Coppa Italia Semifinal 1st Leg: Milan vs. Juventus (Wednesday, February 8, 2012)

[Dha Brain]

our midfield look like a disaster

[will4li]

We should have played as many reserve as possible,coppa is dispendable,scudetto is what we should fight for.now I'm worried about the condition of our veterans for the weekend match.

[Warro Bantan]

So all of a sudden, when “We have lost a few too many times recently" we "must stay calm and confident of our own abilities" because just today we have realized that "we have an injury crisis on our hands and many players cannot rest the way they ought to"....is Allegri KIDDING me?

We play a 3rd placed Udinese on Saturday, and u have Silva, and a bunch of other starters in a match where all at stake is pride?

Why didnt we just play w/ the youth squad? This game is of no importance vs the league and UCL!!!

And what happens? We still lose, and hopefully, have no injury worries for Saturday's game.

SMH.

[Ryo]

Congrats to Allegri for losing our first Silverware of the season.......
Regardless of how things went, we have a really tough couple of weeks ahead.

The Squad is threadbare and the players we can pick for the starting 11 not exactly confidence inspiring and game-winning ones. Our regulars are out injured, our replacement for our regulars are out injured, and the coming trio of league games pits us against two of the top 3, in which our current track record for the season reads extremely poor.

Am I the only one to think that our little mid-season trips to Dubai for "training" are to blame for this?
Last season, our perennial January injury crisis cost us two games against Tottenham, but we had the league in the bag and were miles ahead so we could afford a month or so of crap results whilst others played catch-up.

This season, we have the exact same injury crisis, are technically a point and a game off the pace from Juve, and even with our experienced players on the field, just got our asses handed to us on our own turf. Yes, the TIM cup isn't as important as the league, but somehow I fail to see any spark that says we are truly fighting for the league at all. Ibra only comes alive near the last 30 minutes of matches nowadays, and bar El Shaarawy, none of the players available are willing to play and fight for the shirt for the full 90 minutes.
That said, unless Juventus provide for a glorious collapse anytime soon, I don't see us bagging any silverware for the season. Juve have the experience and the players to play full out for 90 minutes every match because they don't have CL obligations, and their players are hungrier than ours, I could totally feel it in the game yesterday. We were trying to be assured and composed on the ball, our team never really knew how to up our tempo, even when we went down the second time. It was frustrating to watch because with our best playes in, it would never have happened.

Uncle Fester messed up, both with the mid-season "Training" trip and the fact he hadn't let go more of our "Veteran Champions" to make way for hungrier and more willing players.

Seriously, It's been around 3 weeks since I've stopped expecting any good results from the squad due to the limitations in personnel and the fact we normally struggle in cold weather (the month has been cold as ****), but the latest string of results for a team that are challenging for the title, with no heart and no drive be it win, draw or lose, is bordering ridiculous!

I agree with most of you above. We really should have played the youth squad. I'm sure THEY would be more motivated than the players I saw on the pitch today.

[ACM2023]

It does occur to me sometimes that maybe there is some connection between our money trip to Dubai and the injury crisis that immediately follows. I can't figure out why, but when it happened two years in a row, it makes you wonder.

Allegri seems to remain optimistic that we can still come back and advance into the final.

[ElMago99]

I didn't see the game as many of you did. We didn't get "pounded" by Juve. It was a tight game, and at 1-1 we pushed hard for a 2nd goal, and if wasn't for Ibrahimovic being so selfish, either Ambrosini or El Shaaraway had an easy tap in to go ahead 2-1.

Ambrosini worked hard and didn't do too bad. The last 20 minutes he was clearly tired and should have been substituted. As usual Allegri makes the wrong decision. Bonera (a player we should sell immediately for any price), failed to clear a header in midfield, then Juventus countered. Then Ambrosini made a terrible mistake, which should have NEVER happened had Bonera done his job correctly.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want Ambrosini or Seedorf back next year in the slightest, but I also didn't think this was their worst game. They've played much, much worse.

El Shaaraway is going to be a great player (yet you never know), and I'm so happy he's on our team. However, will we give him the supporting cast he needs in the coming years. Once Cassano had a stroke, I've really been so shockingly disappointed with the rest of our strikers this year. Even Ibrahimovic should be analyzed come June, and I'm one of his biggest fans.

Regarding the injuries, it's pathetic to have this happen 2 years in a row. Remember Galliani called for an "investigation" of MilanLab?

The good news is that fielding this disgusting lineup we actually could have won the game, so I'm not as down as all of you. I am down that we fielded whatever good players we have left and now we have weekend match + Arsenal next week. Next few weeks could decide the season, and yes it's that serious.

[ZvonimirBoban]

Congrats to Allegri for losing our first Silverware of the season.......

Oh come on, it is just the first leg.

[Beppe]

BTW Ibrahimovic slapped someone again, this time it was Storari.
Its hard to see but you can see it in this vid if you watch closely. it happens after 4 seconds in the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iowhbAuUvlM

---

Did Ibra slap Storari?

Giorgio Chiellini has accused Zlatan Ibrahimovic of slapping Marco Storari at the end of last night’s Milan-Juventus Coppa Italia tie.
A scuffle between the striker and the goalkeeper developed at the final whistle following the Old Lady’s 2-1 win.
“What happened at the end with Ibra? Nothing with me, but the same thing that happened on Sunday between Ibrahimovic and Salvatore Aronica occurred with Storari,” the defender told Sky Sport Italia.

“I hope that someone saw it and the TVs picked it up. These things can happen when emotions run high, but it is right that people are punished for their mistakes.
“These things don’t kill anyone, but the gesture was the same as Sunday’s. I don’t know why it happened as we were only discussing things…”

Ibra was sent off at the weekend after he lashed out at Napoli's Aronica during the Serie A 0-0 draw at the Meazza. He’s been banned for three League games as a result.
Turning to the game itself, the 27-year-old was delighted with what his troops did on a cold Milan evening.
“The display was the most important aspect,” he continued. “We changed eight of the 11 that featured against Siena, but everyone played really well.
“The new players, Simone Padoin and Martin Caceres, managed to fit in perfectly. This is the test that shows this team has great determination and tactical organisation.
“The Coppa Italia is a primary objective, especially when considering the fact that we’re not playing in Europe.”

Caceres scored twice in the win. Stephan El Shaarawy netted for the home side.

[GeoTav]

About injuries: Nesta is out for the game against Udinese, and Thiago Silva isn't sure to be fit too ...

I have nothing to say about that except that these injuries are going to cost us a whole season if that doesn't end !!

[ACMILAN1983]

Injuries are really killing us. I agree pretty much with Elmago's post about the game. I thought it was very even until the last 20 minutes or so when our legs seemed to give way.

If Ibra did slap Storari (can't tell from the video), then the guy should be sold as soon as possible. Seriously, it was stupid to do against Napoli, but then to do it a few days later is just plain insulting (to the club and fans).