Summer Mercato 2010

Originally Posted by Christian

Antonini is right footed, he's better at RB than LB.

That is not completely true.

As I know, Paolo Maldini was more comfortable with his right foot. Defending aside, he was know for cut-in, shooting when attack, not for his crosses.

Phillip Lahm is right-footer, but he play at LB very well, he play RB last season only to promote Badstuber and Bayern want to use his crosses.

If a Fullback is not good at crossing but possess pace and attack-mind, he should play on opposite flank. Given that there are much less left-footers than right ones, Leftback, Leftmidfielder, Leftwinger often are Rightfooter who can cut inside.

Flamini play LB at Arsenal.

To summarized. Favourite foot at the same flank for crossing, opposite foot for cut inside and shooting (Lahm is the best example).

Bonera can't play LB because he is old to change, after injury and he is quite slow, no shooting skill.

I don't think Antonini is a good crosser, as a former LM, he know how to cross as student know how to do math, but only so.

Leo's main idea about Abate was to use him as a LB, and I think Abate can be better than Antonini at cutting inside, but Antonini played better than expected and with Oddo & Zam both injured, he had no choice.

half time...milan should be keeping an eye on F.Coentrao of Portugal.... Forget David Luiz (who is also good), but Benfica have a true gem of a left-back in Coentrao..we should use our links with Rui Costa to get him. I've been waiting for a loooong time for a world class FB to come out of nowhere and finally I think the next great fullback will be Coentrao.

I think Fabio Coentrao has been good in the World Cup so far. He's good on the ball and has pace and could be a sound purchase. In an ideal world it would be nice to think we could get him and Van der Wiel for our defence this summer but i don't see it happening.

Realistically we could raise about 45 million through sales (Boriello, Huntelaar, Ronaldinho, Kaladze), naturally we'd have to replace some of these, but there's room to buy some good players. Maybe Allegri's enthusiasm can lead to some decent purchases.

I seem to remember a while back that Rui Costa said he'd sell his Benfica 'stars' to us. They have some good players that could be useful. I've already mentiond Coentrao, but there's also David Luiz, Ramires and Cardozo (no one seems to be talking about him much at the moment).

I know we can't afford a lot at the moment, but players are going for far more moderate prices than estimated. Di Maria went for £20 million when people were talking about him fetching nearer £40 million. Villa went for £35 million (i know out of our bracket) when others were mentioning nearer £50 million. CSKA only want £12 million for Krasic - the point is players are available for less than we think so we should be making a move for some of these guys.

Originally Posted by Elmago99

Sell Kaldze, Oddo, Seedorf, Gattuso, Dida,,,

Buy 2-3 new players and promote 2-3 new players...

Hello? Dida's contract has expired and he's no longer a Milan player. Be a bit difficult to sell him.

Originally Posted by Xudong

Here is my plan. Sell Abbiati (he whines too much), and release Roma (perhaps useless), then re-sign Dida (no, I am not kidding) for a year for 1 million at most. Then promote someone younger.

... and bet on Amelia as our No.1. The worst, we re-use Dida for another year, and you know what, as crazily inconsistent he is, I rate him higher than anyone else (yes, including Storari).

OK. I might be crazy, but that's truly how I think.

The only crazy thing would be Amelia at #1. Getting him on a measly loan while letting Storari walk to Juve is going to bite us in the ass.

Originally Posted by Blacktop

Hello? Dida's contract has expired and he's no longer a Milan player. Be a bit difficult to sell him.


The only crazy thing would be Amelia at #1. Getting him on a measly loan while letting Storari walk to Juve is going to bite us in the ass.

Yes I meant Sell/Release. I am glad Dida is released.. Amelia, Abbiati, Roma for this season will do, and then we'll see for future. I guess they have a lot of confidence in Amelia.

As for Coentrao..I like him A LOT.... how much do you think he'd cost?
€15 million?

