I have not had the opportunity to see the game yet but I was able to the follow the game cast and read countless post game reports and comments by you as well. I can not give an in depth look at the match and it’s happenings but I have in fact been able to make a fair amount of observations that I want to share:
-Is the Xmas tree dead?
The Rossoneri’s inability to score goals last season and the start of this while employing the xmas tree was no secret. Teams have been able to game plan for it by marking the lone striker out of the match and put a huge amount of responsibility on the tre-quartista’s whoever they may be. The past three games featuring the old one two striker combo has rekindled the Milan of old and showed that this team can still score goals. It has also forced teams to defend deeper and allow for long range shots which have always been a Milan goal scoring stalemate. Xmas tree time of death half time against Genoa…
-Our defense is by no means air tight as it has been in the past so it looks as though we will concede it games the question is how many and can we score first. It seems that when we scored first as in the last three games we have been able to dictate tempo and control the match, but when we are behind it has been a different story. Basically it seems that if we score first we have a great chance at getting the win.
-Borriello is proving his worth time and time again, and added a quality goal to boot. His injury is unfortunate and frustrating in the same regard, should he have been rested? Subbed earlier? We can all second guess but there is one fact, if he is out for Sunday he will be sorely missed. His partnership with Pato has been excellent and their blend of speed, possession, and even aerial threat has really made us a formidable offensive unit again. I just hope he is set for Sunday, and if not, I don’t know what Carletto will do.
-Playing Favalli and Emerson has absolutely no use to the team whatsoever. First of all they are playing poorly, second of all they are occupying a spot that could go to a young player like Antonini, Viudez or Cardaccio and provide a learning experience in a valuable game, and third they are wasting roster and bench space. The policy needs to be a thanks for the service and we will catch you later, the whole signing of Emerson is beyond me anway, TOTALLY USELESS. As for the youngsters, letting these old guys play before them is only stunting their growth as players and is inexcusable. It is a lot easier to tolerate mistakes from a youngster and attribute it to learning than it is a guy like Favalli and attribute it to nothing.
-I am going to rant now about Ronaldinho, so if you are partial to him for all the good things he has done for Milan you may want to not read here. What does it say about Dinho’s form and fitness if Carletto can not give him a run out against Reggina in a mid week tie after he only played a few minutes on the weekend? Either Carletto doesn’t see him fit, or he lacks the trust to have him in a tight game. The flipside of this is Carletto is saving him for the weekend, but I would much rather see the lineup that was played against Lazio sans Dinho come the Inter game. We all bitched for weeks to have Carletto played players who are fit and in form and he is doing and I say more power to him, but it doesn’t save the fact that Dinho is letting me down time and time again. It is still early but I want to a see man rip roaring ready to play when he is out there, and second all of all working his ass as he has done in the past. Dinho was a player capable of passing, dribbling, shooting, and creating magic. All I have seen thus far is a player capable of walking, passing, and occasionally making the quality play. Maybe I expect too much…
-Anyone else think Seedorf will pass out if he keeps this pace and rate?
-The sense of this game was that it was an ugly win, but ten ugly wins is still ten wins, and ten pretty losses are still ten losses. I will take the ugly wins thank you.