About time for the next match in Serie A after the UEFA Cup clash. First big match of the season, we'll be hosting Lazio at San Siro, and it'd be interesting to see how our very own Brocchi fares against us after he transferred to the Roman club for €2.7 million earlier this summer. And just for the record Brocchi looks like Robert De Nero in this picture:



Anyhoo, time for some stats between the two clubs, current rankings, head to head, top scorers, etc.









Date: 21 September, 2008
Time: 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm GMT
Place: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro)

Forza Milan!

My guess it'll be a draw...

Didn't know Lazio had Zarate Just don't let the cry baby score!

He's currently the league top scorer with 3 goals. So! I think he'll slot past in at least one seeing as Lazio can be good when they attack. Personally, I don't have higher hopes than a draw. A scoring one, preferably.

i belive it is time for sheva to start scoring it is his game he always used to score against them i hope he gets back on track from this game

Gazzetta's probable formation (as of 17th Sept)

4-3-2-1

Abbiati;
Bonera,Maldini,Senderos,Zambrotta;
Flamini,Seedorf,Ambrosini,
Kakà,Pato;
Borriello

Looks good aside from the fact that Senderos is playing but Antonini isnt. Whats interesting is the fact that Seedorf may play in the middle flanked by Ambro and Flamini, is he going to become the deep lying playmaker? it could work. Kudos to Ancelotti if he tries that

Nesta, Inzaghi, Viudez and Pirlo are all out injured, Gazzetta predict Brocchi will play against us. Will there be a teary eyed reunion with Kaka now?

Senderos and Maldini.. Noooo!

Clearly our slowest possible CB line-up atm.

ZZOMG !!!! 0-2 to Lazio !!

Well, they've scored six goals to our one goal (by Ambro), and there is a reason they they're first in the league and Milan is 19th. I wouldn't be too surprised if this was the end result. But I'm still sticking with my draw. Anything higher would be a very nice bonus!

He scored a great goal for them against Sampdoria and like acid said is currently the league's top scorer!

Looks like Lazio and Zarate are made for each other. so... I wouldn't doubt that he will get his share of ripping Milan's defense apart too

i wish antonini could replace favalli at the back.. and i think our CB would be better with bonera-senderos..

Fixed

*Sigh* Up against the top table team. Outlook does not look good. Still, hope springs eternal. Do something Marco.

Oh he's played for Genoa, that's why!

I didn't even know he'd played for Genoa!

Yeah me neither, I meant Birmingham!

Alrighty, team. I've just got three little words for you: Concentrate!

Sunday huh .. Well, Forza Milan, can't wait

Are you sure there's just three words in Concentrate? Count again if you like, I think you might have missed a few.

Maybe he meant three syllables.

Maybe... But why would I want cut him any slack?? He's fraternizing with the enemy...

Con cen trate, how's that for you?


Exactly.


I believe the word is 'spying' on the competition.

So... no Pirlo and probably no Gattuso (while he may fully recover from his injury, Flamini is doing wonders. I'd keep him in the starting XI for now)

This is what I want to see (could be seen as 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 or 4-2-2-2):

^^^

I like that one zd.

But is it realistic?

Will R10 really be left out, especially for a home game? Pato can't be left out, and Boriello looks like he's going to pick up where he left off last season. So those are two players that need to play imo. But you also have Sheva who imo was one of our top 3 best players against Zurich, and this even without him finishing the chances he got, his overall contribution was great.

Then you have Kaka and Dinho, plus Seedorf.

It's a bit of dilemma.

I think I would go for this one



Boriello and Sheva both to get a half. Seedorf imo, could be better then Pirlo at that position, since he has the strength and the presence.

this could essentially turn into a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-4-2 also

Ronaldinho being left out is as much unimaginable as Carlo playing with only one defensive midfielder! I don't know... we're both right.

I'm alright with any formation as long as it includes two strikers, one of them being the Duck!

4-2-2-2 with r80-kaka behind two stiker now which ones that is really hard to decide

Well he used to do it in the past, so I can keep hoping that he will revert back to that.

We really don't need 2 defenive mids. Having Flamini in there is like having 2 players, he's the Gattuso of a couple of years ago. A machine, so we don't need both him and Ambro. But still that formation could be played with 2 defensive mids, but I would prefer Seedorf there. He knows how to keep the ball without losing it (something Ambro does too often with his stray passes) and dictate our tempo, since Pirlo is not there to do it. I think he would be really great playing in that position, Will we see it? Don't think so but I can;t help but hope to see something like this rather then the cmas tree formation



Strikers should be Boriello and Sheva getting a half each next to Pato. Both are still regaining fitness, Sheva seems to be getting back form, he rolled back the years with yesterday's performance (besides the finishing that is ) and Boriello despite the injury seems to have finally figured out how to hit the back of the net. And I really love how versetile he is, he doesn't just need to recieve the ball a meter away from the line in order to score but can go for the long range shots and and actually hit the target

Besides, I think Kaka should only get a half, I'm worried about that knee of his, easing him in should be the way to go imo. Plus we can always just as easily revert to 4-3-1-2

Gazzetta's probable formations as of 19th Sept

(4-3-2-1-)

Abbiati
Zambrotta
Bonera
Maldini
Jankulovski
Gattuso
Ambrosini
Flamini
Kakà
Ronaldinho
Borriello

Looks okay, but i really would have wanted to see Pato playing ahed of Ronnie, also in the predicted bench there are no central midfielders, not even Cardacio!? Glad to see they think Borriello will start ahed of Sheva

I hope they are wrong. Seedorf should start instead of Ringhio and we should definitely play with two strikers(Borriello and Pato).

btw it will be interesting to se how our shaky defence will handle Zarate.

