Banter 2009/2010

MILAN, Berlusconi: "This team make me suffer"
09:47| Redazione TMW | read 80
Source: Gazzetta dello Sport/goal.com

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi described his side’s early-season woes in no uncertain terms yesterday as he traveled to L’Aquila to visit the area of the devastating earthquake that hit the Abruzzo region last April.

“It’s a disaster,” Berlusconi sighed while exchanging a few words with some residents.

“They make you suffer as much as they make me suffer.”

But the smiling Italian prime minister, who turned 73 yesterday, soon changed his tune.

“Well, when I said ‘disaster’ I was just saying it for the sake of it.

“It is a difficult moment, but that’s football. It will pass. We’ll see where things stand in the end.”

Take little heed of what Berlu and the board says to the media during the course of the season. Behind closed doors, alot is at work. Braida is working overtime to help out LEO. The thing is, we have so many great players out on loan, and it just comes down to Leo to cull some of the older players and help make way for others.

Adriano Galliani: I Couldn’t Sell Milan Veterans
The chief executive has explained that the press would have slaughtered him for selling his aging stars in the wake of the 2007 Champions League success...
Sep 30, 2009 11:23:46 AM


Milan’s sluggish start to the Serie A campaign has once again reopened the debate over the Diavoli’s ageing side, but vice president Adriano Galliani has moved to explain why the club's veterans haven't moved on.

While fellow Italian giants Juventus and Inter have undergone massive changes over the past six years, the press argue that Milan are still heavily relying on the bulk of the side who lifted the Champions League in 2003.

“If Milan still have so many players who were on the pitch in Manchester, there are two reasons,” Galliani told the Corriere dello Sport.

“First of all, these same players have allowed us to win another Champions League and reach another final, a semi-final and a quarter-final.

“Besides, if during these years, perhaps after the success in Athens in 2007, I had simply tried to sell the likes of [Gennaro] Gattuso, [Andrea] Pirlo and [Massimo] Ambrosini, the press would not have spared me critiques and accusations, let alone the reaction of our fans, which I can only imagine.”

Milan sit 11th in the Serie A standings after the first six games of the season. They are back in action on Wednesday, when they host Zurich in the Champions League.

Vince Masiello, Goal.com

Galliani **** you... Im sick of his words every time I hear that money making director. Buy a new tie, this one doesnt work anymore!

Originally Posted by Christian

It's a pretty good system, and I like the idea. Leo has actually used this system a few times, I think, when we've been trying to score. So it's obviously something they've been practising. Although I think that Seedorf isn't at his best as a right playmaker, I think Leo has usually played Abate there. And I really don't like the whole 2 DM's thing, when you consider that we're playing with 2 pretty weak fullbacks, there's simply to many poor ball players to keep up playing possession football beyond playing the ball between the 4 defenders.

That's really what got me thinking, the fact Leo has been attempting to use it when we struggle. Abate is an option for the right side of midfield, but given how he's doing in RB compared to the other options I think it's fair he's allowed to continue there.

With two ball winners you have to remember Flamini can push forward and offer something going forward. Ideally, we'd have someone like Hernanes there who can distribute well but is also physically aggressive to cover the backline (I'm sure Brasileiro would consider Jucilei for the role too).

The thing is, we are putting a lot of responsibility on single individuals who simply aren't up to the task right now. In this system there are generally 2 players working in tandem trying to achieve similar goals, so the responsibility spreads out a bit.

The other influence on me was recently watching Barca - Milan 1994 and thinking about some of the past teams.

Sacchi's Milan used a fairly similar shape and so did Capello's. The two teams looking something like...

Sacchi's

-----------------Galli-----------------
Tassotti-Costacurta-Baresi----Maldini
---------Ancelotti--Rijkaard----------
--Donadoni----------------Columbo (later to be replaced by Lentini)
----------------Gullit----------------
---------------Van Basten-----------

Capello's (I'll just put the 1994 final team but with the normal defence)

---------------Rossi-----------------
Tassotti---Billy----Baresi-----Maldini-
----------Albertini-Desailly-----------
---Boban------------------Donadoni-
--------------Savicevic-------------
---------------Massaro--------------

In the second lineup Boban and Savicevic often switched positions.

It's also the case with the 2003 CL final lineup, where the team adjusted to 4-4-2 as Juve were strong in wide areas and we needed cover. It looked like...

----------------Dida-----------------
Roque Junior--Nesta-Maldini---Kaladze
------------Rino----Pirlo-------------
--Rui Costa----------------Seedorf---
----------------Sheva---------------
----------------Pippo----------------


And it's also a system Capello is implementing with the current England side with great success, resulting in something like...

-----------------varies---------------
Johnson-----Rio------Terry------Cole---
-----------Lampard----Barry----------
---varies---------------------Gerrard--
-----------------Rooney--------------
------------------varies---------------

Goal.com said that Lazio is leading in the hunt for VdV in Jan for 8 mil. if that is all he costs, we must sign him

Originally Posted by pirlofanusa

Goal.com said that Lazio is leading in the hunt for VdV in Jan for 8 mil. if that is all he costs, we must sign him

Totally agree. He may have played in the CL by then, though (maybe even against us :P). But him in the league would really help us anyway, it'd be similar to what Ronaldo did for us when we won in 2007.


As for Samaldinho's arguement of how we can only play the teams in front of us, I would have to agree with the others that our defense has been made to look better than it has really been by the terrible offensive abilities of our opponents. If you really want a good indication of how we fair, lets wait for the double headers against Madrid. They concede many goals, yes, yet they still manage to score way more than their opponents, kind of like what we used to do :P


Oh, and for those who say we're dealing well with set plays, we just conceded on our first one against Zurich of all teams...

Rumours of Leonardo resigning soon.

If that's the case, then who's gonna replace him? Spaletti? I don't really think he's the guy we need, Roma was in a simular situation last year and he didn't really help them much. Maybe we can hijack Prandelli

I don't see the point unless Capello or similar quality coach is available

Originally Posted by Reza

I don't see the point unless Capello or similar quality coach is available

Do you think a manager of that rank will want to coach Milan, with this washed up players? I really doubt it.

my only dream right now for this team,as unrealistic as it may sound,is PRADELLI
i ve become obsessed with this idea the last year,i wanted him many years back,but i see he is one of the best around,there s no questinon about it..

ps i dont even have the will or the heart to comment the match..

we should start like 6 defenders (Nesta, Silva (if healthy) Zambrotta, Gooch, Falavi, Kala) and then start Flamini, Ambro, and Gattuso in midfield, and then put Inzaghi or Hunter up top. maybe that way we wont be embarassed.

I see no point replacing Leo right away -he may be inexperienced, newbie, however, considering resources he's got on hands, any other coach would have hard time too !

we need no new coach at the moment, we need total reinforcements, especially in the midfield..

anyway, beaten at home to Zurich, are we still 'numero uno' in the world Mr Berlu????? and Galliani, pls go & recheck make sure that was trace of UCL element in our DNA you found, not something else !!!!

can anybody tell me when davide di gennaro is back?, seeing HE IS THE ONLY NATURAL ATTACKING MIDFIELDER WE HAVE WHO ISNT OLD!

We need new players, plain and simple. While others reinforce, we sit back and watch. Now what do we do? In January not many first choice players will be available and whoever's available is probaby cup tied. We need to salvage this season and rebuild in the summer---what we should've done after the CL win in 2007.

Galliani says we win and lose as a team. Well now we have well and truly lost. OUr reputation is in tatters. WHo will take responsibility? Galliani? Berlusconi? As usual, cowards---quiet when we lose, noisy when we win.