Abbiati, Bonera, Rami, Bocchetti, Antonelli, Monto, De Jong, Menez, Cerci, Bona, Destro.

4:2:3:1

(GdS, MS)

...

Yeah pretty much Han. I mean actually from midfield to front it's not the worst. I'd have Suso ahead of Bona but that's the only change, and I'd put Bona in Monto's place. Ok two changes.

But that defence. If that gets fielded it's arguably the worst Milan defence of both my lifetime and maybe ever.

Mediaset update:

4-3-1-2: Abbiati; Bonera, Alex, Rami, Antonelli; Montolivo, De Jong, Bonaventura; Honda; Cerci, Destro.

It took all these months for us to finally witness Honda as trequartista. A bit too late...

Defence upgraded a fair bit with Alex over Bocchetti. As for Honda, would infinitely rather Suso in that slot, but the absence of Menez is bewildering. Honda just plain stinks.

Pippo really is just making this sh*t up as he goes along.

I really hate how he teases us with 'bits' of a really good team but ruins it all by throwing Bonera at RB, or Honda in anywhere. Plus Monto is just vile right now, and why Menez is out is beyond me.

PS Cerci as striker alongside Destro? I despair.

Well, Cerci thrived at Torino as SS behind Immobile if I'm not mistaken.

As for Honda, I just want to give him this chance once to play in his natural position. He's probably gonna stink regardless.

Menez I guess just needs to chill the f*ck out. He thinks he's Messi. Some bench could do good to him.

That's as a SS and borderline treq though. This is apparently as a partner.



Fair dues, if we're going to screw up may as well do it in style.



Weirdly I actually feel his last three or four matches have been some of the best attitude I've seen from him. He's become much more of a team player than he previously was, and while he still has the odd moment, seeing him back defending and bringing others into play is far more what we need from him.

As for the Messi comment, Menez' talent is astronomical - Messi doesn't have the skill Menez does - he is much quicker and far cleverer at bursting into pockets of space, but you'll rarely see him beat four men with sheer skill.

If Menez had had the right attitude a decade ago, we'd have been looking at him as a truly top 10 world player. As it is he's 'what might have been'.

Funny though, a few months ago it was you espousing his virtues and saying he was the best player we had, while I was telling you he stunk. While we've not quite exchanged places, the change in stances is curious.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I still think he's the most gifted and talented player we have. But his attitude is something I've always criticized, and even in these last few games it shows how he tries to be the center of everything and it just doesn't work. Not all his fault, but he needs to be a true team player to shine. And he isn't.

Ronaldo isn't a true team player but he's always shone.

And tbh Menez is universally in every pundits' team of Serie A this season so I can't say he isn't shining.

He's just having some moments where we want to gouge both his eyes out with an ice pick, then 10 minutes later we could kiss him.

The problem is that he pulls the Taarabt-like "let's take on 4 players at once instead of pass to a wide open teammate" move at least a few times a game. Obviously he's an order of magnitude more talented than Tarrabt which is why he gets away with it but the attitude is the same. I'd rather he start than be on the bench but theoretically we shouldn't need him against Cesena. If he doesn't start he should be the first sub at 55 minutes when we inevitablely give up a moronic goal off a set piece.

I think you're elevating Menez a bit too much, comparing him to Ronaldo is imo a stretch of epic proportions, just like comparing him to Messi was

For me, if Ronaldo and Messi are considered world class as in the top tier of player around right now, Menez would come into the third tier, not even the 2nd.

i.e. he's great, but not that great. He can pull off some amazing moments, but not consistently, and his tendency to go the solo route is what's so frustrating about him, sure Ronaldo can be selfish, but he usually makes those moments pay off, but he's just as much a team player as he is a soloist imo. Just like Messi and Ibra

Didn't compare him to Ronaldo.

Inzaghi JUST said at the pre-game press conference that without the injuries and with 90% of the team at disposal we'd be 3rd right now.

Sorry Pippo, but you are so full of sh*t...

Oh no he's right. If he hadn't been manager, that is.

This IS a third-place quality team/squad, but it has a Serie X manager.

Saying that Ronaldo also tends to play for himself rather than the team is comparing them, even if it is unintentionally. But while one of them can pull it off, the other simply can't because he's just not that good.

No, it's giving an example of someone who plays for himself but still shines. Therefore disputing the idea that you have to be a team player to shine.

Not a comparison, an example.

I think Menez comes off looking like an @ss 99% of the time instead of someone who shines imo. That's the major difference I see there with the example you gave.

Taraabt is a more appropriate example imo

I am merely saying though that is it possible to shine as an individual. And Ronaldo is a very good example. Taarabt is an example of a slightly inferior Menez - loads of skill but barely ever passes the ball and absolutely stinks as a team player. At least Menez has actually made a difference in matches now and then.

Yes of course that's true.

But I do believe that Menez would be 100% more efficient and important for the team if he were to actually play for the team rather than himself.

