Granted our place in the CL is nearly assured, however that is no excuse to drop points the rest of this season. There is also no real why second place is not worth fighting, say for some reason Inter are implicated in some sort of scandal, wouldn’t we want to reap the benefits of a backdoor scudetto much the way they did!? Granted when they won there’s they finished even lower in the table, but second should be a good spot, just in case, a proverbial hedging of bets. All kidding aside, the higher the finish in the table the better off this squad will be from a moral standpoint and building block for next season. I have always been a firm believer in the second place is the first loser type of scenario, and I still believe but after last year’s fifth place finish, second is like a tropical island.

Getting the three points, and ultimately holding second place, will be dependent on the ability of Milan’s defense to handle Udinese’s three man front line. FabQuags, though not blessed with blazing speed the Rossoneri kryptonite, has a knack for finding a shot when it looks impossible and should be heavily marked by Maldini. The pressing runs forward of Janks and Zambro may be less prominent because of the need to potentially stop Pepe and Sanchez on the flanks. A strong effort in stopping these strikers and counter attacking with menace should give Milan the chance to attack with numbers and cause the Udinese defense trouble. Like most teams who employ the 4-3-3, the key is to absorb their pressure and work beyond their first line of defensive pressure, be it the attack or just behind, and suddenly you create space in the attacking third of the field.

Pay special attention to Zapata who has been a favorite of mine and many of you, and a possible worthwhile target for Milan. D’Agostino, a player many are calling the only true backup to Pirlo in the whole of Italy, is worth a look as well, his play last week proved the difference to topple Lazio in the second half. Lastly watch Asamoah, the on loan Ghanian reminds me of his countryman, Michael the Bison Essien. Just imagine for moment if Rino could dribble with pace, and shoot with venom; there you have the potential of a man like Asamoah.

For Milan, and specifically Carletto, the choice seems simple. With Udiense in a 4-3-3 employ two strikers in front of Kaka, Pippo and Pato, to exploit space left in front of the Udinsese defense. Playing Seedorf in a game like this may actually benefit because his time on the ball may allow for defensive reorganization that needs to be negated. Attacking with pace seems to be the key and Pato and Kaka can provide that. As I have said in the past I would even advocate Pato in Seedorf’s role to allow him to run at defenders with the ball at his feet much the way Kaka does, this would also force the defenders up a pinch leaving even more room for the Pippo the poacher to work the line and his magic. It seems that Dida has recovered and will be back in net and that Senderos and Flamini will step in for the suspended Becks and Favalli.

Back to Carletto for a moment, a few weeks ago his supposed “summer wish list” went public. It was nothing extravagant, it had some big name strikers on their with Eto being prominent, but also some youngish Italian type players like Nocerino, a big surprise, and Palombo, who Carletto still seems to have an eye for. Now I don’t know how much I believe the list, especially consider that it is after the fact and burn on Uncle Fester, you can’t help but feel for a guy who is proverbially “playing someone else’s cards.” On a smaller scale, I pick and coach my own players for my team, I fit them into a nice neat little puzzle of eleven and then I chose my ten subs accordingly, if I fail it rests on me. If Carletto fails, he needs to shoulder some blame, but we also have to consider his selections he is working with, not even beginning to consider the injuries he has had to endure. As a whole the Milan roster contains very specialized players for specific inclusions and situation, Pirlo plays deep that’s it, Gattuso plays towards the right, Janks on the left, Ronaldinho stands still on the left half way between the end line and half line, Kaka roams free towards the box, and Becks plays the right period. So what happens when injuries strike, or poor form hits, and you are left with tasks/roles that go unfulfilled and players not versatile enough to fill those roles, it causes big problems, and Carletto, Milan, and the tifosi are knee deep in these problems right now. Case in point, we have dropped points late, and oddly enough Carletto has made moves that make you scratch your head why Dinho and not Flamini, why Favalli and not Pippo. These are blames that rest solely on his shoulders, but as a fan we don’t know what the mood, feel, or even discourse of a certain players at the time of the sub so we make assumptions. The big issue I find though is that these are professional footballers, and they are “old” enough (I guess meant the pun there) to know that the situation calls for a specific function be it possession, dragging the ball to the corner, lateral and backward passes, and so on. If we are up one goal, and Pippo is brought on board, he should know he has to bring the ball to corner and possess, he shouldn’t attempt ten step overs and be disposed for a counter, correct? Go ahead and apply that logic to others, I don’t mind, I just wanted to show that it could be spread around…

