[X-Offender]

I don't think it's that simple. Look, it happened again and again, not just with Milan managers but with the French NT managers as well. There's something wrong with this guy I suppose.

Something wrong? Yeah, he's probably a werewolf.

Come on now, Fillipo. He wasn't called by Domenech who's a total douche, and he wasn't called by Deschamps who also left out Nasri. NT call-ups mean nothing. They're all about coach favorites and in-form players. Mexes isn't exactly a world beater either, so him either being called up or left out doesn't stir any controversy and such. He was always a starter at Roma if that means something to you.

Nah, anyone who can put two and two together can see that Mexes is a good defender. He just happened to join us in a very chaotic period. We've changed CB pairings over the last 2-3 years for god knows how many times, and really, Mexes has been the most constant in terms of number and quality of performances. Everyone else has been hit and miss.

I tell you, the guy just isn't deemed necessary anymore because of his high wage. He's our highest earner if you forgot that. And he rots on the bench. We tried offloading him this summer but it didn't work, so we'll try to offload him once again during winter. It's typical Galliani treatment.

Same thing happened with Dida in his final years with us. Be it Abbiati or Kalac, we still ended up relying on good ol' Dida because, howlers aside, he was the best we had.

[Danny]

Mexes is this forum's new Muntari.

In the red corner weighing in at a combined 250 lbs we have Acid, Han and X-Off who see Mexes as essentially the most wasted player at the club.

In the blue corner weighing in at a combined 100000000000 lbs we have the rest of us who would be happy to drive the hothead to the airport ourselves.

[kurtsimonw]

and he wasn't called by Deschamps who also left out Nasri.

Deschamps did leave Nasri out because of his attitude/personality, maybe he felt similar about Mexes.

I don't know where to sit with Mexes. He's certainly better than Bonera and Zapata and I've always thought Alex was somewhat overrated defensively. So I think at the end, I probably agree with this from what X-Off said.

Same thing happened with Dida in his final years with us. Be it Abbiati or Kalac, we still ended up relying on good ol' Dida because, howlers aside, he was the best we had.

[Fillipo Simone]

For some reason, the guy made around 20 caps for France in 10 years. Santini, Domenech and Deschamps avoided him almost completely, while only Blanc found a way to play him more regularly. For some reason, he was being dropped tournament after tournament.

Now, considering France do not have exactly stellar defenders apart from a few (Abidal, Gallas in-form, etc.), one could imagine to find Mexes being called up and playing more regularly then some other guys.

So no, this is not the same a Dida. Dida only fell out of position because he started to deteriorate and collected a fair amount of howlers. And you know how it's with keepers: you don't change them like they're fullbacks or attackers.

The thing with Mexes is that for some reason coaches eliminate or sideline him time after time. Yes, agreed, he is a good defender on his day, but that's exactly why I think there must be more into this.

But Acid is right, enough said, at least from my part.

[X-Offender]

For some reason, the guy made around 20 caps for France in 10 years. Santini, Domenech and Deschamps avoided him almost completely, while only Blanc found a way to play him more regularly. For some reason, he was being dropped tournament after tournament.

Now, considering France do not have exactly stellar defenders apart from a few (Abidal, Gallas in-form, etc.), one could imagine to find Mexes being called up and playing more regularly then some other guys.

Cassano was continuously avoided by Lippi even when he was in stellar form. Nainggolan was also excluded this year by Wilmots even though he's by far the best DM Belgium has. Like I said, when judging a player's quality, NT call-ups should be your last source.

He was always a starter at Roma. Now that tells you something.

So no, this is not the same a Dida. Dida only fell out of position because he started to deteriorate and collected a fair amount of howlers. And you know how it's with keepers: you don't change them like they're fullbacks or attackers.

The thing with Mexes is that for some reason coaches eliminate or sideline him time after time. Yes, agreed, he is a good defender on his day, but that's exactly why I think there must be more into this.

The reason I compared it to Dida is because even after a coach decides to sideline him, he still ends up relying on him when he realizes that he's better than everyone else who've got. It happened with Allegri, and it happened with Seedorf. Perhaps the guy doesn't have a good character, which coupled with what he earns makes him an easy target to bench.

But we can judge by ourselves. We've seen him play many times, and even though he's not exactly Thiago Silva, compared to the likes of Bonera and Zapata who Pippo prefers instead, he's miles better.

[X-Offender]

F*ck Atletico! They're a bunch of dirty whiners that play some of the most unattractive football in Europe.

[Danny]

Delighted with the result. Well-deserved. Juve just aren't up to CL level, and Atletico know how to win.

[X-Offender]

Yeah, Juve were very poor. Allegri needs to drop the 3-man defense ASAP, but the problem is that they have no wingers or a proper AM. Coman is too green and Pereyra is average. Unless he plays Vidal or Marchisio there, which really would be typical Allegri like he did with Boateng and Emanuelson. Not to mention their only LB is 33-year-old Evra...