He get's into great positions, has the burst of pace to get him past players and has a very decent passing range, but most of the times he wastes these situations by going the solo route. Sure at times it pays off and we're ecstatic about it, but I'm sure we would be all just as (if not more) happy with him and his performances should he have scored half the amount of goals he has so far but assisted or was crucial in build up play for more goals for his team mates. And he had a lot of these opportunities this season. I guess that is my main gripe with him and mostly what many other Milan fans feel towards him

I am amongst them, but even I have seen, in the past few matches, an improvement, where the Menez who previously only showed up for the big matches and felt the 'small' ones beneath him actually shows up for all matches now.

Sure, he remains selfish at times, and your blood pressure rises in fury at him now and again, but he's defending more, passing more, and letting things get to him a little less even against the 'lesser' teams compared with the Napolis and Romas.

He's improved his attitude, it's that simple. It's not a whole new Menez, but it's a significant reduction in the behaviour which winds us up.

Sure, I mildly agree with you there, and I don't think it's a coincidence that this slight change has coincided with him being moved away from the "false 9" position.

How you guys still have the strength to discuss such details always inspires

Cheers I think?

Team today is now 4:3:1:2 (GdS)

Abbiati; Bonera, Alex, Rami, Antonelli; Monto, De Jong, Poli; Bonaventura; Destro, Menez.

Confirmed team as stated but with Bocchetti in Alex's place.

Simply the worst Milan defence I've ever seen.

Ignore.

Alex probably wasn't fit enough to start. I see Mexes is totally exiled after the stunt against Lazio, no matter how anyone feels about him, I'm 100% sure he's be a better option than Bocchetti FFS.

The rest looks half decent

Poli was not offside there. Did he call it because he deemed Destro as interfering with play?

Good start

Awful offsides call. Should be up 1-0.

Yep, after seeing the replay, it's obviously a good goal

Any streams available?

Menez has over hit easy passes three times already.

Bonaventura!!!!!

Bonnaventura!!!! Great shot!

It's not great and it's in Italian but it works: http://www.vipleague.se/football/284098/1/...eam-online.html

Thanks

Menez is not having a good game. A very hard first time touch when he was off to the races. Just not his day so far.

Happy to help

Yep, and had the opportunity to cross to Destro just not but tried a cross/shot from an impossible angle

I wonder if Cerci might be a better partner for Destro. It's frustrating watching Destro get completely ignored by Menez.

Great save from Abbiati in the last minute

Our inability to kill off a game is so frustrating!! How many times have we lead with one goal only to concede in the last 10 to 20 minutes?

Just ridiculous that we can't close out a game, even when we're so dominant.

I think he would. I'd personally take off Poli and move Bona back in midfield to bring on Cerci. Menez is still very useful, even if he's not having a good game

I'm glad we didn't ruin a good first half by giving up a goal at the end. Probably the best half I've seen us play in a while.

Menez can still be useful. He has gotten into good positions but he hasn't done anything with them. It would be a little harsh to take off Poli. He's had a decent game and should have a goal of it wasn't incorrectly ruled offside. Bonnaventura has been great. I love how hard he works and he actually produces with his effort.

Far from a sparkling first half, and this is only fucking Cesena we're talking about, but it was...ok from Milan.

Points of note thus far:

1: Poli's goal should have stood. Completely incorrect call. Should be 2-0.

2: Defence barely tested at all, thank God. You can tell it'll cave with the slightest sustained pressure.

3: Abbiati with proof of why he is a fantastic deputy. What a bloody save that was.

4: Contrary to you guys I thought Menez was actually ok! A few things didn't come off for him, but he had one or two decent moments out there and he's working hard.

5: Destro being ignored by everyone, not just Menez. Problem is this team isn't making chances, so there's nothing for him to feed on.

6: Montolivo's shittiness is starting to actually hurt me. He's utterly horrible and starts because he's Montolivo. He's the biggest fraud in a Milan shirt. I hate him. Almost as much as I ended up hating Balotelli.

Bona, despite his goal, is no trequartista. No idea why Pippo hates Suso but he's worth a shot in that slot, and Bona needs to be a little deeper.

Destro is being ignored, and there were opportunities where he could have been brought into play, sadly, our players don't seem to have the vision to recognise those moments, or don't think quickly enough to take advantage of them. This is what I was worried about with him coming, we simply do not produce enough for a striker like him to flourish. It's why Pazzo has struggled so much, why Torres only managed to score 1 goal off an unlikely header and it's why Destro will struggle now.

Forget Suso for now, I don't think he'll make much impact anyway, play Cerci, he'd be able to take advantage of the spaces Cesena are leaving, and unlike Menez, his first priority is usually to look for the pass not the shot.

Like I said about Menez he is still useful, even when it's not his day, I don't think he was okay out there. Aside from 1 or 2 moments where he beat his man at the start he's struggled badly

As for Monto, I actually thought this was one of the better games he's played in a while, his effort is what sparked the move for the goal as well and he's been generally good on the ball.


Agreed, for me he's a CM, he's good on both sides of the ball and it's a major waste to see him played so high up the pitch all the times when he could be such a useful asset in midfield

We've started this 2nd half weakly, like Danny said, if they put any form of sustained pressure on our defence, we'll cave. We need to close this out ASAP

Pazzo for Destro....

Is this sub supposed to make any difference in how we're playing? Just stupid and useless

Why bring in Pazzini for Destro? Baffling sub.