Milan goal-rush greets wing wizard Beckham

What a difference seven weeks makes. Particularly in the life of a 34-year-old global megastar and footballing itinerant.

In late November, David Beckham was a deep-lying central midfielder in despair; a limping, losing finalist in the footballing backwater of Major League Soccer, as his LA Galaxy side slumped to defeat in the U.S. season finale. Come early January, Becks is effectively an inside-right in peak physical condition; a crucial piece in the jigsaw which sees his Milan team, along with Villarreal, Rangers, and, er, Birmingham City as one of the form teams in Europe.

The Rossoneri are a team transformed; their early-season struggles, when rookie coach Leonardo came under-fire for the consistently lacklustre performances of his side, are long forgotten. Beckham’s return to the Milanello fold has hogged headlines and added a flourish to Milan’s attacking play, but the revival had its genesis before the winter break; their mid-December defeat to Palermo being their only reverse in 15 games since the supposedly apocalyptic San Siro loss to Champions League minnows FC Zürich.

In the opening week of the season’s second half, Milan have put to the sword both early Serie A pacesetters Genoa and nominal title rivals Juventus – netting eight goals in the process. Such a promising beginning to 2010 throws into sharp relief the incoherent start to their campaign, characterised by a long barren run in front of goal (Leonardo’s rein opened with just four goals in his first seven league games). And Beckham’s involvement has been integral.

The prodigal Inglese has returned from the U.S. to fill an advanced right-wing position, with Ronaldinho ostensibly on the opposite flank; in-form striker Marco Borriello provides the meat in the superstar sandwich. Few could have predicted the deployment of Beckham in this role; fewer still would have predicted its instant success.

Yet it makes a certain amount of sense, as Milan’s midfield trio (usually Pirlo, Gattuso and Ambrosini) can get through the leg work (Pirlo excepted), allowing their illustrious ‘luxury’ colleagues the freedom to create from out wide. Milan’s highly-respected medical team purport that Becks can play on until he is 40, and given his unerring natural talent for crossing a ball, at this rate it’s likely he could continue to fire in dangerous crosses ‘til well into his fifties.

Ronaldinho will never track-back in the manner that Beckham so willingly does and the extravagant Brazilian’s propensity to float away from his position lays much responsibility on young Luca Antonini to protect the left-flank almost single-handedly. That’s no real revelation though, what has surprised many is the re-application of Ronnie to a game that he appeared patently uninterested in just a few short months ago.

There are two major reasons for this rapid turnaround in Gaúcho’s game. Firstly, the continued, unrelenting support of his compatriot Leonardo amid a storm of (well justified) criticism has helped to solidify the pair’s tight relationship. To perform at his best, Ronaldinho needs to feel a sense of love and community which Leo has apparently already fostered at Milanello, if the joyous, unified goal celebrations at Turin’s Stadio Olimpico are anything to go by.

The second motivation behind Ronaldinho’s steady improvement is plain – the incentive of a looming World Cup finals, in which his participation is anything but a certainty. Given Dunga’s predominantly counter-attacking game plan, spaces in the 23-man squad for opulent, creative types is at a premium. It could be a straight fight between Ronnie and his defeated opponent in Turin, Diego. The diminutive playmaker’s form has slumped dramatically along with that of Juve’s. It was the re-born Ronaldinho that emerged from the shroud of fog that enveloped the Olimpico on Sunday evening as the clear favourite for the plane to South Africa this summer.

All in all, Leonardo’s new-look side has a wonderfully balanced look to it and – given the size of his task in succeeding Carlo Ancelotti and replacing a golden generation – the young Brazilian is well ahead of schedule in his planned Milanese renaissance.

Not only is Antonini deputising flawlessly for the injured Gianluca Zambrotta, Ignazio Abate has added further much-needed youthful pep to the defence at right-back. The marauding Thiago Silva has recovered from some early defensive slip-ups to become an unyielding partner for Alessandro Nesta at centre-half.

Borriello’s re-emergence as a regular goal-scorer (a trick he has managed during a couple of successful loan spells, but rarely at San Siro) is another major bonus for the Rossoneri. Considering that Pippo Inzaghi must one day soon bother his final linesman, Alexandre Pato is injured, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has still to come fully to terms with the demands of Serie A, the Neapolitan’s pin-sharp form has come as a major boost. The cap on his recent comeback was a magnificent bicycle kick; the fourth of Milan’s five goals against Genoa.

That game was overseen by former Milan boss Fabio Capello, and the England manager will have been satisfied by the form of one his most favoured players. And Beckham’s impressive adaptability will provide food for thought as the Italian considers his Plans B and C for the summer. Milan’s no.23, who recently announced a £4m profit for his personal image rights company (Beckham Brand Ltd...you really couldn’t make it up), will play an essential role as they look forward to a critical second Derby della Madonnina of the season in a fortnight.

Not only do they require retribution for their humiliating 0-4 loss to Inter in late August, a win over their bitterest rivals could pull them back into something resembling a genuine title race with Jose Mourinho’s men.

