MILAN vs palermo

Only positives was DeVito getting a go and handling the situation, and Hunter making the ocassional dangerous move.... There seems to be little motivation at the moment, so it makes sense to give some young players a go (they always have motivation)....

And yeah, surely Albertazzi must be looked at after Oddo's perfomance!

You have to know that we are only leading Palermo 5.5 points. The last three rounds are: Siena, Sampdoria, Atalanta for Palermo; and Fiorentina, Genoa, Juventus for Milan.

I think we will still be in the CL group stage next season, either as Italy's 3rd (80% chance), or 4th (20%), in which case we will buy in the summer and make sure that we are in; in this sense, maybe a 4th is even better than 3rd.

About the youngsters, my beef is that if you don't play them, you will never know how good or how bad they are. I am not saying (and I don't know) if Albertazzi is good, but if he was no good, at least we would find out and don't need to waste more time on him, but at least we should give it a try (or a few). Darmian was so very much hyped, but he proved to be no good, and so end of story, and we don't have to hold some unrealistic expectation on him.

i still cannot believe why leo selected oddo than albertazzi..

Milan defence is like a 7-11, open to everyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...

Links to Palermo 3rd goal and and Seedorf's goal anyone?

Originally Posted by Xudong

You have to know that we are only leading Palermo 5.5 points. The last three rounds are: Siena, Sampdoria, Atalanta for Palermo; and Fiorentina, Genoa, Juventus for Milan.

I think we will still be in the CL group stage next season, either as Italy's 3rd (80% chance), or 4th (20%), in which case we will buy in the summer and make sure that we are in; in this sense, maybe a 4th is even better than 3rd.

About the youngsters, my beef is that if you don't play them, you will never know how good or how bad they are. I am not saying (and I don't know) if Albertazzi is good, but if he was no good, at least we would find out and don't need to waste more time on him, but at least we should give it a try (or a few). Darmian was so very much hyped, but he proved to be no good, and so end of story, and we don't have to hold some unrealistic expectation on him.

Don't understand that bold part ...
Top 3 in 2009-2010 = group stage of CL next season for sure.
Top 3 or Top 2 in 2010-2011 = group stage the following season depending on what happens in this end of season with the German teams, and if it's not for next year, it will be for the following year because if we don't change anything, next year, we'll go directly in a wall during the group stage ... so just imagine that the 4th team, Palermo or Sampdoria, don't manage to qualify for the group stage and Italy is killed.

It seems like Oddo and Kaladze are having a competition of who can look more ridiculous on the field.

I can't decide between the two. Maybe someone here can, or maybe we can vote.

Oddo today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6MdWIec1QE

In the very very beggining of this clip you can see that Oddo is man marking Bovo. He is standing right next to him at the top of the box and then simply looses him. Silva is suposed to mark Kjaer and he doesn't do a good job with that too, but essentially is the idiot Oddo that leaves his man completely open in the back. Zambrotta also has to take the blame because he is marking Hernandez who actually is the first player that puts a head on the ball. But again, Zambro did good to obstruct Henandez.....Silva's man Kjaer didn't get in on the action anyway.....so essentially Oddo should have stayed with his mark.

The second goal doesn't even need analyzing, but what the hell, I'll do it anyway. The errorS (not one, but a few) are amateurish. Simply unnacceptable at this level. So first, the idiot can't even stop the ball (a skill they teach you when you are 8) and totally misscontrols it. Then after he loses the ball he makes a laughing attempt to clear it. Then after that fails he starts following Hernandez (actually the right thing to do) but then out of nowhere he makes a ridiculous decision to step up and play an offside trap (a trap that can surely go for one of the worst of the season). It's actually hilarious......the way he decides to step up for the offside well after the ball is even passed. (you can see it on the 1st replay of that goal in the youtube clip I posted. It's guaranteed to make you laugh even as painful as it is for us fans.

