[Fillipo Simone]

What has Suso done to be MoM? Apart from that goal, I expect much more. Look at the sheet - 0 passaggi.

[han2503]

Montella: "Maybe the Chinese sent the transfers to the wrong address (Inter)."

Montella: "I won't accept my players to keep protesting against referees. I don't tolerate."

Montella: "I do think that Milan could have done better in the mercato and I am not fully satisfied with the outcome of negotiations."

Montella: "Milan gifted Napoli the win. It's not fair that you play a game like that, and finish with 0 points."

Do you want to get fired? Cos that is how you get fired. He is right though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

It's nice to see the coach actually speaking up. Miha tried at first but he was quickly shut up. Pippo and Allegri just went along with everything and Seedorf was the only other guy who tried to speak his mind which is why he was axed as well.

The new management should be taking note and listening to Montella, he's a good coach, but the situation is simply not helping him

Silvio might fire him, but Silvio isn't the boss anymore. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

By the way yesterday's line-up had 6 players starting who were under 23. If you'd told me this 5 years ago I'd have laughed in your face. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I think that's simply part of the problem, too many young kids with no clear leader on the pitch willing to stamp his authority. Monto is a ghost and Abate tends to get sucked into situations which are tense. That being said, he's the only one who can realistically take that armband and be a leader of some sort in the team, at least he has passion and drive, which is much more than can be said of Monto

Perhaps we jumped to conclusions. Because MDS looked good with perhaps the best defense in the world at his side (Buffon, Barzagli, Chiellini, Bonucci). Or we have to be more patient. I don't know.


The sooner Montella realizes that Monto is finished, the better. He's a sad excuse for a captain, while as a player he brings little to nothing. At this point, we have to part ways ASAP.


Jack, I have to disagree. Time isn't the answer IMO. This was practically the same team we had last year, they had plenty of time to feel themselves and unite.

I think many things went wrong yesterday. Firstly, I'm really troubled by our mentality. We seem to drag the same old problem from season to season: we're rarely able to play a full game concentrated and in the same pace. Just look at the Torino game. We easily lose rhythm, we rarely take initiative and usually wait for things to happen. On top of it, yesterday I've witnessed things that should be way beneath our level: may it be the behavior of Kucka, Niang and a few others, or the conduct Romagnoli did in the last minutes of the game which is nothing but embarrassing. I think time will only make things worse unless we inject ASAP some fresh blood in the team. And I don't mean players like Pašalić who'll blend right away in this mess, I mean leader characters, winners who can pick up a different kind of vibe and mentality at Milan.

Agreed on all counts. Regarding Montella picking Monto, I think he does it because he feels like there's no one else in the team capable of playing that position, and honestly speaking, I don't begrudge him that thinking because I don't see anyone who's capable of playing there. We already have a problem because Kucka doesn't defend all that much and we moved Bonaventura in the midfield. And with Monto barely able to keep pace we basically have 3 players ghosting in and out of the game in that midfield, which makes it incredibly easy for the opposition to cut through our entire midfield and basically have only an isolated back 4 to break through

[han2503]

Montella has played with 3 at the back before right?

I think this can be a stop-gap solution for us until we can bring in the right players in the winter. This 4-3-3 business is mostly exposing how terribly weak our midfield is. We should try to offer PSG a loan move for Motta, and just play a 3-5-2 similar to what Italy did at the Euros.

And I know what you guys might say re; Motta... I honeslty don't like him at all, I can't stand him playing for Italy and wouldn't like him here either, but he's the only player I can think of that might be available on the cheap at this point in the transfer window who can play that role and help shore up that midfield for us

We'd play something like this for now

Paletta--Gomez--Romagnoli
Abate--Sosa--Motta--Bona--De Sciglio
Bacca--Niang

This would allow us to control the midfield a bit better, help out in terms of the defence which is getting very isolated because of our midfield, allowing us to form 5 at the back when we're defending and when we're on the attack we'd have Jack and Sosa who can be given more creative freedom by having someone like Motta behind them

[Jack Sparrow]

I see why it would make sense, but it takes a lot of hard work to train a back three. Not sure if that would be too much of a risk. I think Bonaventura in the mid three is a failed experiment. He's just been a ghost. We might have better luck with Honda there I think. Honda runs and defends a lot better too.

