumed full training.

Dec 21; AC Milan 5-1 Udinese;

Game of the season so far. What a performance by Milan! Kaká got a brace, but it was Pato that really stood out with a brace and an assist. The chemistry was there offensively, between Kaká, Dinho, Seedorf and Pato. Everything just went Milan’s way that night. A picture is worth 1,000 words, but a video, imo, is worth 1,000,000. Kaká’s goals here:

Goal #1: (all Pato)

Goal #2: (classic!)

Extended highlights here.

And that ends this quick round-up. In the next few days, I will reflect upon Kaká’s season thus far.

Happy New Year!

He was lucky against Chievo, but against Torino, he was given the yellow card. Both incidents were worthy of a yellow card, in my opinion. Have I lost some respect for Kaká? No, because these things happen in football, and these two incidents, quite frankly, surprised me because I can’t recall any other similar incidents. At the end of the day, Kaká is no C. Ronaldo.

Kaká is suspended for the game against Palermo, so my guess is that he’ll feature in Thursday’s match against Portsmouth, while Ronaldinho is rested. If that’s the case, I see this game as a chance for Kaká to regain confidence and form, seeing as though he’ll be the center of attention. I’m optimistic for Thursday, and again, Kaká’s return to form is a matter of time.

Quantitatively, his dip in form is evident:

08/09:

Appearances: 15
Shots: 43
Shots on goal: 11
Goals: 4
Shots per game: 2.87
Efficiency of shots: 25.6%
Goals per appearance: 0.267

07/08:

Appearances: 39
Shots: 129
Shots on goal: 56
Goals: 17
Shots per game: 1.44
Efficiency of shots: 43.4%
Goals per appearance: 0.436

06/07:

Appearances: 60
Shots: 177
Shots on goal: 63
Goals: 26
Shots per game: 1.05
Efficiency of shots: 35.6%
Goals per appearance: 0.433

Yes, I know there are many other factors to consider in these numbers such as penalty goals and others, but generally speaking, it’s clear that he’s taking more shots per game, but is missing the target more often than not and that’s a sign that he’s simply out of form.

In other news, Kaká has publicly spoken about his desire to return to Sao Paulo one day. When? I doubt it’ll be before 2014.

Does he look like a photocopy of his dad or what?

To more serious stuff, I hope his dad gets back to top form, sort of like in the video below;

I don’t want to talk too much about this, since this is a Kaká blog, but I’ll explain what I feel in 2 diagrams:

This is what happens when Milan play with two attacking midfielders, against weaker teams, who usually sit back and defend. Milan get the chances, but a lot of them are wasted chances from outside the box, because, well, it’s just damn difficult to get the ball in the box.

Now, if they play with 2 strikers, against smaller teams (just to emphasize that), there are more bodies in the box to give the ball to. My opinion; 2 strikers is easily, a better option, against weaker teams.

Whether a team will sit back and defend, or attack, is Ancelotti’s job to figure out. The main point here is that, in my opinion, again, 2 strikers is better against weaker teams, while 1 striker can do the job against bigger teams, who will attack more often, creating gaps in the back.

Kaká, I think, is way more effective as an attacking midfielder, though he can play as a supporting striker, if needed. The issue of debate over at the Milan blog these days is about Kaká and Dinho and whether they can co-exist or not.

My opinion; yes. Milan fans are over-reacting regarding Kaká’s dip in form. He’s been getting chances, and creating plays, but he hasn’t hit top form.. yet. Does Dinho’s presence have anything to do with that? No. Dinho and Kaká have linked up well together, especially against Inter and Sampdoria. So then, why has Dinho been scoring goals and not Kaká? Simply, the choice of tactics hasn’t been the best by Ancelotti and Kaká is just not at his best form. I’m pretty sure that Kaká will regain his form really soon, and I hope Ancelotti begins to realize that playing Dinho and Kaká behind 1 striker isn’t necessarily the best tactical choice.

I don’t believe that there should be ‘untouchables’ on the squad. Kaká is out of form, and I see nothing wrong with starting him on the bench. In fact, he could be more effective in the 2nd half, as evidenced by the game against Sampdoria.

Your thoughts?

So, 1 month and a little in 1 post. The easiest and quickest way is to just briefly talk about the games Kaká featured in. Here we go!

October 19; AC Milan 3-0 Sampdoria:

Since it was the 1st game after the international break, he started on the bench, featuring at the start of the 2nd half, in which Milan scored all 3 goals. His presence definitely impacted the game, and resulted in another Ka-Dinh-gol. Highlights below:

October 23; Heerenveen 1-3 AC Milan:

Kaká started this time, and he assisted the first two goals. The first was a cross that was meant for Inzaghi, but it ended up deflecting off a Heerenveen defender, and the second goal came from a cross to Gattuso, after a very skillful run down the left and into the penalty box. Highlights below:

October 26; Atalanta 0-1 AC Milan

Lone goal courtesy of Kaká in the 80th minute. Not a good game for Milan overall, but to win championships, there has to be wins like these, as was discussed at the Milan offside. Nonetheless, the goal came from a very nice Borriello pass. Goal.com:

Kaka – 7.0: Not at his absolute best, but still managed to score the all important winning goal after 80 minutes, to take his team closer to the top of the table.

