Milan 0 Sampdoria 1

Losses for a blogger are a bit like a Choose Your Own Adventure book from our youth. Which path do I take? Do I make a laundry list of excuses? Do I become a self-loathing fan finding no positives? Do I blame EVERYONE but the people who need to be blamed? Not really going to do any of those things, a loss is what it is, a failure, but it doesn't mean it is the end of the World...yet...

Team's have gone on to win the title following a loss in there first match. Yesterday's loss to newly promoted Sampdoria didn't really have a silver lining. There are no mega-stars waiting in the stands and there is no excuse for the poor play on the pitch and the poor tactics. I can understand Allegri's hestitance in playing Pazzini from the get go, but it doesn't excuse Boateng's poor performance, or even the choice to start Flamini?!

The first half was a typical Milan slow start, made worse by the clear lack of chemistry and cohesion in the midfield. The sort of understanding we see with team's takes time to build, forge even, and it won't happen in the next game or even the one after that. Poor pass selection, missed time runs, and lack of understanding were all there for the World to see; thankfully this is often a temporary condition, but still tough to watch. Monty's poor through balls, KPB's disjointed runs, all growing pains of new team and tactics. Robinho to his credit was a his old Jack in the Box self, but looked entirely exhausted in the second half. El Sharaawy appeared both nervous and confused, but playing two second strikers whose movements are often mirrored will do that.

My biggest dissapointment on the day was Bonera and Yepes. I can no longer live with losses that are not a learning experiences, this season will we endure losses, it is inevitable. But with losses you must learn something, take something from it, and not playing Zapata and Acerbi was a crying shame. Why not let those two learn together, make mistakes together, win together ,and lose together? I often trust a Coach's selection over mine, 100%, I would never expect a parent or fan to come to my team and ask why so and so didn't play, they are not in training or in warm-ups seeing the form and function of the player. But this is the most puzzling, these are two players who have played in Serie A, and again while I trust the Coach, I don't get this choice.

Finally some credit has to be given to Ciro Ferrera, Angelo Peruzzi and Sampdoria. Like Peruzzi has done against Milan on occasion, Samp's GK Romero had a steller performance. I have discussed this in the past, and will say it again, occasionally a GK wakes up with a horse shoe in his bottom before he plays Milan and has the game of his life, this was one of those examples. More importantly Sampdoria did what Milan should have been capable of, finding a goal, having some grinta and earning a result. This didn't happen, Milan lacked grinta and leadership, and when Samp got tough Milan didn't answer. So, while I can live with a loss, I can' t live with the lack of effort and the lack of toughness displayed by this team.

That's all for now, I want to talk tactics tomorrow at some point, as there was a lot to talk about. Not to mention week one of Fantasy Serie A got off with a bang and if someone wants to summarize in a FanPost I will promote it to the Front Page. My team, Fosse Dei Leoni, did not fare well, but remember the season is long and a loss in the first week means nothing...