Saturday Afternoon Hangover and and a Little Blue

By: Gianfranco | June 7th, 2008

With the Euro’s getting underway it’s hard to focus on anything but the games at hand. After just watching the Czechs, with Janks on the flank, eek out a win against the Swiss, and now CRon, and the rest of the maroon team take on Turkey. It is great to be a football fan in the next weeks, but even with all this quality play it is hard to forget not think about the Rossoneri.

Maldini has renewed and their will be more of that to follow on Maldini Monday. I am not happy with the way it all went down, but am relieved that we can enjoy Paolo for one more year, and hope that the squad does everything in their power to send him off a winner.

I am a bit angry with Fester and company, first and foremost with the Maldini issue but also with the rumblings that have gone on this season with Pirlo, Rino and even Kaka. Milan was always a place that took the best care of their core players. In fact a lot of what was said about Milan always went back to the family atmosphere and the loyalty shared by the club and players. In a time where I feel loyalty has been given sparingly at times, I feel that the Rossoneri management has forgotten what it meant to take care of their own.

The Rino nightmare subsided, but the thought of Pirlo leaving as well has left me a bit sick to my stomach. Pirlo has since rebuffed rumors but their has been talk, possibly from his agent, that Pirlo is unhappy that new players such as Flamini are getting large contracts. Pirlo raises a good point, and a transfer market dictated by money, clubs can’t forget to take of their foundation or core players with money as well.

I understand that as fans we have been spoiled with players who have bled red and black for almost their entire careers, and that this is now a rarity in a transfer market where loyalty is a thing of the past. But just because the current atmosphere is the way it is it doesn’t mean that franchise players such as Pirlo, Rino, Kaka, and maybe even Pato can’t be treated as their predecessors were. I understand that even Maldini has been treated poorly as of late, but it doesn’t mean that Milan can’t rectify these problems going forward and create the atmosphere that bred the most success.

Rosso, Nero e Azzurri

In just a few days Milan’s men in blue will be taking on the Orange of the Dutch in a match that I eagerly looking forward to. The red and black blood runs nicely through this match from top to bottom and the potential to see the Don’s 4-3-3 vs. Van Basten’s total football version leaves me wondering just who is going to walk away on top.

The biggest match up here for me is the Italian attack vs. the Dutch backline. If I was Van Basten’s defense I would be very weary of the potential of the likes of Toni, DiNatale and the rest of the strike force. I would also be weary of a guy like Cassano who could turn water into wine whenever he is on the pitch.

As with most games involving guys like Pirlo, the midfield will dictate this game. If the Italians can maintain possession and play an attacking style of football, the defense will not even have to sweat the lost of Captain Canna. If the Orange are able to spread the pitch and attack with width, then Zambro and Grosso will have to play more defense than offense and that could spell a difficult game for the Azzurri.

The bottom line here is if Italy can take three points here things look a little easier. With a group as difficult as this one wins are key, and if Italy can assure qualification for the knockout stages before their fixture with Les Bleus.