Unraveling...

Not the best of weekends now was it? Sure it was a Holiday, but for many that means travel and all sorts of hustle and bustle. That was the case for me, and by the time I sat down to watch the match the result had been spoiled and my dread had been mounting. Losing a match is one thing, losing at home is a whole other problem, but most importantly losing momentum and the Serie A lead is the real issue at hand.

Yes, the midweek loss to Barca was demoralizing. But to come out as they did Saturday was just as disappointing. You have to understand their feeling of defeat and helplessness, certainly demoralizing. But I expected much much more. I expected a response, a chip on their shoulder, a thrashing of an inferior team struggling with form, and instead this! A poor performance, a struggle to find cohesion, and conceding not one but two goals, the last in the dying minutes is simply unacceptable. Poor attacking movements, poor defense, and exhausted players are never a good recipe for success, but you had to feel like they would find a way to win ugly. Grab the PK and then hold the lead, but the match didn't go as planned, and to concede the goal less wonder Amauri, no less, was the icing on the cake.

Now we sit and collect our thoughts and prepare for tomorrow against Chievo. A team capable of a win, of a decent performance, and the sort of match to give Milan fits. Not the opponent we want at the moment, but the schedule doesn't allow for rest this late in the season. Truth be told, Juve's lead is only a point. It is not insurmountable and Juve's penchant to draw is still not debunked, but the most important issue at this point is to handle one's own business. Something Milan must do before we can worry about Juve's results. Both teams have had their spells of good and bad form, now it is the home stretch, no distractions, no midweek European matches to contend with. Simply two teams fighting for the Scudetto, exciting yes, but nerve wrecking just the same. Tomorrow's match is crucial, and while I am not one for cliches and this idea that a game can be make a or break, I will concede that tomorrow will set the tone for the home stretch. Will we fade or will we come out stronger from adversity? Guess we find out tomorrow won't we...