Okay, I need to cut back on that ...

C'mon, when's the last time you saw a guy playing with plaster on some part of his body?

Knowing Gattuso, he wouldn't hesitate to use it as a weapon.

Yeah that could potentially knock someone's teeth out heheh... Rino will get better. I say two weeks knowing his endurance.

Hold that thought. No need for that. Besides, congrats on breaking past the 10,000 post mark. Enjoy your membership to that exclusive club along with dst. I meant, literally, of course.

No worries. we have depth now; Flattuso is there.



I'm sure it'll turn out so good that Carlo will sacrifice his love for it in the following games. wow... dream line up.

+1

But I don't like him

Seedorf is important. On his day, his magic is equal to Ronaldinho's. Trouble is his days are 10 times a season. But when they do happen...man oh man!!!

I still miss Rui.

Specially when he was teaching Gattuso some technics during the matches of Serie A or UCL !

wow !!! 10K !! What have I been doing with my life

Don't fret. We're all partners in crime.

I hope this wouldn't be our main formation but rather the formation against smaller teams cuz we can't play this formation against bigger teams...

Even smaller teams I would be worried because we always concede on the counter.

Today's training has taken place.

After Carletto's chat, the players applauded young Tabare Viudez on the occasion of his 19th birthday.

The team then moved on to warmups, including stretching, abs work, and exercises with obstacles.

Borriello, after doing some training in the gym, came out onto the pitch to undergo some tests: sprints of 50 and 100 meters and variation of rhythm.

Ambrosini ran laps around the perimeter of the central pitch, working on variation of rhythm.

Senderos, Favalli and Inzaghi worked on running and changing direciton.

Maldini, Emerson, Cardaico, Kaka, Seedorf and Viudez worked on paired 100-meter sprints.

Training concluded with a 6 v 6 practice game with Abbiati and Dida in goal.

There will be one training session tomorrow.

We all know that the only reason Seedorf starts in nearly 100% of our macthes is because Carlo loves him and if he doesn't play he'll b!tch about it until he does.

Personally I'm a big fan, I think he's a genius, but when does he play to his ful potential? Like Jack said, he probably does that about 10 games a season. It's not about him being a slow player, Pirlo for example is not the fastest out there, but look how he fast he releases the ball from his feet, Seedorf likes to take his sweet @ss time way too much when he's in the mood to be lazy.

I thought he would have stepped up his game last Sunday against Bologna because he knows that once Kaka is back his @ss is on the line. But he went out there and pulled his usual cr@p. He was literally ruining ever decent move we were building, I don't call that integral to our play but a hindrence.

Maybe benching him will finally show him that his position is not as secure as it was in the past and he'll finally step up for more then 10 games a season


Exactly



I don't think Carlo would even go for this against Genoa next Sunday let alone against Inter Roma etc.

Personally I don't believe having an extra defensive mid will do anything to prevent counters and us conceeding the usual stupid goals that we conceed. If we play a smart game and retain possession in the midfield we won't conceed that ammount of space to our opponents even if we play with just one defensive mid.

This whole 2 defensive mid thing is a myth. We've been conceeding just as much if not more goals then we used to conceed when we played with just the one defensive mid

EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS!

Holy crap, that is just beautiful.

i dont think we are gonna change our system yet 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2 for this one

Mauro Tassotti seemed to indicate otherwise from his recent interview.

We'll know more as matchday approaches, but I really think we could go with the 4-2-3-1

For a home game, I'd be all for it... but an away game? That's a bit of a risk... our defense isn't exactly solid either.

And Sheva as a lone striker? I don't know man. If I were to use that formation, it would be Inzaghi up front... Inzaghi is just the better finisher. And then if needed, Sheva could be substituted for Inzaghi. Or we could even bring in Borriello. That would be ironic... Borriello knows Genoa pretty well..

true but if we do change then it should be 4-2-2-2 if we play pato and sheva bcoz to play a stiker out of position is no gud and i personally belive that the failure of r80-kaka in WC06 was bcoz they had two upfront both of them need space and they didnt get with two ahead of them

Pippo is a lost cause right now, no use wasting 60 minutes of a game with him playing while he's constantly shooting blanks.

Sheva played as a lone striker for most of the 04 season IIRC, his Ballon d'or winning season

And Sheva's not a good finisher? He's always been one of the best around, even at Chelsea he converted most of the chances he managed to get, sure he missed some sitters once his confidence had gone down the drain but other then that he's always been very clinical.

