Friday Milan Musings
By: Gianfranco | December 19th, 2008
I want to do this preview in reverse today so instead of giving the potential lineup for Sunday at the end, I want to start with it.
Here is the probable lineup as pulled from various websites:
Milan (probable): Abbiati; Favalli, Kaladze, Maldini, Jankulovski; Cardacio, Pirlo, Emerson; Seedorf,
Ronaldinho; Pato
What is your immediate gut reaction when you see this lineup? My first reaction was is this really the best we can do? When you consider the laundry list of injuries and suspensions it is a marvel we Carletto can even find 11 bodies to suit up. The other thing that jumps out at me, more that than lineup is the fixture itself. This is easily one of the most important matches Milan has participated in since the 07 CL Final, don’t let Fester try and tell you the otherwise with the Club World Cup.
Call me overzealous or even over exaggerated, but a loss tomorrow from the Rossoneri and win by the clubs in front of them, and the chance at the top of the table will slowly slip away and fourth place soon thereafter. Milan lost two early matches to Bologna and Genoa, and by dropping those points, it makes games like this one all the more must win, coupled with the table position and I think you begin to see my point.
Udinese is not a slouch and was an early riser in the Serie A table this season, since then both teams have fallen off the pace and both squads can use the points. Udinese is an interesting squad and one that is easy to respect with their great blend youth, Italian talent, and foreign players it is impressive and worth emulating in any club. Milan will not have the chance to see transfer target Zapata due to injury but Toto DiNatale and FabQuags should be in full force so the Milan defense will have their work cut out for them.
As for the defense, the notion of Favalli, Kaladze, and Janks scares the crap out of when taking into consideration the speed of the Udinese frontmen. Janks has played a ton this season, and though he is needed it may best harness Antonini’s speed in match such as this. If Antonini plays the right flank, Favalli or Janks can go to the left where they can do less offensive work because Dinho can push the issue on that flank. The other surprise inclusion is Cardacio, but I won’t believe it until I see it. Considering that we all know Carletto has three fit strikers, OK maybe not fit to score, but fit to play, it is a bit puzzling that he could roll out one striker when he has the ability to play two with a diamond midfield and the ability to leave Emerson on the bench. Seems like a pretty obvious win win situation, which means it will not happen that way.
So here we are again very close to another important match, and the last before the holiday break. The points are necessary, the lineup is piecemeal, but the goal remains the same.
FORZA MILAN!
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Comments
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i agree with all 6 moka. actually when i made a list the other day i came up with 13 out! we can get good new blood with the same milan core and win. we can get rid of all over 30 years old players in 2-3 years. with a few maybe to stay, probably only Gattuso & Pirlo, and by then they’ll be back up just mentoring their heir..
we were suppose to have a “revelation” in 2005-06. but because we won the CL in 07, nothing changed. if anything to worse, then we started to do the worse in the transfer market. it would’ve been better if we didnt do anything. just a disaster after another.
this squad will barely last for one season. i was hoping that we would risk that and sacrifice just to this, then think about new blood and complete new future. but now its all up in the air. its still too early and i honestly believe we can actually win it, but change must come anyways soon.
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United States
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gf, appiah isnt a bad idea, but a better option could be Palombo of Sampdoria. or whoever we can get, on-loan with an option.
though i think Appaiah tops our list when it comes to bestiality.
we should consider Carrozzieri from Palermo. for one, he likes us and he’s good and a beast. plus he proved himself against us big time.
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from Carletto for tomorrow,
“Abbiati, Paolo Maldini, Marek Jankulovski, Luca Antonini, Kakha Kaladze, Giuseppe Favalli, Alexandre Pato, Ronaldinho and Kaka.”
No Flamini. Pirlo, Dorf & Emerson will be evaluated later on.
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i agree fet, but i think the new blood is going to have to start at the top with baldy. he is showing no signs of change. And why is it that he or silvio or anyone is scared of putting any sort of pressure or sense of urgency on the squad? Galiani is way to complacent and comfortable, its like he is scared to change or try to shake things up.
