Nitpick, huh? Sorry, but Ibra is not to blame here at all.

What did I say prior to this match? I showed no fear of the ever great and devastating Atalanta. I said this is a true test. And we failed. So what? I somehow lost the right to comment?

We've played teams who are in the CL an won. I feel like we're allowing Atalanta to hold some sort of hudu on us. We should have made a statement with this game, instead we came out with a whimper

Theo, Calabria, Samu and Leao completely let us down today. Kessie and Tonali were overrun. Pioli made the mistake of starting Meite here when he should have gone with the usual setup. Changing the approach for an opponent like Atalanta is a mistake

The title should still be the goal. I can't believe we're talking about making top 4 as if it should be our biggest ambition at this point. We're first in the table at the end of January. I absolutely do not agree with saying that top 4 should be our only goal at this point. We've come this far, why set limits that would only shackle you to mediocrity?

That was actually a sort of optimistic comment.

I apologise. By all means, go on then. Preach the greatness of this team. Another debacle after the 5-0 from last year against the 'half-baked' team.

Get out of jail free card used today.

Shoddy display, weak team, yet our title rivals could only draw.

This is our big escape.

Now we get as many players back as possible ASAP and move on.

We've been given a big help here.

I admit calling them half-baked was a mistake. But they are a strange team and I don't intend starting fearing teams like Atalanta. Respect yes, fear no.

And who said anything about greatness? I only said this is a test for us to show how good or even great we are.

I see this defeat really got to you.

Shows you all. Is it perhaps pessimistic optimism?

Not saying mediocre, on the contrary han a CL birth is a HUGE improvement to what this team had been accustomed to in the past I don't know how many years.

Being 1st place and finishing first place is surely the icing on the cake. But I would not call this team mediocre if they do achieve a CL birth and not finish 1st.

This is called managing expectations. If Milan don't achieve 1st place it is mediocre, not that's what managing expectations is all about my friend (IMG:style_emoticons/default/king.gif)

Saying this defeat got to me when I feared it while some of you were riding the hype train is sort of a weird thing to say.

Pretty sure fears coming true is a pretty upsetting thing to experience. But of course, it's nothing personal from him, as you clearly know!

This!

I'm not going to over-analyse this any longer, we came out with the wrong mindset and paid for all our mistakes today.

Pioli approached this incorrectly, and it was not aided by some truly bad displays from the players we rely on the most

Hakan imo would have been the difference today, we've shown how much we really miss him making that link between the midfield and attack.


Meh, could be. But it has more to do with relief tbh

Every time we've made a mis-step, Inter have not been able to capitalise, and not just today.

As Danny said, let's just focus on recovering our important players and move one from this. We have 3 very winnable games before the Derby while Inter have Lazio before us. So let's make sure we get that 3 point cushion back before then

The Coppa derby I couldn't give a sh!t about. Pioli should play the kids so we can bow out of it


I get your point, but having made it this far, saying that CL should be our goal is a bad outlook and just gives the team leeway to relax when that should not be the case. Why should we not aim for the title. If we don't win it in the end then I want to know that we did our best in every game. And unfortunately today is the first time this season that I can easily say that we didn't come out with the right mentality and we didn't show our usual fighting spirit.

Even in games where we lost points before today, I could always say that the team did their best, today that was not the case

Dude, of course I'm upset. I doubt there's a single soul in this forum who's not upset. But it's one thing losing when you feared so, and another losing when you're convinced you can win. Pretty sure the latter is more upsetting. So, what are you even talking about.

I don't think it's a mindset problem. Y'all have to understand, or I'm hoping you've understood by now, how this team wins games.

We slow down the tempo, jog around following our game plan to a tee. We make as few mistakes as possible, and capitalise on those few occasions we create. But we don't play great, fast, unpredictable football. As a matter of fact, teams who play like that are our biggest weakness. Because they push our limits and expose our flaws.

Inter. Napoli. Atalanta. These three teams are our biggest threats in the league. Whilst we faced Napoli in a very bad moment for them and won against Inter while suffering like crazy for the whole match, against Atalanta we could only twiddle our thumbs and watch. Or Lille in the Europa League. Same argument.

Juve, Roma, Lazio and everyone else, we can handle. Because they are more adaptable to our gameplay. Against Juve we only lost because we had half the starting squad out, but as I stated after the match with a full squad we would have won.

That's why I feared Atalanta tonight. They're like kryptonite to us, and it became fairly obvious throughout the match.

I must say, I disagree with you.

Firstly, I'm not riding any hype train, you obviously misread or misinterpreted my posts. I was merely saying that I do not fear Atalanta and yes, I imagine a world were we beat them at home. You make it sound like Atalanta is Barcelona with Messi and Iniesta at their prime.

The way you described our gameplan and "how we win" is shocking to me. I have my own eyes however; sure, we don't play football as enjoying as Barcelona or Arsenal in their prime, and yes, we ain't even (obviously) a great team. But we do play good football IMO and we can't be reduced to what you said.

Also, saying that we "can manage" Juventus but our biggest problems are teams we already defeated (and may I say we seem to have no trouble playing Napoli) is rubbish. I completely disagree. I also disagree with your assessment that Inter play "great, fast, unpredictable football". IMO they are a limited squad with limited ideas and as strict of a gameplan as our own with only one creator and one true danger - Lukaku.

I really hoped our team would show character today. Atalanta humiliated us last season, and I expected much more from Pioli and the team. But I think Han is right when saying that we started with the wrong mindset and IMO Pioli's wrong decisions made things unbearable.

Oh, and as for the Coppa game... it couldn't have come in a worse time. Another defeat could seriously damage our mindset, mentality and approach. And could boost Inter to chase us more effectively in the league.

I also fear the Pioli effect. I've seen his teams (Fiorentina, Lazio especially) starting great seasons and then spiraling down the drain come spring. I really hope this won't happen with us.

One last bit: don't you think we should go for a RW during this market? Samu is really a piss poor player.