Olympique de Marseille vs AC Milan: UEFA Champions League 15/09/09

Hate Marseille, they were all drugged up in 1993, but I guess it doesn't matter since they're not Italian.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/edi...am-in-25-years

Sums up our situation in my opinion.
Let's hope Milan proves everyone (including ourselves) wrong tomorrow night.

Huntelaar is getting judged from one game where he didnt get any service. he is a very good striker, and if he has Pirlo and Abate giving him passes he will put balls in the net. Dinho, like i have been saying, is worthless to this team. I want to see Antonini starting, he is better than Janku/Oddo.


----------------Storari------------
--Antonini--Nesta--Silva--Zambrotta--
----Abate---Flamini---Seedorf--(should be Gourcuff)
-------------Pirlo (C)---------
---------Pato----Huntelaar---------

Pirlo or Nesta should be captain. Pippo could be subbed in the 2nd if we need goals, Gattuso can come on for Abate if we have a lead in the 2nd.

Originally Posted by pirlofanusa

Huntelaar is getting judged from one game where he didnt get any service. he is a very good striker, and if he has Pirlo and Abate giving him passes he will put balls in the net. Dinho, like i have been saying, is worthless to this team. I want to see Antonini starting, he is better than Janku/Oddo.


----------------Storari------------
--Antonini--Nesta--Silva--Zambrotta--
----Abate---Flamini---Seedorf--(should be Gourcuff)
-------------Pirlo (C)---------
---------Pato----Huntelaar---------

Pirlo or Nesta should be captain. Pippo could be subbed in the 2nd if we need goals, Gattuso can come on for Abate if we have a lead in the 2nd.

I second this, with a slight change.

----------------Storari------------
--Zambrotta--Nesta--Silva--Antonini--
----Abate---Seedorf-----Flamini
-------------Pirlo (C)---------
---------Huntelaar----Pato---------


Flams can work down the wing, and Seedorf can hold up the ball better than most. In this formation, Flams can bomb down the flank whilst Antonini can stay further back at home (he's better suited for defending anyway), whilst Pato can link up with Flams better. Seedorf can be our Makalele figure and hold the ball up and make short passes, with no running up and losing the balling on the run. Abate and Zambrotta seem more suited for the right side, and I'd much prefer we let them link up like this, since Abate can actually put in decent crosses. This way, a near pass from Abate's side can go to Hunter, who can hold up the ball, and a cross can reach Pato's head, just the way he likes it. Pirlo of course, can play just like he does for Italy, and in this we actually have five lines of attacks instead of just three.

ACMILAN1983, it's true Dinho hardly moved against Siena. BUT, that exactly my point with what I said about him in my post. It's so funny how people judge so fast. It's ridiculous sometimes to just look at the posts on the forums......and then after one game people are coming out saying that Dinho is back and what not. Then two weeks later they say he is a finished player. It makes no sense.

If you (not you personally, but just generalization) are going to write a player off at least give him some time......and at the same time if you are going to proclaim player as great give him some time also.

My thoughts of Dinho playing tomorrow have nothing to do with how bad he was playing against Inter/Livorno or how good/bad he was playing with Siena. I just think that this is TACTICALLY a great game to play Dinho. There will be space as I think that Marseille will truly try to attack us. I don't think we need 2 strikers against Marseille. We need compactness in the middle to withstand their attacks and then we need width to break out quickly as soon as we get the ball back. Abate can offer both because of his work-rate. He will work hard in defense and then storm out wide when we have possession.
It's just my idea of what we should do tomorrow.....because our fullbacks are simply incapable of offering anything in the offensive end.

Originally Posted by nefremo

ACMILAN1983, it's true Dinho hardly moved against Siena. BUT, that exactly my point with what I said about him in my post. It's so funny how people judge so fast. It's ridiculous sometimes to just look at the posts on the forums......and then after one game people are coming out saying that Dinho is back and what not. Then two weeks later they say he is a finished player. It makes no sense.

If you (not you personally, but just generalization) are going to write a player off at least give him some time......and at the same time if you are going to proclaim player as great give him some time also.

My thoughts of Dinho playing tomorrow have nothing to do with how bad he was playing against Inter/Livorno or how good/bad he was playing with Siena. I just think that this is TACTICALLY a great game to play Dinho. There will be space as I think that Marseille will truly try to attack us. I don't think we need 2 strikers against Marseille. We need compactness in the middle to withstand their attacks and then we need width to break out quickly as soon as we get the ball back. Abate can offer both because of his work-rate. He will work hard in defense and then storm out wide when we have possession.
It's just my idea of what we should do tomorrow.....because our fullbacks are simply incapable of offering anything in the offensive end.

if you watched him in preseason, he played well like every fifth game. the dude doesnt care, cant (or chooses not too) run, and he is not worthy of a Milan shirt

I have a feeling R80 is going to be our sort of super-sub this year, along with Inzaghi, both coming in for Seedorf and Klaas at around the 75 every game.

I would play:


--------------Storari--------------------
--Abate----Nesta---Silva---Zambrotta---
--------------Seedorf-------------------
--------Gattuso----Flamini--------------
----------------Pirlo--------------------
---------Pato---------Huntelaar---------

Originally Posted by nefremo

ACMILAN1983, it's true Dinho hardly moved against Siena. BUT, that exactly my point with what I said about him in my post. It's so funny how people judge so fast. It's ridiculous sometimes to just look at the posts on the forums......and then after one game people are coming out saying that Dinho is back and what not. Then two weeks later they say he is a finished player. It makes no sense.

If you (not you personally, but just generalization) are going to write a player off at least give him some time......and at the same time if you are going to proclaim player as great give him some time also.