Further ahead lies a mouth-watering continental tie with faltering Manchester United. If the English champions are to turn over Leonardo’s newly-confident charges, they must first keep at bay the returning family man and the playboy that got away. The partnership of Becks and Ronnie, who shared jubilant smiles and hugs as the two brilliantly combined for Milan’s third goal at Juve, promises so much between now and May.

Ronaldinho hits rock-bottom at maudlin Milan

Dropped by Dunga. Condemned as past-his-prime by the Milan hierarchy. Hauled-off by Leonardo with half-an-hour still to play against Serie A minnows Bari. Ronaldinho’s had better weeks, that’s for sure.

Winner of the Ballon d’Or just four years ago, the one-time star attraction at Camp Nou has slumped to a shocking low this season. His slump from pinnacle to past-it has been a dramatic one. Perhaps, though, it was an inevitable outcome for a footballer who has always focused more on the vibrant nightlife of Paris, Barcelona and now Milan, than dedicating extra hours preserving his fitness on the training ground.

Outrageous natural talent alone is simply not enough to maintain a sustained period at the very top of the game, as evergreen stars such as Raul, Ryan Giggs and Ronaldinho’s team-mate and good friend Clarence Seedorf have proven by matching their considerable natural reserves with an intense dedication. Aged a mere 29, Ronnie now faces being consigned to history as a quite brilliant flash-in-the-pan who fell short of true greatness.

His recent out-of-touch showing against little Bari, as the plucky visitors dominated proceedings before a hushed San Siro, was painful to behold. Countless stray passes, misguided flicks and tricks and a missed sitter from eight yards. Error after error was greeted by an increasingly familiar sheepish grin; as if to say to his frustrated team-mates “Sorry guys, I used to be good at this lark...honest.” A bad day at the office? Sure. But the malaise in Dinho’s game lies deeper than a shoddy 60 minutes on Sunday.

Milan’s long-serving Adriano Galliani, right-hand man to owner Silvio Berlusconi, admitted as much when talking of Ronaldinho’s sudden loss of eminence.

“He hasn’t a different status in comparison to the other Milan players,” said the Rossoneri’s general manger before Sunday evening’s game.

“Should coach Leonardo consider him in good condition he will play. Otherwise he will sit on the bench, like the others. He must become the player he was few years ago. But I don't know what he's missing,” he concluded.

Galliani’s boss, the Italian premier, refused to condemn his superstar purchase for his penchant for nocturnal misbehaviour, perhaps aware of subsequent ‘pot-kettle-black’ accusations (not that such considerations usually stop the veteran media mogul from speaking out). Tellingly though, Ronaldinho’s line manager, so to speak, Leonardo, publically confirmed that “he’s not the player of three years ago.”

The rookie manager, though, has more immediate concerns to deal with than the plight of his flamboyant compatriot. Former BBC pundit and World Cup winner (in that order) Leonardo accepted what increasingly looks like a poisoned chalice from his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti.

A tired squad in inexorable decline reached the end of its natural cycle with the somewhat fortunate defeat of Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final. Talismanic figures such as Maldini, Kaka and Ancelotti have all since departed, but restructuring work has been minimal. The purchase of Brazilian prodigy Alexandre Pato aside, little serious investment in squad development has been forthcoming.

The potentially exciting capture of Wolfsburg’s prolific Bosnian striker Edin Džeko fell flat this summer, Real Madrid-reject Klaas-Jan Huntelaar arriving at a cut price instead. One-time free-scoring, KJH has been far from immune to the stodgy start to the campaign of his club – no goals in seven Serie A appearances (and nineteen games in all, for both clubs and country) has left the former Ajax hitman looking like a shadow of his former self. Three years on, Andriy Shevchenko (mk.1) has never been adequately replaced.

Another stat – set-piece specialist Andrea Pirlo has failed to score one of his once-trademark free kicks for the club since way back in December 2007 – symbolises the diminishing of the playmaker’s previously masterful influence. In the goalless draw with Bari, the back four featured Kakha Kaladze, also past his peak and still searching for fitness following a seven-month injury lay-off, and inexperienced Ignazio Abate, whose lack of defensive nous was exploited as a matter of routine by tricky winger Emanuel Rivas. Only the southern side’s last-third ineptitude and the spectacular agility of back-up ‘keeper Marco Storari spared Milan from a mortifying home defeat.

Gazzetta dello Sport recently reported a significant slump in season ticket sales at San Siro. The dedicated faithful currently stands at 25,984; down from last leason’s 41,606. The team were jeered from the field by the remaining few at the final whistle, while Ronaldinho absent-mindedly kicked his heels in the dugout following his early substitution.

Since he delighted us all with goals such as this sugar-coated treat against Chelsea, Ronnie’s career has hit a brick wall. Talk of a switch to his homeland, with Corinthians, has surfaced as he now struggles to hold onto a place in the Seleção set-up ahead of the World Cup. Perhaps his predicament is not irreversible, but the continuing decline of Ronaldinho illustrates perfectly that even a world-beating talent can fall from grace in the blink of an eye.