And it doens't really matter whether it's a home game or an away game, teams like Genoa will defend against us home or away. And like I said, if we play a smart game there is no need to play the conservative 4-3-2-1 with 2 defencive mids

You're talking about one game where Inzaghi wasn't at his best... This isn't 2004. It's 2008. Even I recognize that Sheva needs a lot more work than anyone else. If anything, Inzaghi is the best finisher we have. Don't judge everything off one game. So constantly shooting blanks? That happened in one game. He's no lost cause. That's not right. You'd be willing to bench the guy who has stuck with us, and rather use one that left...

Heck ,if Borriello is ready to go I'd would use him over Sheva... honestly.

Sheva is just not in the best form right. Why would his confidence be all there? Even in that game for Ukraine, he came on in the 74th minute.

While I'm fine with Sheva being at Milan, it's much too early to use him as a starter.

I'd much rather prefer the 4-3-2-1 in this game...

for once and hopefully more than once in the future, i agree with you giancarlo. excellent post.

Besides that even with the 4-3-2-1 formation... one of the two defensive midfielders would be Flamini... who attacks too... and is quite effective. I just think Ambrosini should have something to do with this game too.

Now I doubt that. Inzaghi has missed A LOT of chances in the past few seasons, but since he managed to score some important ones no one complained. in my eyes he's not the better finisher compared to Sheva (not Chelsea's Sheva and I'm talking about when both are at their best form - which right now neither are IMO). after the Bologna game I feel it's a little risky to start with Pippo again.

But I agree it's unlikely that Carlo will play 4-2-3-1... not from the start at least. if, like against Bologna, we screw up he may change to that system somewhere during the game though...

Inzaghi is the best finisher we have??? Like you said, this isn't 2004, Pippo misses probably 8 out 9 chances in every game, it's been this way for the past 2 years. And right now we've seen Pippo start the season terribly for the past 3 years and then hit a purple patch in late March early April.

Boriello is not ready to start yet, he'll need to be eased into games, he's had a serious injury that required a surgery so how can he be a starter right away when I'm pretty sure that he's not even 100% fit yet? Plus Boriello is a question mark as much as Sheva is, he's had his chances with Milan in the past and wasted all of them, he's never done anything at Milan, imo I think he'll turn out as another Gila for us, he's good playing at a mid table team but not at a top level club. If he proves me wrong, then great after all it's all for the good of the team.

I mentioned Sheva's 2004 form because you said that Sheva can't play as a loan striker, so I mentioned the fact that Sheva won the Ballon D'or by playing mostly as a loan striker, so I don't know where your theory that Sheva can't play as a loan striker comes from

And 4-3-2-1 is too conservative in a game like this, especially if we play with 2 defencive mids, we'll keep running into a wall and be unable to score, we've seen it happen these past 2 years so I don't know why you would expect it to work now

Actually Genoa is a team to have fear of. They've signed many decent/useful players with the likes of Ferrari, Milito, Olivera, Gasbaroni, Palladino + they have signed our promising youngster Di Gennaro.

I would like to see Borriello on the attack since he might know the team better, the players there and sounds easier for him to score than other strikers or our team.
I just hope Ancelotti won't use the Christmas Tree formation which absolutely sucks. I want to see 2 strikers upfront. Bonera is now available and he might play as a RB, this means that Zambrotta will move as a left back since Jankulovski doesn't seem yet fit.

Flamini should definitely start. He impressed me in pre-season matches + the first official match and will surely become an important/indispensable player for us.

In the end, Carlo has the last word of whom will play and I hope he picks the right choice or else....

Pippo misses that many? You are certainly watching a different Inzaghi than I am. It feels like you are judging everything off one game. Towards the end of last season, he was doing outstanding and took his shots very effectively. For most of the season he was not available because of injury, so tell me how can you make any of the judgments you have made? He wasn't even available to play!

So I strongly disagree. Pippo takes his chances well and he misses only a few like any other striker. And my point stands. He is the best finisher we have.



I'm sure Borriello is better now, and I think it would be better if we started with a younger striker. I think this Borriello is far different and I think he's better than Gilardino. Maybe even Pato up front. 4-3-2-1 is the one I'm advocating. Pato did score against Genoa before...



He was what? 28 years old then and was in great form? He's not in great form anymore. Players lose their ability to do certain things as time goes on. Sheva is no different. I think he'll be better as a support striker.



Flamini.

Looks like you're the one watching the different game because I'm pretty sure zd here also watches the Milan games I watch since he sees the same thing from Pippo

Pippo last season started fit, and apart from the super cup goal and some friendly goals he missed a lot of chances during league games, the only time I remember seeing him convert both chances he got was in the CWC, were Kaka literally handed him both goals in front of open nets a meter away from the goal line, I could have scored those, let alone a professional

Like I said, Pippo likes to hit purple patches in the last 2 months of the season and even then he manages to miss sitters, remember the Inter games last season? He missed something like 4 clear cut chances before he scored that header 2 inches from the goal line


Ok so you want Sheva to play as a pure supporting striker and nothing else, when he's clearly lost the pace required to play in this position but you want Pato to play as a lone striker, who imo has everything any footballer needs to be a supporting striker, pace, intelligence, dribbling, great passing. Sorry I don't see how you can argue about this issue.