Goal below:

October 29; AC Milan 2-1 Siena:

Relatively quiet game for Kaká , but he scored the deciding goal in the 65th minute from the penalty spot. Enough said. Goal.com:

Kaka – 7.5: Not at his brilliant best, but very effective tonight. Started the move for Inzaghi’s goal after embarking on a trademark slalom, while he stuck away his penalty with aplomb.

November 2; AC Milan 1-0 Napoli:

A match full of action and excitement. Kaká did very well, but lady luck was simply not on Milan’s side. Took 8 shots, 3 on target, 1 of which was a penalty, which was saved by Iezzo. Hats off to Napoli, but Milan dominated the game and deserved a goal after so many chances. Good game for Kaká overall. Goal.com:

Kaka – 7.5: Following a quiet opening, Kaka burst into life in the second half, and was great throughout. Had some glorious opportunities, including a wonderful strike from the edge of the area after 73 minutes that was denied by the post. He did miss a penalty after 85 minutes, solely due to a wonderful save by Iezzo.

November 9; Lecce 1-1 AC Milan:

An unfair result. Milan pressed and pressed throughout most of the game, but simply could not find the back of the net, mainly due to a strong Lecce defense. Dinho broke the dead-lock, only for Esposito to equalize from a needless, poorly-marked set-piece. Fairly decent performance by Kaká, as he was constantly putting an effort. Goal.com:

Kaka – 8.0: Brilliant as always. Set up so many attacking plays for his side, and provided great service to Borriello, Ronaldinho and co. all match. Was extremely unlucky not to score tonight, however he can certainly hold his head up high following that performance.

That’s all I’ll write for now. Tomorrow, time-permitting, I’ll write up another post with a more analytical approach + other news. Cheers!

Goal.com rating : Kaká – 8: What a return to the Seleção. Scored an absolute stunner for an opening goal and continued to menace the Venezuela defence throughout the game, running the show from the middle of the park.

In other Kaká-related news, the rumors about a Manchester City move are reborn. Again, the source is goal.com (known more commonly to the Offside regulars as BS.com, but yes, I know I use their ratings all the time), and apparently the amount needed to lure him to City is £50 million. I don’t think I need to say anything more. Also, after his goal against Venezuela, Zambrotta praised him:

I’m so happy for Ricky. It’s great news for Milan who can now count on a great champion once again, who has rediscovered his best form.

In other Milan-related news, reports from BS.com about possible transfer targets for January and next summer. In defense, there have been links to Mexes, Zapata, Rinuado and Santacroce. To be perfectly honest, they’re all reasonable targets. Maybe Mexes is a bit far-fetched, but even though he’s easily my first choice, Zapata or Santacroce would be an excellent addition. Never heard of Rinuado. Let’s just hope these links aren’t just a waste of time.

There have also been reports about a possible move for Fabregas. If that fails, Milan will apparently go for Moutinho. Meanwhile, Kuzmanovic has expressed his desire to play alongside Pirlo one day. Well, it would be difficult to say no to Fabregas, but I think that link is just pure BS; sure Milan have good ties with Arsenal, but no. If he’s leaving Arsenal, he’s going to Barcelona or Real Madrid. It’s simple. Moutinho? From what I’ve seen, he’s got creativity and would be a good replacement for Pirlo. If there’s extra cash after the defense has been overhauled, I wouldn’t mind him coming to Milan. I don’t know much about Kuzmanovic, but apparently his idol is Pirlo, so he’s another replacement for Pirlo. I’m actually glad Milan are looking for a Pirlo replacement, because the guy needs some rest, and Seedorf isn’t getting any younger.

However, let’s not forget GOURCUFF!

I stumbled upon an interesting article on BS.com about his stock rising. Basically, the kid is on fire with Bordeaux, and he earned a call-up to the national team, and he scored. That’s impressive, and I’m glad Milan did not sell him. The kid never got a real chance to prove himself with Milan last year for many reasons, but I just hope he maintains his form and returns to Milan next year full of confidence, which will only add more depth to a terrifying front-line. Ideally, his role is an attacking midfielder, but I heard he can also play in a midfielder role, which means he can also act as cover for Pirlo. Either way, he could definitely be used as an attacking midfielder in rotation with Kaká, Dinho and Seedorf. So, if Gourcuff is coming back next season, is there a real need to be in the market for another midfielder?

Let’s not forget Cardaccio, who is yet to make his formal debut. I saw a glimpse of him in a pre-season friendly, and he looks like he’s got quite the potential.