It's Not All About Super Mario!

Yeah , yeah , yeah we know, Super Mario has now joined us, the proudest  and most powerful club in Italy. At the tender age of 22 he is already a superstar and arguably one of the world’s best players. Proof of his explosive power and undeniable talent is the demolition of the German’s in the Euro 2012. He lead Italy’s attack.  Even though he is arguably one of the undisputed stikers in Italy, AC Milan have been busily creating a potentially lethal line up in the future, one that could help them become the premier team not only in Italy but of Europe and then the world.

M'Baye Babacar Niang  (18)
Perhaps the player that has surprised me the most. He rose through the French Youth International teams and the quick footed boy, helped contribute to Caen , playing 30 matches 5 goals and a handful of impressive assists.

When he first signed for Milan I had never heard of him and dismissed him straight away. What could he offer Milan after the impressive King Ibra’s service who sadly departed us. How was I wrong. Recently his burst into Milan’s team offering a blistering pace and smart passes.  His been very impressive and though admittedly he does disappear here and again his energetic displays bodes well for the future. I was absolutely delighted with his assist to El Shaarawy against Atlanata, splitting through their defence. He is the  second youngest goal scorer in Milan history at 17 years and 350 days.

Mattia De Sciglio (20)
This young man’s rise has been arguably the biggest of the team.He rose through Milan’s youth acedmy for 9 seasons and has now taken dismantled Abates hold on RB and made it his own at the tender age of 20. He is a fast player with good technique and has already excelled in a few matches as a CB as well.He is already a better crosser,tackler than any of our current RBs.

The way he is developing I will be disappointed if he leaves, he could easily become Italy’s best RB in years. His 20 strong performances this season have impressed all those who’ve watched him and he has delighted by fans and pundits alike.
Costacurta: "I have never seen a player develop as fast as De Sciglio has."
Alberigo Evani "a fast runner, with good technique" and "a versatile footballer"

Stephan El Shaarawy (20)
In 2011-2012 season El Shaarawy gained experience when rotated off the bench into the first team. He showed potential but nothing told us of what was to come. Thanks to his goalscoring exploits, The Guardian listed him 52^nd in  The 100 best footballers in the world.  This is more than justified by his incredible standings in the goalscoring charts, he is second on 15 goals, in his first full season with AC Milan  at just 20 years of age!

His ability to shoot out past the defence and find space combined with his brilliant dribbling him a nightmare for even the toughest defenders. It is only recently that they have begun “parking the bus” have they even impacted his style of play at all.  His shot range is powerful and his shown this off through shooting outside the box!
Now that him and Super Mario are together, it’s only a matter of time before they dominate Italy together, then the world!

Bartosz Salamon (21)
Perhaps their most unique acquisition . The Pole, is not like many players, originally played AM he was then swapped to DM only to find himself then dominate at CB.  He has most over 60 appearances for Brescia and has proven himself to be a top player. Able to set up attacks from afar, deep in defence, his great range of passing reminds me of Pirlo. He could only be more useful set up as the Anchor. His brilliant at reading the play whilst ever steadily improving at set pieces.

He is definitely one for the future, able to rotate through midfield  and CB, he could play a pivotal role for the Rosseneri which will help them in the long season runs for the title. Granted though, this may take time since his only played in Serie B, that’s why buying him this Summer was a good investment as it allows him time to come through the team and pick up valuable experience and adapt to the level of play.



Riccardo Saponara (21)

A superb run of performances for Empoli in Serie B over the past year, 72 times for Empoli since 2009-2010 and this season has 18 Games,8 goals 7 assists, has certainly help lead him to being snapped up by AC Milan in recent times. However he will stay at the Carlo Castellani until the summer before making his dream move to San Siro, where he hopes to emulate his Brazilian hero Kaka.

With great poise, balance, superb timing of a run and a cool eye for a pass, Saponara has been the star man in 2012-13 for an Empoli side transformed from relegation candidates to play-off contenders, and has scored eight league goals on the way. His great skill on the ball has also helped him to catch the eye of the team he has dreamt of representing for so long. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the AC Milan line up, maybe in the 4-3-3 line up he may have to move back to the midfield.