[acid911]

"Destination Bernabeu" - I guess you're refereeing to CL's final in 2010. Nice.

Ah yes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I'd have very much liked to win Rome 2009, as we usually do well in alternate years with final appearances (2003, 2005, 2007). Pity it didn't happen. But then again, had it happened, I'm dead sure (pun always intended, Jack) we'd not have bought this army of new players. So in a way it's good we're in the UEFA Cup.

Besides it could have been worse: No Europe, if we finished say, 9th? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) Yeah, I know.

[dst]

I knew Braga... just did not know they were Portuguese.

I hope Pato starts this one. Let's win.

No Uruguayans in UEFA list?? oh my god!!! then what competition are they supposed to play in?? I know they stand absolutely no chance of playing in our Serie A games. they weren't included in UEFA cup's easiest stages then most definitely won't be added to the list in January transfer window. knowing Carlo's way of thinking they won't play in Coppa games either!

What a joke... (IMG:http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/fingersmiley.gif)

Sometimes Carlo is not even worth getting mad at... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif)

[F355 EDK]

i expect ancelotti will set out the team for a strong performance against a team that we know can score goals. probably a more controlled outlook than say in the match against benfica last season

[Rossoneri7]

No Uruguayans in UEFA list?? oh my god!!! then what competition are they supposed to play in?? I know they stand absolutely no chance of playing in our Serie A games. they weren't included in UEFA cup's easiest stages then most definitely won't be added to the list in January transfer window. knowing Carlo's way of thinking they won't play in Coppa games either!

What a joke... (IMG:http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/fingersmiley.gif)

I they they will be loaned out by January .. I sure would have liked to see them more on the pitch, but I guess they still lack something to make a starting spot on the team.

If Antonini made it, along with Borriello and Pato, then the reason must be in their game .. They have the talent, that we cant question, but it is how they interpret the tactical aspect of the team that they must lack in.

[Tennie]

Antonini is surprising a lot of people - myself included - with his performances. When his return was announced, I was honestly pretty sceptical of why he'd been brought back. Not now, though. He's really looked quite good and there have been rumblings in Italy about him possibly earning a call up to the NT.

[han2503]

I they they will be loaned out by January .. I sure would have liked to see them more on the pitch, but I guess they still lack something to make a starting spot on the team.

If Antonini made it, along with Borriello and Pato, then the reason must be in their game .. They have the talent, that we cant question, but it is how they interpret the tactical aspect of the team that they must lack in.

Antonini and Boriello are far from being youngsters trying to make it in a big team. Both are going to hit 27 soon and both have experiance playing in Serie A. One of them was the 3rd highest top scorer in Serie A last season and the other was really impressive for Empoli. So you can't say that Carlo decided to play either of them because he reckognised some sort of talent in them that no one else could see. You have to stop trying to give him credit where it's not deserved.

Pato only plays because Carlo is pressurised to play him by Galliani and the price tag he was bought for. Because Carlo would be much happier playing Pippo every week then playing Pato.

Fact is Carlo doesn't believe in developing youth no matter how talented they are. This is why I believe that as long as we have Carlo as our coach we can stop hoping for the next Maldini or Baresi to emerge.

This post has been edited by han2503: Nov 4 2008, 03:23 PM

[acid911]

This is why I believe that as long as we have Carlo as our coach we can stop hoping for the next Maldini or Baresi to emerge.

Unless they do really emerge: As in Christian Maldini and Danial Maldini. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Does Baresi also have a son or two? I think that's the only way for him to play youth. That, or like you said, unless their name is Pato.

[han2503]

Unless they do really emerge: As in Christian Maldini and Danial Maldini. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Does Baresi also have a son or two? I think that's the only way for him to play youth. That, or like you said, unless their name is Pato.

Carlo will be long gone by the time either one of Paolo's 2 sons make the first team so they don't really count. I'm talking about the youth that doesn't have Maldini as a last name

[Zed.D]

"Destination Bernabeu" - I guess you're refereeing to CL's final in 2010. Nice. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Of course. winning a Cl is always nice. but winning it at Santiago Bernabeu? that'd be a special feeling, at least for me.

I they they will be loaned out by January .. I sure would have liked to see them more on the pitch, but I guess they still lack something to make a starting spot on the team.

If Antonini made it, along with Borriello and Pato, then the reason must be in their game .. They have the talent, that we cant question, but it is how they interpret the tactical aspect of the team that they must lack in.

Of course they can't compete with our midfielders for a starting spot. but I still can't understand why they weren't even included in our UEFA list because I'm not sure Carlo knew their real worth when he was selecting his squad for UEFA cup... they had just signed for Milan and IIRC, Carlo and Galliani said some good things about them!

Had they been included in our UEFA list there would have been plenty of chances to examine their level in real circumstances. for example, against Zurich and Heerenveen we were leading the last 20-30 minutes by 3 goals. that means victory were guaranteed in both games. those last minutes could have been the best chance to bring them on and see how capable they actually are.

I hope we loan/sell them in January. I personally don't like to see youngsters' careers being damaged like this. at this age, they need to play regularly more than anything. there's no question about that.


I said I'd expect nothing from them upon their signing...

[acid911]

I hope we loan/sell them in January. I personally don't like to see youngsters' careers being damaged like this. at this age, they need to play regularly more than anything. there's no question about that.

Exactly like Dario Simic's career that was recently ruined. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) He retired from Croatia NT some times back with exactly a 100 caps and aged slightly over 32. Do you know how much he'd have covered for Nesta right now. But no, we just had to ruin it all, both for him and us. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Just makes me sad to see such a player go. Why?!

