[Danny]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArOqSX0YArU

Based solely on this, I think that we had our chances and we could easily win this game if our finishing was better. Deulofeu and Pasalic had good chances.

Up there with 'if your auntie had testicles she'd be your uncle'. British phrase which basically means 'ifs' don't matter. It doesn't matter 'if we were the better team' or 'we should have scored 10 goals' - we didn't.

The team that scores the goals wins the match. We didn't, and we're not. But let's hold onto the fact we 'could' for the rest of the season. That'll make us feel better.

Don't mean to sound snippy at you buddy, just don't see much positive at San Siro right now. Inter have completely overtaken us after it looked like we'd reversed that.

[d'Arc.LP]

Up there with 'if your auntie had testicles she'd be your uncle'. British phrase which basically means 'ifs' don't matter. It doesn't matter 'if we were the better team' or 'we should have scored 10 goals' - we didn't.

The team that scores the goals wins the match. We didn't, and we're not. But let's hold onto the fact we 'could' for the rest of the season. That'll make us feel better.

Don't mean to sound snippy at you buddy, just don't see much positive at San Siro right now. Inter have completely overtaken us after it looked like we'd reversed that.

We Albanians use that expression too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I think that in the second paragraph you contradicted yourself when you made a big fuss for our win vs Crotone while playing bad.

I am positive about this team, as long as long as Montella listens to Jack and changes the formation and player selection. I am not saying that we will qualify for Champions, but I am more than sure that in the end we will be in Europa League.

[Danny]

We Albanians use that expression too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Ah you're from the land of X-Off!

I think that in the second paragraph you contradicted yourself when you made a big fuss for our win vs Crotone while playing bad.

I don't understand what you mean. What contradiction are you getting at?

I am positive about this team, as long as long as Montella listens to Jack and changes the formation and player selection. I am not saying that we will qualify for Champions, but I am more than sure that in the end we will be in Europa League.

Jack is right, but the problem is we don't have the options on the bench to change. Montella went with 4-3-3 to accommodate the players we have. 4-4-2 wouldn't work as we do not have two midfielders good enough to centrally dictate. We are ALRIGHT for wingers but nothing amazing. And we got rid of the one player we could have used beside Bacca in a two - Adriano.

We don't have any striker good enough to be a one up front, nor do we have any two that can fit together as a two.

The only possible option with what we have would be 4-3-2-1. Suso and Deulofeu behind Bacca, but is that REALLY that much different to how it operates now?

That is the issue - we simply don't have a wide enough pool of players to be able to try different formations.

I am sadly more than sure Europa League is well beyond us.

[Jack Sparrow]

Yeah. We've dropped positions, but the points difference is not insurmountable since EL is the target. For me, free fall is when I see the game deteriorating itself. We haven't been tied to the ropes and battered by anyone, since that first game against Napoli. But we've not improved our play either.

An throughout a season if you don't improve while others do naturally you drop back.

[d'Arc.LP]

Ah you're from the land of X-Off!



I don't understand what you mean. What contradiction are you getting at?



Jack is right, but the problem is we don't have the options on the bench to change. Montella went with 4-3-3 to accommodate the players we have. 4-4-2 wouldn't work as we do not have two midfielders good enough to centrally dictate. We are ALRIGHT for wingers but nothing amazing. And we got rid of the one player we could have used beside Bacca in a two - Adriano.

We don't have any striker good enough to be a one up front, nor do we have any two that can fit together as a two.

The only possible option with what we have would be 4-3-2-1. Suso and Deulofeu behind Bacca, but is that REALLY that much different to how it operates now?

That is the issue - we simply don't have a wide enough pool of players to be able to try different formations.

I am sadly more than sure Europa League is well beyond us.

When we played very bad vs Crotone but yet won u said that it doesn't matter 'cos we played very bad. Now that we played better than vs Crotone but lost, u said "It doesn't matter 'if we were the better team' or 'we should have scored 10 goals' - we didn't."