My thoughts of Dinho playing tomorrow have nothing to do with how bad he was playing against Inter/Livorno or how good/bad he was playing with Siena. I just think that this is TACTICALLY a great game to play Dinho. There will be space as I think that Marseille will truly try to attack us. I don't think we need 2 strikers against Marseille. We need compactness in the middle to withstand their attacks and then we need width to break out quickly as soon as we get the ball back. Abate can offer both because of his work-rate. He will work hard in defense and then storm out wide when we have possession.
It's just my idea of what we should do tomorrow.....because our fullbacks are simply incapable of offering anything in the offensive end.

You're right about the posts on the forum. Most, including many of mine, are often written with much of the emotion felt at the time, particularly in match threads. This clouds the judgement of everyone and that's why often we make mistakes in judgement. Capello's excelllent as a coach and this is one of his strengths. He always seems rather detached, which I'm sure helps him in making objective decisions in key situations.

Anyway, we both agree we need width to come from midfield in this match. Our fullbacks are a waste of time and simply cannot handle much responsibility. What worries me is Leo says there won't be any revolution, which may well mean another night of bearing with Janku, Oddo or Dinho.

Going back to Capello, I admire his ethics on choosing players, in that he'll choose those who work hard. It's something we desperately could use.

Edit: A quick question in general for anyone. Is there a reason why so many posters a sticking with 4-3-1-2 for the shape of our team? I don't really see why.

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

Help us not to defeat in France, but protect us from embarrassment, give us at least a draw, and spare us from humiliation.

I don't mind embarassment if it can wake B&B up from their dream. Just like what happened to Madrid when they were trashed 0-5 by Pool last season. Hadn't it because of this humliation, Madrid wouldn't have spent so crazily this summer

Im not too confident about tonight. Marseille are a good side , fast full of energy they move the ball around well and Taiwo , Lucho , Ben Arfa , Niang , Morientes , Mandanda , Hilton they have a good team that will pose us major problems. The speed and endurance of Milan will be our unltimate downfall imo this season. Only Flamini , Nesta , Silva , Pato , Huntelaar ? , Abate ? are very good for us . Pirlo is a different player for the Azzuri Seedorf actually really looks he's trying when he plays. But we have too much deadweight that is a fact. I don't think we will fall into obsceurity and mediocrity someone will buy or invest or Berlu ( Mr pants off) will sell. This is something that will happen in the next 2 years I think / Hope / Pray.

Cross fingers, this game is so important. I have no a clear image of how Marseille plays, but if they are coached by Deschamps, so Milan first of all has to play without Dinho, sorry for all his fans but this man now is off not only physically but also in the mind, he has dull eyes, no reaction, no pride.... no way.
Abate on the right, Gattuso (if he really fit) and Flamini with Pirlo in the middle free to play also upfront just behind Pato and Borriello because:
1) we do desperately need movements
2) people that runs at maximum in order to take advantage of their unsettlings
3) 2 strikers upfront means 3 Marseille defenders on them, in other words a player less when they will attack.
4) with my rossonero heart that is crying, the realism suggest me that we need an helpful hand from Manitou, but if they be two or three, probably, it would be better for us.

---------------Abbiati------------
---Zambro----Nesta---Silva-----Antonini-----
--------------flamini------------------
--------abate--------ambro-------
---------------pirlo----------------
---------pato--------pippo/klass-----

i dont see how this would be a bad lineup? just an idea

Originally Posted by Nalx

I don't mind embarassment if it can wake B&B up from their dream. Just like what happened to Madrid when they were trashed 0-5 by Pool last season. Hadn't it because of this humliation, Madrid wouldn't have spent so crazily this summer

You're wrong, Florentino Perez already announced he would come back to be the president of this club and spend big at the beginning of last season ... let's say that the results of Madrid just helped him to take this role more easily (even if with his promises, it was already easy).

For our game tonight, it will be interesting as, like Leonardo said, CL is "our" competition, so if we draw or lose by playing really bad, that will mean there is no hope for this year. If we manage to win or draw and play well, then, hope will still be there and a good or great season could happen. So for me, it's our real start of season tonight ... and seriously, I can't deny I'm a bit worried because Marseille plays well since the beginning of the season (and without Lucho Gonzales who is the one who should be their leader, he will play against us, we'll see how he will do tonight as he almost never played with them yet).

For once, our team will be shown on a TV channel that everyone has in France (TF1, the main channel in terms of audiences), so I hope our players will show womething good or I will feel embarrassed for the next few days/weeks/months ...

Come on Italian clubs, beat the French ones tonight and tomorrow !!

Not sure I will b able to watch the game, as I have surgery @ 11am, and the game is on @ 130pm here.

This may be a good thing, as I feel we are in for a sound thrashing....whether or not we score....if Livorno can hit so many shots against us in the first half, most of which forced saves from Storari, then what will Marseille do?

I shudder to think.

Maybe we will only lose by a couple of goals, and still be outplayed to the point where its obvious, even to Berlu....that we need reinforcements in Jan.....mayb he won't watch the entire match, but I'm sure the highlights will convey the message (ie shot after shot, and hopefully, save after save by Storari) till we concede a couple, inevitably from a set-piece.

To play, or not play Dinho?
At this point, I ....I agree with Dev that "tactically" its an excellent game for him to start, but I don't see with all of Marseille's pace and running, how we can manage to play R80, Pato, Pirlo, and Hunter/Pippo together....

As a result, I am sure we will see the X-mas tree today, as we look to hit on the counter.

Prediction: Marseille 3, Milan 0.

Hope I'm wrong!!