Thursday Milan Musings

By: Gianfranco | February 21st, 2008

I have got a ton of things running through my head and getting them down on paper is harder than I had imagined. My head is a whirlwind on post match days as I rethink, reanalyze, and in most cases re-watch the match with a more pessimistic outlook, it helps keep me sane. Hopefully I make some sense as I ramble off these Milan Musings.

The Rossoneri withstood wave after wave of the Arsenal attack. These Gooner kids can play and move, but the bottom line is the Rossoneri held strong. Sorry for the Rocky reference here (again my favorite movie of all time) but the Rossoneri took all that they had to offer and are still standing. We all know what happens in the rematch don’t we?

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Great pic from Fetyani.

It will not be easy but the stage is set for some great football, and a lot more excitement for the tifosi. Nesta’s return is very probable for the match and I am really hoping for a Pato/Gila pairing with Kaka behind, sorry Clarence but the next match is non start for you in my eyes.

Anyone who has lost faith in Il Capitano got quite the surprise. I just keep thinking about how well he handled Adebayor, it was no secret that once Nesta went down Adebayor was going to try his luck with the old man, and except for the last header, things were pretty well bottled up. You have to believe that even against a good defender a guy as talented and strong as Adebayor will get his chances, but the trick is to make those chances difficult and Maldini stood his ground. I think a 39 year old Paolo is still better than most, sorry if you disagree, call him what you want, he is the man and always will be!

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For the ladies

OK onto the rest of Europe. Inter vs Liverpool was a real piece of work for me. I was so happy that Inter had lost that I did not give any thought to what was really going on here. I really wish both teams would just mutually eliminate each other. Team Argentina and the Scousers hold very little place in my heart, and a few more red cards would be keen for me. Quite frankly I do not want Milan to play Liverpool because the games just aren’t all that entertaining (please don’t bring up Istanbul; I am sick of every ESPN telecast featuring Milan brining it up. It’s like your friends reminding you time and time and again how you made an ass of yourself in front of the hot chick at the bar, NOT COOL.). I also do not want to play Inter for obvious reasons.

Poor game, poor tactics, and poor officiating, it was crap all around. If you are Rafa Benitez and Inter’s tallest defender goes out, what takes you so long to bring in Crouch, MORON, and Mancini, things needed to change at half, and you paid in the end. Hey coaching in Serie A is one thing, CL is another, time to learn pal. Moratti’s bumbling nature at purchasing players has finally paid dividends in the league but he may need to go back to the drawing for CL.

Roma beat Real Madrid, but you have to think that one is not over yet. Roma will need a solid game at the Bernabeau, could they draw nil-nil, sure. Will they? Probably not. Either way that is going to be a heck of a match. I have not gotten a chance to watch Real all that match, but the knock on Capello was that the football was ugly, I don’t see much change, and maybe the return of Robinho will spark that a bit. As long as Spalletti does not go in like he did against Juventus I really feel like Roma can move on.

Back to Rossoneri ramblings, next week, thanks to your grand ideas we will be having a little meet and greet. I will devote one whole post to allow me to share some stuff about myself and you in turn do the same. This way there will be no more confusion as to gender, and where your crazy addiction for everything Milan came from. Fun times will be had by all.

We need to remember that Milan still has a few Serie A games to play here, and Palermo who have really been sliding lately are never an easy task for the Rossoneri. The lineup from Carletto will be a bit subpar with a few of the CL big names getting some rest. Janks and Kaladze need to work and I would really like to see Bonera get some more Serie A action. He should be fixture alongside Nesta/Kaladze in the rest of the Serie A games. The guy can’t get better without more playing time. I would expect Kaka, if able to play, to start and I would not mind seeing him alongside Gourcuff. There is just something more inviting to me when the xmas tree has Pato on top with Kaka and Gourcuff behind, it is just a bit more menacing and capable of scoring goals.

Carletto also has to seriously consider resting Pirlo who worked a ton against Arsenal, and really looked both physically and mentally drained at the end of the match. The problem with resting Pirlo is that Emerson is your main option, or in my opinion not an option at all. The way to go against Palermo is as follows: Kalac (BYE BYE DIDA!!!!), Janks, Bonera, Kaladze, Oddo, Brocchi, Seedorf, Serginho, Gourcuff, Kaka, Pato. I do not understand why Clarence is not capable of holding down the middle of the pitch; I have seen him there at Real, Inter, and Ajax, and liked it, why does he insist at playing so high up for the Rossoneri?

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My last bit of ranting today has to do with the EPL, and their proposal to bring in a 39th game into the fixture list and take it abroad. As a fan in the US, I like it when these teams swing over here and play few summer exhibitions. In fact a few years ago when Milan played Juve for the Italian SuperCup at Giants stadium I sat in the front row (we lost on a Brocchi missed PK, damn Brocchi). But the idea that the EPL can just force their product around the globe as part of their true fixture list is appalling. This isn’t colonialism or imperialism, you can’t just do this and expect to have people kissing your feet for matches; it just does not work this way. I understand that everyone wants to tap the lucrative Asian market as soon as possible but at what cost. No EPL fan is going to be happy about this, and what if you’re in my shoes. I can watch EPL football, but I much prefer Serie A. I can see maybe a pre-season cup taken abroad, or some of the CL qualifying rounds maybe, but this is just a bit of forcing EPL down my throat if you ask me.

One more from the Fetyani collection cuz it made me laugh for a while

NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN