Summer mercato 2009

LOL Real and Marseille........
Now it would be only fair to get Wolfsburg in the end

Originally Posted by Fret

LOL Real and Marseille........
Now it would be only fair to get Wolfsburg in the end

Poor Zurich.

It's gonna be very interesting though

Originally Posted by Fret

It's gonna be very interesting though

Why is it that ESPN insists on reporting boring stuff like Barca and Inter being drawn together, all the while leaving out AC and Madrid?
It just pisses me off when they talk about Eto'o and Ibramobitch returning to their old clubs and making it sound oh so interesting.

What are Kaka and Huntelaar? Chopped liver? :P

That said, who thinks we'll actually stand a chance against Madrid?

Ryo, Real Madrid isn't a team, yet.

So it would be good for us to face them sooner rather than later. If we meet them In San Siro in the next month, we have a good chance of beating them.

Originally Posted by Ryo

Why is it that ESPN insists on reporting boring stuff like Barca and Inter being drawn together, all the while leaving out AC and Madrid?
It just pisses me off when they talk about Eto'o and Ibramobitch returning to their old clubs and making it sound oh so interesting.

What are Kaka and Huntelaar? Chopped liver? :P

That said, who thinks we'll actually stand a chance against Madrid?

I actually will be mildly surprised if Milan doesn't beat Real Madrid, especially at the San Siro. Milan still has players who know how to win the Champions League. Real Madrid has been playing fantasy football for so long that they don't. Real Madrid's best chance is if Kaka carries them on his back because I think it's going to be a long time (if ever) before they really play as a team.

Originally Posted by El Fre

Ryo, Real Madrid isn't a team, yet.

So it would be good for us to face them sooner rather than later. If we meet them In San Siro in the next month, we have a good chance of beating them.

Are you sure about that mate?

They added quite a few players, yes, but to say they're not a team isn't right.

They still have Casilias (one of the best, IMO) between the sticks.
They have Pepe in the middle of defense and have paired him up with Raul Albiol (Spanish NT starter and Definitely an upgrade to Canna). In the middle of the park, they happen to have a whole bunch of attackers in C. Ron, Kaka, but they also have Xabi Alonso to spray the passes and Gago to steal the ball. Then up front, they've got Benzima, Higuan and Raul (Their Pippo of sorts). Sidebacks are Arbeloa and... Marcelo?

I mean, yes they have brought in a host of players, but they've still kept more than their fair share. They still have the experienced players at the club like Guti, RVN and Ramos if they really need the backup. Despite their horrendous end of season run, they finished 2nd in La Liga with a comfortable 8 point cushion. The only reason they weren't making headlines was simply because Barca were completely out of this world last season.

Oh, and their squad is quite young too, I don't think they'd really need a whole month to adapt to each other, specially since most have been doing just that since pre-seasons started.

Oh, and Rick, I don't think at the beginning of the group stages, that it's really about actually winning the Champions League yet. I'd rather put it at two teams with a host of new signings and new coaches having a go at one another. Madrid aren't so bad as that they've lost the know-how to win a match, they've just had a major face-lift, whilst ourselves on the other hand have had a comparatively minor one. In head-to-head situations like this, I really expect anything could happen.

And maybe its just me, but I have yet to be convinced that we can beat a top side until we actually do so.
The only victories we've had were against weaker teams, and the Berlu trophy we only took on penalties.... not to mention the crap pre-season results we had before that.

I think the major issue with Real Madrid is that they have not exactly replicated the Galacticos of yore. Kaka and CR are not the equivalents of Zidane and Figo.

On paper, sure, one is an attacking midfielder, the other a right winger. However, both players have played with very little distribution or passing to their game. Both keep the ball for very long, passing only when the option to score or go for glory has evaded them, and many times, they still push forward with the ball, rather than pass.

Now, when you have either one of these guys, that's not an issue. I'm curious to see how they decide to play together. They have been touted as best friends, but, we'll see how that comes about on the pitch. I guess they're going to have to play a 4-2-3-1 in order to accommodate everyone. That probably means Benzema on the bench, Raul up top, Robben, Kaka, and CR across with Gago and Xabi behind them.

