Serie A Week 7: Atalanta - Milan (04/10/09)

I was surprised to see Onyewu play yesterday. He was clumsy but what's worse, I don't think any teammate has any trust in him. We all know that he is rather week defensively, but could be useful offensively; also his throw-in could be potentially deadly. Yet, I didn't see his specialty been utilized at all - he wasn't given any appropriate chance. No one was looking for him at the dead balls, and he didn't get to throw the ball in either. Why the heck play him if you don't plan to actually use him? My guess is that probably Leo did plan but the players on the pitch didn't (want to) follow.

I feel bad for him.

Well Gazzetta.it is predicting that we will line up with"

Storari - Abate - Nesta - Kaladze - Zambrotta - Gattuso - Pirlo - Flamini - Seedorf - Ronaldinho - Pato

and they are usually right with their "expected line-up".....even though it's only Friday and things can change.

I pretty much agree with their line-up although I want to see something different in the middle (Perhaps Strasser should get a chance at some point in this game). The movement in the midfield is way too slow. It is so static that by the time we move the ball up the opponents are already all set up. And then we don't move the ball in-out (get it behind their midfielders) because we simply just take tooooooo long! The build up is way to slow. On top of that our full-backs completely suck so we don't get dangerous attacks from anywhere on the field. Abate manages to get to the by-line here and there and he does put in some nice crosses but again......we don't move the ball fast enough to enable his use as much as possible. The couple of crosses he put in against Zurich were done on his own work. He is a one dimensional player but at the moment he seems to be one of the bright spots. He needs time, that's obvious. And as much as he works hard and runs a lot.....he simply doesn't have the awareness to play as a RCM. He is a wide-midfielder/winger and he is one dimensional. Most of his kind of players are and they are comfortbale with hugging the out-line. Once he gets in the middle and there is stuff going on to the left-right-front-back he starts having trouble. We saw that against Zurich and also a couple of more times before that.

Anyhow....I want him to continue playing as a RB. He won't be our saviour and he won't be the new Cafu....and if there is any slim chance of that happening it won't be anytime soon. But as I said he is a good option on the right and he needs to keep growing. You don't just transform the position of a player in 1 month. It'll take its time. And in the end maybe it'll work out and maybe it wont.....but at this moment it's worth a try.

Back to seeing Strasser at some point...........
From what I've seen from him......he can hold his own. He's is extremely strong on the ball and has no problem with getting stuck in there. He'll take some balls away and then is able to keep possession of the ball. He has great short-pass ability with great crisp touches. I just want something different in the middle simply because I am tired of seeing people not be able to make a 5 meter pass.........AND taking 10 seconds just to attempt the pass in the first place.

Originally Posted by Xudong

I was surprised to see Onyewu play yesterday. He was clumsy but what's worse, I don't think any teammate has any trust in him. We all know that he is rather week defensively, but could be useful offensively; also his throw-in could be potentially deadly. Yet, I didn't see his specialty been utilized at all - he wasn't given any appropriate chance. No one was looking for him at the dead balls, and he didn't get to throw the ball in either. Why the heck play him if you don't plan to actually use him? My guess is that probably Leo did plan but the players on the pitch didn't (want to) follow.

I feel bad for him.

He was there for set pieces, corners and long free kicks, Milan had lot of corners and oneywu was in involved in 3 or 4 of them towards the end, but that did not work.

If I am Leo, I will try this lineup.

-----Storari----
Abate--Nesta--Favalli--Flamini
----Gattuso---
Pirlo---Seedorf---Janku
Dinho--Pato

Everyone was blaming Ancelotti for our failure last year because his 4-3-2-1 formation but now it's obvious that he was very smart playing that way. Pirlo and Seedorf lost their legs, so we need two of Gattuso-Flamini-Ambrosini in the team. If Leonardo wants to keep Pirlo deep, he needs Seedorf to link-up between midfield and attack, and playing that way we have to have one veeeery creative striker/supporting striker like Ronaldinho, or Kaka last year. Further plus, Huntelaar was ironically the player that Ancelotti was missing in 4-3-2-1 formation, and with a lot of creativity behind him he will finally start to score.

So the obvious choice is 4-3-2-1 with Gattuso, Pirlo and Flamini in midfield and Seedorf and Ronny in front of them.

BUT, this system is very risky because this way we are loosing any backup in midfield. Ambrosini would be our only decent cover in midfield, not counting wing backs.

Bonjour les amis.

I remember the best years of R10 when was playing for Barça

Correct me if I am wrong but the creative at that time was Deco and Dinho was playing on the left side of the attack supported in his back by Gio van Bronckorst(today in Feynoord Rotterdam)

Can't we do that in Milan considering Pirlo as creative

Storari
Abate(Zambro)/Nesta/Silva/Anto(Janku)
Flamini/Ambro(Gattu)
Pirlo(Seedorf)
Pato/Borrielo(Hunt)/R80(Inza)

It's moreless the same animation as Barcelona

I think we miss Borrielo because he runs a lot in the attack and create space for R80 and Pato.

I don't believe in Hunt...he has no talent /can't run/score/

Rgds

Originally Posted by TSHI

Bonjour les amis.

I remember the best years of R10 when was playing for Barça

Correct me if I am wrong but the creative at that time was Deco and Dinho was playing on the left side of the attack supported in his back by Gio van Bronckorst(today in Feynoord Rotterdam)

Can't we do that in Milan considering Pirlo as creative

Storari
Abate(Zambro)/Nesta/Silva/Anto(Janku)
Flamini/Ambro(Gattu)
Pirlo(Seedorf)
Pato/Borrielo(Hunt)/R80(Inza)

It's moreless the same animation as Barcelona

I think we miss Borrielo because he runs a lot in the attack and create space for R80 and Pato.

I don't believe in Hunt...he has no talent /can't run/score/

Rgds

Actually, Deco was the main player in midfield but Barcelona didn't play with 2 DMs and one CM but with 1 DM and two CMs ... I mean, the best would be to have Flamini behind Pirlo and Seedorf for example.

But the main problem is that these players can't run for 90 minutes anymore, and if they do (they still can do it for one game), they won't be at their best form in the following game.

So I would try your formation this way:

--------- Flamini ----------
------ Pirlo - Seedorf ------
Borriello - Pato - Ronaldinho

But it's only a formation "on paper", regarding the form of some of these players, we would maybe be more terrible than we already are ...

90 mins of football devided for two teams... 50% of the time the ball is out of bounds for throws and goal kicks (except Barca, arsenal and shaktar, who seem to be above average) this leaves us with 45 minute to share for two teams, 22.5 mins a team... each team has 11 players, that is over minute of ball time per person... that means each player must run for atleast 98 minutes without the ball... most of our squad cant do that.....
the problems comes down to the lack of youth... NO ENERGY... our players know what to do but cant do it for 90+ mins... dont care how technically poor a team is they can make up for it if they can run like Bolt for the entire game...

Another loss as far as I am concerned, regardless of who we field in the starting 11.

I would go for Hunter as a single striker, Pato out wide, R80 on the left flank, then pack the midfield with defensive midfielders...shoot, I'm basically clutching at straws here...

Silva being out really sucks, but the international break comes at a really good time for us, as hopefully we will get him back for the next league/UCL rounds.

Don't care who doesn't like it, Onyewu shouldn't come anywhere near the starting lineup...he can get a last 15min "desperation" inclusion for set pieces etc when we are losing with a few minutes to go in the 2nd half.

This is a regional derby, and Atalanta is always motivated to perform vs us and Inter...and with a new coach to impress, our confidence at an all time low following the Zurich debacle midweek...we are truly up against it.

A must win game so soon in the season? What a joke we are!!!

Ah well, I knew it was goin to be a long season.

Warro who would u put in as CF's if its not Nesta-Thiago?

Im not saying you guys dont have a right to bash Gooch, but give the guy some playing time first. This goes back to Gorky days, i was a big fan of his but we had people that bashed him and he even got more playing time than Gooch.

Im not calling Gooch the next Nesta, but i would feel much more comfort with him than KK-Favali.

OCmilano: If neither Nesta or Silva are available, then Favalli and Bonera....I think Bonera is out, so Kakadze I guess....not sold on him either, but hey, he is more experienced in the Milan system...

Onyewu is for me just as much of a liability as Kaladze, I just think overall, he is a better footballer than the American...

On set pieces, Onyewu is probably better, in open play though, I would opt for Kaladze as the better option....

Truth be told, if Bonera were fit, as I mentioned above, he would start over both.

Can't believe Bonera is still out.

My God what is going on with my Milan... ((

listen we had a terrible game aganst zurich ok but im quite sure zurich,IS BETTER THAN ATALANTA the champions league always has a surprise team porto,fenerbace, with the bad luck we got they balled us up, atleast we didnt get balled up like liverpool, im sorry but leonardo is going out soon, i have no idea how ranieri's AS ROMA looks 10x better now and compititive, this would be my formation i hope leonardo has b***

---------Storari-----------

Abate---Gooch----Kala----Oddo

Strasser---Gattuso----Flamini

----------Pirlo-------

------Pato------------

----------------Klass--


strasser gots speed gattuso is a wall and flamini actually runs, pirlo can actually pass and run but has to be limited....pato needs to play closer...and i wont give up on klass who just arrived almost a month ago to a new country language league...abate has to push for us

let seedorf get some rest! man you guys are gona explode on what i read on tuttuomercatoweb.com about R80 im seriously considering he should get fined
or something this guy....just...does...not...get...it....

Originally Posted by Rossoneri Fuego

man you guys are gona explode on what i read on tuttuomercatoweb.com about R80 im seriously considering he should get fined
or something this guy....just...does...not...get...it....

i just checked it now...if that is true, it's not he who does not get it...it's the management...a player who is that irresponsible should not just be fined but also transfer listed...

by the way, i also read that Milan primavera beat Inter's 3-0 at the TIM cup....doesn't that mean there might be some youngsters who deserve to get a chance? just get 1 defender, 1 midfielder, & 1 striker up to the 1st team and give them a run....i'm pretty sure they cannot mess up any more than the big guys are doing...there is no better time to test them...

Originally Posted by LebRN

i just checked it now...if that is true, it's not he who does not get it...it's the management...a player who is that irresponsible should not just be fined but also transfer listed...

by the way, i also read that Milan primavera beat Inter's 3-0 at the TIM cup....doesn't that mean there might be some youngsters who deserve to get a chance? just get 1 defender, 1 midfielder, & 1 striker up to the 1st team and give them a run....i'm pretty sure they cannot mess up any more than the big guys are doing...there is no better time to test them...

Zigoni, Verdi scored and someone else cant remember who, they also said that they hope that they can get chance to play for the first team.