[ITA] Serie A 2008/2009 (80 Viewers)
- Thread starter Azzurri7
- Start date
- Status
Silvio Berlusconi can wind the media round his little finger, so Steve Wilson warns not to believe all you hear from the Milan camp
Silvio Berlusconi is a media mogul. He knows how the industry works. If you say something in the Press enough times people will eventually accept it as truth. He knows that whatever he says will get column inches and he knows that, if you let him, he can make you think what he wants you to think.
That is why for the last month or so, and for the next couple as well, there have been constant stories featuring unwarranted praise on his Milan players - specifically the men he brought to the club against the wishes of the Rossoneri fans.
His latest outpouring saw him declare that Kaka, Alexandre Pato, Ronaldinho, Andriy Shevchenko and David Beckham have all silenced their critics and proved their doubters wrong. I don't think we can legitimately trust the biased verdict of a man in the Milan camp - but, even so, his claims don't stand up to scrutiny.
Of the five players, Pato has been a revelation since arriving in Milan, but we suspected he would be anyway. Berlusconi claims that most saw him as a "vague hope for the far future". Is that why there was such hype about his January 2008 debut from the minute he signed in the summer of 2007?
Only the most naive think that Kaka has stayed at Milan because of any supreme loyalty. He just didn't fancy taking a gamble on the revolution at Manchester City. Expect to see him departing for Real Madrid in June or July, Beckham as good as confirmed this earlier in the week.
And what of Beckham, Ronaldinho and Shevchenko? It is too early for anyone to judge the England international's success, so Silvio's praise is PR bluster at best. Ronaldinho has been an improvement on his final days at Barcelona, but is far from at his peak, while Sheva has yet to score in Serie A since his return.
Nobody can stop Berlusconi mouthing off, but just remember next time you read his ramblings - every word he says is perfectly scripted and there is always an angle. Let your own eyes judge the merits of Milan's star players, not those of someone who wants you to believe they are better than they really are.
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/blogs/sw70.html
Silvio Berlusconi is a media mogul. He knows how the industry works. If you say something in the Press enough times people will eventually accept it as truth. He knows that whatever he says will get column inches and he knows that, if you let him, he can make you think what he wants you to think.
That is why for the last month or so, and for the next couple as well, there have been constant stories featuring unwarranted praise on his Milan players - specifically the men he brought to the club against the wishes of the Rossoneri fans.
His latest outpouring saw him declare that Kaka, Alexandre Pato, Ronaldinho, Andriy Shevchenko and David Beckham have all silenced their critics and proved their doubters wrong. I don't think we can legitimately trust the biased verdict of a man in the Milan camp - but, even so, his claims don't stand up to scrutiny.
Of the five players, Pato has been a revelation since arriving in Milan, but we suspected he would be anyway. Berlusconi claims that most saw him as a "vague hope for the far future". Is that why there was such hype about his January 2008 debut from the minute he signed in the summer of 2007?
Only the most naive think that Kaka has stayed at Milan because of any supreme loyalty. He just didn't fancy taking a gamble on the revolution at Manchester City. Expect to see him departing for Real Madrid in June or July, Beckham as good as confirmed this earlier in the week.
And what of Beckham, Ronaldinho and Shevchenko? It is too early for anyone to judge the England international's success, so Silvio's praise is PR bluster at best. Ronaldinho has been an improvement on his final days at Barcelona, but is far from at his peak, while Sheva has yet to score in Serie A since his return.
Nobody can stop Berlusconi mouthing off, but just remember next time you read his ramblings - every word he says is perfectly scripted and there is always an angle. Let your own eyes judge the merits of Milan's star players, not those of someone who wants you to believe they are better than they really are.
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/blogs/sw70.html
Ronaldinho will never be what he was at Barca when he was the best in the world, until people accept that, nobody is going to be objective on his matter. I personally think he's been one of Milans best players this season, especially in the UEFA Cup when he's saved their arses more than once.
He certainly isn't world class anymore but he's still a very good player who can create something.
He certainly isn't world class anymore but he's still a very good player who can create something.
- Status