So yes we can lambast Carletto, call for his head, but in the end are we that much better off. Maybe we need to clamor for Fester to listen to his coach or to spend money the right way. Maybe we need Berlu to step in and say enough is enough, but neither is looking all that likely. Rijkaard is not the answer, and his soap opera with Dinho will only cause us more problems. Leonardo, Baresi, and Costacurta are not even close to the level needed at Milan, and the last you want is a coach with growing pains in charge. Coaching the Rossoneri is a pressure cooker, and no average Joe can take on that job, you have to succeed, and I would much rather a man that can, that a man that never has…at this point and time I am frustrated with Carletto, the players, and more importantly Uncle Fester. But in the end I am a Rossonero Tifosi and I am not going to quit on them now, and I am not going to quit on Carletto either. We can’t go through a coaching carousel like we did from 96-2001 before Carletto again. I mean we can, I just prefer not to, let’s ride this out, focus on top three, and get behind this guy he has given us far too much to give up that quickly.

FYI, I am doing my best to crank out posts, and do so close to the theme of the comments, but lately there has been so much to digest. Your discussions are excellent, and if I miss points or you want to take something further please shoot me an email acmilan[at}theoffside.com and I will wrap a post around it. Also the next two months I am completing my coaching certification classes and have to attend and run many training sessions to gain my certificate, if I fall off the face of the earth here or there I apologize, but I promise to always have a match post, Maldini Monday and recap post. The inbetween may be up to you, and you guys are already stellar at it. Thanks again.

It is painfully evident that Pato needs help up front, and for as hard as he works and how quickly he plays, he just lacks the size and strength to be the lonely man up top. This is not a knock on Pato by any means, but he is a support striker who would thrive with a constant partner, and the Borriello injury is showing itself in every aspect of the game. Seedorf continues to suck hard and it is frustrating that he is allowed to remain on the pitch while a youngster like Antonini doesn’t get a shake to make a mistake.

The lack of a creative offensive attack sans Kaka is alarming and one would think a new attacking mind is a must come next season, any shape or form will do, but it can’t come soon enough. Back to back god awful performances with little to no offensive creativity are all the evidence that I need, and hopefully Fester feels the same way. But when Carletto looks down the bench and all he sees are aging defenders and Offside-Emerson, then the blame has to start spreading all over the board here. It made me chuckle a few days ago when Shehan mockingly blamed Dinho for the UEFA loss, despite Dinho being in Brazil with Adriano packing on the pounds. But Shehan wasn’t that far off, because had Dinho not been bought, maybe this season would have taken a much different turn, argue the early games as losses, but I would trade in those few for wins in this poor run in a heartbeat. This team has picked the wrong time of the season to hit a funk, and if the goal is to remain top three it may time to throw caution to the wind and start benching the regulars for a hope to find a spark.

On the flipside, as I watched Samp today I was a bit intrigued. Sure they are a bit rough around the edges but the play with pace, a good shape, and classic attacking duo that reminds me a bit of Vialli and Mancini. There was a time when the Rossoneri gave you that hope of a future, of creativity, and a more successful. Instead as of late all I feel is a dead end doom and gloom of a team with no future and no real direction. The one thing we do have going for us in this awful week is the fact that both the Viola and Genoa both drew and kept Milan afloat in third for one more week.

At this point I decided to pack up and try and get home, at least catch the end on stream. Things never go as planned and as I frantically did my best to drive, shift the car, and follow on my IPhone, my worst fears were coming to fruition. I decided to let it rest a bit, and then the phone beeped, a simple text message appeared with the word Choke. My heart sank, stomach knotted, and I realized my worst fear. They blew it…

I sat for awhile contemplating the match prior to even looking at the comments or any post match wraps. But now that I look through it all, and see that Bremen had 29 shots with 17 on net I shake my head in disbelief and wonder how on Earth did this team get so bad so fast. 17 shots on goal!! That is not some arbitrary number, and though I don’t know how well or how poor Dida played, or if the midfield decided to close up shop and not defend, I can’t help but wonder if tonight was the beginning of the end for the squad as we know it.

I will leave the in depth match discussion to those who watched the game but as know look at the roster, the thought of rebuilding has finally hit home, sunk in, and it seemingly must be addressed. If Carletto does not canned in the next few hours, or early tomorrow it will be miracle, and his resignation should follow if that doesn’t happen. This team of pricey veterans seems to have lost the cutting edge, the eye of the tiger to play with conviction, pace, and steel. This team is a shell of what Milan teams are supposed to be and it is time for a change.

