[maldini03]

Over Suso? Very Doubtful, I think it will be (if he persists with the 4-3-3):

Donna; Conti, Romag/Musacchio, Bonucci, RR; Kessie, Biglia, Bona/ Hakan; Suso, Silva/Mr. X, Hakan/Bona

With this team, I think we look pretty solid. I think the forwards if we don't get someone good will happen by committee. I would rather we switch formations to something like the Christmas tree, which prioritizes overlapping WBs and playmakers who drift inside. It also requires a complete forward, which atm we don't have. I see Silva as occupying more of the SS role.

[X-Offender]

Does seem like we need another creative player to create chances for the forwards because the wingers that we do have are not promising.

Don't forget that with Biglia, Calhanoglu and Suso our ball possession will increase significantly and we'll be able to create more chances. The latter two are especially known for making many assists.

[X-Offender]

Over Suso? Very Doubtful, I think it will be (if he persists with the 4-3-3):

Donna; Conti, Romag/Musacchio, Bonucci, RR; Kessie, Biglia, Bona/ Hakan; Suso, Silva/Mr. X, Hakan/Bona

With this team, I think we look pretty solid. I think the forwards if we don't get someone good will happen by committee. I would rather we switch formations to something like the Christmas tree, which prioritizes overlapping WBs and playmakers who drift inside. It also requires a complete forward, which atm we don't have. I see Silva as occupying more of the SS role.

The formation you put is perfect, but rather than a Christmas tree it needs to a be a 4-2-3-1. 3-5-2 would be suitable as well, but I'm not a fan of it and we'd have to sacrifice both Suso and Bona.

[Danny]

Don't forget that with Biglia, Calhanoglu and Suso our ball possession will increase significantly and we'll be able to create more chances. The latter two are especially known for making many assists.

Weirdly I'd actually argue that we're far better when we have less possession and simply use what we have better.

The Sacchi Milan didn't exactly horde the ball and neither did Carlo's, and they're two of the best in our history.

The possession based tiki tika is done, and Milan are best when we use our possession carefully, strangle opponents, and smack the b*stards on the break.

Hence I don't really think it's about possession = chances = goals.

Our victory over Bayern only saw us have 30% of the ball in the whole match. But what we did with that possession was clinical.

[X-Offender]

Weirdly I'd actually argue that we're far better when we have less possession and simply use what we have better.

The Sacchi Milan didn't exactly horde the ball and neither did Carlo's, and they're two of the best in our history.

The possession based tiki tika is done, and Milan are best when we use our possession carefully, strangle opponents, and smack the b*stards on the break.

Hence I don't really think it's about possession = chances = goals.

Our victory over Bayern only saw us have 30% of the ball in the whole match. But what we did with that possession was clinical.

OK with your reasoning, but the bold part, what??? Ball possession was one of Carlo-Milan's strongest traits. We used to dominate in that respect.

[Danny]

OK with your reasoning, but the bold part, what??? Ball possession was one of Carlo-Milan's strongest traits. We used to dominate in that respect.

I'm pretty sure Catenaccio was still in full thrust in many of those years. Don't get me wrong, I know Carlo had more of the ball than recent eras, but we're not talking Barca-esque 70/30 here. Maybe 55/45 etc. We played better football than even the likes of Man Utd, and usually we won - it just wasn't constant constant ball ball ball. Not as I remember anyway! He just used the ball better than the more wasteful way his Bayern did against us.

[X-Offender]

I'm pretty sure Catenaccio was still in full thrust in many of those years. Don't get me wrong, I know Carlo had more of the ball than recent eras, but we're not talking Barca-esque 70/30 here. Maybe 55/45 etc. We played better football than even the likes of Man Utd, and usually we won - it just wasn't constant constant ball ball ball. Not as I remember anyway! He just used the ball better than the more wasteful way his Bayern did against us.

Sorry man, but I think you're wrong. Carlo's tactics with us were principally focused on ball possession. It was a distinct trait. You probably don't remember it well.

[han2503]

You used to be his biggest fan too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Now I can't stand watching him on the pitch, opinions change and Monto has done a bang up job of changing mine. Just awful

Dude I said he looked bad tonight, not that he is bad in general. You wanna say that he was good or what ? He lost all his duels and didnt even complet 1 pass.

I said he looked off too, but there's a way and there's a way, he got 15 minutes after coming back from vacation. People want to judge Silva too quickly. He's a 21 year old coming into a new league into a team that still trying to find the right rhythm.

We have to give him some time. Which is why we'll be signing another striker this summer

I thought Conti when he came on brought a lot of energy on that right wing. He played slightly differently than Abate (more advanced) and as a winger but I thought he was good. I'm excited to see how he does going forward.

