Milan play Panathinaikos in a friendly this Friday -- at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.

Can somoene explain to me why on earth this game's being played? Are we getting lots and lots of $$$$$$?

We better be. They just got back from America, what the heck are they doing coming back?

Its another Greek team, maybe they'll buy Gattuso.

Match of the titans my foot.

ignore please! DP sorry.

I'm wondering if Pirlo and Dinho will be available for this one ?

I wonder if Adiyiah and gooch will make this trip

It may not mean much cuz it's preseason and all, but at the same time it'd be so unfair to him to not notice it. I want this to be a milanfan forum consensus: Mathieu Flamini has been the brightest part of our preseason thus far.

His performance against Arsenal is pretty much as good a performance a defensive midfielder can put on against a team of that calibre. Both goals we conceded in the Emirates Cup were scored on the right hand side of our midfield and flank - Arshavin making Gattuso eat grass and playing in Chamack, and Oddo with an UNFORGIVABLE effort to clear a good Pjanic cross. Arsenal were far more dangerous down Sokratis/Oddo/Gattuso's side of the field.

Meanwhile, Antonini and Flamini forged wonderful chemistry both in their pressuring and their coordination in sending each other forward.

The guy was everywhere, disrupting runs down the flank, closing down space in the middle of the park, and making runs into the heart of opposition defense to rip a shot, lay it off to someone more creative, or stretch them wide and play in a low cross. He's hit a couple posts now, and has the best passing range out of any of our defensive midfielders.

At age 26, Flamini is in the prime of his career. He's rejected offers to leave because he's stated again and again he likes Italy, and wants to play and prove himself at Milan. If he doesn't get a solid chance to, I'll deeply resent this club. Gattuso has done nothing to merit his starting place these past few seasons. In fact, at any 'top club' outside ours, he would have lost it.

I hope Allegri sees this, and Flamini keeps it up. I think if he keeps up his high work rate, smart passing, and is able to finally catch a little bit a luck with a goal, he'll win a spot on merit - regardless of whether he picks up cards quickly (cuz so do Ambro, Rino, and EVERY other DM out there).

Also, Sokratis looked positionally unaware on the right, and while that may change with experience, this IMHO is the best AC Milan XI heading into next year with what we got - and i've given each player tactical advice.

Abiatti/Amelia
- Zambro (Be Conservative, but patient going forward)
- Nesta (Orchestrate)
- Thiago (Be an offensive, space creating, but disciplined)
Sidekicks: Sokratis,Yepes, Bonera (not bad at all)
- Antonini (ATTACK, help Flamini, Pirlo, and Dinho)
- Ambro (Be Conservative - play sweeper, score from set pieces, but don't be any more adventurous than that, why? cuz of the next guy)
- Flamini (Live up to your nicknames of "Flatusso" and "Mad Dog Flamini" Be everywhere. Box-to-Box, help Antonini and Pirlo)
- Pirlo (come forward more, CUZ YOU ARE EVERYTHING FOR US when it comes to ball possession. focus on Pato and Borriello for long balls, or play quick short range passes with Dinho to find space in the final 3rd, and last but not least, SCORE YOUR FREE KICKS)
- Pato (help Pirlo and Dinho with off-ball runs, help midfield in general buy picking the ball up and turning quickly - you've shown that ability this preseason - looks like you've worked on your tactically dribbling. Stop overdribbling in the box, and put more shots on target)
- Ronaldinho (You're job should be easy, EVERYONE is working for you. 1) Play close to Borriello to start. if you get the ball, DRIBBLE the line and find the forehead or feet of our striker. 2) Dribble into the box and either force a save, or cut it back to the top of the box so Pirlo and can switch play or rasp a knuckle ball. 3) after defenses are scared of your dribbling, pick up the ball deeper, and allow Pirlo into the final 3rd. : use your overlapping runs, OR MAKE THE FINAL BALL. You have MANY helpers coming forward to help you, use them precisely, or watch us get ripped open with your indecision and pray for Ambro)

Borriello/Hunter - WE NEED CONSISTENCY OUT OF YOU TWO BASTARDS. SHOW US how our midfield should play for you, don't try and do more than you can to 'help our midfield' - just finish the millions of chances you'll find.

Excactly my thoughts (except you could replace 'foot' with... something else. As for 'Soccer classic', when was the last time Milan duked it out with the mighty Greens?

Great post vnata, I agree with all of it!

We were apparently interested in Sotiris Ninis a while back - I wonder if that's got anything to do with it.

(from acmilan.com)

Call ups:



No Ronaldinho or Pirlo.

Also no Verdi (they're doing tests on his knee according to milannews of a couple of days ago), Janku, or Kaladze.

