QUOTE (han2503 @ Mar 16 2009, 01:16 PM)
Nesta is the only key player that has been out for a long time. Gattuso is the other big miss but other then that it has been the usual ins and outs when it comes to injuries.
Had we not lost all those points at the beginning of the season when we were basically at full strength we would not have been immediately removed from the running the moment things got a bit tough with the injuries.
Plus looking at the teams we faced that we lost points against throughout the season, it had nothing to do with injured players but with the mantelity of this team and coach, most of those lost points came from games where we score early and try to hold on, going on the defensive, putting in defensive subs for the attacking players and conceeding the equilizer or winner in the last moments of the match. Imo that is what cost us the league not the injuries. The coach is responsible for us not putting up a better challenge for both the league and UEFA Cup, and no matter how many excuses anyone tries to put up to cover Carlo's @ss the obvious is still there, had he been a better coach we probably would have won this title easily, considering all of Inter's hick-ups, Juve's terrible start and hot and cold form, and Roma being MIA for most of the season. And also the fact that we had no CL to use as an excuse for not putting the league as top priority
@han: I don't know. While I can't disagree with you completely, I still feel that we've been seriously handicapped by injuries. See the thing is you've talked about Inter's hiccups, Juve's terrible start etc. Now I believe that every team has that in a season. So did Milan. The difference is, anytime we looked like making a proper rally for it, someone would get injured. We were never in a position of full strength to really make a comeback.
Sandro has been a HUGE miss. Rino was red-hot when he went out. Flamini has only recently begun to exert himself on the team, and started playing that role we thought he would at the beginning of tghe season. Borriello was actually pretty key for us, till he went out. Pato had to play lone striker for some time till Pippo came back in.
I don't think we've actually lost more than say 6-7 points MAX coz of iffy substitutions. Then again, you can't say directly that X sub was the reason for a loss, unless the X sub scored an own goal, but I get what you mean anyway.
I think the injuries totally screwed up our team rotation. I think there was no underlying stability coz of that. I also think that because of that our players were often tired and playing when not fully fit.
To which there is an argument, that why don't we try Cardaccio/Viudez or Darmian or anyone of those other players who never get a look in.
I don't have a counter-argument. I've always maintained that Carlo is not the best coach for youth, since he's a tactician primarily. Also I've been talking for some time about how Carlo needs a proper assistant coach. Not some guy like Tassotti who's more of a sidekick.(I love Tassotti, but c'mon we need someone with a great track record like Ten Cate). All I can say is when we hype all these youngsters, it's mostly coz we're sick of seeing the same guys have their same weaknesses exposed. So we want a change. But we've never seen these youngsters a lot. Not like we watch training videos or anything. Perhaps, they might have a huge set of gaps that might make us even more susceptible. A case in point would be I dunno...David Bentley. Or Vargas for the Viola. Thhey both looked like solid purchases, but have so far sucked @ss.
I know that I'm considered a blind Carlo supporter, a tag I don't mind in the least. But I only speak up when I feel he's been accused unfairly of stuff. I think with our injury situation, a 2nd place position would be about par for the course, and I do believe that we're on track for it. It's really not easy tactics wise to come up with something new when vital positions like DM, CB, or KAKA (yup that's a position! (IMG:
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As for Carlo:
1. He ain't good for youth. He's a tactician. He wants players who are smart enough to get tactics and play them. He doesn't give a rat's @ss about how many step overs you can do, and how good your first touch is, if as a CM you're not tracking back to cut space (for instance). As far as he's concerned, you work your way up the food chain to get a free role. Pato had to go through it, and he did. The boy put his head down and worked hard, and I seriously think Pato is in Carlo's good books now. I think this is where Yoann and Gila went wrong.
2. He has little say on transfers in the club. Only on tactics. He can say, I want a DM and talk about Emerson. He gets Brocchi. He can talk about an AM to complement Kaka and talk about Ribery. They will get him R80. That's the way it works. You can't blame the management coz unlike Moratti, they're not going to go into debt coz their coach's got the hots for some guy. No...Carlo doesn't talk back. Maybe he understands the financial situation. I kinda think it's a sign of affection for the club that he doesn't pack his bags and leave when he didn't get things done his way.
3. He's not a drillmaster. Nope. This is something that I feel is a big gap in his coaching. Our team while tactically sound is not a well drilled regiment, like something Mourinho would put out. Which is why when a team like Man U comes to the Siro, and the boys are sharp, we kick their butts. But when a team like Reggina comes by, we are not motivated enough, and so are caught napping. If they were drilled properly, what needed to be done would be like muscle memory.
4. Playing favourites. I don't completely agree he 'plays' favourites. But yes he does have his favourites. Seedorf is one. But you have heard him talk about Seedorf so highly. I think there's a lot of mutual respect there. Carlo considers Zee a leader on the field. His go-to-guy along with Maldini and Kaka in that line-up to pull Milan out of any situation. I think Zee has delivered enough times for his loyalty and importance to be beyond question. Tactically though, I think Zee has been marooned a bit. He wants to play treqqie, yet he's been accomodated in a position and style of play which suits Kaka/a mobile AM. Usually in Milan, the offensive tactics are centred around Kaka's strengths (not without reason)...and Zee is always the person doing the heavy lugging. He's the unglamorous player. Either the junction player. Or the fellow who has to fall back and help the midfield with defending etc. So obviously, you don't see him show up like we know he can.
I think Zee in a formation like this
------------------Pippo---------------
-----Pato-------------------Rossi-----
-----------------Zee-------------------
would be more effective than
------Pato-------Pippo---------
-----------Zee-----------------
In Italy, I think opposing teams know what Zee can do. They're onto him pretty quickly. It's not quite the same in Europe, where teams in a bid to attack, don't really have enough players to stifle Zee, Pirlo AND Kaka. This means Zee can turn it on, as he likes it, while still playing that 'junction role'.
But of course, that's the way I see it, and you guys might have a different view.
Sorry, didn't mean to take it OT, but I was afraid han would feel bad if I didn't reply with a monster. (IMG:
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@Bluey: LMAO at your Destiny comment Dozer!! (IMG:
style_emoticons/default/droolsmiley.gif) I'm the Jerry to your Ben, the Beavis to your Butthead, the Lennon to your McCartney, the Perry to your Tyler, the Pana to your Porty.
(IMG:
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This post has been edited by Jack Sparrow: Mar 17 2009, 12:55 PM