And I'm pretty sure Boriello is not fit enough to start next Sunday, and probably neither is Kaka fully fit who's surgery was before Boriello's. Kaka was pushed into pre season and he's had complications with his knee, same will happen with Boriello if he's pushed into playing too quickly. We have enough strikers to still be comfortable when one is injured, so I don't see a reason as to why we should be rushing Boriello back to playing


Again, I don't understand your reasoning behind this, you said this yourself, Sheva isn't able to do the things he used to do when he was 28, he's not as quick anymore, he would be better playing as a loan striker where he doesn't have to do things he's not able to do anymore. And again, I was pointing out his 2004 season as a point of reference to the fact that he can in fact play the lone striker position, very well I might add. And Pippo has never been a better finisher then Sheva, never was never will be. The only players I consider being better finishers then Sheva are, Ronaldo (the real one) and Henry, who I think is on a par with Sheva.

Pippo Inzaghi just knows how to be in the right place at the right time and knows how to finish off the easy chances, simple as that


Still a defencive mid, no matter which way you look at it

If we were to play thexmas tree I would prefer to see these players



If we play 2 defensive mids, it will be just like the last 2 seasons, constantly going through the middle without being able to create a decent chance in 90 minutes of football

Yup ... I think you got a Seedorf in there

I've said what I needed to say. I'm against putting Sheva as lone striker. That would not help us. You can continue dreaming about how Sheva was in 2004, but he will not be the same and he's no longer a good finisher.

By the way, Inzaghi did not have too many clear cut chances in the Inter game. It was only the Inter goalkeeper that prevented him from scoring more, and he's one of the best keepers in the Serie A (as much as I HATE TO SAY THAT).

But yeah I will continue to defend Inzaghi. He's definitely better than Sheva, especially right now.

Sheva would be better as a 70th minute substitute or something. Sorry man. I don't think throwing him in the second game of the season would do any good.

He's the lesser of 2 evils

It's either him or another defensive mid...

But again, I would prefer either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-1-2 if Kaka is not fit. A Sheva, Pato partnership does intrigue me

I am more inclined to seeing a Sheva - Inzaghi partnership

I want to relive some memories of old .. I don't know if they are up to it anymore, but I guess the answer will come out on the pitch

But I also want Pato to start, it would be a deadly trident if it clicked, the Ka-Pa-Ro ... And I hope to see that trident too

I'm amazed at how people are downplaying Pippo, I really am.

That I might be able to settle for, but I'd much rather see Pato play...

Come on Tennie, when has Pippo last hit the ground running at the beginning of the season? Sure o6/07 he scored 1 in the opener of both Serie A and then the CL but then nothing, it has been the same for the last 3-4 years. Then he starts scoring a ridiculous ammount in the last 2 months, Pippo hasn't really had a consistant season from start to finish since 02/03 when he was scoring like a maniac from the very start of the season.

Right now, it's useless to play him since we all know he won't score unless it's a tap in from half a meter, he even managed to miss those on Sunday.

Like zd said, people tend to forget Pippo's misses because he scores important goals in big matches, had it been Gila that would have missed the chances Pippo missed everyone would be screaming bloody murder on here, but since it's Pippo it's ok.

This is ridiculous. Several times he made shots out of nothing... he scored goals out of nothing. not just easy tap ins. The guy had an injury for the last year. He's been pretty good the last few years. It's shocking to me someone can bash on him. 2005-6, and 2007-08 were good seasons for him, considering he didn't play the usual amount.

I think he will score and I think that he can do better than Sheva. I'm sorry, but Inzaghi is miles better than Sheva right now. Even though he's three years older.

Inzaghi is a legend and always will be one with Milan. Not only that you're quick to judge based on one game.

One could also say that people tend to remember Pato's goals more than his misses too (I think he'd be forgiven far more than Pippo would, because he's young and Brazilian).

I think the argument could go both ways.

The same can be said for Sheva to. He is a Milan legend, and people are already judging him after just 45 minutes.

Who did better in that game?

I think Inzaghi. I'm not attacking Sheva... I think he needs more time... I think he could be brought on in the 60th or 70th minute, instead of a player like Emerson.

Inzaghi, despite his injuries is a very crucial player for Milan. He has been a trusty handy man for when the going gets tough (post long-term injury). Some would want to highlight his misses as a main concern ... He is 34 now, and I can not ask anymore of this man ! He stood by Milan ever since he came here, he worked hard and came back, he gave Milan 2 goals in the final and only a lethal striker like him could have positioned himself in such a way for both goals. It shows his mind is very tactically oriented and has the experience that adds to his amazing responses in the 18-yard. Let us not forget who is the reigning European all time scorer

Shevchenko is already a part of Milan history, the second highest scorer for the club. What player he is now, I don't care really, all I care about is that he gave Milan and its fans such joy, he wasn't called the White Ronaldo for nothing.

But I can't agree with you and say that Inzaghi is miles ahead of Sheva. For a simple reason, it is because what Inzaghi does is totally different than what Shevchenko does. But I must say, those two together would cause goose bumps to run down my spine all over again !

Pippo creating goals out of nothing? Even for you this is a step too far.

Pippo needs to be handed balls on a silver platter in order to score, that's always been the way Pippo plays, when he was younger sure he could do something great like score a bicycle kick but not anymore.

05/06 he played nearly the entire season and had minor injuries here and there, and still his goals came late on into the season, Bayern doesn't count because Pippo would score against Bayern Munich even with one leg

Last season he had the kidney stones(?) and the thigh strain but he still started the season fit, and again failed to do anything at the beginning. I'm not basing this on 1 game, I'm basing this on the last 3 years!!

Inzaghi miles better then Sheva?? Just because Sheva was treated like cr@p at Chelsea from the moment he went there and his confidence went down does not make him cr@p, he still managed to score probably the best goal Chelsea scored in these last few years against Tottenham and he saved there @sses multiple time in the CL. Sheva is a better finisher then Inzaghi, it's not really a debate, his record shows this, and even while at Chelsea his goal tally is probably very close to Pippo's. And both had serious injuries during these last 2 seasons


The only reason Sheva is being treated differently is because he committed a major 'sin' and left Milan. Had he never left no one would think to compare him to Pippo, simple as that.

@ Tennie, sure people tend to close an eye when it comes to Pato, but Pippo has all the experiance anyone could ask for behind him while Pato is a 19 year old kid (18 when he missed those chances). It's expected for him to sometimes get nervice and let the blood rush to his head when he get's an opprtunity to score, but Pippo who scored some of the most important goals for us can't really hide behind an excuse like this one. He's ice cold in front of the goal when it comes to really impartant macthes.

This is outrageously laughable. Simply you did not see him in several of those matches last season, once he was tripped over and finished beautifully. It's not about a silver platter anything. It's about you not recognizing the guy where he needs to be. He played ery few games last season. Yes you are bashing him on one game, and the last years for him have been good ones.

64 goals in European competitions... and you still have the audacity to bash the guy.

Shame on you.



Hell no, Sheva is not. Debate? The facts are we can't risk fielding a Sheva that is nothing like what he was three years ago.

Agreed on everything you said R7

As for the bolded part, if R7 can say this then surely you can't continue to argue on the matter

Oh yes I will.

I will argue this until hell freezes over. Stop trying to think Sheva is still what he was. When we lose against Genoa because he fails to convert any of his shots, don't come complaining back to me.

Sheva at most is a utility player.

Sorry, but I think the double-standard is unfair. If Pippo is going to be criticized for missing goals, then Pato should be too, yet it seems impolitic to say anything remotely negative about the kid.

For those who care about statistical things, Gazzetta's player information for last year's league games shows Pato with 9 goals scored in 1333 minutes played (.05/game) and Pippo with 11 goals scored in 1394 minutes played (.052/game). Pippo's goal ratio is .02 higher than Pato's.

Hey, you think Pippo is still what he was so why is it wrong for me to defend Sheva? And I'm not even saying he's still what he was before he left!!!! My god, do you even read what I write??? AGAIN the only reason I even brought up the 04 season is because I wanted to use it as a REFERENCE POINT for the fact that Sheva does indeed know how to play as a lone striker!!!! I wasn;t saying that he's still the player he was back then!!!

Oh pls, come complaining?? Oh so it's ok for you to judge Sheva based on his 1 macth, but it's not ok for me to judge Pippo on his performance against Genoa... talk about being a hypocrit! And btw, I wasn't even basing my oppinion on Pippo on 1 game, which I repeated to you about a million times but on his performances at the beginning of the last 3 seasons.

Run woman, RUNNN !!!

Because Pippo stuck around and was loyal. I can't say the same about Sheva. I do not trust the guy to be all alone up front nor do I trust him to finish well. He's going to have to earn my damn trust, before I advocate putting him as the lone striker!

It's not whether he knows how to play... heck even I do... but in reality I'm a defensive midfielder whenever I play... but... does he play well? Does he?

Pippo has done a lot of stuff for us... and is an effective finisher. I based my opinions on the last few years. CASE IN DAMN POINT.