The change however is a bit hard to imagine, who leaves, who goes it always up for debate, and money is constantly a factor. I don’t have the energy or proper state of mind to begin that discussion here, this type of loss is disheartening on so many levels emotionally, that I frankly want to forget Milan for a few minutes, a few hours, possibly a few days. On a night where the owner lost his sister, and our captain having one last chance at a Cup, the team could not hold a two goal lead. A team with so much big game experience just couldn’t show up for another 45 minutes. Many of us remember the dark ages of 96 and 97 and it seems that we are entering it yet again, a fourth place finish is now a must, but even that looks bleak with the run of form, I guess we hope for the best and press on, even on what seems like the worst night since Istanbul, FORZA MILAN…to bad we couldn’t give you one more…

I hope to have something more substantial if I can get my hands on the match, but forgive if I don’t have the will to watch…

-Milan allows 23 shots on goal, today with ten of them being on frame and forcing saves from Dida. If you could hear me know I am clapping for Dida. If you had told me we would draw 1-1 with this many shots and net and Dida between the pipes I would have never believed you. From the comments it seemed he still looks a bit shaky, and we all know a GK lacking confidence is dangerous thing, but he adequately did the job and most likely proved why he is the number 2 keep, or maybe it is just because no one else is available, oh well, either way hats off to Dida.

-When I initially saw the lineup today I was a bit perturbed, I was assuming a draw, but didn’t take into the consideration the will of Pippo and Flamini. I was able to follow the game via gamecast and all I saw was the names of the aforementioned Milanista. I couldn’t believe Pippo gave as much as he did for that long, and Flamini has certainly earned himself a start come the weekend, I realized it, you realized it and hopefully Carletto did as well. This shouldn’t be all that difficult considering Ambro looks exhausted and Pirlo looks god awful.

-We all know the value of a healthy in form Pirlo, and we are slowly learning the detriment of a Pirlo who is off his game. Now we all know the XMAS tree is built around talents like Kaka and Pirlo, but when those talents are injured or off their game what needs to happen? It is clear Pirlo is lacking the space and time to operate with the injury to Rino, and that is fine, but Carletto maybe needs to use Pirlo in a more of a creative role and not dependant on the time needed in front of the defense. We all know Pirlo has enough creativity and vision to make up for the lack of it in Ambro and Rino alongside, but if Pirlo is hurting and Becks is to his right it leaves a bit of a void in the middle. Play Flamini there this weekend, flank him with Ambro and Becks and see what comes of it. What do we have to lose!

- I don’t want to beat a dead horse, and I know full well that Dinho was not 100%. I wanted to paste the entire ESPN gamecast here on the post, but it was too big and bulky, and the flash format was not blog friendly, but here is the link. The reason I wanted to post it was to show that in 45 minutes of first half soccer Dinho’s name was not mentioned once. I didn’t write the commentary, a paid commentator did, I can’t make that shit up, so if you think he made a contribution than it seems to have gone beyond me and the gentleman writing. ENOUGH ON THAT POINT.

-I wanted to blame Carletto for subs on Sunday, and then again today, but then I look at the available bench and scratch my head and wonder what on Earth and coach would have done with that motley crew. Milan’s lack of depth and versatility has become an embarrassment and this can once again be placed square on the soldiers of Uncle Fester. My cousin in the boot and I had a long long conversation today discussing the likes of Abate and Antonini and how they could probably play any spot on the wings, imagine having players with that kind of versatility you can make one sub and reinforce either the attack or defense with a shift in play. Sure they lack experience, and hell they may even make mistakes, but they have pace, they can work, and they are probably willing to tackle. Sometimes that little bit grit is the difference between a win and draw, plain and simple.

On a side note many of us are torn on the commercialization of AC Milan but for better of for worse since January Milan have been in all the headlines, no matter the rag or TV program. Now it may take its toll on the players and the us as fans and that is yet to be seen, but there has to be something said for the prominence of our club on what seems like every corner of the globe. I personally hope it pay’s dividends come the transfer season, but again only time will tell. I hope to elaborate on this in the future, but thought I would get gears turning with this point and then we can collectively discuss.

Ambrosini scores trademark header, and Milan go into halftime with a lead, but in the 55th minute Wolfsburg draws equal with Cristian Zaccardo of own goal fame in WC 06, forcing Pato to put Milan front again shortly thereafter. A 2-1 lead in in the second half in the past would be a Milan victory, but this team can no longer kill the game in possession and instead chooses to abosrob attacks which more often than not lead to goals for the other team. Senderos is apparently damaged goods and his substitution led to a Kaladaze entrance, which again is nothing to be proud of. His form has been poor of late and asking him to get fresh and jump in only made Milan vulnerable, with his partner Favalli. Janks to his credit has been worked to the bone, and the loan of Oddo is looking more and more puzzling as the defensive injury list looks to be a mile long. Zambrotta who was supposed to provide versatility at the back, doesn’t even look comfortable on his natural right, and Antonini has yet to be given that hard time to find a rhythm or place in the squad. Defensively, we are a nightmare and each and every game is showing this.

