That's because you're a weirdo.

Maybe

Considering tonight's developments, this is how I see us playing on Tuesday.



Do I approve? No. I hate this fetish of Allergi playing the same old midfield every three days. I'm pretty certain there's no way in hell Rino and Seedorf will be benched against Real, therefore why not play Boateng and Flamini tonight instead? We have a very rich and decent group of players, yet we keep playing the same line-up every time.

I'd also choose Sokratis over Bonera as CB any day, but considering he wasn't even on the bench tonight, I doubt Allegri will pick him. In fact, when he was asked after the game about Thiago's injury, he said we've got Bonera and Yepes who can substitute him. He didn't even mention Papa.

Playing Seedorf along Pirlo is something we can do against Chievo but I would hate to see that happening against Real Madrid. Also, Boateng showed he should be a starter, and he will give the needed balance in midfield, and more than that. Gattuso is our best DM, so he should start also, he is having an awesome season, and I don't buy it he will be too tired that day. He has a few days rest after having how long rest before today's match?

Pato, Ibrahimovic
Ronaldinho
Gattuso, Pirlo, Boateng
Antonini, Nesta, Papastathopoulos, Zambrotta
Abbiati

edit: changed central defense

If you wanna hear my opinion, Bonera is much better than Yepes. Yepes is our substitute of Favalli, he hasn't played a single game so far and on top of that, he's 34. He never impressed me in pre-season either. Definitely not Real-Milan material.

I thought Sokratis would be our first choice back-up this season. He had some really good displays in pre-season as CB, he's young but also experienced. The fact Allegri doesn't even consider him and we're left with only Bonera and Yepes worries me. I really hope we sign David Luiz.

Totally agree with you about playing Boateng instead of Seedorf. I'd play Boateng every game if it was up to me.

I guess it's indeed weird to pick a player who hasn't play a minute yet (bar pre-season). I will put Sokratis in my line-up since he would indeed be my first choice also. But we all know it will be Bonera who is going to start. I have a bad feeling about that.

IMO Yepes is better then Bonera. Allegri seems to have lost faith in Sokratis after that one very bad match...a silly thing to do, because I'd say he's the logical choice.

Yepes and Bonera combined with Nesta mean a slow defense that his held by a slow midfield if Rino-Seedorf-Ronaldinho will play. This means that we will have a evident disadvantage from minute 1 and it will get only worse and worse.

The players we field even a 5-substitution rule wouldn't be enough to hold down the last 15-20 minutes concentrated. And thanks to Allegri who seems to be afraid of taking Ibra off, we now have also a very tired striker in addition. I'm very worried.

Ibra is one of those players who can play every single match offering constantly a high performance. He did that at Inter and he'll do it with us as well, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Don't you think he looked a bit exhausted at the end?

Nah, that's just him. Besides, he only played one game with Sweden so had plenty of time to rest.

At the end? You mean right after 90 minutes of football? Yeah, sure, it is possible a player looks exhausted then at that very moment.

Agreed with everything being said, Allegri has shown some willingness to make changes, ie formation and not keeping up with Dihno as a winger, but his insistance on playing the old gaurd in every game is becoming a real annoyance. Gattuso shouldn't have played against Chievo, Flamini could have done the job just fine, while I feel more comfortable having a totally fit Rino to play against Real. Boateng should be playing instead of Seedorf, but we all know that's not going to happen because Allegri would never bench Seedorf, especially not against Madrid. So we'll have a tired Seedorf against Real instead of an energetic Boateng. Real play 2 in midfield (Alonso, Khedira) and Ozil behind the front 3, playing Boateng, Pirlo and Rino would give us the upper hand in the midfield battle, while playing Seedorf, Pirlo and Rino will make our midfield slow, they won't be able to cope with Real's quick players.

On the defence, I can't understand why Allegri would lose faith on Sokratis after just one bad game, when in reality everyone played like cr@p against Cesena, and Bonera was to blame for the goal as much as Sokratis. Imo Sokratis will only be brought back into the fold if Bonera makes a howler, sadly that is something that could easily happen against Real, can you imagine him coming up against Di Maria/C.Ron/Higuain/Ozil?? Oh the sheer terror I feel at that prospect.

This while Sokratis has experiance against top plaers (marking out Messi in the WC), he's much stronger, and faster then Bonera. I really don't understand the logic in plaing Bonera or Yepes for that matter over Sokratis

As for Ibra, aside from some magical isolated moments he realy wasn't looking in top shape, he's been having some trouble with injuries so ~I don't really blame him, I blame Allegri for keeping him on for 90 minutes every game, Robinho should have come on for Ibra yesterday, not Pato. Pato was still looking like he could play another 90 minutes when he was taken off, while Ibra looked exhausted.

RIP MILAN. We had a good run. Shame it has to be mourinho that puts us in the grave

Lay off, dude.

Kiss any Mou @ss lately blue?

Lately? Since forever.

But now he's trying to make it as if Mou will be the mastermind behind the Real win

Thiago called up for Madrid!

YES!!!!!!!!

Coming back down from my high...

It will most probably be a last minute decision...