Despite the fact that I want Ronaldinho to play, but I have to respect Allegri.... He probably thinks "If you're not 100 % ready, you ain't gonna play" That's the attitude.

well he doesn't have much choice. If Ronaldinho is injured and can't play this season, we might get relegated.

It's hardly that dire.

What about Pirlo?

Is he injured or just not in top condition yet?

not for X Off... He probably thinks he's better himself than Ronnie. BTW, talking on topic, I think there's no rush to play Ronaldinho. Anyway, I personally would like to see him play against his ex-team Barca. I guess he will comeback for TIM trophie.

Ronaldinho alone won't get us there but remove 5 players (Dinho, Pirlo, Nesta, Pato and Thiago) from out first team and we're there so fast your head will spin

disagree. I'd say if Dinho/pirlo and nesta weren't there, we'd be in relegation zone forsure. Silva and Pato are necessary but they can be replaced. Every time one of those main three got injured, we could barely win games.

Not that dire imo.

But the 5 I mentioned are the key. Last season we lost Nesta and Pato and we suffered big time but we still managed somehow. And we'd managed say we lose Pirlo and Thiago but we definately won't be in the top 4.

Imagine losing all 5 I mentioned

Galliani will have a heart attack forsure

I haven't seen anything explicit in the Italian media regarding Pirlo being injured. I'm guessing that he's just not match fit after the break and there's no pressing need to rush him back for a one-off friendly in suburban Detroit.

But there's nothing strange about it. I mean, there're two types of players in team. One is leaders or key players and second one is helpers. I want to say that all of players cant be equally important to a team. What would Barca be without Xavi, Nesta, Messi, Puyol, Pique ? Or MU without Wayne, Nani, Carrick, Rio, Vidic ?

That is true, but the "supporting cast" if you want to call it that, at those teams is very strong and they both have great benches that can handle 1 or 2 important players to be injured. While we don't

Imo we have a very good first 11, but looking further then that, we have nothing, which is why we struggle in the league while Inter sail through it. Because they have an amazing squad, not just 11 great players with the rest being more or less average, like we do

So in other words, depth is a serious issue with Milan.

Exactly

Sign Sotrinis Ninis!!

Panathinaikos have defeated Inter 3-2 in a friendly match played in Toronto, Canada

While we're still unbeaten. Now if the shoe were on the other foot...there'd be mass chaos here.

^^ We lost to Varese!

Milan will earn 1 mil. for going in USA and play agains the Greek team - link

milannews reports that Yepes has a minor knock and that he didn't make the trip to Detroit. link

For some reason, that just sounds so odd, "didn't make the trip to Detroit."

Why does it sound odd, Miz?

I don't know. Probably because we're a big international football team who's been all around the world and Detroit sounds so...small and ordinary in comparison.

Anyway, Milan are reportedly pocketing 1 mil. euros for this trip.

Gazzetta reports that Pato twisted his ankle in training. He probably won't play, therefore.

Sokratis apparently also has a muscular issue (this according to tuttomercatoweb).

And the curse of the injuries has started. At this rate we'll barely have a team left by the start of the season

A proper* team, you mean... we have enough squad players, but... well...

So no Pato and Sokratis? Are the others all available, or? Without Pato I think we should start Huntelaar.

Huntelaar didn't make the trip, Chu. He just got back to milanello to training a couple of days ago.

Shame, Huntelaar misses too much of pre-season... I believe it was important trying out some line-ups including Huntelaar since last season he wasn't that well to play along with.

Has Huntelaar been on the traning?

Good god.. The game starts at 02:00 CET.
It friday , Im probably going to miss the match

Yes, Samira. As my post above indicates, Huntelaar returned to training at Milanello a couple of days ago.

How has the training been for him?
I have seen anything in acmilan.it

Then you're not looking hard enough, Samira. there's news about daily training on the club website in both English and Italian.

Is Pirlo making the trip? Has he been injured or just not in shape?

I guess he's out of shape.

haha, typicall me

if the game is played at night 02:00 6/8 its allready been played
I got confused on that but I get it now
Will Pirlo be back to the season?

Pirlo, Ambro, Pippo, Huntelaar, etc are all training at Milanello.

Huntelaar I understand because Holland made it far in the WC. But what's going on with Pirlo, Ambro and Pippo?

crap, for a brief moment, I thought I could watch this to occupy some of my workday.

Then I remembered the game is in the US.

So...here we go.

Rino with the armband.
Abbiati
Zambrotta Nesta Silva Antonini
Gattuso Seedorf Flamini
Oduamadi Borriello Merkel

(or something like that. Pretty sure it's those guys who just walked out. Oduamadi gets a fins up for cool hair.)