Ancelotti did break from the xmas tree, and the two striker system seemed to pay some dividends with a better offensive flow, and an offensive trident to end the match, when you already have a one goal lead is frustrating considering the right choice may have been an extra man in the middle that perhaps Carletto didn’t even have it his disposal!?

Every step Milan takes seems to make the next step that much harder, and now their draw is a bit more difficult considering they have to face a Champions League reject, and mixing it up with a team like Bordeaux or even Fiorentina at this juncture may prove costly. These teams can run you to the ground and Milan is already fairly close to the ground as it is.

As I mentioned earlier, my optimism is a bit lost, and my claims to sell off and build a new may have been premature but the more I look at this team the more I say to myself, “What else can be done?” What was supposed to be a team with solid veteran depth has become a team without a comfortable formation, a coach who seems to have lost his way, and a sporting director that buys players without any real rhyme or reason?

Dinho has played extremely well, and for that I give him credit; however, his inclusion into the squad seems to zap Kaka of his metal. Borriello’s injury came at a bad as time considering that even though he wasn’t scoring goals, Milan was winning when he was on the pitch and his rhythm and flow was starting to come together with Pato. Say what you want about Pippo and Sheva, but they are not the game breakers they used to be and can no longer be considered viable starter, let alone last minute subs. That brings me to Pirlo, who is at his best when he is the nucleus of the squad, but having Dinho or Seedorf close to him seems to suffocate his ability and rob touches from the whole lot. Pirlo was at his best when he had a big striker to serve it to, and Kaka in between him and that big man. That system has not even been attempted yet with Borriello, Kaka, and Pirlo on the pitch. The bottom line is no matter how you line them up, it just doesn’t seem to add up like it should.

I read suggestions as simple as moving Dinho to the middle, push Pirlo to the flank, or play Kaka as a striker. No offense, but this is not FIFA 09, these are real players with real skill sets and comfort zones that seem to be completely out of whack. Milan as a team this season, in Serie A, is among the league leaders in passes completed, possession, and danger zone attacks; however, anyone who watches the squad knows that this has not necessarily been the formula for victory. In fact I though that Dinho and Kaka would be able to formulate a Messi/Dinho type run about, but in fact it has been the opposite with most of their interactions being forced and not as free flowing as hoped.

Lastly, the Carletto system begs for marauding fullbacks, and as a squad Milan lacks any real legitimate wingers. This is even more problematic because it is like going to soccer match with a baseball glove, the tools aren’t there to make the game work. One of the comments I read said Milan are two wingbacks away from being a good team, and maybe this is true, but it still leaves gaps in the middle, and the tough question of how to line up the attack.

Bottom line, my white flag may have been premature, but I don’t see much promise coming from this squad in the current state. Who knows Beckham may add a flank dimension to help Zambrotta, maybe Kaka and Dinho find their way, and or maybe Carletto sticks to his guns and finally finds the perfect eleven. Until then everything is a bit hazy and what was looking like a promising after the Inter victory leaves me wondering if we can hold a lead, beat a minnow team, or just plain score goals when we need to.

The reason I don’t want to go into the match is because the problems with this squad far outweigh the problems that were shown in this game. Not to mention the repercussions of this loss are far deeper than a few of us wanted to mention in the comments. For me this loss is the one that kisses the scudetto goodbye, I will not be optimistic here, it will take a small miracle for Milan to play through these injuries and push the top of the table. It will also take a bit of falling off from Juventus and Inter, only their play deep into the CL could possibly save us. Ol’Sil may have beaten me to it, but the objective of the 08 mission is now to qualify for the CL and quite possibly win the UEFA Cup.

As I do with most tough Milan losses, I call my cousin in the boot to discuss, and both of us came up with the same end result following our discussion. It is time to rebuild this club. Burn me at the stake if you want, but selling Kaka, Dinho, or even Pirlo will make way for a new crop of young blood and talent that this team can be built around. While the fire sale happens you may as well interview some new coaches with a short list including Van Basten, The Don, Frankie Rijkaard, and Arsene Wenger. It is time for a change…

It may seem like I am throwing in the towel , but my optimism has long since gone. Watching Juventus flaunt a team of youngsters all capable of ball control, attacks, and speed left me jealous. Watching Amauri do the Dinho dance only compounded my desire for a beast of a striker capable of that “kick the other team in the mouth” mentality. Ranieri has the embarrassment of riches that Milan can only one day hope to have.

