Needed more players or not?

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

While I think we have a pretty strong squad, its players in key areas that are missing/deficient:

a) Goalie: We need a new keeper....either that, or we continue to drop points when Dida drops the ball.
b) LB/RB: We need one, or both...certainly Cafu and Favalli are no longer good enough for the level we are trying to maintain
c) CM: We need a "Pirlo" replacement...and while the deep lying playmaker is a very difficult position to find good players for, it is essential for our style of play....
d) Striker: Well, Pato is here in Jan, but this should be Pippo´s last season, and with R99 so injury prone, methinks we need another proven player, thus dropping Gila to the bench, where I think he belongs, based on current form.

Well said, Warro... I agree with every word of it. though I believe that an ideal player for (c) would be kind of hard to find....I hope we get to find a back up for Pirlo

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

While I think we have a pretty strong squad, its players in key areas that are missing/deficient:

a) Goalie: We need a new keeper....either that, or we continue to drop points when Dida drops the ball.
b) LB/RB: We need one, or both...certainly Cafu and Favalli are no longer good enough for the level we are trying to maintain
c) CM: We need a "Pirlo" replacement...and while the deep lying playmaker is a very difficult position to find good players for, it is essential for our style of play....
d) Striker: Well, Pato is here in Jan, but this should be Pippo´s last season, and with R99 so injury prone, methinks we need another proven player, thus dropping Gila to the bench, where I think he belongs, based on current form.

Yeah, u re right. But for next season, we can not do much in Winter Mercato.

a) I hope we have Abbiati, Kalac can not make Dida "scared" to lost is pos. Though Dida made my heart beat faster many times before, it is hard to find any better GK that we can afford to buy. With a good sub like Abbiati, Dida must be more concentrated.

b) Yes, with both Diamond and Xmax formation, we can not have good wing play without good attaking fullback. This season, Oddo, Bonera or Simic and Kala or Favalli (may be Maldini) are defensive RB and LB; Cafu, Janku, Serginho are attacking wing backs. But next season, Cafu and Serghinho out, Simic and Favalli, too, Maldini retired so Kala must be a CB. What'll remain are Bonera & Oddo (not proven and a defensive type RB) and Janku (bad at defend), so we actually need an attack RB and a defend LB (Grimi ?)

c) Without Pirlo, we must have Kaka&Seedorf and may be Gourcuff with Xmax tree, I can not think of any replacement for him now, one must know very much about Milan style (cost time) and process great passing skill (cost money) to play like him. I remember we lost the Serie A 02/03 (we were winter champion with great form) for Pirlo to develope his style.

d) Agreed, but we can not do anything except let Gilardinho have another 5, 6 chances.

We need many but all we can do now is hoping. Lets hope that we are just warming up, good and best thing awaiting ahead

In January, we need at least a goalie....I am tired of Dida and his mistakes....and I am sure the team is as well.

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

In January, we need at least a goalie....I am tired of Dida and his mistakes....and I am sure the team is as well.

Huh? So ONE Dida mistake and you're tired of him already??? When was his last mistake?? the Manchester game Maybe That's being mighty unfair!

When was the last time however did GILA actually play well Milan's problem is in attack Dida has done sooo much for Milan it breaks my heart to see him knocked more than Gila who hasn't done anything imho but bring our number to 11 on the field

When exactly is he going to score...I dunno a goal or two maybe??
EVERY SEASON ALL KEEPERS MAKE MISTAKES!!!!
DIDA PLAYED rubbish IN THIS GAME NO DOUBT. BUT THERE ARE TONS OF GAMES WHERE HE PLAYS WELL AND NO PRAISE IS FORTHCOMMING..this is messed up!!

Originally Posted by drucurl

Huh? So ONE Dida mistake and you're tired of him already??? When was his last mistake?? the Manchester game Maybe That's being mighty unfair!

When was the last time however did GILA actually play well Milan's problem is in attack Dida has done sooo much for Milan it breaks my heart to see him knocked more than Gila who hasn't done anything imho but bring our number to 11 on the field

When exactly is he going to score...I dunno a goal or two maybe??
EVERY SEASON ALL KEEPERS MAKE MISTAKES!!!!
DIDA PLAYED rubbish IN THIS GAME NO DOUBT. BUT THERE ARE TONS OF GAMES WHERE HE PLAYS WELL AND NO PRAISE IS FORTHCOMMING..this is messed up!!

How many mistakes did Buffon make last season? How many dru? What are you trying to do here? Get some cool points from BMW?

Listen...the mans job is simple...stop the ball from going into the back of the net. Yet he continues to make the most basic of mistakes...poor positioning, flapping at crosses, and balls rebounding from that wall of a chest he has...

Gila, in case you forgot, is still young, and can possibly benefit from a spell on the bench...Dida, on the other hand, is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past his "sell by date", and is an extremely well paid goalie for the many howlers he continues to make.

Dida, is supposed to play well....he is the goalie for crying out loud..he is supposed to be consistent...and, well, in a way, he is, he consistently makes costly mistakes.

We would have 2 more points had he not made that most fundamental of goalkeeping errors, not holding a shot (and the shot wasnt even all that good) he clearly should have, and while the score was 0-0, we could have more easily won, than having to fight back from a goal down, against a team that really had no ambition after being "gifted" a lead....

2 more points would see us tied with Inter on 7 points, only two behind Roma...but where are we? Fifth!!! Fifth, tied with perennial champions Fiorentina and Napoli!! Dont even make me start swearing in patois dru...he was inexcusable...completely...when will we sell this lummox?

A goalie´s job is to gift us points, not gift them to the opposition. I cannot fathom how Nesta must feel, after sweating blood and tears for the team, to see this joke of a keeper give away a precious goal...again.

Gila....Gila is underperforming, yes, no question there...but if he fails to score, it isnt as bad as when our custodian says: "Here Siena, I dont want this ball, take it please, and score....give Gila some real work to do"

Gila deserves to be benched, as does Dida, the only problem is that Kalac isnt much better, and we only have Pippo fit, and he can no longer give us 90 minute games with any consistency...so basically we are stuck with two headless chickens, in two key areas of the pitch...Lady Luck, Madame Fate, and the gods must be roaring with laughter at us lil devils...

But back to Diddle: When was his last mistake? Good question...he makes too many dru...for a the keeper of a "big" team like Milan....and thats the point.

He is good for at least 20 dropped points, and a clanger every 3 or so games....well, at least in that he is consistent.

Hehe, i feel real love speaking from Warro. I know he loves the team (like i do) and i feel the same. It hurts seeing a Milan perform so bad that you rather shut the TV and go out on the sun, for your own good. It may be just a start of the season, we may be unlucky... but maybe this is the reality. We'll know for sure in next couple of matches, nothing better to do now than just hoping things will get back under winning ways and that we'll be still close to the top in january. Maybe even on top? Unbelievable, but not impossible.

oh btw, need more players. Yeah, we DO need more players. But we wont get them till january so there's a long time of talking through the wind in this topic. And in january we can expect something like "its hard to buy great players in january, we'll buy big and go for dinho in summer" Like i mentioned, with the salaries we have in a team we must ditch some players first before buy new ones.

Originally Posted by Aficio

With a good sub like Abbiati, Dida must be more concentrated.

It's a catch-22 though; I'm sure we want to bring Abbiati back but the feeling is probably not mutual unless he's guaranteed playing time.

And let's not just take the easy way out and pin the blame on one person, be it Gila or Dida or the beer vendor. A majority of the team performed like banana slugs (save for Nesta); why did it also take us over 90 minutes to finally get a goal?

i think milan must has second generation. I love maldini and friends, but they are too old for a lot of competition.

Originally Posted by RIME

i think milan must has second generation. I love maldini and friends, but they are too old for a lot of competition.

As we have so many old players why we didn't keep Rui Costa who does very good work at Benfica and he could be a useful replacement.

For all, does anyone saw the old guy Shevchenko yesterday against Rosenborg? His speed was excellent, he scored the goal, he miised to other chanses and he gave three assists which were almost goals, how i missed him.

To close the matter is not if we have good starting line up, we may win the CL again with them but we cannot be competitive in all competitions. I think Adriano will join us on January .

Originally Posted by drucurl

Huh? So ONE Dida mistake and you're tired of him already??? When was his last mistake?? the Manchester game Maybe That's being mighty unfair!

When was the last time however did GILA actually play well Milan's problem is in attack Dida has done sooo much for Milan it breaks my heart to see him knocked more than Gila who hasn't done anything imho but bring our number to 11 on the field

When exactly is he going to score...I dunno a goal or two maybe??
EVERY SEASON ALL KEEPERS MAKE MISTAKES!!!!
DIDA PLAYED rubbish IN THIS GAME NO DOUBT. BUT THERE ARE TONS OF GAMES WHERE HE PLAYS WELL AND NO PRAISE IS FORTHCOMMING..this is messed up!!

For you Dru, i saw yesterday Quaresma was extraordinary but not useful, he remembered of Cristiano Ronaldo in his first year in united .

Originally Posted by Giorgos

As we have so many old players why we didn't keep Rui Costa who does very good work at Benfica and he could be a useful replacement.

Rui Costa requested that his contract be terminated, so he could retire at Benfica, "his" club...as Milan does with all our stars, we allowed him to, as he was just sitting on the bench, and I can well understand why he would want to leave under those conditions.

He is now an "Automatic" starter for Benfica, once fit, and with his skill, and being the gentleman that he is, is no less than what he deserves.

FORZA RUI!!!! A true gentleman, and again, I have to point out that Milan has the best fans in the world..the standing ovation that Rui received when leaving the pitch yesterday was truly an example of class by our tifosi.

I think we need more players, 1-3. One striker (world class), one safe Centre Back in the future and new "young" keeper, who would grow up to the team.

Originally Posted by Giorgos

As we have so many old players why we didn't keep Rui Costa who does very good work at Benfica and he could be a useful replacement.

He left us for Benfica in order to retire in his home country.

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

Rui Costa requested that his contract be terminated, so he could retire at Benfica, "his" club...as Milan does with all our stars, we allowed him to, as he was just sitting on the bench, and I can well understand why he would want to leave under those conditions.

He is now an "Automatic" starter for Benfica, once fit, and with his skill, and being the gentleman that he is, is no less than what he deserves.

FORZA RUI!!!! A true gentleman, and again, I have to point out that Milan has the best fans in the world..the standing ovation that Rui received when leaving the pitch yesterday was truly an example of class by our tifosi.

I know that but i expected to play a year and retire just why i am asking... .

Originally Posted by ACMILAN1983

Injuries are an issue every team has, age is only really an issue with Maldini at this point. Ronaldo's been injury prone all his career, but we've taken the gamble to try our luck on him. Inzaghi isn't a first team player, he hasn't been for years and he won't be this year. He is passed his injury issues and as a player that won't be relied on in every game he's not our greatest concern as far as injuries.

Nesta and Ambro are the others that we fear for injuries, but we have Bonera and Emerson as backup, so there's not too much worry there unless you don't trust these guys to perform. However, both seem to be in good shape anyway and Nesta is much less likely to suffer as he isn't in the national setup anymore. We will have a weakened squad if these players are injured, but in the end how big should the squad get?

As for not having players who can't produce a decent pass from midfield without Kaka and Pirlo, did you forget Seedorf, Gourcuff and even Brocchi (remember him for Fio a couple seasons back and you'll know why management have trusted in him) were playing? These are good players, but they underperformed. Seedorf especially was a disappointment as he didn't take charge in place of Kaka, and when he finally did we were unlucky not to score 3-4 goals in the last 20 minutes. We could have brought more attacking talent for midfield, but then forget Gourcuff ever getting his chances, as they're already severly reduced. Like Ronaldo, we're taking a gamble on him.

As Kris quite rightly said, we have signed a new forward too, just that we can't play him until January. I wasn't too pleased that we never signed another forward or kept Oliveira until January, but the management have clearly felt that they can rely on Gila, Pippo and Ronaldo. I already said that despite Gila's performances last season, he did actually manage a strike rate of almost 1 in 2 and Pippo's always been good to get old, despite his age (due to his way of playing this isn't such a significant issue), so the management have fair reasons to trust in these guys.

As for relying on the starting lineup for 60 games of the season, did you miss what we did last season or something? One of the key factors to our success was good use of squad rotation.

I don't personally give a damn about whether you believe in the management or whether you think they're in it for money (if you seriously do then I suggest you read up on football clubs). I don't have any hesitation on the management or our chances of success.

Are you Galliani or Berlusconi here? Cause nobody else would put this much faith in any player who wears a Milan jersey.

Injuries are indeed what every team have to deal with, except that other teams have guys who can step in and produce when their starter gets injured while we have nobody. Who is Kaka's back up? Gourcuff? He isn't even half as good as Kaka is right now. Don't get me wrong, he was a good signing at that kind of price (once again, price played a major factor in signing him to fill in for Rui Costa), but this guy is not ready for Milan.

Ronaldo was a major gamble for us, because he has been injury prone throughout his career, but why did we have to gamble with him when we can sign somebody else who won't be a gamble? I don't seem to recall Ronaldinho, Drogba, Henry or even Eto'o being this injury prone throughout their career. So why him? Why did we sign Ronaldo? Gee, You think it might have somehting to do with the fact that his price tag was merely 7.5 million while the other guys would cost over 30 million? Nobody would think Ronaldo is still as good as those other guys I mentioned, but because of his cheap price tag, he became our choice just like Gourcuff.

You talk about Inzaghi not being a first option player any more, but what I see is that he is still being depended on for scoring this season. This is a European champion relaying on a 34 years old injury prone striker to score. Tell me that fact alone doesn't concern you.

Emerson and Bonera cannot fill in for Nesta and Ambrosini consistently. Emerson has past his prime and Bonera is simply not as good. You can't say that just because you have some guy who can step in and play regardless of how they perform and say we are covered at that position. When your backup is a major downgrade from your starter, you have a problem. The same goes for using Cafu and Favalli as wing back backups. Besides, it is not even about the injury concerns here. That was the topic you brought up as the excuse for this team's lackluster performance. Do you honestly expect each starter to play 90 minutes every game? Cause even without injuries, starters need their rest and when our back up is this weak, that also become a problem.

Seedorf, Gourcuff and Brocchi are all decent players, but none of them are capable of carrying our offense the way Kaka and Pirlo always does. Seedorf never could carry an offense by himself; Gourcuff looks to be years away from being a superstar, that is if he ever will be one; and Brocchi is just not that good of a player. Sure, he had one great season in Fiorentina, but he is a long way off from Pirlo's level. Young players such as Gourcuff shouldn't just expect to get minutes because his name is Gourcuff. He needs to earn his damned minutes. All I have seen from him since he got here has been him being a decent player and nothing more than that. A real championship team shouldn't leave out a position for a Gourcuff and hope that he will one day wake up and became great. They need guys who can play right now.

We have indeed signed a new forward. A 17 years old forward! Not even Maradona and Pelle could be good enough to be relayed by a championship team at 17! This once again comes to whether we should just have someone to play or have someone good to play. Pato at this point is probably no more ready to play than Gourcuff and Gourcuff is no Kaka himself. Relaying on a 17 years old forward is just damn laughable.

Let me do a recap last season here. We stunk the entire first half of the season; we were like 30 points behind Inter by Christmas in domstic league and barely made it out of the group stage in the champions league. We ended up being the lucky one and won the champions league while only getting the 4th place in Serie A. I'm sorry, exactly what part of that season was so great again? Sure, champions league was great, but even teams such as Porto can win one of those. Being European champion requires a lot of luck and just because you won it does not make you the best team in Europe. And besides, last season's key for winning in Europe was not good rotation, but the fact that we gave up Serie A completely. Can we afford to do that every year? I sure hope not. Like Galliani (and this is why I thought you were him), you use that one victory as excuses for everything. Why aren't we spending money to strength the team? We are European champion!
Don't you think we can use some star players on this team? We are European champion!

If you still think this management is in it for the glory, you are kidding yourself. The priority for a sports team is to win games, not balancing books.