-----------------------Amelia-----------------------------
Van der Wiel-----Nesta--T.Silva----Coentrao--------
-------------Flamini---Pirlo---Ambrosini----------------
--------Pato-----------------------Ronaldinho--------
---------------------Fabiano--------------------------

***Dzeko is not happening..let's be serious.. this is most we can ask for... and I doubt they'll sign 3 players...

Originally Posted by hitmannq8

half time...milan should be keeping an eye on F.Coentrao of Portugal.... Forget David Luiz (who is also good), but Benfica have a true gem of a left-back in Coentrao..we should use our links with Rui Costa to get him. I've been waiting for a loooong time for a world class FB to come out of nowhere and finally I think the next great fullback will be Coentrao.

This guy wouldn't start over Antonini. Nothing special about him.

Strongly disagree man..the most impressive players in this world cup for me would be Enyeama, Villa, Bastos and Coentrao. I think he is a million times better than Cissokho.

Blacktop: yes Storari was vgood but we didn't just let him walk to Juve. 4.5m euro in our situation can be very valuable. Plus we also have Abbiati who has been rather reliable in the last couple of years. Amelia on a free loan can't hurt, he could turn out to be something, if not, he'll be benched no biggie. I just see it as if we got 4.5m euros for free, that can be prove to be vital for a cheap management like ours.

Yes Coentrao was very good, if Luis Fabiano was 27 , he would be perfect but he is an excellent player. I disagree with some of you i want the Brazilians offense , Luis Fabiano - Pato, Pato should be there, he was in the quals...

Van der Wiel for RB and Coentrao for LB is ideal, but there are many people could think so. The price will become too high.

Loan Caceres and/or buy Otamendi is more realistic. We have other positions to worry about.

Originally Posted by Aficio

Van der Wiel for RB and Coentrao for LB is ideal, but there are many people could think so. The price will become too high.

Loan Caceres and/or buy Otamendi is more realistic. We have other positions to worry about.

I agree Otamendi is very good at least at defending and can provide us with another one CB. For Kaladze i wonder why we don't sell him, i know a club wich is interested, Panathinaikos (Greece)..

Originally Posted by Giorgos

I agree Otamendi is very good at least at defending and can provide us with another one CB. For Kaladze i wonder why we don't sell him, i know a club wich is interested, Panathinaikos (Greece)..

We are looking to sell Kaladze, and there are more than a couple of buyers interested. But he doesn't want to leave because nobody else would let him sit on his ass and collect a big fat paycheck the way we do. Galliani is letting players do whatever the hell they feel like doing, as usual.

Originally Posted by Giorgos

I agree Otamendi is very good at least at defending and can provide us with another one CB. For Kaladze i wonder why we don't sell him, i know a club wich is interested, Panathinaikos (Greece)..

No club pays Kaladze the wage he earns now. And if there are still clubs need him, they will get him next season for free. He can train at Milan with top equipments to retain body condition, why should he leave?

In the Millionaire Trio, Oddo & Kala are finished but Janku can still be used at DM position, it is OK to have him another year.


Watching this World Cup, the player I want Milan to buy the most is not Coentrao, der Wiel or Elia but Kuyt - a defensive forward. He can score, he can assist, he can also defend, but most of all, he moves a lot to help his team.

We need his movement, his determination.

Possession is imortant, but position is even more important nowdays.

A box-to-box midfielder who can move back and fort from CM to ACM is needed, but defensive winger/forward can not be ruled out, this is a box-to-box player on the flank.

Mourinho made Eto & Pandev did the works, why can't we copy him. In fact, Mou was not the inventor, people used this type of player long ago. Mou was just a student of Sacchi, who was the first coach put gaining possition over one on one battle, and the ideas came to his mind.

IMO, Leo tried to make Borri play so in the beginning of last season but he refused, he tried to recreate Hunter on the right flank, but the Dutchman failed because he didn't possess enough energy & will.

