After locking horns with one zebra, we try our luck with another one. This time the Zebrette (little zebras) in question is Udinese, a team that has seemingly fallen out of form and favor languishing at 11th currently. We're at third, but with that dreaded club (Napoli) hot on our heels tied with 30 points. So unless we win this one, we risk falling back to 6th, just like that, with Fiorentina shown the way by Gila (who's the top scorer in the league with 12, mind you, even after missing two matches). I currently stand at 1-1-1 at thread openings (one win, one draw, and the Juve loss, so hopefully Milan comes good in this one). The players worth keeping an eye on in the opponent team are Di Natale, Quagliarella, Luković, Zapata, and their keeper Handanovič:



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









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

Forza Milan!

I'd add Inler and Pepe as guys to watch out for. The Udinese attack is dangerous when on form - and they seem to be getting back to it. Their defense can be porous, however.

Ambrosini and Zambrotta are suspended for this game.

Here's Mediaset's projected lineup:
Abbiati; Antonini, Maldini, Kaladze, Jankulovski; Flamini, Emerson, Seedorf; Kakà, Ronaldinho; Pato.

if kaladze does plays then we will be in real trouble Udinese attack is deadly

Antonini. I haven't seen him much, but I've liked what I've seen from him so far, hopefully he does enough to keep his place in the team.

Good thing is that Udinese don't score as much when they're on the road (a goal every 75 minutes). So if we play to our potential I think we can win this one. Not comfortably, of course, but if I were a gambling man, I'd put good money on us winning. Of course, this is Milan, and anything goes with this club. I don't think there's a chance of us losing though - the team should be motivated enough after the horrible show against Juve.

Yeah, they locked it where it hurts...

True. And speaking of locks, Max locked my last thread too. Locks, locks everywhere!

I hope Pato starts. he was great last time we played Udinese. yeah, that sad day...


I think there is.

Flamini Seedorf and Pirlo worked in the gym again today.

We're not going to have a midfield for this game.

Ohhh NOOO
...not again!

125 views and 9 replies in two days?! Come on guys, you can do better than this. It's almost feels like if I opened a Milan vs Udinese thread in an inter forum? The match is in a couple of days, so hurry up with your news, views, and reviews. Any other time this would have more than 50 replies by now.

And oh, let's keep the pessimism on hold, please. And save it for after the match. We've already fallen off the perch in these last few weeks, what's the worse that could happen? If we win, we win. If we lose/draw it's not like it's happened the first time this season. Over to you, guys.

Observation: both Di Natale and Quagliarella were rested for Udinese's UEFA Cup game; to me, that indicates that we'll see them.

what about Cardacio? Carlo said we lack midfielders for d game against Udinese...i don't know why he can't play Cardacio..what did he him for?..He needs to rotate that's why other players suck when they come on the pitch...He should keep everyone healthy that's why the overplayed ones aren't healthy..but of course milan 2nd 11 is very bad....

How?

Well... it was the last game of the season. we were hopeful the other game's result [Catania-Fiorentina] would turn out in favor of us. and it almost did. almost (even Catania scored the first goal, only to be ruled out for offside ). the look on our players and coach's faces on the final whistle were heartbreaking.

Besides, it was Cafu and Sergio's farewell game.

****

I'm not sure what you're insinuating here, but forgive me if my memory isn't the sharpest. I'm one of the contingent here who's not a walking Rolodex of past Milan matches.

Two years ago, it was Milan 2 - 3 Udinese, but nobody really cared. It was the last home game of the season and the game before the CL final so it was mostly a reserve squad. Darmian and Di Gennaro both played (Darmian got a 6). The goals were scored by Gourcuff and by Billy. It was Billy's last game.

I have no idea what sort of squad is going to be fielded for this game. There's practically no midfield and the defenders? Eek. Need to be on their game against the Udinese attack.

That was Torino i think.

