[Jack Sparrow]

Not neccissarily Jack, you know we got ripped on the counter last season also while playing Ambro and Rino, we also conceeded more cheap goals then probably any other team in the league.

If we play smart we won't get ripped on the counter, this is how we played before Sheva left, Seedorf in midfield with Kaka acting as trequartista and 2 strikers, and we'de have Cafu and sometimes Sergio on the other wing acting as fullback, and still we used to shread teams apart while not conceeding, even while playing with Kaladze at the back (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

I'm not saying play Seedorf in the midfield 3 against Inter or anything like that, but against an ultra defencive team like Bolonga it would be far better, we saw the 2 defensive mid tactic fail over and over again in the league against these inferior teams where we either drew or even shockingly lost. This is where Milan lost the league imo, not against Juve/Inter and Roma.

And btw, Brocchi rarely started matches, he was used as a form of insult to injury by Carlo, when we're trailing or drawing and we need a goal desperately and he would sub him in for Rino (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Was that really Rino we saw last season? Save for the derby. I think we were hopelessly let down by our ballwinners and Pirlo being too tired.

I think Flamini will be mega crucial. Not only can he be a ball winner, he also takes some pressure of Pirlo.

I mean... Rino---Ambro--Pirlo---Flamini

On paper, that's 3 DMs and a Pirlo but Flamini is just so versatile. For once, I think the management did Carlo a service and got him exactly the player he wanted.

Remember how 2 seasons ago, he asked for Emerson, and they got him Brocchi. Well this time, they didn't screw Carletto.

[CrazyMilanFan]

Was that really Rino we saw last season? Save for the derby. I think we were hopelessly let down by our ballwinners and Pirlo being too tired.

I think Flamini will be mega crucial. Not only can he be a ball winner, he also takes some pressure of Pirlo.

I mean... Rino---Ambro--Pirlo---Flamini

On paper, that's 3 DMs and a Pirlo but Flamini is just so versatile. For once, I think the management did Carlo a service and got him exactly the player he wanted.

Remember how 2 seasons ago, he asked for Emerson, and they got him Brocchi. Well this time, they didn't screw Carletto.

agreed about flamini he is box to box midfileder he is more than a definsive midfield

[Zed.D]

Mediaset's got an interesting article. (link) They're hypothesizing that Carletto seems ready to change the starting formation for Milan this year: that it'll move from the Christmas Tree 4-3-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1.

They're suggesting that the starting lineup may be something like this:

Abbiati
Zambrotta Senderos ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) ) Kaladze Jankulovski
Pirlo Gattuso/Flamini/Ambrosini
Ronaldinho Kaka Shevchenko
Pato/Pippo/Borriello

It's an interesting theory. I hope they're wrong about those two CBs starting together but shaking things up like this could produce interesting results if the defense can hold it together.

Carlo to change something? (IMG:http://qsmile.com/qsimages/179.gif) now I doubt that.

There's something wrong with that anyway. Sheva can't play as a supporting striker anymore. he'd do better if he played up front as a prima punta. not just because he's a good header and finisher, his age won't let him move around a lot anymore. before he left us his speed had already begun decreasing and now after two awful seasons and this fitness level? I doubt he can play there anymore...

Sheva/Pippo/Bori

Pato ----- Dinho ----- Kaka

This makes more sense IMO.

4-2-3-1 would be interesting. It seems to be the formation of modern football, alot of the top clubs and nations use it now. Maybe Milan will follow.

+1.


If I were Carlo I'd play with something like this (4-2-3-1):

Sheva [Pippo/Borriello]


Pato ---------------------- Kaka
Ronaldinho


Pirlo [Cardacio/Flamini] --- Flamini [Ambrosini/Gattuso]


Jankulovski [Zambrotta] -- Maldini [Kaladze] -- Nesta [Kaladze/Bonera] -- Zambrotta [Oddo/Bonera]


Abbiati [Dida]

But problem is that our defense is not that good. so Carlo will go with one more defensive midfielder/one less attacking midfielder [good old 4-3-2-1 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) ].

[Mook]

^^

Agreed.

This formation would definitely be the best way to go against the lower teams. That lineup really does looks pretty on paper from an offensive sense. Definitely agree in having Kaka' and Pato in the wide roles, since they can use their pace while Dinho can sit in the middle and play that perfect ball to either of them or through to the lone striker. But as much as I want to see Flamini in the starting lineup, I think swapping Ambro for Flamini would give the lineup a much better balance.

Sheva
Kaka' - Dinho - Pato
Pirlo - Ambro
Janku - Maldini - Nesta - Zambro
Abbiati

This is definitely going to be my starting FIFA 09 Formation. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Anyway its good to see we actually have some interesting and creative options with both the formation and personnel this season. However what Carlo actually uses is a whole different story and is very likely to be something predictable with all his favourites playing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[acid911]

Sheva
Kaka' - Dinho - Pato
Pirlo - Ambro
Janku - Maldini - Nesta - Zambro
Abbiati

You're right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) This is exactly the formation Carlo sees in his worst nightmares. It won't happen. If I was a gambling man, I'd bet both Ambro and Gattuso starting and either one of Pato or Sheva being in the field at any given time.

[gal_kenny]

I believe our formation is one of the major problems...Right now I think we should try this..Really..Once we see that the formation doesn't work 2-3 times, there has to be a change...I suggest 4-2-2-2

---------------Abbiati--------------

Zambro--Bonera--Senderos---Jankulovski

----------Flamini-----Pirlo----

--Kaka---------------------------Ronaldinho

---------Borriello------Pato

[Tennie]

GOALKEEPERS: 1 Nelson Dida - 12 Christian Abbiati - 16 Zelijko Kalac

DEFENDERS: 3 Paolo Maldini - 4 Kakha Kaladze - 13 Alessandro Nesta - 15 Gianluca Zambrotta - 18 Marek Jankulovski - 19 Giuseppe Favalli - 25 Daniele Bonera - 36 Matteo Darmian - 77 Luca Antonini - ? Philippe Senderos

MIDFIELDERS: 5 Emerson - 8 Rino Gattuso - 14 Mathias Cardacio - 21 Andrea Pirlo - 23 Massimo Ambrosini - 84 Mathieu Flamini

ATTACKERS: 7 Alexandre Pato - 9 Filippo Inzaghi - 10 Clarence Seedorf - 11 Marco Borriello - 20 Tabarè Viudez - 22 Ricardo Kakà - 76 Andriy Shevchenko- 80 Ronaldinho
---

That's our squad list.

Given the last few performances, who would I bench?
Keepers - Yes, Abbiati let in 4 in the last 2 league games but I'm not particularly blaming him for that. The defense has been atrocious. I'd keep him in goal.

Defenders: Maldini needs to retire gracefully to the bench, sad as it is to say. Kaladze is...awfully error prone. Nesta won't be back until mid to late October at the earliest. I'd keep Zambrotta and Janku on the flanks because they haven't been particularly sucktastic and, well, no real viable options. Favster needs to limit himself to last ten minute apeparances. Bonera hasn't been AWFUL. Haven't seen a pip of the other three.

Midfielders: Emerson shouldn't have been purchased. Rino's out for a month. Pirlo's been in unbelievably poor form both for club and country and needs to be benched. Maybe THAT will motivate him. I'm a bit of an Ambro fan but dunno about this whole 2 dm thing and believe Flamini has been better. Haven't seen Cardacio.

Attackers: Pippo, as usual, is injured for a couple of weeks. Pato, so the story goes, is blowing off training though at least he tries when he is played. Seedorf, well, not great but not as bad as some. Borriello didn't do too badly today; he at least was TRYING. Haven't seen Viudez. Kaka was badly out of form today; maybe he's not fully recuperated? Shevchenko...well, not impressed at all in the last two games. Ronaldinho was pretty good in Bologna but not so much today (you have to be REALLY bad to get a 4 from Datasport. Their comment on him was that he touched the ball in the 2nd minute and that was about it).

So with these assessments done, what sort of lineup does that mean I'd try?

Abbiati
Zambrotta Bonera Darmian Jankulovski
Flamini Cardacio Seedorf
Kaka/Ronaldinho (whichever seems to be in better form)
Borriello Pato

Probably a silly idea and a nutty lineup but someone needs to try something.

[Zed.D]

You have dropped Pirlo? honestly I didn't expect that as I thought he played better yesterday compared to the Bologna game. but it might not be a bad idea if we tried Cardacio. he's young and motivated and this may be the difference. Carlo doesn't even give him some minutes! hopefully he tries something new and ambitious on Thursday. as for defense, Maldini really needs to pave way for young defenders (Bonera and Darmian). Bonera did good against Genoa, it'd be only fair if he started the next game as well.

I'd like to see this lineup against Zurich.

Pato - Borriello

Ronaldinho

Ambrosini - Cardacio - Flamini

Janku -- Bonera -- Kaladze -- Zambro

Abbiati

I don't have a preference between Ronaldinho and Kaka at the moment. but I think Ronnie is fitter and on a better form right now. he was just tired against Genoa (coming rather late from World Cup qualifying games), and also was being played a bit out of position. he needs to play more close to the goal.

It may look like a naive formation, but who knows? we play our seemingly best formation and we easily lose. maybe it's time to try something really new. I think those who have played less/nothing should start this one. they will have a point to prove.

[dst]

We can't have 2DMF's and Pirlo/Cardacio in! Unless Pirlo is fielded on the wing. This deep-lying play-maker position is very predictable now anyway, he's getting closed down too easily!
It's ridiculous to put Flamini on the wing either in midfield or in defense.
This team cannot defend. It's either that none of these players know how to defend or that Ancelotti's system is messing everything up!
So for me it's

---Abbiati---
Zambro-Darmian-Bonera-Janku
--Flamini--Ambrosini--
--Kaka--Ronaldinho/Pirlo--
--Borriello-Pato--

or

...
Flamini-Ambrosini-Seedorf
--Kaka--
Borriello-Pato

This post has been edited by dst: Sep 16 2008, 01:44 PM