I agree with yours and Filippo's points. We have youth, but no mature head for them to look up to or to learn from. It's basically a poor man's Arsenal ~2012 for us.

I'm hopeful that this winter we might make some crucial buy-ins. But it's most important that we stay within touching distance of the top 5 (~4 points). This I believe we are fully capable of doing even with this current squad.

[maldini03]

I think Bonaventura was absent yesterday but I thought he was good against Torino. I think the problem is that Monto and Kucka don't provide any real cover for the back 4 and Montella has him running back just to drop extra bodies in front of the box. He always looks dangerous when igniting counter attacks from a quasi midfield position.

I see Bona as a Hamsik-lite. Because Hamsik plays next to Jorghino who is a Monto type and Allan who is a runner/ defensive specialist the deficiencies of Hamsik's defensive game are covered adequately. I also think that giving El Sha away was really foolish. Niang isn't a winger as he doesn't really track back. I see him as more of an ss. El Sha may come in and out of a game but he does always contribute defensively. Suso on the other hand doesn't defend much at all and i think thats part of the reason Abate and DS were so exposed. Those 3 guys Bacca, Niang, and Suso and to some extent Bona don't defend well at all which leaves us exposed down the wings and weak in the middle.

[Fillipo Simone]

Montella has played with 3 at the back before right?

I think this can be a stop-gap solution for us until we can bring in the right players in the winter. This 4-3-3 business is mostly exposing how terribly weak our midfield is. We should try to offer PSG a loan move for Motta, and just play a 3-5-2 similar to what Italy did at the Euros.

And I know what you guys might say re; Motta... I honeslty don't like him at all, I can't stand him playing for Italy and wouldn't like him here either, but he's the only player I can think of that might be available on the cheap at this point in the transfer window who can play that role and help shore up that midfield for us

We'd play something like this for now

Paletta--Gomez--Romagnoli
Abate--Sosa--Motta--Bona--De Sciglio
Bacca--Niang

This would allow us to control the midfield a bit better, help out in terms of the defence which is getting very isolated because of our midfield, allowing us to form 5 at the back when we're defending and when we're on the attack we'd have Jack and Sosa who can be given more creative freedom by having someone like Motta behind them

Not sure if Montella ever done such a thing. But I'd be against it. Firstly, we don't have the right defenders to pull this thing off. Look at Juventus, they played with a back 3 for a while, but it was a delicate matter where practically one absent leader (Bonucci, Chiellini) would rattle the cage almost by definition. Gomez and Paletta would be a disaster waiting to happen. With no defensive leader and no Motta (don't think he's gonna come in the last 48 hours, why would he, especially if Matuidi leaves?), I don't think it's a risky worth taking.

I see why it would make sense, but it takes a lot of hard work to train a back three. Not sure if that would be too much of a risk. I think Bonaventura in the mid three is a failed experiment. He's just been a ghost. We might have better luck with Honda there I think. Honda runs and defends a lot better too.

Honda seems to be completely out of favor, but I agree with you on that. I also think that Bonaventura in the mid three isn't working good. He doesn't add up to the midfield rhythm and get's lost too often. I think that we should abandon the mid 3 system because it's obvious that we lack all the needed ingredients; Monto, Bona and Kucka are all inadequate or better suited elsewhere/to a different system.

That being said, I don't see Montella dropping his system that soon.

[han2503]

That being said, what type of formation/system do you guys think would work with this group of players? Because the 4-3-3 will be abandoned sooner or later, I'm sure

[Fillipo Simone]

I think we have a team that's wrong in one too many aspects. We have diversified players, but we lack skills. We have no proper wingers, which means we have to play with one or two strikers: Niang and Bacca.

But then there's the question of Suso, Bonaventura, Honda, Sosa. What to do with those guys? What to do with the likes of Poli, Bertolacci and Kucka? Are they contributing to something in the team? IMO little to nothing.

I'd play a 4-4-2, a classic one, with Suso and Bonaventura on the flanks and a working midfield of Poli/Honda and Kucka/Berto.