If we're lucky, and we might be if Thiago Silva can start and play the whole game. Calling up doesn't mean he will start the game.

If I remember correctly Bonera, Papastathopoulos and Yepes are all called up also. Enough central backs are called up...

Problem is, which one of them will be making the bench, whether Thiago plays or not.

It will be a last minute decision. But it's more hopeful than not being called up at all, at least.

Yep

Even if we were to lose, it wouldn't be then end of the world! After watching last nights game I think they should be fearing our front 3

You made my day X- Off !

Probably the first time he's heard that in his entire life

Han, you are awful.

Admit it! You thought the same thing

Do you picture me as some sort of devilish figure that eats children, han?

No

I was more thinking along the lines of a woman never having said that to you

Maltese and Italians... both womanizing greaseballs as far as I'm concerned.

Words cannot describe how unintentionally ironic that was.

Can it, Kreskin. The game hasn't even happened yet, for cripes' sake.

And even if we lose (we won't), it's not like we're knocked out of the competition.

True... we should not act like this match is so important to win... we probably won't win, whatever...

Blue, what's next? Mourinho's tattoo on your butt?

Now you are assuming he hasn't got one already.

I remember, last year, how everyone gave us for dead against them in Madrid. We won 3-2. This year we're much stronger. True, same thing can be said about Real, but you can never be positive of the result in these games, especially when we're talking of probably the two greatest football clubs in history.

And please, don't act like a douche in your reply.

+ infinity. it's not the end of the world losing to madrid at the bernabeu - with the exception of Marcelo and Pepe, they are a completely world class team.

Di maria's pace against zambrotta, c ronaldo marshaled by Antonini, Higuain up top without Thiago Silva, and Ozil in a free role have me thinking skeptically. Our backline is going to need our midfield to cover a LOT of ground in front of them, and i don't think Seedorf and Pirlo together are going to get it done. I like the idea of approaching this game defensively, and trying to play on the counter:

I'd play Boateng on the right in front of Zambro, Rino matching up with C-Ron "in front" of Antonini. Pirlo and Dinho given roaming central midfield roles, looking for Ibra posting up or Pato over the top.

Knowing how Marcelo and Ramos LOVE to go forward, I think Antonini and Boateng could provide the "shot out of a cannon"-like spark that any team needs to be a good counter attacking team. Seedorf provides neither the tracking back, or sprinting forward I think we'll need.

HOWEVER, if we grab a lead, i'd consider removing Ibra for either Robinho or Seedorf late on. Seedorf to sure up the midfield and add another pass master so that when Real pour forward there would be three pass masters capable of fully utilizing Pato's pace, or Robinho for his ability to assist in keeping possession/prevent us from sitting TOO far back and his HUGE APPETITE to find the net and celebrate in front of the Madrid crowd. The latter I'd love to see.

At the end of the day, I feel a draw against Mourinho's Madrid, with all their attacking jewels, at the Bernabeu, would be a huge statement of our abilities. A loss would focus our team further, and a win would likely prompt the European media to crown us Champions League favorites. Either way, this match up going to be good for us.

Btw, Blue: at this point, for all I know your cheering for Madrid to beat us, just for the sake of your argument!

Agreed. Allegri MUST play Boateng instead of Seedorf. Real's offensive capabilities are enormous. Oezil, Ronaldo, Di Maria, Higuain, they could hurt us bad any moment if let free. We simply can't afford to play with just one (32 years old) DM.

^^ If Allegri does that, then he proves he actually treats each game differently from a tactical pov and he's indeed a true tactician. if he doesn't however, and plays the usual Pirlo-Seedorf-Gattuso midfield, then.. well let's say I'll be very disappointed in him!

EDIT: great post vnata. completely agreed.

+ 1 at vnata.

And agreed with x-off and zeddie. If Seedorf is the one that starts then we're going to have big problems. Having said that, I'm 99.99% sure that Seedorf will be starting, Allegri took him off against Chievo, imo that was as much in preperation for the Real game as it was to give us more stability.

All in all we're thinking a lot about Real's attackers, but we need to look at their defence, they have Marcelo on the left, Pepe who can be a real problem for them and Carvalho, he's slow, slower then Nesta, so if Pato can catch him out he's going to be through.

Imo we need to play this on the counter, C.Ron imo can easily be marked out, I've seen ODDO of all people do it more then once, and prettyeasily I might add. If you man mark him, frustrate him a couple of times he'll start acting like a douche and have problems getting into it, so Antonini just needs to stick to him like glue, ruffle his feathers a bit by getting physical with him. Higuain can be handled easily by either Nesta and Thiago (if he plays) and Zambrotta imo even though he's not fast is pretty much always in the right position so I'm a little less worried about him coming up against Di Maria, that's why we need to stay tight at the back, and hit them on the counter.

They're on their home turf, they'll try to win, so we sit back, frustrate them and hit them on the counter with Pato's speed

man.... I love how one single sentence can stir this forum up so much



@xoff:

If you truly believe that then I have no comment to make

Different Oddo. Different Milan. That night we were seeing the second best RB in Italy at work.

Not really what I meant, but go on, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually...