Serie A '09/'10 Kicks Off: Siena vs Milan

Hi guys

Our defense is the weakest point. It has to be improved.

A hard and good defense + goalkeeper is the basic and so far - correct if I am wrong - during all the pre-season all the teams we played did score vs AC Milan.

I don't know if some of you have watched Lyon vs Anderlecht
but Lissandro was def the stricker we needed iso Huntelaar and Cissokho was amazing !! Much much better than Zambro/Anto/you name it

This teeth problem is ridiculous and hilarious

Brazilian Bastos was also amazing ( a mix up of Maicon and Dani ALves) that's the kind of player we need !!

Zambro did nothing - I repeat nothing - last season !! No assists, no nothing !!

I don't understand why keep playing with him....

What are the news about Seedorf - is there a chance to see him on saturday ???

last question : Does R80 speak italian now ???

Merci

I disagree completely. Our defensive unit is by far our strongest asset. Nesta and TS look to me the best CB pairing in Serie A. The full backs we have are just fine defensively, though they lack the advantage going forward. In Gattuso and Flamini we have two of the best DM's in the game. We're covered defensively. Our problem is creating chances and finishing them off.

No, Seedorf is out. So is Klaas.

This will probably be our 11:

------------------Storari
-----------Nesta--------Thiago Silva
Zambro-------------------------------Janku
-------------------Pirlo
----------Gattuso--------Flamini

-------------------Ronaldinho
--------------Borri------Pato

Seedorf is in the called up players. No oddo or kaladze.

Originally Posted by brk

The full backs we have are just fine defensively, though they lack the advantage going forward.

Besides Zambro which one is fine? None of Oddo, Janku or Antonini are solid in defence and the first two especially have made many mistakes at the back in recent years.

Well, I guess Bonera is fine, but you're right. It's rare finding a FB who is great at both defending and attacking, but it was completely wrong to state that our defense is our 'weakest point'. It's not.

I think it is our weakest point as our FB ( left/right) don't match of what we expect from a modern FB such as Maicon or Dani ALves

That's the reason I prefer Anto to Zambro because Anto is going much forward !

The base of a performant team is the defense...how many times during the pre-season were we able to maintain the 1-0 or our just the 0 ???

Because during the pre-season I have only read complains about the attack and R80 ( does he speak italian now ???)

perfect team wld be :

Abiati
Flamini/Nesta/TS/Anto
Pirlo/Ambro/Gattuso
R80/Pato/Hunt or Inza

have you actually seen antonini this preseason??he was really stable,and his crossing were nt bad at all as some of you said..

for me janku was one of our weakest points last year,thats why once leo was in charge he asked for cissoco..
i am not saying that antonini is one of the best,but i am sure he is better than janku,who plays well one in 10 matches..

i amnot sure which line is our weakest,but having 2 "complete" fb is very crucial in modern fooball,defensively and offensively..personally i still trust zambro for the one side,but i cant say we re full as a squad with one of the rest on the other(anto.janku or change sides with abate,oddo)..

also i am sure nesta wont be able to play all season long,so we need a cb too..
and a more "speedy" 10..

SIENA-MILAN: I CONVOCATI ROSSONERI
21/08/2009 13.20.00
MILANELLO - Ecco la lista dei giocatori rossoneri convocati per Siena-Milan:
Perucchini, Roma, Storari, Antonini, Favalli, Jankulovski, Nesta, Onyewu, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta, Abate, Ambrosini, Flamini, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Borriello, Inzaghi, Pato, Ronaldinho.
Giocatori indisponibili: Dida, Abbiati, Bonera, Di Gennaro.
Giocatori non convocati: Kaladze, Oddo, Zigoni.
Squalificato: Huntelaar.

and his conference...

A SIGN FOR OURSELVES
8/21/2009 5:52:00 PM
On the eve of his first match, here's Leonardo: "We need a positive sign. Today Ronaldinho had a great training session, it's his moment, it's now or never. Doubt about Borriello-Inzaghi."

MILANELLO - Time for a press conference at Milanello: following the training session and the first departure towards Siena, Leonardo replied to the questions of the journalists in the press conference. Here are the main declarations of the Rossoneri's coach.

HUNTELAAR'S SUSPENSION
"We knew, there was the hope to remove it, but there was not possibility to field him. Unfortunately he cannot play, but we knew that.

THE FIRST MATCH AGAINST SIENA AND THE SEASON
"The first matchday arrives, now we are all at zero points and we start off on the same level. Tomorrow's game is one we can have to face fully concentrated. We must act like in the Berlusconi Trophy, playing with the same attention and concentration. It was an important month of work, I think that the team is ready.

"Starting out well is always fundamental, managing to give a fingerprint to our performance would important for ourselves. I don't think that it is decisive to win or lose, but I think that the team is able to start off well. We have reacted well to the difficulties and the proof was Milan-Juve at San Siro. We need to give a signal straight away to ourselves and to the others to prove what we are. We cannot say today what we are, it will be the games to say so, in the path of the season.

"Who can win the Scudetto? I will not make too many calculations, let's think about ourselves and to how we can improve. Starting from Bonera, Dida and Abbiati, apart from Di Gennaro, we have available everyone and this is very important. We know the commitments we have, I don't want to stay here to preach what we shall do and what we will not do. Milan can always start with the willl to win. Game after game, we shall understand what we can do. We start out knowing that we are Milan and that we have inside us this will to win. Then it will be the games to determine things. We play match after match and we'll see where we can arrive.

FORMATION AND INJURIES

T"The formation doubts will always be there and if we will have the entire squad available, the doubts will always be welcome. Everyone is returning and this is what matters. The basis to the squad which goes on the pitch is that of the team who played in the Berlusconi Trophy.

"Borriello or Inzaghi? I see them well both, they are different players. The choice can be for their characteristics. I will keep the doubt until tomorrow, I want to understand also how Siena will play, we don't know exactly what to expect. They tried the 4-3-1-2, but they also have the possibility for the 4-3-3. We'll see.

"Kaladze had a series of injuries, he stopped, he is doing a new period of preparation. His week has been very good, he's close to be totally available. If this team will always have its potential available, it will be a good season. Oddo not called-up? With Massimo I have always spoken and I had done so also with Kalac. Right from the start I told him that I had some ideas and that if he had found a better place than the one of Milan today, we could have spoke about it. He has always worked hard in all of the moments of the preparation and this is very important. The transfer market is open. If he had to find a better place we'll see. De Silvestri? In the transfer market one thing is tied to another, we must see. We have to wait. We start off with this group and I think that it's a valid group. The idea is a player on the wing, but there are many impossible names. We'll see what is possible until August 31. The moment in general, on the transfer market, is of economic difficulty. We see the big clubs, but also the average and the small ones. It's a period like this."

A FIRST BALANCE
"We're coming from a tiring month, useful for some tests. Today I feel strong, more inside the squad, I confronted myself with a different role which I like more, I find in the players a continuous response which makes me go forward. All that we have suffered last year we paid for it even until today: the recovery of Nesta and Gatuzo, fundamental players, Borriello who was out for a year, Kaladze out for a long period, Bonera still out, Inzaghi, Seedorf and Ambro at times not available during the preparation... I did not expect a brilliant Milan for these reasons. What I see today is that this team has a unique sense of belonging, to Milan: everyone knows their importance and what it is to live the Rossoneri's world. This is the departure. The rest, tactics, form and so one, must be built.The solid base is a matter of pride and objectives and this exists and is increasing. It's this energy that makes the world go round, the rest is built day after day.

Both from acmilan.com

I am so happy the season is finally here! Forza Milan! I will be ready with my jerseys, flags and passion!

I hope Dinho has an awesome game! I actually think the most maligned players from the summer like Dinho, Nesta, Pirlo and Borriello will have a great game and prove the doubters wrong.....or maybe I'm just being optimistic.....but there's nothing wrong with that!

I know, I can't wait either. Forza Milan! With the amount of doubts, fan protests, skepticism this team has had to face, nobody can ever accuse us of lacking motivation this year. This will be the year we prove all our doubters wrong (or right, sadly .. )

I hope borri can get back to form !!!
eagerly a wait fist game !

up front we will start with Ronaldinho Pato and Boriello according to the latest rumours.....

my gosh I can't wait for the game...the wait is almost like for a CL final, I dont understand why though...

Originally Posted by Dutchie-Milan

The statics are speaking in our favour.

In our history we have only lost once against Siena,just once.

And Huntelaar scores ALWAYS on his debut,always,so really i expect him to do it again vs Siena.

I expect us to win this game,be it easy or with struggles,i expect a win.

The reason: The team is always motivated on the first match day,and that will be our power on saturday,remember the game against Bologna when we lost but when Dinho had his best game in a Milan shirt and even Seedorf was active and everybody was up to it??It will happen again against Siena.

With Nesta and Silva and both Flamini and Rino they cant score against us,impossible,we will win,the players are motivated(at least for this match....)and we have a far better lineup then them.

WE ARE MILAN,WE ARE THE BEST,FORZA MILAN PER SEMPRE!

0-3 2* Pato 1* Huntelaar

FORZA MILAN PER SEMPRE!

Oh and Inter will draw with Bari with Muntari as the creative force!

Good thing his debut is going to be against Inter then...

Originally Posted by otoniel

Who is Roce?

Hahahahahahaha

According to Gazzetta our line-up will be:

MILAN 4-3-1-2 - Storari; Zambrotta, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Pirlo, Flamini; Ronaldinho; Pato, Borriello