Arguably the most important stretch of games coming up for our season, if we drop any points in the next 3 to 5 games I think any lingering hopes for a fruitful season will be gone

Losing points here will signal that we're definitely on a downward course that won't be easy to halt.

Team today:

Why sign Deulofeu and not select him. Against my expectations he did not bad v Juve. What's the point of bringing new players in and just benching them?

Also feel Sosa has been hard done by - had a good one v Napoli and not had a sniff since. Jack wasted on LW again and Locatelli should NOT be starting today.

I'd argue that Pasalic hasn't done anything to really impress yet he's getting a lot of time. While Sosa (a player we actually own btw - Pasalic is a loanee) has not been treated fairly at all.

I thought our midfield with him in the regista role was much more fluid. I think Locatelli can occupy the a side role as he's much better defensively than he is at moving the ball.

As for Deulofeu (copied you on that one ) I'm thinking Montella will ease him in rather than throw him directly onto the fire

GOOOOAL !! BONAAA !

BTW I am really impressed with Locatelli up until now.

BONAA

Bonaventura injured, Deulofeu subs him.

1-1

Nice one Locatelli! FFS what are they doing?

Romagnoli and Locatelli have so much potential, I like them both very much in this particular game.

I would be pleased if Locatelli played always like he is performing today. I think he is the best player until now.

Kucka is sucha brainless tool at times.

Why are you drilling that across goal when you can clearly see no one could ever reach that??!

Locatelli is the reason we conceded

He's too hesitant on the ball and is incapable of really distributing it out wide

This messing around with the ball at the back is why we're in this mess and why we'll concede again if we persist with it

I know, but appart from that mistake he was very good today. I can say he was better than he usually is.

We need to de better in the second half, just too casual atm. Countless bad passes out of defence, flat in the attacking phase and our midfield isn't helping matters much either

Meh, I've seen better games from him tbh

I think Pasalic need to get subbed or play better. Kucka not impressive either.

This Kucka is cancer. I've been saying it alot.

Yeah, so stupid

I would shoot this De Paul in the face.

FFS!

So first they nearly take off DS's leg and then they score off of it

The f@cker should have been sent off after that foul

I am so fuccking pissed !

This team is basically finished. Danny was right. There's no self belief left.

But this referee is a jerk @ss also.

Donnarumma has also got to look at himself in the mirror as well. He's been letting in goals which he should be doing better on

He's let the praise get to his head, he should be concentrating on his game and not on how much that fat f@cker of an agent he has can extort out of this club

Udine are funny f@ckers, so they score while we're a man down after nearly breaking DS's leg and then they want us to put the ball out for a player that play acting to waste time

Such a terrible game, not even an inkling of fighting back shown. Disgraceful showing today

Haven't been this disappointed in this team in a while

I don't think Vangionis agent will ask for more time for his player anymore.

Hmh, so sad right now. Didn't watch the game, but following the comments here by han were in deep trouble right now.

Someone has to say it, I am sorry, but Lapadula is such a drama queen.

We are, it seems like the players are slowly but surely giving up

Not to mention that we have a couple of idiots on this team that at times hinder more than they help

Kucka, Donna, Bacca, Locatelli and even Suso, they all need to take a good look at themselves after this match

That turn of luck we had at the start of the season that was making the ball bounce in our favour has totally turned on its head. I'm not saying this is just about luck, because its 95% on us. But that little bit of help we had before is not with us anymore and the flaws are surely coming out now.

This was the run of games we absolutely needed to make count for us, and it's already going terribly wrong

Montella also needs to take a good look at the players he's selecting. Kucka, hinders more than he helps for sure. He has a good game and 10 bad ones. Pasalic is generally a ghost on the pitch. Locatelli is talented for sure, but he's too green, to depend on him so heavily in the centre of the pitch is pure madness, and to say we're okay in midfield is a smack in the face to the fans who watch this team week in week out. All while Galliani wastes time to bring in another mediocre Genoa player (a winger no less)

Bacca will only score as long as he's being given opportunities on a platter, and atm we're not making those chances. At least Lapadula will fight for every ball and help the midfield out, Bacca provides absolutely nothing for this team as long as he's not scoring.

Suso has gone back to the one trick pony style of play, he needs to put more effort in.

And Donna has been letting a lot of goals at his near post and ones that he should be saving as of late. He needs to get his head back into the game ASAP.

Montella worked miracles getting us to second - I truly briefly bought into the idea we were a UCL level team and when we beat Juve I think it was the worst thing to happen (long term) - gave the players an inflated sense of how good they were and made them complacent.

What match followed Juve? That absolute horror show in Genoa, and while we got a little form back, the moment that killed this season for me was the debacle v Crotone. I have never felt sicker at a win in my life because the players, who hadn't shown up, celebrated Lapa's late winner against the bottom team as if they'd won the UCL itself.