As I finish ranting I want to leave you with two quotes from the comments that have stuck with me for the past few days the first being from Shingi:

“You can’t be mad at an old racehorse after he gets beat by a stud.”

With the second being from BigDawg:

“Maybe they (Milan) just aren’t as good as we thought they were.”

My apologies if they are not exact, but either way they ring true in this circumstance and should give food for thought as this season continues. Tomorrow Milan plays Wolfsburg in an absolutely meaningless game, but for morales sake, and the confidence of many fans, a win would go a long way in making us remember if in fact this team is capable of it. Or they will just hang onto mediocrity with every last shred of strength. Tomorrow should be a run out for a fair share of youngsters such as Antonini, Vuidez, and others. It will show Carletto does in fact have have the ability to pick youngsters and see who is capable in the Serie A as well. If Carletto however goes with Favalli, Emerson, and Seedorf than my white flag is in fact right on time.

- Missing chances on net is the black plague of AC Milan. For all the Pompey fans that found solace and comfort in yesterday’s performance, please realize that score of that much could have been 5-2 with Pippo Inzaghi blowing a chance at a four goal outbreak. Pompey played well; you scored two very solid goals and did your best to impose and control the game, however you neglected to realize your luck when Pippo missed not once, not twice, but thrice. Pat yourselves on the back, but this draw rests squarely on Milan’s inability to finish. While I am at, Torino and Lecce fans please do the same, because if Milan would start burying the ball then these discussions would be extinct.

- Speaking of finishing, let this be a bit of a warning to all our friends at the Palermo Blog, your team is playing well and very capable of beating Milan, however once has to believe that this team is a game or two away from an all out goal landslide. It reminds me of a film quote from Poolhall Junkies, a worthy view for any fan of film, discussing a lion and goes something like this,

“You watch those nature documentaries on the cable? You see the one about lions? You got this lion. He’s the king of the jungle, huge mane out to here. He’s laying under a tree, in the middle of Africa. He’s so big, it’s so hot. He doesn’t want to move. Now the little lions come, they start messing with him. Biting his tail, biting his ears. He doesn’t do anything. The lioness, she starts messing with him. Coming over, making trouble. Still nothing. Now the other animals, they notice this. They start to move in. The jackals; hyenas. They’re barking at him, laughing at him. They nip his toes, and eat the food that’s in his domain. They do this, then they get closer and closer, bolder and bolder. Till one day, that lion gets up and tears the shit out of everybody. Runs like the wind, eats everything in his path. Cause every once in a while, the lion has to show the jackals, who he is.”

The Torinos, Lecces, and Palermo’s of the World and any other team for that matter consider yourself warned, it is only a matter of time before the lion takes it’s rightful place at the top of Serie A.

MUSINGS…

-The sale of Kaka could potentially fund the purchase of a whole new defensive line. Mexes, Ramos, Santcroce, DeSilvestre…the list goes on. 150M for Kaka means some quick spashes of cash and any defender our hearts desire, any thoughts!? The notion that Dinho’s return to form makes Kaka expendable is preposterous to me considering Kaka has is younger and has proved more durable, but the discussion will never end. Sell Dinho while his stock is up, Kaka played well for Milan before his arrival, maybe they are hawking the wrong guy…

-Speaking of Mexes, it said that Roma will part ways with him for 25M. I have nothing against Phil, he has proved serviceable though susceptible to the occasional error of judgment, but than again what defender hasn’t. The problem with the price is that Roma is hurting for cash and if you put their face to the fire, Mexes may be had for less, I just hope Milan doesn’t over pay when their transfer partner is a bit more desperate than we may first think. Mexes however is far preferred over William Gallas, who has more screws loose lately than any defender on the planet. Sure he has talent, but I have never seen a player emotionally and mentally implode on more than one occasion than this guy. Gallas is damaged goods and I hope Fester realizes this before it is to late and we are harboring two Arsenal castaways instead of just one…

-On a side note, I will be leaving the country shortly and returning to regularly scheduled postings on 12/8/08. I need a vacation and a chance to bring my frenetic life to a crawl once again. I will have access to my Milan, but not to my computer. Scheduled pre canned posts will go up throughout my week away, but I trust you will all do what you do best. Engaging discussion and comments and the blog will run seamlessly, have a good week and FORZA MILAN!!!!!