I started this post match wrap in the 68th minute. It was then that I reached my boiling point of being completely fed up with the direction of play in the match. The only saving grace I had in the 68th minute was that I told my self there was still a fair amount of time left to turn this game around, and as the clock reached the 82nd minute I began to lose all hope for a goal, and just prayed to hang on for the draw.
I am not blind to the fact that Cagliari was in desperate need of points, and was not about to lay down for anyone, let alone Milan. I also understand that no fixture in Serie A this season is a foregone conclusion and therefore should be taken very seriously. Understanding these circumstances go a long way in describing the game on Sunday as well as prescribing the proper thoughts for the remainder of this season’s matches against so called Serie A minnows.
Cagliari did very well in understanding the XMAS tree and game planning against it. As Bologna and Genoa showed before them, a properly organized defense becomes kryptonite against the lone striker and blitzing counterattacks go a long way in keeping the desperately needed full back runs that make the formation tick. Janks and Zambro rarely even crossed the halfway, let alone make it into the attack. In fact there were very few bright spots in the Rossoneri side, while Cagliari showed that their point haul is not as telling as one may think.
So where do we drop the ax on this one? Is it Carletto’s fault, Pato maybe, or even Dinho!? Well the real story here is that no one is absolved of guilt. It starts with Carletto, who following a difficult derby match and a midweek tie should have been much more cognizant of the fact that his workhorses, specifically Zambro, Seedorf, Rino, Ambro, and Pato were all a bit exhausted after a very long week. The blame rests a bit with the players though, who knowing there capabilities should have dicated pace, tempo, and possession and played a bit of keep away. Instead they advanced, constantly lost the ball, and left the team in defense more often than not. Only Acquafresca’s best Pippo impersonations saved the defense.
I am not going to stress and worry about the draw. Cagliari did well and certainly deserved the points, I just hope Carletto learns from this game and better prepares the team for these absolute must win games. The scudetto is not won against Juventus and Inter, these games are big and important for bragging rights, but the scudetto is in fact won against everyone else.
After this game we need some cheering up, this helps: