[Jack Sparrow]

Both. This is a bad season for them...coz there's a lot of fear about the future. No money..no big transfers...Man City with a target on their back...Scholes, Giggs and vDs going and possibly all at the same time...no big up and coming star to talk about. They're in unfamiliar territory. What United are going through is the same thing as what Milan went through a couple of years ago.

[MizNelson]

(IMG:http://sportky.topky.sk/cacheImg/8/5/5/a/jose-mourinho-real-madrid-19268.jpg)

That's perfect.

[acid911]

Both. This is a bad season for them...coz there's a lot of fear about the future. No money..no big transfers...Man City with a target on their back...Scholes, Giggs and vDs going and possibly all at the same time...no big up and coming star to talk about. They're in unfamiliar territory. What United are going through is the same thing as what Milan went through a couple of years ago.

True, but I've just grown plain tired of that wily turd SAF and his shenanigans. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Fingers crossed it's his last season or so. And what he did Carletto after inviting him to a drink/lunch was beyond pathetic. I mean I don't like Carlo one bit (respect what he did and win with us, can't take that away from him), but that was just too low.

Get you round chewing-gum behind back to Scotland, Alex. There's a time for arrogance, this is not it.

[Jack Sparrow]

True, but I've just grown plain tired of that wily turd SAF and his shenanigans. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Fingers crossed it's his last season or so. And what he did Carletto after inviting him to a drink/lunch was beyond pathetic. I mean I don't like Carlo one bit (respect what he did and win with us, can't take that away from him), but that was just too low.

Get you round chewing-gum behind back to Scotland, Alex. There's a time for arrogance, this is not it.

Fine. We have nothing more to discuss. You're dead to me acid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[acid911]

Fine. We have nothing more to discuss. You're dead to me acid.

Awww, okay I like him one bit. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) Just for my pirate friend! But seriously, he undid a lot of good by overstaying his time in Milan, the last year or two were quite horrible. He shouldn't have changed himself (as a coach) after Istanbul, or have left after 2005, or 2007 at most. I mean his experience and coach skills were there, but the last couple of years they were overshadowed by his arrogance and favoritism.

Can't say I did not enjoy the ride, it was fun though. But the last end of it was needlessly disappointing!

[Jack Sparrow]

1. The thing is, how can we consider it a "strength" when all its gotten us is mediocrity these last couple seasons? This system worked with Kaka, because he was a midfielder/striker hybrid. You mentioned we don't have spare gears, but with Kaka we in fact DID. We were capable of playing passes around the midfield while he dropped back, until he picked the perfect moment to go forward, at which point we DID change gears.

Now that we don't have him, and therefore that extra gear, why were we still employing this system? Given what we have now, playing to our "strengths" means we field an unbalanced team?

2. Which is precisely why a top-class manager would have realized this by fielding a midfield capable of protected our back line from those wingers cutting into the heart of the defense. If it was so obvious that the formation we sent out lacked the proper personnel to succeed and was so clearly susceptible to a 4-2-3-1, then why pray tell did we still field it!? Madrid attacked us from the get go and pressed high up the pitch. They did this to compensate for the lack of protection for their back line in terms of personnel — they had only Khedira.

It's not rocket science, when a team does that, you can't do anything but employ a counter attacking style. We MUST drop back, cut down as much space as we can, protect our back line. We must make the game a closed, ugly one. When there's a good opportunity to counter — say, down a flank exposed by an advancing Marcelo — we spring forward at pace with the respective player on that side (should have been Boateng), while still avoiding overcommitment (Zambro stays back) so as to open up the game. Our strikers feed off scraps. Zlatan holds play up to bring the likes of Boa, Antonini, Dinho forward, something Zlatan is excellent at doing..and Pato reads the space accordingly.

The pace needed to transition from defense would have been provided by Antonini and Boateng, the counter attacks would have been launched by Pirlo. If Dinho wasn't effective, he should have been replaced at halftime or at the very least by the 60th minute.

Way too many of us said all of this before a ball was kicked.

3. Any manager can say "we need to be perfect". In a match against Real Madrid, perfection starts with your tactics Mr. Allegri, and you got them wrong. Understanding the "status quo" that has seen us dump out to Arsenal, Man U, and lose to Inter several times is nothing worthy of credit — those tactics were naive too! We knew if he did what he did we'd lose. Furthermore, once again his substitutions were late (a recurring trend)...