If we are to win, we are going to have to start having a winning attitude. Nobody’s spot on teh squad is at stake when they should be. What has seedorf or emerson done? and will they continue to play? of course! I am scared we are going to lack the heart that rino and ambro and maldini have. Gattuso played with a blown out knee!!! If the old guys safe in their roles had half the heart rino showed maybe we would not be sucking. And if someone would step up and light a fire under the squads ass then maybe we can make run, and make the necessary changes
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@gian
Appiah would be a great addition on paper. Not that its rare for many people to overlook a hidden gem, but why has he been a free agent for so long?
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One thought – and this may have been somewhat of a problem for Rijkaard too. Ancelotti actually played in the same Milan lineup as Maldini (and the old Billy goat) in the late 80’s and early 90’s. A lot of the other players on the squad were early in their careers when Ancelotti was winding down his days as a player – ie they are more or less peers. I think that has an impact on the kind of working relationship Carlo has with the players – ie I feel that the players have a lot more input in the whole tactical process than with other clubs, who are simply given orders from the coach. I think this collaborative attitude is reflected in how the players seem to interact with Carlo – could you imagine Wayne Rooney pinching Sir Alex’s cheeks? Could you imagine Raul and Guti tossing Capello up and down as he hoisted a trophy aloft?
In short, the reason why we’re seeing such a crappy squad is
A) Carlo likes players that have mature footballing minds. He is not a teacher. And just as physically, young players are not men, most are lacking mentally as well. However, the players on the current squad are mostly physically past it or their sporting ambition has more or less been satisfied. And while the young players are motivated, they just don’t have the smarts. Carlo does recognize prodigies (a la Kaka), but those are rare.B) Carlo is not a general. He does not bellow orders for his players to obey. He is not a CEO type manager like Mourinho or Sir Alex. His relationships with his players are more intimate, and so it is harder for him to bench guys that he has been successful with for many years. He shows loyalty to a fault.
Its easy for us to say “Can so-and-so’s bum ass” or “Sell that worthless such-and-such” because our relationship with the players is distant. We don’t talk to them daily. We don’t work with them. We were not directly part of the process that delivered the trophies. Beyond providing vocal support (and perhaps financial support through ticket purchases) we did not contribute anything to the product on the pitch. Certainly not sweat and blood. There is a human side to football. And especially for men, its hard to admit when your body can no longer do what it used to (looking at Zambrotta and Kaladze especially). I can see that same frustration in Dinho’s eyes.
I’m not saying necessarily that I disagree with those who say overhaul needs to be made. I’m just saying we would all do well to try and understand Milan’s philosophy towards its players; management makes a commitment to stability via long term contracts. That commitment to stability has paid off, but it is always hard to predict the point at which player’s capabilities begin to deteriorate. For some its at 28, for others its at 39. Its hard to predict. This cycle, as a whole the squad probably peaked in mid 2007. Whatever, we have money, we’ll rebuild.
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Just been watchn the Beckham press conference.
Maybe watching him in training can motivate the rest of our guys!
shingi – excellent point bout Carlos man-management technique!
Its wat i meant earlier today in relation to wat i said about Pato.
Pato is still young and pliable in terms of talent and Carlo doesnt seem to be able to home the natural skills this guy possesses.
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imo beckham will prove a complete waste for milan aside from tee-shirt sales…
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shingi,that was EXCELLENT!! Milan has always supported its players, and so has Carletto, but what I find puzzling is the affinity to guys like Emerson or even Favalli. Neither of these guys shared the pitch with Carletto, and they are all old enough to do so, and neither was a career Milanista, in fact both of them played key roles against Milan with Emerson at Juve and Favalli as captain of Lazio.
When I began to consider becoming a coach and was learning, an older italain gentleman told me to always befriend theh players and treat them as family, but no matter how much i like them or cared for them i didnt let it affect my lineup, because if the player in fact cares for the coach he will always resepct the decision…
APosted from
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Gian – or another way to sum up Carlo’s style…….
Rino and Carlo screaming abuse at each other during the last derby!
