[whoarethepatriot...]

From a C4 Football Italia Blog

Nelson Dida was forced to sit out a Champions League game last night, but Susy Campanale hopes it will be the first of many

Not even his own teammates could bring themselves to stand up for Nelson Dida after his farcical theatrics in Glasgow. The reasons behind his ‘injury’ when tapped on the cheek by a Celtic fan prompted endless jokes ranging from “a panic attack” to “the supporter holding a poisonous snake that bit the goalkeeper on the cheek.” Not since Marco Materazzi’s close encounter with Zinedine Zidane has the media enjoyed such comedy speculation. Dida has tried to put it all behind him with an act of contrition – he walked all around San Siro before the warm-up to Sunday’s 1-0 defeat against Empoli and bowed down to the crowd. Is this and his one-match Euro ban enough? No chance.

The truth is that Dida has been a source of constant embarrassment to Milan since the moment he arrived and the Celtic Park incident really was just the final straw. Going all the way back to his fumble at Leeds United, where he let a harmless last-minute shot squirm through his hands, the goalkeeper has had fans shaking their heads in disbelief. Never any good on crosses, dreadful at taking control from set-pieces and generally prone to at least one howler per month, he is not good enough to play for the champions of Europe. To think the Rossoneri could have signed Gianluigi Buffon in the summer rather than stump up more cash for this Brazilian liability!

It’s a shame his Champions League ban was reduced from two games to just one, as he could have taken the time to learn medieval basket-weaving, knitting or meditation – alone time where one can reflect on mistakes. While he has taken a monastic vow of silence over the whole Celtic affair, Dida will have to speak to the media eventually and the first question will be: “What the hell were you thinking?! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” He will have no answer, his silence to this point has already spoken volumes.

What’s worse, Dida has now gone from simply not a terribly good player – resting on the reputation created in 2003 by a penalty shoot-out that had more to do with Juventus bottling it than his shot-stopping capabilities – to being an absolute embarrassment. The fans were already jeering him before Glasgow, they are unlikely to forgive him after making the side into a laughing stock the world over. The only reason the Diavolo have put up with him this long is that Zeljko Kalac is even worse. Marco Amelia is already lined up for January and that will be the end of the Dida Comedy Hour.

I have to agree with blog, Dida has been declining for some time now and i hope a replacement is bought in soon

[Jack Sparrow]

Really cool sig. And that was a great clip you dug up. i think the song by Simple Plan is really appropriate to the current situation. 'Me against the World'.

He made a mistake, he apologized. This issue is over. I can't wait to see him back.

Is it just me or do all our goalkeepers do better when they're wearing the yellow jersey?

[MizNelson]

Really cool sig. And that was a great clip you dug up. i think the song by Simple Plan is really appropriate to the current situation. 'Me against the World'.
He made a mistake, he apologized. This issue is over. I can't wait to see him back.

Thanks, Jack. He's actually looked more secure in the matches he's played since Celtic. I just hated that Ch. 4 couldn't let the issue die themselves in lieu of that inflammatory blog.

Is it just me or do all our goalkeepers do better when they're wearing the yellow jersey?

Oh, God, I can't stand those screaming yellow jerseys. The next time Kalac plays in that strip, given his height, they should blast Trini Lopez's "Lemon Tree" over the loudspeakers.

If she's up to the task, the crackerjack translating services of our favorite meaniehead-hating fish-doll magnate are needed here.

[Fabio] Cudicini: ‘Dida? Problema psicologico’

Secondo lei da cosa è dovuto questo rendimento di Dida? Dall’età del giocatore, 34 anni, o è un fattore psicologico?
‘Secondo me non è un problema di età, bensì un fattore psicologico. Dida giocava bene fino ad una stagione e mezza fa, quando aveva 32 anni. Ora ne ha 34 e non può essere peggiorato per l’ età. Dida ha un carattere chiuso ed è un ragazzo sensibile. Quindi fino a quando le cose andavano bene, i piccoli errori non venivano neanche presi in considerazione. Ora, invece, le cose sono peggiorate e le critiche sono aumentate. Poi sono arrivati i fischi dei tifosi e i loro applausi ironici ad ogni sua parata. Dida, secondo me, ha sofferto tutto questo. Il ruolo del portiere è particolare, non può sfogare nulla, trattiene tutto e se le critiche aumentano, entrano in gioco fattori emotivi’.

Contro lo Shakhtar mercoledì sera come le è sembrato Kalac?
‘Kalac mi ha impressionato per la sicurezza, in Champions è stato perfetto. Nelle prese e nelle respinte è stato sicuro. Per il suo carattere estroverso è più facile per lui superare un momento negativo’.

Quindi con un Kalac in ripresa la questione portieri del Milan è migliorata?
‘Secondo me si, almeno uno dei due ora è in condizione’.

Per Ancelotti è una scelta difficile?
‘Ancelotti è un allenatore che ha buon senso. Vede all’opera i suoi giocatori ogni giorno. Qualsiasi scelta tra Dida e Kalac sarà la migliore’.

Dida, però, proprio per il suo carattere chiuso, come potrebbe prendere la panchina?
‘Fossi Dida la prenderei come un incentivo per fare meglio’.

Parliamo della sceneggiata di Glasgow. Cosa è successo al brasiliano?
‘Dida era consapevole degli errori fatti in entrambi i gol, e inconsciamente voleva ridare al Milan quello che prima aveva tolto. Questa è la mia interpretazione’.

Per quanto riguarda le scuse, secondo lei erano dovute o si potevano evitare?
‘E’ un bravo professionista e si è sentito di fare questo. Dida è una persona sensibile. Non lo ha fatto sui giornali e ha pensato di farlo a San Siro, nel suo stadio e davanti ai suoi tifosi. Secondo me ha fatto benissimo’.

(datasport.it)