**** as in $h1t. I knew people were going to start talking about all the details of that painful day. Nothing directed to you Miz. I love you too much.

wow....i really really hate Carlo Ancelotti..i mean hate..he'll prefer to play janku in midfield when we have Cardaccio..He is purely wicked.....He destroys career..Darmian hasn't played one minute since so far in the season..how wicked can u get? its this young people we need and i'm saying it again..with these old lads we won't win this scudetto

I like this guy.

I was thinking the same thing. Carletto has very very little faith in youngsters if any. Both Darmian and Cardacio should be played. That's why they are there... To provide back up and fresh blood.

Okay...

FWIW here's the formation I'd like to see...

Abbiati
Antonini-----Maldini-----Kaladze----Jankulofski

Flamini

Seedorf-------------------------Dinho

Kaka

Sheva
Pato

That would never happen

I personally would like to see something along these lines



But what I think Carlo will go for is probably this

Abbiati, Dida, Antonini, Darmian, Favalli, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Cardacio, Pirlo, Strasser (51), Osuji (54), Inzaghi, Kakà, Pato, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Viudez

We have no defensive Midfielders

It will be so...I think

-----------------------------------Абьятти-----------------------------
------Антонини--------Мальдини-----Каладзе---------Фавалли--
---------------Зейдорф---------Пирло----------Янкуловски--------
----------------------------Кака-----------Гаушо----------------------
-------------------------------------Пато--------------------------------

This is the best team formation I've ever read here in Milanfan.com! Period. Took me a whole minute to decrypt it and find out what it meant.

Brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!

@ han

Zambro is suspended.

Carlo has almost revealed what the lineup will be:

Abbiati, Maldini, Jankulovski, Antonini, Kaladze, Favalli, Pato, Ronaldinho and Kakà


Aw...

Nice.

5 defenders?

I just copy-pasted it from acmilan.com. you've got to ask Carlo
Since we have a midfield crisis, Carlo has decided to use Janku as a midfielder.

Man U wins the CWC so bye-bye silly badge

...I actually liked the gold little piece o' s*!t badge! (despite many not favoring it.)

5 LB!

Good point.

Wasn't he a left midfielder at Udine ?

Are you comparing Milan with Udinese?...

This is possibly one of the deadest match threads I have seen in a while.

Calm before the storm?

We have one central midfielder and Carlo still insists on using the Xmas tree

I think it will be good for you to know our players in russian)))

Noe Galliani can finally shut up about it

he'll find a way to bring it up.

-so no silver this season mr. fester?
-well we were just crowned world champs last season:innocent:

MILAN-UDINESE: LE FORMAZIONI UFFICIALI

21/12/2008

MILANO - Così Milan e Udinese in campo alle ore 20.30 a San Siro per il posticipo della 17' giornata di Serie A:

MILAN: Abbiati; Antonini, Maldini, Kaladze, Favalli; Seedorf, Pirlo, Jankulovski; Kakà, Ronaldinho; Pato.

UDINESE: Handanovic; Ferronetti, Sala, Domizzi, Lukovic; Inler, D'Agostino, Isla; Pepe, Quagliarella, Di Natale.

Sure thing.

At least he removed Janku from the defence...

So did I. Pity it's not there anymore.


Yeah, you know what they say, silence is deadly.


I think this is more than calm. It's something worse, I've never seen so less an interest in such a vital match, here at Milanfan. Could it be that everyone has given up on the Scudetto, already?


He wouldn't have done this if he had a choice. That's the thing I dislike most about Carlo, he likes to stay in his comfort zone. And sometimes, just sometimes, it comes back to bite Milan where it hurts the most.

the condition the squad is in there are no real surprise...a 2-1 win and boy we need
Forza Milan

Ok im really interested to know whos playing Left back tonight Favali , Kaladze or Janku ?!!?!?!

Hopefully you're right.

I just think we're going out with a disjointed formation, that Carlo could have chosen a better one and it will hurt us.

Hopefully we play smart to cover for the losses, Janku needs to cover as a DM and attack from the wing, it will be a really tough test for him.

And I'm hopeing that Ronnie will be played further up today as a second striker instead of a midfielder