I think his new nick must be "The Assassin Bug", which is better than the alternative "Stink Bug", both of which are true bugs (which should make @irvine's daughter happy).
I have been finding the tactical analysis of Milan's games to be enjoyable and informative, even though I'm not a tactics/stats guy. Maybe it's the illustrations. "The statistics certainly supported both manager’s assessments that Milan were the more deserving winners of this match. The Rossoneri had 70% possession, outshot their opponents 19-8 – including only conceding one attempt on goal in the second half, had 74% field tilt – ball possession % calculated for touches completed only in final thirds – and when you strip out the (harshly awarded) Atalanta penalty, generated a higher xG total too (1.66-0.85). The home team not only outperformed the away side in the data metrics but they also affected their opponent's usual style of play. This season in Serie A, Atalanta have averaged 48% possession of the ball so suffered a drop-off in their share in this fixture. But this was not the only metric Gasperini’s team fell short in when compared to their usual per 90 averages. Against Milan, Atalanta made 268 passes compared to a usual average of 466, they had a lower PPDA of 13.86 compared to a 10.42 average and allowed more shots (19) on their goal than they typically do (11). However, despite Milan’s dominance their only breakthrough came from an individual piece of brilliance by Leão in the 3rd minute. For the remainder of the game, the hosts were effective at controlling the game, with and without the ball, but suffered a lack of penetration and accuracy in the final third. Only 26% of their crosses and under half (42%) of their passes to the penalty area were completed and this meant that Milan’s superiority only ended up resulting in a high volume of shots as opposed to high-quality ones." .... "Across the ninety minutes, Leão attempted seven crosses – the highest in the team – but only found a teammate one time. However, it’s worth highlighting that Leão did perform well across other metrics, some notable ones including volume (13) and success of dribbles (77%), offensive duels won (63%), and progressive passing accuracy (8 out 9)." Anyway, I find these pieces very readable, easy to skim through and enjoy. https://sempremilan.com/tactical-analysis-of-ac-milan-1-1-atalanta
Game today at Lazio. I missed the last match, so someone please let me know if I missed anything relevant, but I am still waiting to see if the media rumors that Pulisic has taken over penalty duty is accurate. He has a history of penalty success, but the sample size may be small. I am curious to see if he can become a cold assassin from the spot consistently.
Drew two reds. CHRISTIAN PULISIC DRAWS TWO RED CARDS, AC Milan leave Rome with all three points. 🇺🇸🔴⚫️pic.twitter.com/2hI37K139d https://t.co/aQsZkRTINS— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) March 1, 2024
https://sempremilan.com/pioli-lazio-clash-pulisic-strange-with-ibrahimovic Speaking to DAZN after the game, as cited by MilanNews, Pioli shared his thoughts on the performance.... “[Sarri] told me ‘The ball was about to go out’. But the referee didn’t blow the whistle. Pulisic did the correct thing. I don’t see why we should have let the ball go out, if that was their intention they should have done it [kicked it out of play].” https://football-italia.net/pioli-storms-out-of-press-conference-defending-pulisic/ Pioli had already defended Pulisic during the post-match interview with DAZN, but things got heated in the press conference when a reporter repeatedly pressed the coach to condemn the American for “unsporting behaviour.” “Pulisic is a fair player and he respected the rules: until the referee blows the whistle, you keep playing. We could do nothing different. “I do not agree it was unsporting. Absolutely not. He respected the rules.”
There is nothing I hate more about this game than the expectation that you’re supposed to play it out when a player goes down. If the ref wants to stop play for a serious injury…let them. But ******** the rest of that shit. “Unsporting”? F that. Let me guess…the “injured” player finished the match.
I didn't see anything wrong with what Pulisic did, they could have kicked the ball out if that is what they wanted. Play to the whistle dumbass. I liked Theo getting Puli out of the mess.
Love this one: Pulisic went full 🤌 pic.twitter.com/mPSyegcOPa— Soccer Thoughts (@_SoccerThoughts) March 2, 2024
The more I read of him, the more I find myself liking Pioli as a coach. ...and as a coach for Pulisic in particular.
I have thought the same. But guess we don’t have much longer to enjoy it. If you read the tea leaves, it seems Pioli won’t be at the helm at Milan much longer. Probably just another 2 months
Yeah, he is public enemy number 1. But it’s kind of ridiculous that Lazio players/fans are so angry about it, if you you look at each play and give context. Red card 1 - if you watch the play again, CP had no idea a Lazio player was down. That situation was behind him, and his head was facing the other way, and he was focused on the ball in front of him. And even if he had noticed, he played to the whistle, something we are all taught to do in youth sports. furthermore, the Lazio player was already on a yellow (that CP earned him minutes before). Him thinking he could grab and pull Pulisic down in that moment without consequences is silly. Red Card 2 - yeah, I’ve been in that situation, it’s frustrating when a player grabs your arm and is clearly intentionally trying to earn a foul/yellow card, BUT, Pulsic had a yellow to give and was using it up for a professional foul to stop their momentum. That is well within his right, and also, hypocritical of Lazio since they had been doing fouls like this the entire match. I respect Lazio’s performance and Sarrri’s tactics that frustrated Milan, but in the end they got what they deserved because the players could not keep their heads.