Calabria I would keep for now. He's having a nightmare season along with many of the rest of the players, but he's shown that he has talent, plus he's one of the last few from the youth academy

Kessie, Suso and Hakan definitely need to be replaced

I do not understand why these players keep having bad games and keep taking up starting spots.

While Paqueta is sitting on the bench Kessie and Hakan are out there each week bumbling about the pitch. Same with Rebic. Why isn't he being given a fair shot?

As for Leao, I think the kid has great potential, but should not be starting in important games, he's too green and too selfish on the ball at times. He over dribbles a lot causing him to lose the ball each time. He needs to be managed properly to be able to come into his own.

Suso is just being Suso. He'll never be consistent, he'll always be a bit too slow for a winger as well.

We should go after Deulofeu again. His electric pace would solve a lot of our problems in attack

And I still say we need to switch to a 4-2-3-1

Kessie and Bennacer would hold the double pivot while Paqueta plays behind Ibra

Yes. Agreed.

The problem with the 4-4-2 is that we're obliged to keep Paqueta out for balance purposes. It can be a solution, but I agree that a 4-2-3-1 could give something better..maybe with more beautiful football.

4-2-3-1 with who on the wings? Please don't say Castillejo and Bonaventura.

This team is devoid of wingers. The only good winger we have the fans don't want him.

I think 3-4-1-2 is the best solution for us right now. Conti, Kessie, Bennacer and Hernandez in midfield, Paqueta behind Ibra and Leao.

Though that means we'll have to play Kjaer as a starter (which I don't like) with no subs on the bench. Why oh why did we send Caldara away...

Politano going to Roma. Thank god.

Oh lord, I don’t know who’s more terrible, Conti or Calabria.

Milan 1-0 SPAL right now btw, Coppa Italia.

2-0 up against SPAL in coppa italia in half time

Could have been 4-0 if Piatek wasn’t so clueless.

SPAL are just awful..

I have no defence for that miss. It was staggering.

I just hope Mourinho forgot to tune in.

If we wanna keep playing with 4-4-2 we need to buy 1-2 wingers. We can't possibly pretend to play with Castielljo on the right. The guy has spirit and puts a lot of effort, but he's just too limited. Bonaventura on the left is acceptable to a certain degree.

Also, I'm really upset that we've marginalized Paqueta like this. Arguably our most talented player yet we never really gave him a proper direction.

Just wanna say, Theo...

Might just be our best LB since Jankulovski.

Far too good for this team and could help take us to new heights.

So true. We agree on something!!

True. Only that we signed Jankulovski when he was 28, and he really had only one really good season with us (2006/07). Theo is young and can improve a lot.

Occasionally

Also Jankulovski was by no means a guaranteed starter - I did really like him, more than most fans did, and he had to fight Serginho for the shirt. I thought he was world class personally.

As for Theo, yes, at his age he has the world at his feet and I'm glad he's another one Real spat out - what a bargain at 20M.

PS Ibra and Theo have reinvigorated my interest in Milan again - I also hope Piatek gets some form back.

I also like Conti, always did, beats Calabria hands down, while I liked the signing of Kjaer who is kind of a world class defender.

I want to see more of Bennacer who you all rave about, and I have high hopes for Krunic.

All in all, I feel like there's something to work with here.

I subbed to a UK channel which has Italian football, so here's hoping it's not a waste of cash.

I hope to get my full passion back soon.

Helps when there's a player or two you like.

THEOOOO what a beast 2-1

3-2 what a game!!! no one here to watch??

I'll post my thoughts on the match later on.

Watched it all William, great match, our flaws and strengths exposed really brutally, we worked for the win and just about earned it but Udi will feel hard done by.

I love Theo, Leao has potential if played in the right place, Ibra was frankly rotten, Bennacer didn't really stand out, Rebic is superb.

Saw the best and worst of Gigi - some appalling misjudgement and some superb saves.

I'd say this squad actually has some small potential, but I'm not sure 4-4-1-1 or whatever the f*ck that formation is is getting the best and most consistency out of them.

I also don't think Pioli is the right man even at this transitional time - there is some real quality in this squad, but it doesn't look the sum of its parts.

Didn't watch it, but looks like it was one mess of a game. One of those could have won/could have lost games.

Glad Rebic managed to show his worth. I think on the left he can be much more dangerous than Bonaventura and Calhanoglu.

I don't see 4-4-2 being a long term solution. 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 are the only way to go imo. And I disagree about the 3-man defense system. We've tried using variations of it multiple times under different coaches with bad results

Agree about Paqueta. What a waste, especially in a position where we are seriously lacking and we marginalize one of our most naturally talented players


Yeah, an absolute beast.

