UEFA Cup action this week. I believe this is a home game so it shouldn't be too hard. We should give a few of our players some well deserved rest. How about.. Abbiatti Antonini - Senderos - Kaladze - Jankulovski Flamini - Emerson - Ambrosini Ronaldinho Pato - Shevchenko FORZA MILAN!
I do want to see Senderos play and of course it will be nice to see Sheva score again in Europena competitions, but main goal is staying healthy.
Big game for my team I hope we come out confident even though we are up against a giant. We are coming to the San Siro this year on a European run that has seen us win all 7 games score 17 and concede none although all teams were minnows (I include Portsmouth in that list ) Now it's us that are the minnows and even if we lose, which is likely, I hope the experience of playing Milan in Milan boosts my team. Last year we put Bayern to the sword and they were lucky to leave Braga with a draw right before our coach dismantled the team and we turned to crap and ended up being eliminated to a very poor Werder Bremen. This year we are heading in a great new direction with our new coach and hopefully we come out and put on a good showing in Milan. Here is some background from uefa.com http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/fixturesresults/round=15285/match=304192/index.html Best of Luck.
I have been thinking about this for a while, but i didnt say anything yet coz i thought I would probably jinx it, but.... Bonera is quickly becoming a very very reliable defender for us... He has been our most used defender so far, but has been very good and has really stepped it up for us. He is quickly becoming a standard pick for the team... Of course, he cant take nesta's place and maldini will always play if he can. But with nesta being oft injured and maldini not having the legs, bonera will be the defender that we will rely on most. In previous years, that comment will have most milan fans start to sob uncontrollably but bonera has really stepped up his game this year and hasn't gone down the road of rash tackles (which were his kryptonite).. Or just yet anyway. One thing is for sure, nesta and maldini may start ahead of him, but no way in hell should kaladze, and obviously favalli(but no one is going to argue with me there)... And sanderos, dont even know what the hell is wrong with that one.
Since last season it was apparent that Bonera is our second best defender after Nesta. Even more so than Maldini, IMO. He is an old school type of defender, hard-nosed and solid. Bonera needs a good partner, however, or he suffers. So lets hope Nesta recovers soon.
Players called up for tomorrow: Dida, Kalac, Antonini, Bonera, Darmian, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Senderos, Ruggeri (n.55), Emerson, Flamini, Gattuso, Pedrocchi (n.51), Borriello, Inzaghi, Pato, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho. Not called up: Abbiati, Favalli, Maldini, Pasini, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Kakà. Unavailable: Pirlo
So we will probably play Dida Antonini Bonera Kaladze Jankulowski Seedorf Emerson Gattuso R80 Sheva Pato I wonder if Senderos will see some playing time
rumors swirling that a pato, sheva, inzaghi trident will be used with emerson, flamini, and seedorf in midfield...
Dida; Antonini, Senderos, kaladze, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Emerson, Flamini; Shevchenko, Inzaghi, Pato. so, pa-sh-in it is... you got goltv? it's live in about 20 minutes on there, if not there should be plenty of streams available at the usual places
Absolutely frustrating match so far. Ancelotti must be sleeping on the bench, because i can't explain why Seedorf or Ronaldinho (or both) are not playing.
Game was almost as frustrating as the Atalanta game, until the end though, that was absolutely incredible.
We have to have a creative mid- fielder in at all times. As soon as Seedorf came in we could actually string some passes together. It seemed like Braga at one point were passing us off the pitch. Good win, but much respect to Braga, very good little team.
Guys, Pato is beginning to annoy me. Am I the only one? I know he's young and all, but damn, this is exactly the kind of match he should be mashing to a pulp, to show he's good enough to be starting 11 for AC Milan. We're talking about a dude that's been compared to Ronaldo (in potential) and Careca, not some loser. How is it he's so impalpable at times?
What an amazing laser by 'Dinho! Pato wasn't bad, I think he was getting annoyed that spacing wasn't opening up. Post Match Summary http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/eurogames/mil-bra.html
Part of the reason Pato plays bad is because he is to quick for himself most of the time. He does not think before he acts on the field. He needs to develope his footballing brain. Part of the reason Pato played mediocre ( if that) today , is because we had no real creative prescense in the midfield, Emerson was slow, and Gattuso was coming back to the ball to link play form midifeld to attack what in the world. But see this is the thing if Pato would improve his brain, we would be able to suffice without a creative midifelder because Pato could do it.
flamini's arrival lit a fire under gattuso's ass, but after a bright start, flamini needs to step it up. the midfield is crowded and once pirlo gets back and with emerson hitting some good form, there is a serious fear that flamini will be behind gattuso, pirlo, emerson, seedorf, and ambro in the midfield...plus beckham arrives for a few months as well as a vice-pirlo. I have watched flamini, he's a good player, but i think he is having trouble adjusting to the fine balance in italy that a d-mid has to have, which is controlled aggression. you need to run, and tackle hard, but you have to be clever in where and how you foul and also still keep a tighter positional sense. forza mathieu! as for dinho, what's that, 5 goals and 1 assist in 11 matches (many of those not 90 mins) and he had no preseason with his new teammates and is still far away from full fitness? Not bad...not bad at all