The third goal......Oddo is supposed to mark Micolli who is IN OUR BOX. Yet Oddo decides that he'll kind of stay 2 meters away from Micolli IN OUR BOX. So no wonder Micolli has time to stop the ball, turn with it, pull it to the side and calmly put it in the back of the net looking like Maradona. Even I can look like Maradona if you give me the ball in the opponents box with the CB hanging out 2 meters behind me. (not taking anything away from Micolli)
The funniest thing is that after the goal Oddo throws his hands up and down, kind of like trying to say...."what the f are you people doing, start playing".

Anyhow, I kind of put the blame on Leo for putting Oddo in as a CB. Leonardo should have realized in practice the fact that Oddo CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT be played in the heart of our defense. I've been a strong supporter of Leo and still am....but what's right is right and what's done is done......so this decision will have to go on him.

Having said that, I am not laying off Oddo. The mistakes he did (3 today) are simply unacceptable, I don't care even if you are a CF. You should have enough football knowledge in the brain to not commit these amateurish, childish and begginer mistakes. Expecially not when you are payed millions of Euros to do your job.

And now....having said all that.....I also want to point out that although I focused on Oddo, I never blame an individual for a defeat. Because for Oddo to be in the position to commit those mistakes the ball had to somehow make its way to Oddo. Which means someone else along the field commited a mistake before Oddo got a chance to commit his. So this defeat goes on to many people. From Gattuso's inability to do anything in attack and starting to be weak and slow defensively......to Dinho's lazyness at times. From Inzaghi's ridiculous finish and sleeping in offside positions......to Huntelaar's inability to have ANY kind of positive impact on the game in 90 minutes. From Jankulovski's dissapearing performance...to Zambrotta's fall from the throne and horrible crosses. From Seedorf's sloppy performance....to Leo's inability to recognize that Oddo should not be a CB........etc, etc, etc,.

I think you get my point.....so let's just hope that we finish 3rd and then pray for a good off-season.

Can someone get me a screen-cap of Galliani's look of dispair for the third goal?

I heard it was priceless

It is really interesting how Leo can still trust Oddo at CB. Is Albertazzi really that bad? Or Leo just don't want to put the kid in to avoid damaging his confidence?

Originally Posted by Gabriel489

It is really interesting how Leo can still trust Oddo at CB. Is Albertazzi really that bad? Or Leo just don't want to put the kid in to avoid damaging his confidence?

I wouldn't have risked Albertazzi starting against Palermo's attack for the whole game, but waited to see how Oddo coped....

Originally Posted by Saliwonczyk

Only positives was DeVito getting a go and handling the situation, and Hunter making the ocassional dangerous move.... There seems to be little motivation at the moment, so it makes sense to give some young players a go (they always have motivation)....

And yeah, surely Albertazzi must be looked at after Oddo's perfomance!

He seems having a good confidence. The was situation in the left penalty box in which he had the ball and chased by opponent (not so close to him though) and Silva who stayed right 1-2 meter beside him told him to make a long pass to the midfield aka to sweep the ball but he instead passed it to the Pirlo who was 1-2 meter on his left. This could be not a crucial thing but I still think that he has confidence and know the game play regarding the situation mentioned above.

Originally Posted by Gabriel489

It is really interesting how Leo can still trust Oddo at CB. Is Albertazzi really that bad? Or Leo just don't want to put the kid in to avoid damaging his confidence?

I think Leo acknowledged this wasn't a great game to put in Albertazzi. Palermo are extremely quick in attack and Albertazzi's isn't exactly fast. I also fear had he played in this match and we were slaughtered (and he wouldn't receive much protection from our midfield), then his confidence would have taken a massive dent, so it was maybe better for him in the long term to sit out of this one.

Originally Posted by Siregar

He seems having a good confidence. The was situation in the left penalty box in which he had the ball and chased by opponent (not so close to him though) and Silva who stayed right 1-2 meter beside him told him to make a long pass to the midfield aka to sweep the ball but he instead passed it to the Pirlo who was 1-2 meter on his left. This could be not a crucial thing but I still think that he has confidence and know the game play regarding the situation mentioned above.

