£175m spent… and they don’t even qualify for Europe!

£175 million on 11 players.

When new owners purchase a club and make a hefty investment to join Europe’s elite, they expect immediate results. Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City are prime examples of what money can do in football if spent well, but it takes time.

No manager can be expected to put together a team in a few months, even after a slew of high-profile new signings in the summer. AC Milan currently sit seventh in the Serie A table following three defeats, and it seems manager Vincenzo Montella is one false step away from being shown the door.

It is not just the worrying string of negative results that is perplexing to fans, but the lack of identity and flow. The ‘rossoneri’ boss has not yet managed to blend a team and the 18-time Italian champions have suffered crushing defeats at the hands of Lazio (4-1), Sampdoria (2-0) and Roma (2-0), as well as edging unconvincingly past Croatians Rijeka in the Europa League (3-2).

Eleven players arrived in the summer, including Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus who was brought in to bolster Milan’s rearguard and captain the Italian giants back to the summit of European football. However, after a traumatic start to life in his new club, playing in a 3-5-2 formation has made him look more exposed than ever.

‘I have got faith, a lot of faith. The spirit was right tonight. We can’t let a bad result derail us’, Montella said, amid rumours of former Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti taking over at San Siro. Montella’s next test will be the derby against in-form Inter, a huge encounter, and one final chance to make a statement.