Fat Bird

Ronaldinho - The fat man moves on

He had to go. Flamengo, Gremio or the MLS. He chose Flamengo. The choice was fairly simple, I think. The deal appeared to be very lucrative for a player well past his prime and it only made sense for him to grab it with both hands. Fortunately, we made some money in the bargain. Who would've thought that Galliani could squeeze a few dollars out of a club by selling them Ronaldinho. Well, that explains why Uncle Fester is the mercato specialist.

With Ronaldinho gone, we could concentrate on building the team to be genuine contenders in Europe and in Italy. And so began the busiest January in years. We brought in 5 players this winter, that's almost half a team! I have already addressed the arrival of Cassano, so let's move onto the other 4.

Van Bommel. The hard dog, a player who specializes in breaking bones and keeping medics on their feet. Fortunately, he does that to players on the opposition and not to himself unlike Pato. I've never been his biggest fan but he brings a lot of steel to a flimsy and fragile midfield. Milan needn't worry if Gattuso picks up a knock or is unavailable. We possibly have the only other 'Rinho' like player in Europe to replace him. The deal is sweet too, he signs for 6 months. This goes to show that he is nothing more than a contingency signing. We need to keep in mind that he is a red card waiting to happen. Referees will never condone his rash style and six months is too little time to develop a rapport with refs like Gattuso has to avoid hitting the showers earlier than the 90th minute. Also the fact that he won't be available in Europe makes his signing purely a move for the Scudetto.

Urby Emanuelson. A left winger by trade, he supposedly can play anywhere down the left. We picked him up for a miserly €1.7 million. He is technically gifted and has been amongst the highly rated properties in Europe for quite sometime now. All of 24, he is a signing for the future expected to make very little impact this season. My biggest concern is the fact he is a left winger and is employed as a left central midfielder. He brings width to this side and the much needed left foot, but will he be able to play narrow when required? Having donned the Ajax colors this season, he too is ineligible for Europe.

Didac Vila. Arguably, for the first time, I don't have much of an idea about a player Milan signed. Hailed as the heir apparent to Capdevilla for the Spain National side and already having represented Spain at the U-21 level, this boy has a future in international football. He has been a regular for Espanyol, which isn't a joke to begin with. Espanyol have received �€4 million in return for the youngster which isn't too much for a highly rated left back, a position in which quality is declining at an alarming rate. A safe bet but Tassoti firmly believes that the kid is largely an unfinished product. Don't expect to see much of him this season.

Nicola Legrottaglie. He is nothing more than an able replacement for Nesta. We have been thin at the back and any player would be a step up over Daniele Bonera. Milan have a history of settling for experience over youth at the back and that tradition continues. Legrottaglie has played at the highest level for years now and brings all that experience even if its for 6 months. Bought for chum change, this signing might be a thrifty purchase. Again, there are doubts over his availability for the Champions League. However, he might not figure much in the first team even in Nesta's absence. Yepes has deputized for the legend superbly this season being a rock in the heart of defense.

All 5 players purchased over the winter aren't available for the knockout rounds of the Champions League. This reflects a clear directive coming from the very top of the Via Turati. The priority is the Scudetto. Berlusconi hasn't necessarily splashed the cash and he doesn't need to with Galliani faithfully occupying the seat beside him. With Inter's resurgence and Napoli unwilling to give up, we are in for the tightest Scudetto race in years.