if we play this linup the only change i would like is that seedorf plays at CM area not AM area but he is a troublemaker

Pato on the bench again?We're going to make a new Gourcuff

We've already started work on it. Carlo is just pressing the right buttons for self destruction. Maybe he wanted out and Galliani doesn't allow him to quite. That's why he's making all these stupid decisions. Either that, or he really has become a bit soft in the head.

Hello all! I am Ivan from Bulgaria! I expect to win with 3 goals. Goalmakers: Sheva R80 and Kaka` - my favourite player.

Welcome, Johnie. Feel free to open an introduction thread, and enjoy your stay here!

Hello and welcome, Johnie!

Hi Ivan, welcome

(from the ticker on acmilan.com's italian page)

Sarà l'arbitro Gianluca Rocchi a dirigere Genoa-Milan, seconda gara del campionato 2008/2009 in programma domenica alle ore 15.00 a Marassi.

The ref for this game will be Gianluca Rocchi.

I downloaded Milan-Bologna a few days ago and has watched it a lot since, actually. I agree about Pirlo. he reminds me of Kaka in last season. he looked exhausted and unable to play upto to his real potential, and more mistakes than usual too. then it was revealed he was playing through knee problem all season. maybe the same is the problem with Pirlo?

I think it'd be interesting to test Seedorf in Pirlo's position. and perhaps play Pirlo in a more offensive role. it could work out!




WELCOME to MF johnie!

If we play 4-2-3-1 we wouldn't really need Pirlo exactly, we can play with Flamini and Ambro in the defensive mid position and do just as well.

If Pirlo really has some sort of injury he shouldn't be playing and he shouldn't have been called up for the Azzurri games either. We can't risk him getting a serious injury, because we might cope some way or another without Kaka but without Pirlo this Milan can't really function if we use any of the old Carlo systems

Today's training has taken place.

There was a meeting in the dressing room before training began.

Ronaldo was also present, having come directly from Malpensa airport. He worked in the gym.

After warmups, the players took part in 11 v 11 mini-games. The first minigame saw the squad working on one half of the pitch; the second on the whole pitch.

Marco Borriello followed the entire training session with the team.

Tomorrow will be pre-match practice and a press conference with Carlo Ancelotti.

Ronaldinho

Sorry, no cookies for me!

RONALDINHO, not Ronaldo. Typo!

Believe me, for a second I though you mean Ronaldo. thought we're going to sign him back in January.

Poor Ronaldo...

(from acmilan.com's italian page)
Doctor Manara gave an update on injuries:

INZAGHI: He had routine exams this afternoon that confirmed a lesion of the first grade on the adductor of his right leg. He'll be treated here and we'll evaluate his recovery time on a day by day basis.

NESTA: His rehabilitation is progressing without difficulty. We're trusting about his recovery, which in any event won't happen before the next (international) break. We hope to have him back in mid-October.

GATTUSO: The NT doctor, Professor Castellacci, reversed the dislocation and his recuperation is proceding well. Rino's doing physical therapy and also training because the cast doesn't prevent him from working. TOday, for example, he started to run, but we know how determined Gattuso is.

VIUDEZ: He's doing physical therapy for an adductor problem.

KAKA’, BORRIELLO, DIDA: We're satisfied with the results obtained. When a player returns to the group that means for us that he is recuperated, and after that it's up to the coach to decide whether to use him.
-----

I like this new doctor. Plain-speaking and honest in what he says (so it seems).

This is the first time a potential Nesta return has been given a date. (There are two more WC qualifier dates in October. On Oct. 10 Italy are away to Bulgaria and on Oct 15, they're at home to Montenegro). If the prediction is accurate, Nesta may be back for the game v. Samp on Oct 19 or the one v. Atalanta on Oct 26.

Hi Ivan and welcome to MF

@ Tennie, yes I like this new doctor too

zd is on point. I could see Clarence playing in the Pirlo position beautifully. That's essentially what he does when he plays from midfield.

Seedorf is a wierd one. He can dribble as well as the best of them, but sometimes our team is really held back in terms of pace by him. Seedorf holds the ball up too much sometimes, rather than just play kaka forward. That's why when he does play in the middle of the park and has to release the ball forward into space we play faster, and more devastating in attack..like pirlo, who is always looking to stretch the play. Seedorf tries to dictate it too much and he's simply not quick enough any more..thoughts?

Looks like we are getting more of our team back finally... hopefully the rest will come back, and there will be few injuries throughout... our rivals are still hit by major injury issues... Roma just lost Mexes to injury...

Mediaset is reporting that we may have lost Senderos - some sort of foot problem. Nothing more mentioned and nothing official on the website yet.

Damn it. I hope they are wrong.

Seedorf's game was never that of being pacy. I resemble him to half a Zidane Where he control's the play. He is a critical focal point in Milan, and has proven it in more ways to his coaches that he remains a first team player in all the teams he had played in.

Of his qualities: His strength and grit in the middle of the park makes him a very heavy player and adds to his ability to safe guard the ball and his vision & playmaking instincts.