I saw the Primavera final you posted the links to (thanks for that btw), and he did impress me in that match too. I'm not sure he'll ever be a starter for us but he does seem quite mature and confident for his age.

Speaking of that match, it's interesting to compare the Primavera to the senior side. For starters it was refreshing to see a midfielder in Milan colours that wasn't easily outrun by an opponent who had a little pace (barring Flamini).

Also, the primavera played as a much more compact group where everyone in the team works together. Defensively in particular, we usually defended with everyone except one who remained forward. It wasn't always the same players dropping deep, but rather players alternating to get back and support the team (often leaving Zigoni or Verdi up front).

It was also refreshing to see the players working hard. It wasn't like the senior team where if a player is tackled and no freekick is give, the player will stand there moaning to the referee even when the ball is 2 feet away from him.

Originally Posted by ACMILAN1983

I think Leo acknowledged this wasn't a great game to put in Albertazzi. Palermo are extremely quick in attack and Albertazzi's isn't exactly fast. I also fear had he played in this match and we were slaughtered (and he wouldn't receive much protection from our midfield), then his confidence would have taken a massive dent, so it was maybe better for him in the long term to sit out of this one.



I saw the Primavera final you posted the links to (thanks for that btw), and he did impress me in that match too. I'm not sure he'll ever be a starter for us but he does seem quite mature and confident for his age.

Speaking of that match, it's interesting to compare the Primavera to the senior side. For starters it was refreshing to see a midfielder in Milan colours that wasn't easily outrun by an opponent who had a little pace (barring Flamini).

Also, the primavera played as a much more compact group where everyone in the team works together. Defensively in particular, we usually defended with everyone except one who remained forward. It wasn't always the same players dropping deep, but rather players alternating to get back and support the team (often leaving Zigoni or Verdi up front).

It was also refreshing to see the players working hard. It wasn't like the senior team where if a player is tackled and no freekick is give, the player will stand there moaning to the referee even when the ball is 2 feet away from him.

I think that De Vito is not a hot prospect talent or similar but he could be useful like a sub for us seeing like you said how mature he is and confidence he has. He still lacks of experience and needs tons of games to be able to play with Milan. But if he is inserted to team, he could be follow Abate's path.

I like how the Primavera played (Final of Coppa Italia). Like you described, the team played with spirit and compact, except probably the midfield. The Primavera used 4-3-3 and kept small space for the opponent. We could see how the left forward (forget his name), Verdi and Zigoni moved free and interchangebly especially Verdi and the other forward, something that we can't see in the senior team.

I am not 100% sure if the play of our first team is because of the squad we have or that is the way Leo's tactic (no free movement from the wing forwards, no defensive task from the 3 forwards and no tough fighting spirit aka robust play from the players).

Nefremo, watched the clip. Oddo is at fault for every single goal. I feel sorry for Thiago who looks at him in such a confused way after the first and third goals.

p.s. Oddo is worst than Kaladze. They are both bad decision makers and often get simple things wrong. Kaladze however is much better in the air and sometimes makes strong tackles on strikers. I dont think I have seen Oddo out strength anyone all season.

About Devito, I didnt see anything to suggest he is ready or in fact not ready. We need to see a full game before we know.

Agree with K77SH, first goal is scored by Oddo's man since Oddo starts following Thiago Silva's man instead. Second goal, well it's 100% his goal, and third goal he's beaten by Miccoli, who btw should stop scoring against us...

Don't understand how Oddo became so poor. Yes he's not a CB, but he gets EVERYTHING wrong. He screws up simple passes, I remember the first three passes he made went to a Palermo man, and then ofcourse the part where he gave away a goal. Oddo used to be really good, I just can't see how age can make him this bad.