Let's hope that we keep hold of him and Paolo and Boban will continue to bring in talent like him

You know, for all the criticism they've received (unwarranted imo), their signings, have all been really good. They're not flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but all have proven to be good decisions with great potential


Janku didn't really give us his best years. But in 06/07 he was great for us, it's frankly the only season I remember from him


Ibra has been a major difference maker, as I thought he would be. He's not the old Ibra for sure, the wear and tear is there for anyone to see, but he's a big player, and he's exactly the kind of persona we need in that dressing room. I really hope we can bring in another player of similar stature in the near future. Because all these young players we have really do need that type of figure to lead them.

I really wonder why we're not trying to sign Rakitic. Barca don't want him and he'd be perfect for our midfield


Sad to say that I missed it as I had to go out

I'll watch extended highlights tomorrow.

I'm glad to see Rebic on the score sheet. I was starting to wonder what the deal was with him when he couldn't get a sniff while Suso and Hakan kept stinking up the place


So Rebic had a good overall showing (goals aside)?

He's such an interesting player, and has so many characteristic that we lack on the pitch yet he was getting perma-benched for some reason.

I still think Leao is too green and clumsy to be a fully fledged starter, and he needs to be managed correctly as well. I don't want to see us destroy another young and talented player

I think we switched to 4-4-2 because Ibra asked Pioli to play alongside another striker. And I like having another striker next to Zlatan. I also like having Bennacer and Kessie in the double pivot.

What I don't like about that system are the wingers. Bonaventura, Castillejo, Calhanoglu, Suso. They're either inadequate to play there or are just not good enough.

That's why I think 3-4-1-2 would work best, because it retains those two positive aspects I mentioned earlier and also allows for 1) Conti and Hernandez to be less defensive-oriented, and 2) have Paqueta back in the game. But I doubt we'll ever go this route.

I get your points, but I've never really seen us do well with a 3-man back line, not to mention the other issue you mentioned re the center backs - or lack-there-of

I agree about Kessie and Bennacer in a double pivot, that's why I restate my earlier point re a 4-2-3-1

Can a 38-year-old Ibra hold attack by himself, though? I have my doubts. And you can't just omit Leao like that.

Nice, good to have someone to discuss with. =)

Yes, I agree with you. But, honestly, Udinese had a great first half. No wonder they've been on a winning streak. We couldn't connect our passes in the first half but made it happen after. Theo, I love him too..this guy is a beast and will be an amazing asset for us. Leao is good, he has pace and can pass the ball quite well actually. He was the one who led to that first Rebic goal. I need to see more from him though. I don't know what exact player he will develop to be. Ibra was what I expect him to be for us. In flight mode when we don't have the ball, and trying to create something when he is in dangerous situations. Listen, I think he is doing wonders for us on the mentality aspect and has already scored a goal so I can't complain a lot. The guy is trying his best. Bennacer was good in my opinion, he did what he does normally take the ball from midfield and distribute it. We just need someone next to him that can be the playmaker..because it is certainly not Kessie. Rebic was great, I think he can be an asset for us, let's see what happens. Donnaruma.. he is been taking risks with going out to clear the ball like this for a while now..he needs to stop watching Neuer goalkeeping..but other than that he was spot on.

I disagree on Pioli and the 4-4-2. I think Pioli is doing well ...leading a stable ship and doing the basic things right. Yes, he won't take us for a scudetoo maybe but he is a good transitional coach..The 4-4-2 is not bad, but we just need to put Paqueta instead of Kessie in the whole for some creativity.

Oh, and Castellejo had his usual that begs you to ask "is he a world class player or just an amateur player" performance. I don't know how to judge this guy. He had some brilliant moves sometimes, but he certainly lacks something. He does work really hard though.

Udinese games are always like that.

Rebic was good..obviously with the two goals. He created some good opportunities, but I'm still not fully convinced of-course. He was just terrible in the coppa italia game mid-week. He can be useful for us, is he a long term solution? It's hard to say at this moment.

I agree with you, we really need to get Paqueta playing..to find the right position for him in this formation..could do wonders.

Rakitic..would have been an outstanding signing..such a shame.

I agree with X-Off here. It will be hard to imagine Ibra leading the attack alone. I do like the formation though. Piatek can do well in such a setup. But, the 4-4-2 is working at the moment. So, my question is why change it? It was clear today that Bonaventura provides nothing in that position, so Rebic entering was positive. My big gripe would be that I'd like to see a creative midfield next to Bennacer..yes not Kessie.