1. Absolutely. To make it a contest with Madrid we must have an adequate strength in it to talk of. I think we're taking the 4-3-1-2 a bit too seriously. It's done. We can't play with it anymore. That blade's too rusted to be of any use in battle. And for the record, we had it even before Kaka...it was at it's best under Rui..the pyramid morphing into the diamond. Kaka's emergence coincided with it's downfall...the crucial dying down of Rino's and Clarence's magnificence. Rino could no longer run for 2 men..and Seedorf couldn't cover for Rino AND pull magic out of his hat. Leaving Kaka to play Usain Bolt with the ball. But at least Carlo managed a way to keep things ticking (go f@ck yourself acid!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) )

2. Like I said...why I can't criticise him TOO much is that his starting plan is good...can he be blamed THAT much when his players fail to implement the plan. Lost count of the number of times I see Max screaming at the touchline at the players to get back and cover.Ibra is. The Brazilians...not so much. KPB is tactically inept. There I said it. He's a race horse, when what we need is for him to learn to be a draft horse. I got your game plan. But really it wasn't the personnel that led us down. Our plans under Allegri have always been good, the implementation is hopeless. Khedira didn't mark R80. Noone marked R80 in the first half. They did what Arsenal did to us that time in the Siro. Step forward and cut off passing angles for balls coming to R80. The problem here is a trap we all fall into. Compare the players who performed badly in this match to others (KPB, Flamini) at the peak of their powers.

3. Absolutely. His substitutions need work. He seems to me to be like the Carlo type of manager who rather than changing the personnel on the field, ask the same players to play a little differently....but if it's not working..there's no excuse is there.

4. Your point about pace. I mentioned it before. The fastest bullet will not pass a strong enough kevlar vest. Messi and Iniesta were stopped in their tracks by Zanetti (37) and Cambiasso (also 30+) I think. The difference is the players knew their role and stuck to it. We seem to be having problems with the latter. Either the players are acting rowdy or they don't have the strength to give 100%. I think it's a combination of both. For the record, I'm not huge salivater over this 'fast paced football' thing. You win by controlling the pace of the game, not being faster than your opponent. Take a look at Carlo's Chelsea. Lampard, Essien and Malouda are no slouches, but speed is not their element. Movement is. And our biggest problem is 11 players have no idea where or how to move.

In a 3 man midfield with so much space in your lines;to be a good team it's IMPERATIVE that you move and always provide passing options. Look at any other successful team. Chelsea, Barca, the 2004 Milan.


5. What Allegri meant by being perfect is that the gameplan had to be executed perfectly. In a way those stupid goals nullified it. The same way a counter attacking team gets screwed when it goes a goal down, a possession team gets screwed when it runs out of time. Was the game plan good enough...it doesn't matter. We lost.

6. Allegri is not naive tactically. However the troops are not following the general's commands and it seems to me that it's upto him to crack the whip. If he can't get the troops to follow him, he must leave. Anyway it seems to be happening...the GDS paper is saying affter the Madrid match Max is pissed and only the central defence, Pirlo and Ibra are untouchable for the next match. Good call I think. Till Nov 15 Max has my unquestioned support. After that...well uhm...call in a favour with Trapattoni.

[acid911]

(go f@ck yourself acid!!)

You and your plundering kind. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Good post though! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Agree with most (if not all) of it.

[Jack Sparrow]

That's my man! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) You don't want to pick a 'panga' with a pirate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Is that word there in Urdu as well? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Locke Lamora]

True, but I've just grown plain tired of that wily turd SAF and his shenanigans. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Fingers crossed it's his last season or so. And what he did Carletto after inviting him to a drink/lunch was beyond pathetic. I mean I don't like Carlo one bit (respect what he did and win with us, can't take that away from him), but that was just too low.

Get you round chewing-gum behind back to Scotland, Alex. There's a time for arrogance, this is not it.

Hmm? What's this?

[Zed.D]

Yeah, what are you talking about acid?

I remember after the 2007 semi final game, he gave Carlo a bottle of good wine (or was it champagne?) which I thought was a classy gesture... did something happen after that?

[acid911]

@Jack: Sure is, mate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Everyone from kids to adults use that word.

@Locke and ZD: Well it was after he signed up for Chelsea. Carlo basically wrote about it in his book, and the invitation was for a drink. The wily fox basically did not talk to his guest, paid no attention to him, and Ancelotti had to leave. This was just one of the tricks and mind games SAF likes to play with almost everyone. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Here's the official story:

And he feels awkward when Ferguson invites him for a glass of wine at Old Trafford after a match and then doesn't say a word to him but instead sits down to watch horse racing, leaving Ancelotti to sidle sheepishly away.

Source

[Bluesummers]

JOSE

MOURINHO


JOSE


MOURINHO


JOSE


MOURINHO


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

(eyes look up at words and ....., eyes look down at picture and ..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) )


.... = (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

This post has been edited by Bluesummers: Oct 22 2010, 01:24 AM

[Fillipo Simone]

Goodness Gracious Me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

(IMG:http://schol.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/irritatepeople.jpg)

[Bluesummers]

hey now don't hate the player; hate the game son.


(IMG:http://rlv.zcache.com/dont_be_hatin_tshirt-p235748173364807210q6wh_400.jpg)

[X-Offender]

@Locke and ZD: Well it was after he signed up for Chelsea. Carlo basically wrote about it in his book, and the invitation was for a drink. The wily fox basically did not talk to his guest, paid no attention to him, and Ancelotti had to leave

That's pathetic.