[Danny]

Who tonight was played as a left winger...

Roma seem far more suited to CL football than Juve, who just don't know what it takes to succeed at that level. Roma themselves are no astounding team but they have a LOT of incredibly good players with lots of experience at CL level and higher.

Juve will struggle to get to the last 16, while Roma may actually manage it.

But it shows the decline of Serie A when its supposed best team struggles at that level.

But then, isn't it ironic that England's supposed best team, Man City, does too? In the battle of 'new European forces' between City and PSG it's PSG who are streets ahead of City.

[kurtsimonw]

This club is becoming more of a joke.

AC Milan want European places for past glories - League form should be ignored for "prestige" teams

16 October ~ In the 1990s AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi complained that it did not make economic sense that the European season of top clubs such as his Milan could be over by the beginning of November, or even earlier. Those were still the days of European competitions with straight knockout rounds and no seedings. So, in 1988-89, Napoli found themselves up against Real Madrid in the first round and promptly went out, a fate which also befell Inter two years later against the much more modest Malmo.

Berlusconi's wish was soon granted as the European Champions Cup became the Champions League. But some people are never satisfied, and so now, again from Milan, has come another suggestion. The author is Umberto Gandini, a director of the club who is little-known outside Rossoneri circles.

No doubt influenced by the fact that Milan are not in Europe this season, he has come up with the idea that in order to improve the prestige of the Champions League certain clubs who have had the misfortune not to qualify due to poor league campaigns should be granted wild card entry to the competition. He named seven Italian and six English clubs who fight for, respectively, three and four places, and his argument seems to be that they should all be in the Champions League ex officio.

He says: "Every year two or three miss out and either go into the Europa League or 'have to' go without European football." And of course he could not fail to mention the importance to the clubs of revenue from European football, though it seems to have escaped his notice that for most clubs "going without" European football is the norm.

That this suggestion should come from Italy, a country where the national cup competition is programmed to ensure that two of the top clubs reach the final, should not come as a surprise. If its wider implications, the idea is clearly outlandish. Imagine that a medium-sized club, say Verona or Sampdoria, finish above Milan but out of the European placings. Gandini seems to be saying that Milan should leapfrog over them simply because of their past glories. So some Serie A clubs would be in Europe whatever their final league position, while others knew that no matter how well they performed they would never be allowed in. Yet most small- to medium-sized top division clubs manage to survive without any of the European money that Gandini seems to think is indispensable.
According to Gandini's logic clubs such as Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Derby and Nottingham Forest should be in the Premier League at the expense of five of the current members with less "sporting merit" or support. That is without mentioning all the former League clubs in the Conference and the often smaller clubs that have replaced them.

Gianni Infantino, UEFA general secretary, has said that there is no chance of Gandini's proposals being adopted, but the power that the top clubs now wield suggests caution. It is not inconceivable that it could happen. And if it does it will be another nail in the coffin of the idea of football as an exercise in meritocracy and a sport which, more than almost any other, sometimes sees little triumph over large and be rewarded for doing so.

I hope it's true that it won't happen. But the fact it's even being suggested is a bit sad.

I imagine if it was to happen, smaller winners like Forest, Villa and Red Star/Crvena Zvezda won't be given entry. Just the big names

This post has been edited by kurtsimonw: Oct 16 2014, 03:12 PM

[X-Offender]

That is one of the craziest and most absurd propositions I've ever heard of. And it's sad that it's coming from an official of our club.

[Jack Bauer]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[han2503]

So they want in on it without ever having to do the work or financial input that it requires to be in that competition, so typical of our management's new style of approach, cutting corners and taking shortcuts wherever they can without doing any leg work.

If this were to happen (never will in Galliani's wildest dreams) we'd be left with a Serie B squad. Just as long as they can get that CL money they won't care about much else

[Danny]

I'm the only fan who agrees with the Club on this.

Fucking Ludogorets, who sound like a throat lozenge, are in this, and Milan, Utd, Rangers, Celtic and a few others who should be there aren't.

Don't get me wrong, it IS desperate, but you have to question the appeal of the competition this year. More has been made about the teams NOT in it than those IN it.

[X-Offender]

I'm the only fan who agrees with the Club on this.

Fucking Ludogorets, who sound like a throat lozenge, are in this, and Milan, Utd, Rangers, Celtic and a few others who should be there aren't.

Don't get me wrong, it IS desperate, but you have to question the appeal of the competition this year. More has been made about the teams NOT in it than those IN it.

I can't believe you're saying this. Can't you see the absolute unfairness in all of it? Rewarding undeserving clubs like us and United, and disqualifying clubs who work hard all season only to be penalized by their inferior appeal and history. Everyone should have equal chances, be it Real Madrid or Ludogorets. The competition will never decline in appeal and financial income just because a few clubs don't make it every now and then.