[Portman]

(IMG:http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/07H9dTI56v5IY/610x.jpg)

He's in. Bem-vindo Robinho!

[Fillipo Simone]

I'd rather have Borriello than a petulant striker who has pitched fits at every european club he's played for.

Borriello had his problems also prior to joining. I'm willing to give Robinho the same chance like every new player should be granted. After all Milan has a special effect on players even Real and especially City cannot provide.

[vnata001]

Borriello had his problems also prior to joining. I'm willing to give Robinho the same chance like every new player should be granted. After all Milan has a special effect on players even Real and especially City cannot provide.

exactly this.

Robinho's club career has been a mismanaged one, and a classic example of why if you are young, stay away from Madrid. They don't embrace their players until they've proven themselves. and if you're young, and amongst Galacticos, then how can you possibly succeed instantly (history repeating itself with Benzema currently?). He showed signs of breaking out (for Brazil he started becoming a protagonist off of his Copa America 07 performances, and his last season for the club he was 2nd in scoring and assists for the team, despite not playing consistently). But Madrid just used his rising stock to try and leverage a move for C-Ron. R9 is gone, so Robinho realizes the club he thought he was going to actually wasn't, and bounced anywhere he could.

Man City is also a cold place (pun intended - both the team camaraderie and weather matter for fun&sun-loving Robinho!). Sure, he had a huge price tag. But he lived up to it at first, hitting 15 goals on a mediocre team. Then next season, after an injury, without consistent playing time, he's criticized for not immediately banging in hattricks (expectation and criticism thank to his price-tag and media hype). Elano's gone. He doesn't see his future at Man City, wants out. He takes the English media wrap for being a problem-child, flop.

The truth is though, is that Robinho, a massively talented player, was at these clubs at a time when they were unstable, and not necessarily good incubators for his talents.

Santos is the only club where Robinho has felt like he was actually valued at the club, and has grown into his role there. and look how he performs there. For the Brazil NT, Robinho feels important, and excels, undisputedly so.

Milan represents the kind of environment that players like him rehabilitate in. Seedorf and Pirlo blossomed here after criticism. So did R99 pre-reinjury. Beckham fit in seamlessly and proved his worth after being written off. Ronaldinho's done the same.

Also, Robinho's arrival to this club is not a HUGE money situation. He was a bargain buy. He's 26/27, thinking about being the centerpiece superstar veteran of Brazil 2014. He's even more motivated than say a 29 yr old Ibra. Pato being here is all the more reason for Robinho to commit to the club. Dinho's proven he can be a hit at Milan if he follows his lead. Robinho knows that he's coming into a team where there won't necessarily be the intense, overbearing pressure on him to succeed immediately. Players always feel a sense of calm playing for us, unlike the stresses of Madrid and England.

If we are to maximize the potential of our 'cut price Galacticos', it'll be because of the AC Milan environment. It'll be because Allegri's nonchalant, pragmatic persona + shrewd tactics inspires confidence in our team. and players like Rino, Ambro, Dinho, Clarence, Nesta, Thiago, Antonini, Zambro (the core from the team that grew together last year) all lead by example - by continuing to play with hunger, not with entitlement like we did under Carlo.

If we keep the unity of the team, but turn up the intensity both vocally/physically (Rino, Ambro, Dinho, Clarence), Boateng's fiery hunger could feed into it, and Zlatan and Robinho will feel they have something to prove to Milan.

This post has been edited by vnata001: Sep 2 2010, 12:34 AM

[m1ke]

...

Well, he's convinced me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)