If Pato becomes more mature to be a world class SC, this:

----Flamini---------Pirlo----------Ambrosini-----
-------Kuyt---------------------------Borri---------
----------------------Pato--------------------------

will be great. Pato is faster and far more skillful than Millito, his finishing is not the world best, but he can gain experience. Pirlo's passing range is better than Scheijder, his longshot is good (freekick doesn't counted here )

Copying Mou is not fun, Borri is hard to change, Dinho may remain and we don't know how the transfer'll go, but player like Kuyt is the type many clubs need or more precisely, modern football need.

Benitez made Kuyt a defensive forward, and I can be sure he will use Eto & Pandev at this task. If we don't use, at least prepare this to happen.

Originally Posted by Aficio

That is not completely true.

As I know, Paolo Maldini was more comfortable with his right foot. Defending aside, he was know for cut-in, shooting when attack, not for his crosses.

Phillip Lahm is right-footer, but he play at LB very well, he play RB last season only to promote Badstuber and Bayern want to use his crosses.

If a Fullback is not good at crossing but possess pace and attack-mind, he should play on opposite flank. Given that there are much less left-footers than right ones, Leftback, Leftmidfielder, Leftwinger often are Rightfooter who can cut inside.

Flamini play LB at Arsenal.

To summarized. Favourite foot at the same flank for crossing, opposite foot for cut inside and shooting (Lahm is the best example).

Bonera can't play LB because he is old to change, after injury and he is quite slow, no shooting skill.

I don't think Antonini is a good crosser, as a former LM, he know how to cross as student know how to do math, but only so.

Leo's main idea about Abate was to use him as a LB, and I think Abate can be better than Antonini at cutting inside, but Antonini played better than expected and with Oddo & Zam both injured, he had no choice.

I agree, right footed players can be very good as LB's, and left footed players can be very good at RB, but I just don't see Antonini cut inside very often. And to be honost, I think it's a bit against the idea of having full backs to join the attack.but

For us, last season, full backs joined the attack to provide width when Pato got into the goal area, and Ronaldinho cut inside. When they did that the full backs often were free to cross, which most often happens with their outside leg, ie. the right leg for a RB.

My point is just that I think that Antonini would be even better on RB than LB. Meaning that it would be better to get a LB than a RB.

Originally Posted by Christian

I agree, right footed players can be very good as LB's, and left footed players can be very good at RB, but I just don't see Antonini cut inside very often. And to be honost, I think it's a bit against the idea of having full backs to join the attack.but

For us, last season, full backs joined the attack to provide width when Pato got into the goal area, and Ronaldinho cut inside. When they did that the full backs often were free to cross, which most often happens with their outside leg, ie. the right leg for a RB.

My point is just that I think that Antonini would be even better on RB than LB. Meaning that it would be better to get a LB than a RB.

As you've said, Dinho was used to cut in, then no need for Antonini to do so, he just needed to take cover. And Dinho usually posed great threat to opponent RB & RM, so Anto's task was not too hard. I don't think he was very good there, just good enough.

We always lacked a propriated player on the right, so Abate was often exposed, that made him look bad.

Antonini may be better at RB, but I think Abate may be better at LB, too Who know, let Allegri do his job.

It's true what you say about Kuyt. His work rate is simply unmatchable. he works so much for the team.

But it's not just him in that Dutch team. Elia (whenever he enters the game) does the same thing. He goes all the way back and defends so deep. Against Slovakia yesterday, he was back in his own box defending a couple of times.

As a matter of fact, many teams (coaches) do it. Mourinho too as you mentioned. It's just part of modern football. And it really pisses me off when these players that make millions refuse to work hard on the field and refuse to work back and do what they are told. I personally am so over these big name as$holes that get paid yearly more money that I'll ever make in my life, yet they don't do what they are told.

As for our market, I don't even know what to think. Players are certainly available. Players that will surely improve this squad whether that's coming in as a starter or a squad player. I just don't know how hopeful we can be. But we surely, surely can't stick with these same exact players and expect much. Changes need to be made.