I’m sure the ref waited ’til Rino has stopped shouting before issuing him a yellow card for something he had done prior to the lovers argument! lol
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hehe @avia
I’ll be honest. At this point, if I were a player good enough to play at the highest level, there are only three coaches I’d want to play for: Capello, Mourinho, and Hiddink, in that order. I like coaches that run the team with strict discipline and emphasize skill AND fitness, but are also not too egotistical or self-absorbed/stubborn to recognize their mistakes (Capello a la Beckham). 5 years ago, Wenger would have been on this list, but gutting his team of real experienced MEN and refusing to believe that a handful of kids lead by a tempramental defender who threatened to score own goals if he didn’t get his way couldn’t win trophies really knocks him down a peg or six.
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@fifaguy
making $30Million worth of t-shirt sales is hardly worthless…that could buy a couple of young experienced defenders…
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shinghi that point is the only thing making this move palaptable…
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tomorrow we’ll only manage 3 first team members on OUR BENCH, out of the 7 allowed. that means 4 kids… everybody here must be drooling.
whatever happens tomorrow, 1-0 win or 0-7 loss, we have one of the most depleted squads in the league, i hope we can get anything out of tomorrow. we’re going to need some genius from kaka’ and ronaldinho.
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Shingi – well, if they need to raise money in that fashion to procure players, i cannot complain. but do they have to put beckham on the field too?
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@fifaguy
beckham or emerson. pick your poison.
but meh, becks isn’t a worthless player. And I’m not the type to dismiss a person without a trial. Unless your name is ShevchenkoPosted from
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does it have to be one or the other?
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they have all had trials for many years. we know what beckham can do and not do. anyway, ancelotti will surely play him and then we’ll see. my guess is that milan will not need him after the loan period ends.
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shingi – !
Thats the kinda coaches this squad needs!
God knows we have some quality players, and injuries aside this squad should be doing far better than it is currently.
Hiddink i would take over a number of coaches. I can only imagine what a coach like him would do with this team. I know it would be sweeeet!
I watched the Becks thing today live and it was good to see him allude to the fact that he is aware of ‘marketing’ being a part of modern day football. I would def take him over Emerson without even thinking about.
Becks seems pretty focused about whats he’s doing & wants to do, I kinda hope that just his presence training with the squad makes other players raise their heads (here’s hoping).
If he plays and comes into form he could still be a useful option -rotate with Pirlo?
What we really dont need however is seeing him badly wedged into the squad just for the sake of it. It would hurt us badly in Serie A and its not looking too clever from where we stand at the moment.
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good points, Shingi. i wonder if the Beckham deal was hatched under an assumption that Milan would be cruising in serie a and could afford to “wedge” this player into the formation w/o any worries.
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Why the hell do Inter win every game? Always some controversy and they are always the ones benifiting from it.
I envy Maicon. i wish we had him.Posted from
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There are ways to get Carlo out from Milan.
1. All of us have to disguise ourselves and get jobs as trainers and other stuff for AS Roma. Then we fuck everything up in a way that Spalleti gets blamed for. He gets fired and Carlo will run to Rome to take up the job. Meanwhile we hire someone or get Spalleti himself.
2. If above is not possible,we do the same for the Ivory Coast National team. Ancelotti said he would like to coach an African team,so he would be gone.All in with me on this plan? It just came into my head,and can be refined a bit.
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Hey Gian here is the game day banner I made…I’m going to be experimenting while they are away with different techniques hopefully I will be able to switch it up a bit.
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Why so surprised that Inter keeps winning? I watched the Inter-Siena game. They didn’t play well, but their players are stronger and more physical, and they worked hard for all 90 minutes, so why wouldn’t they win?
They don’t just take the field against ‘inferior’ teams assuming they will win. They actually put in the work to get the result. Key word here is WORK.
Call me crazy, but I’m with Silvio on my attitude towards Inter. And since they have my second favorite coach, whom I very much admire, I can’t really hate them.
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“Call me overzealous or even over exaggerated, but a loss tomorrow from the Rossoneri and win by the clubs in front of them, and the chance at the top of the table will slowly slip away and fourth place soon thereafter.” -GF
We got no chance at first spot, but you’re right, 4th spot is no certainty and we need to find some game soon. I think the only way we’ll get into the top 4 is by luck.
Plus we cant blame injuries because most of our injured players are chronically injured and its rarer for us to have a fit squad
Posted from
Australia
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