But all the formations in the world will bring little steps forward or backward. We need true football players, we need people who put a stamp on the team, who lead the team and who - by their talent and skill - influence tactics and lineups.

[maldini03]

I think you're right Fillipo, there are not really players who bring anything special in terms of skills. I feel like we have a bunch of good athletes in Poli, and Kucka. Runners in terms of Berto, Bona, Sosa, and Suso but no one in the midfield who does anything special. No great passers, no great creative elements, no distinguished defensive mids just average guys with no real speciality.

When you think of Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, those guys all were distinguished in certain ways. I understand that comparing those world class players to our current lot isn't fair, but the point is that the guys we have now are all positionless save for a few. They are just guys who run and don't do much else well.

It comes down to management being unable to recognize the real issues and papering over the cracks with ill fitting replacements. Add that to the fact that we can't seem to pull the trigger on any sales and we have been stuck with basically the same ill fitting parts for 3 years straight.

As far as the Montolivo situation goes I think we should integrate Locatelli. I don't expect him to be a savior but how much worse than Montolivo could he be. Monto has been our worst player in these first 2 games. I understand that the team is already young and we need veteran leadership now but the kid has promise, and Monto clearly can't keep up at this level anymore. His passing has tailed off completely to the point that he can't even make the easy back passes anymore.

This post has been edited by maldini03: Aug 28 2016, 10:57 PM

[Fillipo Simone]

Agreed on all accounts. Locatelli certainly cannot do much worse then Monto's already doing.

What is beyond me is why we let go of Alex and de Jong so easily. I think both would have had a place in our team. (And yes, I know that they were getting old, but honestly did Kucka bench de Jong? Did Zapata bench Alex? Is anyone better then the two right now in our roster?)

[Forza Milan!]

Agreed on all accounts. Locatelli certainly cannot do much worse then Monto's already doing.

What is beyond me is why we let go of Alex and de Jong so easily. I think both would have had a place in our team. (And yes, I know that they were getting old, but honestly did Kucka bench de Jong? Did Zapata bench Alex? Is anyone better then the two right now in our roster?)

I am not sure I would want de Jong back. He is getting quite a reputation in MLS, came close to forcing a few players into early retirement.

As for the rest, my only hope is that we somehow manage to "survive" until the Winter transfer season. Then maybe we will get some cash and find some reasonable options in that timeframe. FWIW, I would like to see Locatelli, but I have a feeling we are stuck with Monto.

[Fillipo Simone]

Forcing how? What has he done?

[d'Arc.LP]

That being said, what type of formation/system do you guys think would work with this group of players? Because the 4-3-3 will be abandoned sooner or later, I'm sure

4-4-2 for me with:

Donnarumma

Abate - Gomez - Romagnoli - De Sciglio

Suso - Kucka/Poli - Sosa/Bertolaci - Bonaventura

Bacca - Lapadula

This post has been edited by d'Arc.LP: Aug 29 2016, 11:39 AM

[William405]

Forcing how? What has he done?

I think he is referring to his tough fouls. He has been suspended several times now.

[maldini03]

de Jong was always known for his rough tackles, it was really only with us that he toned it down a hair. That being said, I would still rather have him and Alex than our current lot. Teams are now much more willing to do business for players as they play a few games and see that their squads are too big. We should really make a move for some of those guys from the various Man City, Man Utd, Real type of teams. I understand that we can't give money up front but surely someone will bite on a loan + deal just to have these guys out of the way.

I think we need another defender. Gomez may turn out but clearly we have a problem with discipline so having an extra cb in there can't hurt. Or try an experiment, try to convert MDS or Calabria if possible to play more centrally. Our midfield is so poor atm, and playing Poli in there just makes me cringe. I like the guy, he runs hard but he makes horrible errors soetimes and his attacking ability leaves so much to be desired.


I'd say we stick with the 4-3-3, the players don't fit but at least we are finding a way to score. Or maybe a 4-2-2-2. Bona and Sosa could share the playmaking load while either Niang or Lapa drops in to the hole.

-------------Donna

Abate- Gomez-Romag- MDS

-----Poli/ Kucka- Locatelli
Suso/Sosa-------------Bona/Niang
--------Bacca------Niang/ Lapa