The thing is, in a double pivot, you usually employ two kinds of players: someone good with the ball and someone more physical, usually a box-to-box guy whose main duty is to defend but also push forward. Think of Mourinho's 4-2-3-1 at Madrid for example. Alonso was the playmaker and Khedira was the box-to-box mid.

In our double pivot, Bennacer is clearly the "playmaker" and Kessie is that box-to-box guy. Having another playmaker would disrupt the balance, especially since we're already a bit unbalanced as it is. I'd rather keep that as it is for the time being, and try to give some more sense to the attacking part of our formation.

In my personal opinion, Castillejo is mediocre. I would never start him. He has some decent moments and he puts a lot of effort, but the guy is too limited. Bonaventura likewise. I still rate Suso and Calhanoglu more than them. And I rate Paqueta the most when it comes to our midfielders.

So, since a 3-man defense system is out of the question, I think the formation Han posted makes the most sense. With Suso and Leao/Rebic on the flanks.

Man, you forget what kind of team we have. The thing you suggest is way too complicated for the selection, quality and mentality of our players. We gotta keep it simple and I think this is precisely why Pioli was appointed. This and money issues.

Suso I almost gone; I hear he requested a transfer. Good. But if we're gonna switch him with Cengiz Under this is yet another own goal. Next should be Castillejo (who obviously is Pioli's new starter and won't go away), Kessie and a few others.

I'm still not sold on Leao. His finishing is terrible. Reminding me of Robinho at times.

Rebić is good but inconsistent. Ideally he'll be rotated and switched with Bonaventura.

Can someone explain to me why Paqueta has been crossed off like he's Balotelli??

What's complicated?



The thing is nobody is willing to cough up bucks for Suso. They want a loan. So getting Under is seen as the only alternative for the time being.



No one gets it. Perhaps after one year people were expecting him to have matured and adapted well to Italian football, which he hasn't yet. Or maybe Pioli doesn't appreciate his playing style. Or maybe he just doesn't fit in Pioli's tactics. I don't know, but either way it's a shame.

This is the first game I've seen properly since we've made the switch to a 4-4-2. And I absolutely stand by my opinion of this system. We look flimsy and vulnerable. We don't have the right players for the wings.

And omitting Suso has left us without any creativity. How Hakan can still start games after Rebic played how he did last Sunday is beyond me

And I still think that Leao has a long way to go still before he can be a starter

My issue with this is that Piolo is obviously not here for the long haul, so why sell a player who has boundless potential over a coach who's basically just a caretaker

It's barely working. And that's the key word. The first difficult fixture and we're going to get blown away because this formation leaves our middle too open

And I think Ibra would get far better support play with that formation rather than what we're seeing today where the wingers haven't been able to make in-roads while our central mids are being out-numbered

I couldn't watch the game, i wasn't home. Happy we won, but doesn't seem like we put in a good performance.

And, Donnaruma seemed to save us quite a few times.. The goal was well done..Nice pass from Hakan to see Ibra and good job by Rebic to get the goal..3 goals in 2 games now..maybe he should be starting games.

It's clear that we need to do better than this..but 3 pts..and confidence that's all we need now.

Honestly, this thing is completely overblown, and well if Paqueta can't handle a bit of competition then sorry to tell you that he won't make it in big teams. Look at Gigio..the kid just has the mentality of a champion. You are either born with it or not. To ask not to go to a game because you're not feeling well..oh well things don't look so bright, I don't blame Pioli. The guy is trying to find balance to the team. A bit like what Allegri was trying to do and everyone was bashing him. After you find balance and you're winning, then you can tweak and optimize. I don't see this complete obsession with defending the player with "not really boundless potential" which doesn't count for much..unless you realize it. Listen, I love Paqueta, and he added so much to the team last year when he came on. But, he has to put his head down, work hard, and he will get his place..

My 2 cents. Also, I think Pioli can be a bit more than a caretaker. He could be the good transition after getting the champions leauge in my opinion.

Yes, of-course. But, what was working before? If you get something that is working, you stick by it. It's changing constant formations and ideas that got us in a mess in the first place. And, Pioli doesn't seem so stubborn. He is rotating the players quite well, and the Rebic sub got us the win last time. Of-course I would like to try your formation..in an idealistic world but like Filippo said it is too complicated. The team has to grasp it, and absorb the formation and this takes time. The 4-4-2..well it can only get better since we are winning and gaining confidence with it. The advantage of having Ibra and Leao, I think is quite important..two complementary players in my opinion. I just the midfield starts getting better on a technical level.

I usually agree with you on everything, but not today. XD

The signing of Ibra isn't working - he looks absolutely terrible, and one goal doesn't change that.