[Tennie]

I'm not quite as pessimistic as some seem to be about the futures/game time/etc of the kids. Am willing to wait and see.

That said, today's training has taken place. Kaladze and Senderos took part in the full training session. There was an 8 v 8 practice game and the following players all scored in the practice game: Shevchenko, Kaka, Inzaghi, Pato, and Seedorf.

[TriniKing_CE]

I hope we loan/sell them in January. I personally don't like to see youngsters' careers being damaged like this. at this age, they need to play regularly more than anything. there's no question about that.


I said I'd expect nothing from them upon their signing...

Should Jan come around and they would continue to get no playing time in any competitions - I would also like them to go out on loan, possibly to another Serie A team.

[Tennie]

MILANELLO - Ecco i 19 convocati di Carlo Ancelotti per domani:
Dida, Kalac,
Antonini, Bonera, Darmian, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Senderos, Ruggeri (n.55),
Emerson, Flamini, Gattuso, Pedrocchi (n.51),
Borriello, Inzaghi, Pato, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho.

Non convocati: Abbiati, Favalli, Maldini, Pasini, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Kakà.

Indisponibili: Pirlo.

Interesting call up list.

Here's my (probably completely wrong) guess at a starting lineup:
Dida
Antonini Senderos Kaladze Janku
Emerson Flamini Seedorf
Ronaldinho
Shevcheno Inzaghi

(Fishdoll bets han a cookie that at least 1 of the 3 kiddies gets on the pitch at some point during this game).

[Tennie]

Here's Carletto's pregame press conference (translation by the lovely folks at acmilan.com's english page):

MILANELLO - Here are the declarations made by Rossoneri coach Carlo Ancelotti during the press conference ahead of Milan-Braga:

ON SPORTING BRAGA
"Sporting Braga are a team we respect a lot. We saw them against Portsmouth and in the Portuguese league. They're a fast team, dynamic, they play at a high rhythm for the whole game. These are all characteristics we have to take into account.
Braga are a complete team, they run a lot and they have quality players."

ON THE FORMATION WHICH WILL PLAY TOMORROW
"Certainly we will rest some players ahead of Sunday's league game. Tomorrow's game won't be decisive because we still have two other games in this group, so we will be able to do turn-over.
We will certainly be without Zambrotta and Kaká, who will rest and won't be called up, while all the others will be called up and then we will decide which formation to use. Kaká has been away with the national team, he needs to work for a week so he gets more energy even though he is doing well.
Concerning the defence, Senderos and Kaladze will play in the middle, Antonini on the right, and Jankulovski on the left. Nesta and Pirlo remain unavailable.

The Uefa Cup is a competition we care about. We started the group well and a victory tomorrow could increase our chances of qualification, we want to try to win to get in a good position in the group, concerning the league, however, it's an entirely different matter."


ON THE LEAGUE
"The team is in a good moment now, from now on we want to keep the top position in the league, we can't relax.
We are happy to be on top of the table, the difficulties will come now because our objective was to be here 7 months from now, we can't do better than this, we can only do worse, now the preoccupations begin."

ON THE CONDITIONS OF THE SINGULAR PLAYERS
"Concerning the conditions of Nesta, we have decided to let him go away for a while to cure his back problem definitively. There has been some progress, in fact he was available for one game where he went on the bench, but then during training his problems reemerged.
Pirlo is starting to work with more intensity, I think that within the next fifteen days he should be available.
Ronaldinho? The facts say he is more decisive at San Siro than away from home, but I think that's because he's still trying to understand what Italian football is like. Tomorrow he will be available, at the moment I think he needs to play to find more consistency, but I'm not sure if he'll play from the start. I think he's on the right track to get back to his best condition, when he arrived his condition was precarious, he's been working a lot and he has already reached an acceptable condition. We have to be happy with what we've seen so far.
I'm sure Shevchenko will return, until now he hasn't had many chances, he's working very well, with effort and I think he will soon be a protagonist again, hopefully already tomorrow."

ON HIS SEVEN YEARS ON MILAN'S BENCH
"Today I thought about the first day I came to Milanello, a special day, I didn't think I would be here seven years later, after having experienced many great moments, with a lot of success. There's always been a harmony with the group, with the players who have arrived and those who have left, harmony with the club, a very sustained relationship which has consolidated with time.
The thing that impressed me was the moment when I came into the coach's room, it was a bit intimidating to sleep in the same place as Rocco, Sacchi, Capello.
This is not the moment to talk about the renewal of my contract which expires in a year and a half, if the will is there then at the right time it will be done, but at the moment there is no need to do that."

ON MEMORIES AGAINST PORTUGUESE TEAMS
"For me Benfica is the ultimate Portuguese team, I remember an important game in '83 with Eriksson and the '90 final again with Eriksson. Also Benfica had one of the best players ever, Eusebio, and there's also Rui Costa, who is now a manager there after having played there."

ON INTER'S RESULTS
"They are a very solid team, very efficient up front and with some unbalancedness behind. There can be periods with inconsistent results which can come because of the new coach's philosophy. Sunday against Udinese they have a difficult match, because they will meet an in-form side.
Mourinho? It's very difficult to make a difference as a coach in Italian football because the team of Italian coaches is very strong and well-prepared. He is a well-prepared person, but to make the difference you need time."

[CrazyMilanFan]

kaka not being called is a very gud decison i hope for pato/r80-sheva-pippo