[Danny]

When we played very bad vs Crotone but yet won u said that it doesn't matter 'cos we played very bad. Now that we played better than vs Crotone but lost, u said "It doesn't matter 'if we were the better team' or 'we should have scored 10 goals' - we didn't."

I see the contradiction but it doesn't really weaken my case - my issue v Crotone was how astonishingly awful we were against the bottom side. It is true that goals only really count, and I stand by that, but in some cases looking at the grey in between the black and white helps, and that afternoon was one of the most painful wins I've ever experienced. And for me it was where the rot truly started.

[d'Arc.LP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knem8hCJmys

Try not to cry.

[d'Arc.LP]

BTW in 2 hours we play against Bologna.

[han2503]

BTW in 2 hours we play against Bologna.

Yeah, should I just change the title and keep conversations here? No point opening a new thread for a handful of posts at this point

[Nova]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knem8hCJmys

Try not to cry.

Unbelievable how low we sank ...

[han2503]

Unbelievable how low we sank ...

Let's all be honest with ourselves

That team was already on it's last legs. We were absolutely terrible in the league that season, but managed to pull off a stunning run in the CL thanks to guys like Seedorf, Nesta, Paolo, Rino, etc who always showed up for the big games and Kaka who was simply unplayable that season

After that CL a lot of contracts were renewed for long-terms and high wages with players who were already past their primes. And in addition to that the CL win was used as a cover by the management to not improve the squad, ignoring the fact that we were already struggling. After that things just kept going from bad to worse, with each summer Galliani building up an entire slew of transfer market gaffes, and while this can be blamed on the tight purse strings, certain mistakes are just inexcusable and we still bare the weight of them today

[Nova]

Let's all be honest with ourselves

That team was already on it's last legs. We were absolutely terrible in the league that season, but managed to pull off a stunning run in the CL thanks to guys like Seedorf, Nesta, Paolo, Rino, etc who always showed up for the big games and Kaka who was simply unplayable that season

After that CL a lot of contracts were renewed for long-terms and high wages with players who were already past their primes. And in addition to that the CL win was used as a cover by the management to not improve the squad, ignoring the fact that we were already struggling. After that things just kept going from bad to worse, with each summer Galliani building up an entire slew of transfer market gaffes, and while this can be blamed on the tight purse strings, certain mistakes are just inexcusable and we still bare the weight of them today

Excuses Han , only excuses ...

We still had a team back then. And if we played badly , it wasn't because we didn't have the players.

We suck now because we have at best average players. They can't play well , no skill , no talent , no nothing.

Besides , are you forgetting the CL final against Liverpool in Istanbul ? Can you imagine us even getting somewhere near
qualifying for European football , let alone the CL ??

I loved Milan back then because even with their flaws and financial limits we still proved to be among the worlds greatest.

I'm sorry Han , but please don't belittle the CL victory as if it was luck or anything. And who cares what spot you end in the league when you just won the CL. I prefer those old lions above these nobody's playing now...

This post has been edited by Nova: Feb 8 2017, 09:23 PM

[han2503]

Oh sh!t, Zapata coming on and we lose Romagnoli as well to injury...

[han2503]

Excuses Han , only excuses ...

We still had a team back then. And if we played badly , it wasn't because we didn't have the players.

We suck now because we have at best average players. They can't play well , no skill , no talent , no nothing.

Besides , are you forgetting the CL final against Liverpool in Istanbul ? Can you imagine us even getting somewhere near
qualifying for European football , let alone the CL ??

I loved Milan back then because even with their flaws and financial limits we still proved to be among the worlds greatest.

I'm sorry Han , but please don't belittle the CL victory as if it was luck. And who cares what spot you end in the league when you
just won the CL.

And that is the short sighted thinking that led us to now

[Nova]

You have got to be kidding me ... The great Paletta with his second yellow... What a pathetic sight