[han2503]

Around 35k season tickets have been sold so far. So hopefully we'll have a pretty big crowd for the first home game of the season.

3 points before the international break will be crucial here, especially since the other teams we're up against for 4th all started well

[Danny]

Ok, some post-match ramblings. I'll reply to any current replies to me tomorrow.

Right, first off I think Borini is getting a really harsh press. He was not a fashionable signing and no one likes him, but he's filling that role of the unglamorous worker who will run his @ss off and can actually play a bit. Did I envisage him as a starter when we signed him? No. But he is not disgracing the shirt and fights for it. More than can be said for quite a few others.

Secondly the ref got some key calls dead right. He got one or two wrong, but he did NOT in any way influence the outcome of the match in a negative way. The major stuff he got right. He is the least of our concerns. I'm fed up with refs being blamed for things.

Montella is becoming a problem - on paper this was 4-3-3 for no reason other than it just was, but on the pitch it was somewhere between one and a 4-2-3-1 but there seemed little logic between the changes. It's a poorly conceived formation and isn't working. It hasn't worked since November last year yet Montella just won't change it. He confirmed pre-match that the one formation we've actually looked quite good in, 3-5-2 v the Macedonians, has been ditched. It wasn't right, apparently. I just don't understand what he is trying to do. It appears to have no plan at all.

Calhanoglu doesn't fit. He is so far a shockingly bad signing. He has no vision, he can't dribble, and there comes a point where his 4 month ban stops being an excuse. Right now he's a waste of a jersey, and that saddens me because he looked a bit better in pre-season. But then I've learned now just how much of a fraud pre-season really is.

Defence is diabolical. It's being cut open even more easily than it was last year, and while I accept giving it time, Bonucci continues to look borderline dreadful and Musacchio barely any better. Bonucci was lucky not to get a red card.

Fullbacks were intriguing. Conti started well and looked neat going forward, and became more defensive as it wore on. It was his best display, even though I suspect he can be far better overall. Rodriguez I liked - wonderful display going forward and worked hard defensively too. Has no pace but doesn't really need any.

Kessie I thought had his worst match in our shirt. Constantly gave the ball away, but he looked ill at ease on the right - when he got going a bit later on he did marginally improve but it was by some distance his poorest show. I like him a lot and hope it's a one off.

Things changed significantly when Cal went off and Biglia went on. Our shape suddenly looked tighter, and while not a massive improvement in play, the organisation was better and we looked less vulnerable. Biglia seemed to give a sense of calm to midfield without even being that heavily involved.

Suso was brilliant - I take my hat off to him, he's making me look silly. An assist and a goal. Been brilliant this season overall and on this form remains our best player when in the mood. It's when he dips that he starts to flounder and that's when he pisses me off. His assist for Cutrone was one of the best I've ever seen. 100% intentional.

Cutrone is continuing to be the real deal - scored again and even though service started to dry up for him, he was always working. It's hilarious that Silva is now third choice striker.

Kalinic can clearly work hard, but so can Borini. Nothing he did was notable and I still can't figure why we signed him.

Montella. Mate. Figure this out. Figure out where you want to go with this Milan. There is no point f*cking around with formations and selections. Stop p*ssing about and pick the best team and formation with the players you have. I thought the 4-3-3 last season was because it was the best one for the players he has, but he's still bloody using it. He's not convincing me yet that he is the right guy long term, but then Sir Alex took 6 or 7 seasons to even win a trophy at Man Utd so I guess there's hope!

Overall the match was great for 20 minutes, but the water break ruined our momentum and we were second best till Biglia came on. That's not good enough. We need to figure this out because while there were glimpses of a top four team in there, right now it won't finish there if we struggle this much v Cagliari.