Do I think we can beat them? If Huntelaar can get to grips with our system, and our full backs play well, then yes, I think we can.

But the biggest question mark, is, as usual, what is Ronaldinho going to do?

I think how we play against Inter will determine a lot about our season. That's what Maldini was saying (and some pundits were laughing at). It's not that if we beat Inter that suddenly the scudetto is ours. It is but a marker as to how the new editions to our squad have either made us better or worse, overall.

We all know we became too dependent on Kaka, and if Dinho plays like he has, then we've lost a player to simply grab hold of a game and win it, but he can win it through his passing. Maybe Dinho still can offer some magic? If he does, I think it'll be rare.

But does Huntelaar finally give us that 20+ goal a year striker? Does Pato rise to becoming the next Ronaldo? Does the Silva-Nesta partnership serve as a better upgrade to Maldini-Favalli?

We are a better team than last year, and so far, so good. Again, Inter's game is not just the Derby, it's a litmus test to see what we've lost, what we've gained, and where we are. What does Leonardo do to shut out the game? How will he cope with Inter's formation changes? All these issues will come up.

We made Juve look silly, and Ronaldinho played in spurts, but phenomenal spurts. This game is the biggest we're going to play all year, even up with the CL final (God willing), because it will determine whether this new form of Milan, not a finished article, but the transition we are taking, is on the right track.

well said mate I do agree with with you and what maldini said all will depend on how w'll play against inter if we end up with victonry than we are on the right track if we lose than G&B will understand that we still lack somethin but to late cuze will be 2 days left for mercato

Come on B & G make something happen in these last days. Sneijder just come to the right side Red/Black. That would be the funniest thing if that happened.

Guys if we sat out R80 would Pirlo play in his possision? or even Seedorf.

Originally Posted by ZvonimirBoban

I cannot understand what things we can't give to him. First-team place?

Ooooo... maybe MONEY. WAGE. We promised to him we would pay him BIG and suddenly we should balance the books, he did not have BIG MONEY we promised to him and he LEFT.

But that's just my hypotheses... Not a well-researched one, I may say.

What we can't give him is playing time and a important role in the team. This is something you have to earn at milan and not be given. Unless Pirlo leave else we can't give him an important role at the club. Kaka might have left but there is still ronaldinho around. Even without kaka, Gourcuff might not be able to get a first team place in our current squad. I think he wanted to play regularly and make a name for himself rather than sitting on the bench of milan.

Originally Posted by OCmilano

Come on B & G make something happen in these last days. Sneijder just come to the right side Red/Black. That would be the funniest thing if that happened.

Guys if we sat out R80 would Pirlo play in his possision? or even Seedorf.

R80 will start behind pato-boriello/huntelar

Originally Posted by Ryo

Oh, and Rick, I don't think at the beginning of the group stages, that it's really about actually winning the Champions League yet. I'd rather put it at two teams with a host of new signings and new coaches having a go at one another. Madrid aren't so bad as that they've lost the know-how to win a match, they've just had a major face-lift, whilst ourselves on the other hand have had a comparatively minor one. In head-to-head situations like this, I really expect anything could happen.

If you know how to win the Champions League, you know how to win matches along the way. Real Madrid hasn't won their group clear on points and hasn't been past the first knockout round since 2003-04. So pardon me if I'm not quaking in my shoes at the thought of Milan playing them. Milan knows how to win in the Champions League. Real Madrid hasn't proven yet that they do (at least anything resembling the current Madrid incarnation).

Originally Posted by Rick

If you know how to win the Champions League, you know how to win matches along the way. Real Madrid hasn't won their group clear on points and hasn't been past the first knockout round since 2003-04. So pardon me if I'm not quaking in my shoes at the thought of Milan playing them. Milan knows how to win in the Champions League. Real Madrid hasn't proven yet that they do (at least anything resembling the current Madrid incarnation).

But since 2003-04, Kaka', C.Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, and even sometimes Benzema learned how to win their group ...

Robben is leaving for Bayern, so it's going to be a 4312 for Real as well, with CR as a forward methinks.