Since then (4th December) we've been frankly woeful, with a combination of Montella errors and (already average) players running on empty.

We desperately needed a significant influx of players this January, but instead midfield and attack remain basically the same and Deulofeu (why did I think he was Dutch?!) who failed at Everton is the best we can do. We're back to the usual Milan I'm afraid guys.

Some ratings:

Donna: 4 Sorry but this guy is in bad form now and really struggling. He did make one outstanding save today, but it was the first time he'd made an impressive save since the Juve win last year. He's failing to stop what a keeper of his apparent quality should, and he doesn't look confident at all right now.

Abate: 6 Had a pretty good game. Did make one dreadful assist for Udine's first but otherwise had a solid day at both the back and going forward.

Paletta: 7 Did little wrong and made one or two massive blocks.

Romagnoli: 6 Good enough, but r*ped for what should have been Udine's third. He's been beaten one on one a few too many times this season.

MDS: 7 Give him his dues, it's the best I've seen my least favourite player in the entire squad play for a long time. Defended much better than normal and had a good work rate.

Locatelli: 5 Assist for the second goal and a lot of errant passing. I just don't rate this kid any more and don't trust him as the future of our midfield. Not mentally big enough for Milan IMO.

Kucka: 4 Put simply I can't remember the last match he played well in.

Pasilic: 6 Best of a really weak bunch - heavily involved and tried to get forward. He's an average to above average player and it shows.

Suso: 3 Excellent assist for Jack's goal but otherwise his form tumble continues. Teams got wise to him last year and his game is being limited now. Today he was just plain poor again, assist aside.

Bacca: 2 This system in no way suits him - he will pounce on half chances but has nothing else to his game and he's low on confidence. Worked far better under Miha than he does under Montella.

Jack: 8 Says a lot that our best player only managed about 15 minutes - during which time he had the most impact of anyone. Stunning goal, hard working, and his loss was a big blow.

Subs:

Deulofeu: 6 Horrible first half but really good in the second - didn't know what he was doing till half time but Montella's advice clearly helped and he was more symbiotic with the setup in the second. Has a lot of potential but then he's 22 and 'lots of potential' at this age is a worrying description.

Lapadula: 3 Horrible. He's gone to utter rubbish. Barely even doing the work now that formerly had many favouring him over Bacca.

Vangioni: 3 Covered MDS but unimpressive at best. No idea why Antonelli was overlooked here.

Hadn't read this when I posted. Seems we share most opinion on this.

I tend to agree as well. Was not concerned until now, but this one we should have won easily. EL is starting to look rather unlikely.

I just read that Bonaventura is out of the pitch for 4 months and De Sciglio for 3-4 weeks. We are f-cked.

Jack effectively for the season is a big loss. He is probably the main reason we were scraping by these past couple of months. I think I was a little harsh on his ability - he's better than I gave him credit for. MDS' loss not so much a deal - Antonelli is more than good enough to cover there.

But yes, f*cked about covers it.

Jack being out for the season effectively ends us EL challenge too I think. Traditionally Montella has had a shite January - so I was quiety hopeful, but this changes everything. He will now have to seriously consider changing formations.

I think the lack of wingers also meant that we'd just overplayed Jack way too much. I'm sure he's in the top few people with most minutes this season.

Gutted about the loss and the loss of Jack - he has been our MVP this season and this is just horrible.

I don't see us reaching even Europa League this season, unless Deulofeu or Ocampos shine like stars and the rest of the team performs like 2 months ago.

We won't get EL sticking to this 4-3-3. It doesn't work without Jack on form. Now might be the time to pull a Juve and do a 4-2-3-1.

Abate---Paletta---Romagnoli---Antonelli
---------Kucka-----Locatelli--------------
---Deulofeu-----Suso------Ocampos----
---------------Bacca-----------------------


If I had more faith in the new wingers' work rate, we can consider putting Sosa somewhere in the midfield two. But for now, he would be on the bench and replace one of the front three. Since theoretically Deulofeu and Ocampos can play on both flanks. Hopefully this formation addresses Bacca's lack of work rate as well.

If not this, then throw everything into the good old 4-4-2. Either way, this 4-3-3 is done unless I'm completely ignoring the world beating talent of Mati Fernandez.

Every new post in this thread depresses me further. I'll be giving Sunday a miss. I have better things to do. I usually schedule my life around football, around Rangers and Milan - I've chosen to take up an offer on Sunday instead and if you can believe it, Rangers are miles worse than Milan this season. This suffering isn't worth it any more.

Another horrible season in the life of a Rossoneri Bear (Rangers fan).

What offer? What're you buying? Send me gifts!

You're not getting any gifts, Jack.

Danny you better not leave us again

Take all the breaks you need but you better be back ASAP.

Anyway, I'll open the Samp thread.

I meant I was giving the match a miss. I'm staying, old friend all I'll do is complain, admittedly, but I'm not going anywhere.

Great to hear.