Totally agree on this one, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Such shame from a player playing in such a central and crucial position. Aquilani on the other hand now captains Fiorentina and regularly puts in good displays. The most nonchalant Milan captain I've seen in my life. Montolivo just doesn't get out of his comfort zone, never gets going!

Biggest fraud I've ever seen play for Milan.

I'd rather have Muntari, Essien and Bonera in the team than he. Those guys might be shite buy they do try. Monto just sits there looking like he wants to be anywhere else.

Well, I'd cry with joy if he leaves. He's the new Balo.

In the great Milan teams of the past, he'd be lucky to get any playing time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Bench player at most in our teams of the early 90s and 200s. I actually think this attitude means his performances have actually regressed than what he put in with his previous club.

I can count really inspiring Montolivo performances with Milan on my left hand and still have fingers to spare!

I thought Lopez was solid except for one moment when he tired to act all cool and gifted the ball to Chievo.

Antonelli, I wasn't impressed much. Did the minimal, but nothing exceptional.

De Jong was top class. For his role, he does it in spades. Only lost the ball once that I remember, and so many good interventions.

The rest I agree with.

In the olden days we'd have been calling other trolls for our opinions!

De Jong was a little loose in midfield, but defence wise I can't fault him. Lopez was far from solid IMO.

Oh Anto wasn't exceptional, but I thought he was by far our best player. Compare with what MDS offered there.

2012/2013 was the only season he produced a few good displays. Since about summer 2013 he's been a complete and utter joke. Worst captain we've had in my lifetime and living off the fat of the land the wage provides. He needs to leave ASAP.

Disagree with pretty much everything in the defensive part. But I'll give my rating tomorrow, with a clearer head.

Or just sit the bench.

I'd rather we weren't paying him.

If you say Bonera was MOTM I will officially garotte you.

Looking forward to them, man. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Didn't catch the match in full, only saw glimpses and stretches. These ratings do provide new insights into how the team is playing, though I don't actually expect major positives considering just how lackluster the display was. I'd much rather see the team losing in the process of trying.

At least, they'd learn and grow this way and better themselves in future encounters. This was just limp!

I won't. He was caught off guard too many times. But was he our worst player? Can we give notes like 4 to keepers and players who in the end kept a clean sheet? Not in my book. So, without further delay, here are my ratings.

Lopez - 7 - minor mistakes, but a very solid performance, especially in 2nd half with 2-3 good saves

Bonera - 5.5 - showed good game-reading, but was caught off position more then once
Bochetti - 5 - terrible positioning makes him one of the worst players
Alex - 6.5 - solid performance with some minor errors and one big
Antonelli - 6.5 - did okay with going forward, worked hard but made also positional and covering errors

de Jong - 7.5 - defensively a beast, best player on the pitch
Montolivo - 5 - very poor and uninspired game; lost countless times possession with his poor dribbling
Poli - 6.5 - worked hard, had his ups and downs

Bonaventura - 6.5 - same as Poli
Menez - 5.5 - not really in this game, he could have made the match-winning pass
Destro - 5.5 - solid performance, especially since the gameplay isn't in his favor, but still had to try to do more

-------------

Honda - 5.5 - started with that good shot off the wood, but then turned into a phantom
Pazzini - 5.5 - completely ineffective (see Destro)
Cerci - N/A - out of shape, but had too little time to adapt to the game

All in all, I think Pippo should drop the tactic he's implying for once and for all. Torres, Pazzini and Destro all look(ed) pretty much the same - like ineffective rocks with no real connection to the rest of the team. Menez and Bonaventura (especially) are also wasted on the wings. Menez is such a problematic player when it comes to formations and positions anyway.

The midfield is the generator of our problems. Too many missed passes, back-passes, inprecisions and overall mistakes.

I made a post during the game about the movement of our players.

I think this is our major issue. We just don't move when we have possession. So no wonder we make about a thousand back and sideways passes during a single game. No wonder our midfielders all look like incompetent idiots when on the ball.

We have possession and everyone stands still so we pass it back to the defenders, rinse repeat. It's just so frustrating to watch.

Agreed with everything.



But Menez doesn't really play on the wing. He's always being employed as a SS. I think, given the many wingers we have (Menez, Suso, Cerci, SES) we should try and exploit them more properly.

Pippo has failed to "educate" Menez. He's selfish, does whatever he wants, thinks himself as the Ibahimovic of this team. Look at Hazard at Chelsea. More talented and yet dedicated to the cause, always sticking to his duties and playing for his teammates. Menez has the "Balotelli" bug, but I think it's fixable as long as a proper manager gives him a proper lesson. Pippo clearly isn't that person.

I think Menez needs to be given a clear role. i.e You are a winger, stay on the f@cking wing!!! That should be drilled into his head.

Giving him these free roles as a false 9 or a SS is just asking for his ego to run away with him as he thinks he's the focal point so it's his god given right to not pass to anyone and shoot any time he gets a sniff at goal.

The only way that I feel like we can incorporate all our best players and use them to the best of their abilities is with a 4-2-3-1.

Pippo needs to start using Cerci. He needs to make use of Bonaventura's best assets and not lump him in as a winger or AM. He needs to get the best out of Menez and ensure that he's got guidelines to follow and he needs to get our strikers scoring, and this disjointed system will simply never do that

Also, a double pivot system will take the pressure off our less than stellar midfield imo as the creating falls on the shoulders of the 3 behind the striker. Our midfielders are simply not good enough for us to use a system like the 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2, systems like these are solely dependent on the talent and creativity of the midfielders, something we simply don't have.