[Danny]

Let's face it, we suck. Pure and simple. It doesn't take 3D glasses to see how utterly terrible this Milan squad and team is, and sadly it's not even a CL contender.

Let's look at each position and judge it.

1: GK - ok we got Lopez. We finally have a decent keeper, it's one area we are now decent in.

2: Defence: fullbacks are good, actually good. Abate, MDS and Armero - it's not quite Zabaleta but then we're not quite Man City. It's still pretty good. CH is absolutely abominable though. There is no clear-cut 'best defender:

We have powerful and aerially dominant Mexes but who lets himself down by being a liability.
We have quick and dynamic Zapata whose concentration could be better.
We have composed and positionally decent Rami who isn't especially good in the air and isn't the strongest.
We have aerially decent Bonera who is good at last-ditch tackles and blocks but is slow and gets caught a lot.
And Alex who is hard to really judge at all.

Impossible to pick the best two or a best pair there.

3: Midfield: De Jong is glorious in DM but that's as good as midfield gets. Essien, Muntari, Cristante, Poli - none of these names excites and some downright terrify. Monto out till November but was absolutely terrible last season anyway.

3: Attacking midfield: Niang keeps showing little signs of improvement, Honda's mince, Menez we haven't a clue about and Saponara is mediocrity personified.

4: Forward: SES - destined to be Pato mark 2 IMO, Balotelli - destined to spunk his talent away with a stinking attitude. Pazzo tries but doesn't fit the Pippo system nor has he been in any sort of form for over a year.

Put this utter mess together and if we can scrape the EL qualifying slot in 6th place I'd be overjoyed. Napoli, Roma, Juve, Fiorentina, Inter and even Parma & Torino are all justifiably ahead of us and half of them are utterly rubbish too.

Pippo has his work cut out but it's abundantly clear his hands are tied and he isn't going to succeed. With that squad, how can he?

[Jack Sparrow]

I don't completely understand why we decided to do away with the trequartisa concept. What is this obsession with the 4-3-3??

I think Milan's formation has always been the pyramid (4-3-1-2), the modified diamond (4-1-2-1-2) and the X-Mas Tree (4-3-2-1).

This 4-3-3 doesn't suit us.

[X-Offender]

I don't completely understand why we decided to do away with the trequartisa concept. What is this obsession with the 4-3-3??

I think Milan's formation has always been the pyramid (4-3-1-2), the modified diamond (4-1-2-1-2) and the X-Mas Tree (4-3-2-1).

This 4-3-3 doesn't suit us.

Any formation with a trequartista behind two strikers is dead in the world of today's football, unless you're going with a 3-man defense formation that allows you to have more push from the wing-backs.

The reason we've changed is because wingers have acquired a very important role nowadays. Every team plays with wingers, be it 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 or 3-5-2. Moreover, going with a 4-3-1-2/Christmas-tree would require a lot of creativity in midfield and spectacular strikers in order to do without the aid that would eventually come from the wings.

That's what I think anyway.

[CHU-LIP]

Any formation with a trequartista behind two strikers is dead in the world of today's football, unless you're going with a 3-man defense formation that allows you to have more push from the wing-backs.

That's perhaps what Milan should do.

Honda, trequarista. Behind the two forwards: El Shaarawy (may come from the left) and Balotell (if staying).
Armero, left wingback. You can have Abate as right wingback. De Sciglio should fit as leftcentral defender.
De Jong and either Cristante or Poli behind Honda. This way no 'need' for Muntari (backup for De Jong).

It seems the only way to have all the (good) players in positions they fit into.

This post has been edited by CHU-LIP: Aug 21 2014, 04:11 PM

[kurtsimonw]

That's perhaps what Milan should do.

Honda, trequarista. Behind the two forwards: El Shaarawy (may come from the left) and Balotell (if staying).
Armero, left wingback. You can have Abate as right wingback. De Sciglio should fit as leftcentral defender.
De Jong and either Cristante or Poli behind Honda. This way no 'need' for Muntari (backup for De Jong).

It seems the only way to have all the (good) players in positions they fit into.

I'd be fine with this.