FALLEN IDOL RONNIE CAN RETURN LUSTRE TO MILAN

Following much gossip, rumour and counter-rumour, Ronaldinho’s protracted transfer saga at long last drew to a welcome close late last month. The waning Brazilian star’s decision to swap the beguiling glamour of Barcelona for, well, the irresistible appeal of Milan was, in the end, hardly a tough one.

Of course, it wasn’t really Ronnie’s decision to depart Catalonia quite so soon – incoming Barca coach Pep Guardiola made it brutally clear that he and his fellow party-loving team-mate Deco were no longer welcome at Camp Nou. With Manchester City proving the only ‘serious’ competition for the signature of the apparently superfluous former Ballon D’Or winner, there was only ever going to be one victor.

That the mighty AC Milan should even find themselves fighting it out toe-to-toe with nouveau riche upstarts City for playing recruits could perhaps be perceived as a sign of Serie A’s diminished prestige since those heady glory days of the 80s and 90s. But, of course, Ronaldinho isn’t your average cast-off.

At the age of just 28 – and, according to vice-president Adriano Galliani, having “lost his belly” – he could conceivably yet rekindle that irresistible fire which once made him everyone’s favourite buck-toothed ball manipulator. Certainly, Milan will be resting their hopes on a Samba-rich Kaka-Ronnie-Pato attacking axis coming good this season. And it does have a rather tantalising appeal – on paper, at least.

In light of Guardiola’s ruthless approach to re-shaping the humbled blaugrana this summer, there has been some pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti to adopt a similar ‘rip it up and start again’ policy over at San Siro. That, however, is simply not the manner in which Milan operate.

No, at least prior to the unveiling of ‘Dinho, there had instead been a quiet revolution at the club’s Milanello HQ this summer.

Though no spring chicken at 31, and another Barca redundant, Gianluca Zambrotta will bring a much-needed injection of dynamism and attacking width to what has become an increasingly stodgy side. The early acquisition of Arsenal’s Mathieu Flamini should also prove to be an excellent piece of business. The Frenchman’s tireless running and accurate passing promises to gel well with likely engine-room cohort Andrea Pirlo – who will clearly take the creative role in the partnership.

Quite where the new arrivals will leave club stalwart Rino Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf – who remains, for now, in possession of the cherished no. 10 shirt for now at least – remains to be seen.

At the sharp end of things, the ‘loss’ of inept strikers Alberto Gilardino and Ricardo Oliviera should be more than compensated for by the return from successful loan of Milan’s long-neglected centre-forward Marco Borriello. It’s surely a big ask for the Neapolitan to reproduce the rich vein of goal-scoring form which reaped 19 goals last term, but he has within him the ability to make a significant contribution when called upon.

Fellow loan-returnee Christian Abbiati may also receive an unlikely shot at redemption, as Milan have so far failed to replace calamity-prone ‘keepers Zeljko Kalac and Dida; with Galliani declaring the club’s transfer activity now closed. And that is just where Milan’s problems might lie.

The back five remains an ageing, increasingly vulnerable unit; certainly incapable of keeping up with the rigorous demands of Champions League football. Perhaps it’s just as well they won’t have to, as they’ll instead face up to the perceived ignominy of participation in the little-loved UEFA Cup.

Still much-loved, but sadly in inevitable decline; Paolo Maldini looks set to carry on into his 41^st year. The plan was to retire the legendary no. 3 shirt upon his retirement, but if he continues to prolong his career much longer, the world’s finest full-back of the past two decades will be able to pass the shirt directly on to his son Christian – a highly-rated youth team prospect at Milan.

Alessandro Nesta, another defender of immense talent and composure, is becoming all too frequent a visitor to the treatment table. Rumours persist that he’ll need to go under the surgeon’s knife sooner rather than later to clear up his injury problems once and for all, but when available Nesta remains the rock upon which the side’s (occasionally shaky) foundations are built.

Serie A is, broadly speaking, contested at a speed considerably slower than the Premier League’s default ‘breakneck’ setting. The rossoneri, therefore, clearly expect the value of experience over raw pace to still hold firm at domestic level.

The Milan hierarchy, despite public niceties to the contrary, have no interest whatsoever in having a concerted crack at the UEFA Cup, so will be able to concentrate the efforts of their still ageing team on a full-blown title challenge. The absolute bare minimum required will be re-admission to the Champions League for 2009/10.

Allowing for his participation in Brazil’s pursuit of an elusive gold medal at the upcoming Olympic Games was a significant sweetener which eased through the deal bringing Ronaldinho to San Siro. Young hope Alexandre Pato will also be otherwise occupied in Beijing until just before Serie A’s big kick-off (assuming Brazil do make it to the latter stages).

Nonetheless, this state of affairs could conceivably work in Milan’s favour. Should the two return triumphant from the Games – not a great stretch of the imagination – they’ll be up and flying; ready to put promoted Bologna to the sword on day one of what promises to be an intriguing campaign for Ancelotti’s boys from Brazil.

Now all they have to do is keep their original Seleção star, Kaká, out of the greedy clutches of a certain West London-based player vacuum...