Leao was poor tonight, made no real impact, and Brescia will be cursing an inspired Donna who was the reason for that result.

Rebic came on and again was the difference, midfield barely functioned.

I'm not into Bennacer at all, find him utterly ordinary, but defence was good - Romagnoli and Kjaer are working quite well and both FBs are doing a solid job, especially Theo.

But the fact we were outplayed by the second bottom side indicates that nothing has changed and the signing of Ibra doesn't alter that.

Am I the only one who thought Ibra was good? He's doing exactly what I hoped for, holding the attack by himself and providing different options. People seem to be underestimating this aspect. With Piatek we would have barely shot on target last night.

I also liked Bennacer. He takes so much initiative and is always pressing off the ball. Hakan was alright as well.

Honestly, I didn't think we were terrible last night. Yes, we suffered, but this one of those games against a relegation side at home that's fighting for survival. The stadium was full and chanting them till the very end. These are complicated games, and the fact we managed to snap 3 points is a big plus.

Interesting, he lost the ball 3 times, joint second worst on the pitch, only Castillejo lost it more. He also lost control of it 6 times, worst on the pitch. Not sure you're seeing what's there, just what you want to.



We had four on target last night. Last match Piatek played in we had 9.

Your hatred for this player is a bit silly.

I agree his form was shot by the end, but Ibra isn't doing much better.

In fact, the difference so far has been the full backs, especially Theo. We're getting better width now and Theo is having a licence to attack. Plus the main defence is tighter, Kjaer helping a lot there.

In this Milan, with the chances we're now starting to create, I think a goalscorer would thrive.

Ibra just seems to have lost his clinical edge, not as sharp as he used to be. Not blaming him for that, he's 38.

I understand your sentiment. Certainly, Ibra is not scoring every game, but facts are facts. Since Ibra came, we've been winning all of our games. Whether that's down entierly to him or not is another debtate. But, I think he signficantly contributed to that.

I agree about Donna, the guy just had an amazing game it seems. Rebic is clinical at the moment, and we should start him.

For me from the 10 min video I got to watch, I felt the defence was quite exposed. Whether it was on Romagnoli and Kjaer or the midfield I don't know though.

Nice to see someone positive..I mean we won four games in a row now

The thing with Ibra is it's also the mental grit that he brings to the team. As well as he can only get better now he is coming back to match fitness.

The fullbacks are certainly a big positive at the moment. Theo (and sometimes Conti) always seems to provide the needed support for attack.

We need Leao to get better and better..he is certainly an important piece of the puzzle.

I don't argue with that point - the Ibra factor has helped with this run, but it's helped more in morale than actual contribution I feel. And tbh I don't have an issue with that. Just saying his signing, in terms of his own play, hasn't exactly blown me away.



How could the defence being exposed be on the defenders - the very idea of being exposed is to be revealed by someone else - so if the defence looks vulnerable, it means the midfield has been violated too easily, and the defence is having to plug the gaps - which it did. 13 clearances from all four defenders.

Midfield isn't good enough, and I don't like Bennacer at all.

He was already mostly in match fitness buddy, October 25th was his last game before Milan. Add in the winter break and he isn't far behind! Agree on the grit, he's a born winner. That attitude will rub off on others.



I liked him in the last match but not so good v Brescia.

I'm not a stats guy, really. I never look at them, never cared about them. Zlatan for me has elevated this team's level of quality. When he has the ball everyone is aware, the opposition feels the danger. He might not have the same pace and agility he had 10 years ago, but the class is still there. And at 38, my friend, I think asking for more would be exaggerated.

The opposition kept taking the ball off him. 9 times. They didn't fear him. I know stats and facts are irrelevant to you, but you can't then expect me to completely take your argument when it's based 100% on what you believe you are seeing.



I wasn't, though? I was the one who expected nothing from this signing? So even getting something is more than I predicted.

I guess I'm just concerned that you believe us being outplayed by the second bottom side in Serie A is a sign of the elevation of Milan's quality.

Don't get me wrong, my enthusiasm has increased a bit too, and Ibra's a big reason for that, but I'm finding the improvement overall is down to a bunch of factors. Not just Ibra.

If there is one thing I can blame Ibra for, it was his miss during the first half. That was inexcusable. Other than that, I saw the whole game and I liked what I saw from him. Didn't really pay attention to the lost balls as you say, once or twice I can remember. Maybe the others weren't that relevant. That's why I think just looking at the stats is not sufficient to judge a performance.

End of the day, as long as we're winning, I don't really mind if Piatek and Ibra go out there and do the shimmy in their underwear while juggling oranges.

A win is a win.