It will be a 4-3-2-1 but do you think Gattuso will be on the pitch ? I mean against Zurich he was on the bench, but still had his caste on. In any case, if he does play then it will be three DM's. If he doesn't make it then you might see Pato or Shevchenko.

It all depends on what Carlo anticipates from Lazio.

wat do ya'll think about this formation?

---------------Abbiati----------
-----Bonera----Sandro-----Kala------
--Zambro-----Flamini-----Janku
-----Kaka-------------------R80------
-----------BorriGol--Pato-------

If we go out with that midfield our play would be staler then a year old piece of bread.

Carlo seriously can't go out there with that midfield 3, not if he wants to win and save his job.

And the xmas tree should be avoided at all costs. We'll keep losing the ball with that midfield and in turn conceed because our defenders can't defend if their lives depended on it. And Pato HAS to start, no excuses

You make me fall BorriGOL??? What a funny ...

I mean, I don't hate him, I trust him ... But it's just a goal before a very low team. I don't want to see another Oliveira

in pro it will dont know in reality

We played two games with the Christmas tree formation and screwed both up. we played with two strikers against Zurich and won it kinda easily. beside that, we generally been doing badly playing with the Christmas tree formation for the past two seasons in the league. can't Carlo see the different or what? I really hope it's not going to be the Christmas tree again! if it was up to me, I wouldn't even change the formation we used against Zurich (except for Dida and Antonini who should be replaced with Abbiati and Zambro).

We need to start with two strikers, not deperately throw them into the game on the 70th minute when it's too late and we're losing (what Carlo did against both Bologna and Genoa and neither resulted). with the shaky defense we have right now it's inevitable to avoid conceding goals, so all we have to do is to win the game with our strikers and I, like almost all the other fans, can't see that heppening if we play with one striker (not Ronaldinho, Kaka, etc.).

Hold the phone; Gazzetta's probable formation as of 20th Sept

(4-4-2)

Abbiati
Zambrotta
Bonera
Maldini
Jankulovski
Gattuso
Flamini
Ambrosini
Seedorf
Kakà
Borriello

What the hell? a formation with wingers, despite us not having any? i think Gazzetta may mean a 4-4-1-1, because frankly its ridiculous to think Kaka as a striker. This formation looks kinda similar to the 2006/07 season CL matches one. Personally i think a midfielder needs to dropped and a striker thrown in

Flamini, Gattuos, Ambrosini... three ******* defensive midfielders???

I'm going to have a heart attack if that happens.

But I'm going to sleep if that happens.3 defensive midfielders means a few attacks and a lot of defending against the table leader!

ambro on right seedorf on left of the midfield this 4-4-2 sucks

Gattuso is more likely to be on the right wing. Ambro generally drifts along a lef/central area and Flamini will go in right/central areas

MILANELLO - Ecco i convocati di Carlo Ancelotti per la partita contro la Lazio:
Abbiati, Dida, Antonini, Bonera, Favalli, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Cardacio, Emerson, Flamini, Gattuso, Borriello, Kakà, Pato, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Viudez.
Giocatori indisponibili: Nesta, Senderos, Pirlo, Inzaghi.
Giocatori non convocati: Darmian (impegnato con la Primavera)

I don't think Carlo will play 3 defensive mids, although he wants to, he may be afraid of the reaction he'll get if he does and Milan doesn't get a good result. I expect Sheva/Pato/Ronaldinho to partner Boriello, at least that's the way it should be. We need a CF like Borriello, along with a SS and Kaka behind them. Seedorf, Flamini, and Ambro will complete the midfield.

If we would Play A 4-4-2, We Should Put Jankolvski On the Left Flank...
He can be Awesome!

I'd Like too See A Similar Formation to the One against Zurich, Except for the Defense.

Best option right now without Pirlo, imo is a 4-2-3-1.

The 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-1-2 systems Carlo uses are based around Pirlo and without him we always struggle, sure Seedorf did a really good job doing Pirlo's work against Zurich, the key word being Zurich so it was much easier to control the midfield no matter what formation or players we had on the pitch.

I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow if Carlo does go for the xmas tree with just Seedorf being the main creative force in the midfield 3. But should we go out there with Rino, Ambro and Flamini, be prepared for another humilating defeat

If it's official, Carlo starting Rino tomorrow will be as boneheaded as playing his smorgasbord of DMs.

3 DM's may indeed be suicidal. It may stabilise the midfield but our attack may not be up to scratch

fix'd

Argh, my own technique used against me! the irony