Many on here consider him to be useless to an extent because he is not as flashy as Kaka' or Pato, but truth is the brilliance of his game is when he plays in a slow tempo, he tends to bring the whole team together and opens up space for Kaka' and Pirlo on many occasions. Also some claim that he is too slow, and my question is when was he ever not ?

those are my thoughts on the subject.

I call Seedorf 'Turtle' but I do so with affection. He's a primadonna but he's also the only guy who's won the CL with 3 different teams. He's capable of utterly sublime football and while I worry about fielding him versus the Lecce's of the world, I wouldn't ever think twice about fielding him against Roma or Juve.

Tuttomercatoweb is also reporting on the Senderos foot thing. They also mention that Janku may not play (pulled muscle but not in treatment per dr. Manara), are worried that Ronaldinho trained only in the gym (I'm not. He went to the gym directly after a 9 hour flight. I'm amazed he was able ot go to the gym) and fret about Inzaghi's absence. It's a pretty gloomy article, truth be told.

It's a rubbish article I think.

Why?

Hope to see Seedorf and Kaladze where they deserve to be for this one... on the bench and six feet under respectively.

dst! Welcome back!

****! we're doomed. I was hoping to see him on Sunday now he won't even make the Derby... Inter's attack will cause us a LOT of trouble.





Problem is he doesn't like to play deep. he likes to attack!

I think because of his slow pace he shouldn't be an attacking player. his control on the ball, great physique (and I mean great!) and some of his other characteristics suit CM role much better IMO. but there are two problems. one, as I said above, is he doesn't like to play in that role, and two, where does that leave Pirlo??

Oh no. What a terrible thing to happen..

I'm sure we will get back to winning ways soon enough...

I think our defense will improve too... I'm sure Milan can beat Inter... not even quaresma can change that.

Who cares about Queresma, pretty much man for man over the whole field they're better than us, or at least the majority for sure.

Sorry I can't agree with that. With all the new signings we have, we have the edge over them, especially in the front. Nor will I ever accept such negative talk.

You see no matter how many players Milan buys, some people are never happy.

Negative talk? No, it's called using common sense. There is a reason they won the league last season, there's also a reason we got the players we have this summer.. because their old clubs didn't want them! Flamini being the exception.

I'm not optimistic we can keep a clean sheet against Inter without Nesta. we are already conceding cheap goals against cheap teams....

What kind of common sense is that? No I'm sorry you only speak negativity because that's all you can think about. We bought more players than they did. Their old clubs didn't want them? Isn't that the case with most players moving? Frankly who gives a damn about the old teams not wanting them?

If they play better here (and Ronaldinho IS, along with Zambrotta), you have a problem with that?

Sorry no common sense here.

We bought more players than they did? I should hope so too, they've won the league 3 straight times, it's not like they need a whole overhaul for improvements is it, we did. For top clubs buying players? No, when a top European club buys a player it's usually a case of him impressing at a lower club and their club will reluctantly sell them. It's very rare a team at the top buys many cast offs.

Play better? I think a 2-1 defeat in which they played quite well against a team that didn't even win Serie B last season is not quite enough for me. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm not exactly thrilled about the way Milan has played for the last season +1 game this season. You know, finishing 5th and losing to a Serie B level team just isn't really what I expect.

Which will make it even sweeter if they do well for us!

I suppose an upside is that they can't do any worse?

Welcome back anyway.

They almost threw away the title last season... and their form isn't anything to excited about right now either. What about the Champions League? Where was Inter? Nowhere to be seen. Even knocked out by a team we beat (Liverpool). How are these cast offs? Care to explain that. Many of these players were wanted. And it's not like we bought many. We bought two starlets from Uruguay... one of which has really impressed (Cardacio).

And Ronaldinho was bought, and is now impressing many. He's impressing in Milan and with his national team, so who cares about what his old team cares about?

Your opinion not mine. We didn't buy another team's garbage. We bought great players. I'll stick to that!

So I guess we should have bought NO ONE because you didn't want Milan to buy so called "cast offs"? Ronaldinho was in no way one.



Bologna bought quite a few players during the transfer season. No, I'm sorry but I'm not going to engage in bashing the team I support the way you have. I'm going to support my team no matter what.

Well... we always have Kaladze to cover up anyway...

Thanks!

Hah. Have you prepared your next ***** laden post for that, dst?

Kaladze actually did alright when playing against Italy, despite that one misjudgment where he almost caused a penalty kick. Other than that... he was actually surprisingly solid.

He's' not even worth that now... It sounds very bad but I just wish he gets injured badly or something, I can't stand him any more... Nesta is plagued and he keeps playing, how unfair!


Well it's not that he's useless it's just that he always makes a grave mistake at least once in every game... like against Italy...

He's need to focus some more I think...

Yeah I hope he goes to Tibet for 7 years to do just that!

Oh, and welcome back from your trip to the distant galazies. Hope you had fun!

we have to win this. A loss especially with captiano numero 2 back is embarrassing.

:sigh: So happy to have you and your anti Kaladze comments back dst!!! We all try to dish it out but it's not the same if it's not coming from you

Hm. There are murmurs that Borriello may get a run out at some point in the game. He's officially off the injured list.

Capitano numero 2 = ? Ambro? Kaka? Gattuso?

Hope he scores against his old team!

Only as a sub and we're already up 1-0 though