Musacchio, Kessie, RR, Cutrone were the best for me

Monto, Borini and to some extent Niang the worst - hopefully their replacements can really bring up the quality of the team.

Does seem like we need another creative player to create chances for the forwards because the wingers that we do have are not promising.

Also Montella needs to drop the 4-3-3 and find a better system to suit the team

Thought Conti looked off the pace as well when he came on tbh. I agree that he make good runs and plays higher up the pitch but in a back 4 that could get us into trouble. He stays too high up and we get caught out

I have a horrid feeling Borini is a starter.

Nah.

This was basically the team from last season aside from him, Kessie, RR and Musacchio. Suso, Hakan, new CF, Bona will all have a spot ahead of him, plus we're still looking for another winger according to Montella, so he'll be lucky to get a sniff next season

Over Suso? Very Doubtful, I think it will be (if he persists with the 4-3-3):

Donna; Conti, Romag/Musacchio, Bonucci, RR; Kessie, Biglia, Bona/ Hakan; Suso, Silva/Mr. X, Hakan/Bona

With this team, I think we look pretty solid. I think the forwards if we don't get someone good will happen by committee. I would rather we switch formations to something like the Christmas tree, which prioritizes overlapping WBs and playmakers who drift inside. It also requires a complete forward, which atm we don't have. I see Silva as occupying more of the SS role.

I really hope Montella does not persist with this 4-3-3 nonsense. We simply don't have the wingers for it, and we looked pretty bad on Thursday in terms of build up and in terms of player being mostly out of position.

4-3-1-2/4-3-2-1 or 3-4-1-2/3-4-2-1 is the way to go for us with the players we have

[Danny]

Sorry man, but I think you're wrong. Carlo's tactics with us were principally focused on ball possession. It was a distinct trait. You probably don't remember it well.

Matters not anyway who's right or wrong - what matters is now, and either way, possession football is not the way to go. Not any more.

[Danny]

I said he looked off too, but there's a way and there's a way, he got 15 minutes after coming back from vacation. People want to judge Silva too quickly. He's a 21 year old coming into a new league into a team that still trying to find the right rhythm.

We have to give him some time. Which is why we'll be signing another striker this summer

If it helps any a Porto fan I know rated him thus:

Apparently he's a player who didn't suit Porto's system, and wasn't hugely rated by the fans - but some hold the view that surrounded by better players/system he will thrive. However she also added that Sanches is a pile of p*ss and hopes we don't sign him.

Nah.

This was basically the team from last season aside from him, Kessie, RR and Musacchio. Suso, Hakan, new CF, Bona will all have a spot ahead of him, plus we're still looking for another winger according to Montella, so he'll be lucky to get a sniff next season

I'm allowed to be scared.

[X-Offender]

Matters not anyway who's right or wrong - what matters is now, and either way, possession football is not the way to go. Not any more.

It's true, and I don't think we have the right quality to make ball possession our strongest trait. But we definitely will have the upper hand against smaller teams when the likes of Biglia, Suso, Hakan and Bona will play together. And obviously more assists too.

As for Silva, he reminds me a bit of Torres and a bit of Pato, but probably not as good of a finisher.

[Danny]

It's true, and I don't think we have the right quality to make ball possession our strongest trait. But we definitely will have the upper hand against smaller teams when the likes of Biglia, Suso, Hakan and Bona will play together. And obviously more assists too.

Like I say, if you look at the dichotomy of both our ICC matches; Dortmund didn't seem to have all of the ball but what they had they used clinically. We then did the same to Bayern.

As for Silva, he reminds me a bit of Torres and a bit of Pato, but probably not as good of a finisher.

Physically I'd have to agree on Torres, but sadly the Torres we had and not the one at his prime.

[han2503]

If it helps any a Porto fan I know rated him thus:

Apparently he's a player who didn't suit Porto's system, and wasn't hugely rated by the fans - but some hold the view that surrounded by better players/system he will thrive. However she also added that Sanches is a pile of p*ss and hopes we don't sign him.

I'm just going to wait and see with him, he definitely has talent from the little I've watched, but that's not all that is needed to succeed.

I just hate when people make up their minds about players before they've given them the proper time. Lots of players take time to fit in. Even Modric in his first year at Real wasn't all that good.

It's why I stress how important it is for us to get a good striker who will not only assure us a certain amount of goals but also take the pressure off of Silva so he can adjust and hopefully live up to his billing. Because if he does, we'll have a gold mine on our hands in terms of marketing potential with this one.

As for Renato, the talent is there imo. The kind of football he played for Benfica and the Euros showed that, he made a mistake going to a team like Bayern so early in his career. And if we can get him on an option to buy deal we should jump at the chance

I'm allowed to be scared.

You are, I am to on the inside, but I can't see him getting much space once the entire squad is assembled and at Montella's disposal