Playing a bad friendly doesn't prove anything since anyone can have a bad day (especially in a friendly, and especially when having played since forever), so I agree about Inzaghi (though I didn't think he was that bad).

But playing a good game against Robben showes what you have to offer, what you are capable of. The question though if one can do that on a consistent basis. I hope Taiwo gets more playing time and confidence to at least try reaching that, since I don't like any of our left backs and Taiwo being the only one who could be well enough. I see us not getting a good left back in January anyway, so let's give Taiwo a fair chance, and play him game after game (else it will never work to get confidence and the right form).

I think it mostly shows that the Bundesliga isn't followed closely and that people don't know much about Robben.

Firstly, he's very fragile and I don't blame him for not giving his 100% in an unimportant friendly which was obvious. Secondly, this seasons Robben cannot be compared to the Robben 2 seasons ago. Now Bayern have a unit, a real team, and 2 seasons ago it was all Robbery, with Robben being the brain. This year it seems he's in a rift between the coach and doesn't play that much, I'm sure you know that Chu as you follow the Bundesliga closely.

So what does it in the end tell? Not that much, maybe Taiwo has potential, or Robben fades slowly, but in the end, I remember people speaking of Taiwo as a sure starter and citing that match as their key argument.

Didn't see the match,but read that inzaghi showed determination,and created some chanes for himself with his movemnt(that's what I concluded anyway),but also wasting fibe chances isn't his usual self either.Hoping that he would stay at milan,and play in the Cl.

Sometimes I think Fillipo Simone is the more refined, intelligent, Milanfan version of myself couldn’t agree more. Inzaghi is now “officially” finished because the oxygen thief that is Allegri begrudgingly let him play a whole half of a friendly in which he didn’t score.

Add this to further intellectually challenged comments about his “decline in speed” (like he had any to begin with) and fitness (comprehensively judged from not seeing him all season) and we have the most dispassionate assessment of his ability to contribute further to our cause. Which is unanimously agreed to be 0
Inzaghi is old. I won’t for a minute suggest that he can OR should play ahead of ANY of our starting three strikers. However his MIND is his greatest asset. With a positional sense like his, Pato would be already in double digits –injuries and form issues or not. Speed isn’t everything for a striker. The first step is the idea of where to go. The second step is how to proceed. Inzaghi’s positional intelligence is unparalleled……but of course the fitness junkie that happens to Coach Cagliari B doesn’t see this, just like he didn’t see Pirlo’s or Ronaldinho’s assets.


In the exact opposite to Inzaghi’s situation, playing El Shaarawy elicits praise from the sole proprietor of coaching acumen that is Allegri leading to people’s “renewed” faith in a player who was viewed as one of the best young talents in Italy and has done nothing but impress when he has come on. No one bothers commenting on how he SHOULD have gotten more playing time in situations where even the deceased Ray Charles could have seen opportunities for him to get playing time.
I smell a golden bench

I guess you have made good points. Taiwo does remain a question mark, and I guess people put faith in the question mark when the others for that position are proven to be mediocre at most. I don't know Taiwo well, so maybe it's mostly based on hope, though attacking wise he has the most to offer from all our fullbacks, and defending wise, I hope he can become the necessary with help of Tasotti, Nesta...

As long he doesn't get a nice amount of games in a row, I feel like he isn't given a fair chance to prove himself.

Taiwo was showing a lot of promise in pre-season before getting injured against Juve in the Berlu trophy. It's only normal for people to get excited like that over a new signing, especially someone who came for free and with a lot of promise.

I never said it was ok for the way Allegri has treated him, certainly not ok to leave him out of the CL list since that is basically the only thing he still plays for these days. But you have to admit when enough is just enough. Pippo was struggling big time imo, and the only reason he didn't completely get flattened was through his sheer determination alone. Pippo never really used to have any problems coming off long lay offs, not even just last season, but right now, it's obvious that he hasn't been fully fit for a long time. I personally want to see him stay at Milan this Jan and retire at the end of this season, hopefully a champion.


As I said above you cannot compare Taiwo to Pippo. Pippo's body obviously cannot keep up anymore, his mind still works at a million miles a second but his body cannot co-operate. You can see all the possibilities he's conjuring up for himself when he's in an "Inzaghi" position, but he just cannot seem to accomplish it

Well, I'm not gonna give my judgment according to one friendly match, that's all. And the fact that Pippo hasn't played more then 8 minutes this season should also count in. His problems may also derive from a lack of match practice.

Taiwo may have woken up someones dreams, but it was foolish to build arguments around a friendly match which in the end told you nothing or very little - han you're the one who's telling us over and over again that those friendlies usually don't mean anything.

I'm obviously not comparing Pippo to Taiwo, I'm comparing the approach, or better the need to make final assessment based on 30 or 90 minutes. Han, again, you're the one who's decided to wait till the last few legs to state if Juventus is a real title contender - so stick with the patient accumulation of individual assessments.

The problem is Filippo, that Pippo just does not have that time anymore, Allegri will most likely not even give him Coppa time. This friendly meant a lot, and not because I'm saying it, but watching Pippo yesterday simply showed me how important that friendly was for him, and had he scored his celebration would have been better than the CL winning goal celebration, simply this is on a personal level and he had that single opportunity to prove himself to Allegri.

Usually I always say that these friendlies don't mean anything or it's too soon to tell, but he simply does not have the time, and that is why it was so important

Which is ridiculous, isn't it? Giving a living legend one friendly to prove himself for what?

Why wouldn't he give Inzaghi the time? What does it hurt to let Emanuelson stay on the bench and put Pippo in for the last 10-15 minutes against an already beaten Serie A/CL team? I'd agree, if Tevez or Pato are on the bench, sure, they should normally get the nod.

But if they are unavailable, why not? It's only malice, I fail to see it differently. Pippo clearly was fit for at least 20 minutes in a bunch of matches we lacked strikers as Pato/Robs/Cassano were injured. Why not play him then?

In the end, you think it's fair and alright to give him this match as last chance, and then not give him even Coppa time for the rest of the season?

I thnk the best thing about the friendly was we got to see the pato-robinho-ibra trident. Pity robinho wasn't his best else psg would've been slaughtered

Obviously I don't agree with it, but I simply got that feeling from the way Pippo played.

I never agreed with him being excluded from the CL list, that was lower than low, especially when I saw Rino on that list seeing as he was disqualified for the entire group stage. What I meant in my initial posts is that I understand why he's been held back recently, he just doesn't look physically fit enough

Bah... I bet you say that to all the mods.