Good point. I wanted another signing just to get rid of Brocchi. Plus, the Darmian story depends on how much Carlo trusts and promotes him. He's been known to not get along well enough with youngsters, and/or people out of his favorite list.

I'd like to see Darmian get first team action too. I really do.

When he played against juve last week..he played like he controlled the defence..A very good project for the future..I believe he'll turn out to be one of the best..just wait and see...

Funny from FIFA.com :




Senderos enjoying steep learning curve(FIFA.com) Wednesday 29 March 2006


Philippe Senderos visited a library in north London not so long ago to talk to a group of children. The discussion was not about football but about books with Senderos' presence part of a scheme to encourage youngsters to read.

Education is important for the Switzerland defender, who, until he was 18, combined school lessons with Swiss top-flight football, and now, at Arsenal, is enjoying the kind of learning curve that must be the envy of 99 per cent of players his age.

Senderos is typical of a new generation of Swiss footballers who, after departing early for clubs abroad, will have a telling role to play in their country's FIFA World Cup™ squad this summer. Captain of the Switzerland U-17 team that won the European title in 2002, he left Servette for Arsenal in 2003 and has not looked back since.

"I'm not being disrespectful but in Switzerland if you want to play in a good league you have to go away," said Senderos, whose U-17 colleagues included Bayer Leverkusen's Tranquillo Barnetta. "You can see a lot of young players who were with me in the U-17s who are leaving the country at 18, 19, 20. This benefits the national team as they taste another type of football and bring their experiences back to the national team."

Go to the Switzerland team page

This was never more evident than on 12 November last year when Senderos and Lazio's Valon Behrami (another player with 1985 on his birth certificate) scored the goals that earned the Swiss a crucial 2-0 home win over Turkey in the first leg of their Germany 2006 play-off.

"A lot of work has been done in Switzerland on youth development and now you can see many younger players coming through the ranks and arriving in the national team," said Senderos, who also stressed the importance of coach Kobi Kuhn's contribution. "Some of the players had him when he was the U-21 coach and he's been a big part of their development. We have a great relationship, he's been a player himself and he knows how the game goes."

Kuhn encourages his players to voice their opinions and, like Senderos' manager at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, is not frightened to blood youngsters. "They are similar because they give opportunities to young players who they feel are ready. I had my first game in France (in March 2005). They were top of the group but you could see he (Kuhn) had complete faith in me from the start."

Since making his debut in that goalless draw, Senderos has collected another nine caps and there is no question which game has provided his toughest test to date: the second leg of the qualifying play-off in Turkey. "That type of game is a great experience for a young player and for a team," he said. "It brings everyone together.

"I'd say in Turkey we definitely felt under pressure from the crowd and also because we were 2-0 up and knew they were going to come at us and attack. In that type of game you look at your more experienced players and they look at you and you're in the same situation. You just have to compete as a team and not rely on individuals."

Although the Swiss lost 4-2, their two away goals meant they progressed to their first FIFA World Cup in 12 years and Senderos feels they can look ahead with confidence. "It definitely gave us belief," he said. Kuhn''s team will meet France, Togo and Korea Republic in Group G and Senderos' first task will be to try and keep quiet his Arsenal captain Thierry Henry in Stuttgart on 13 June. "You cannot expect to know what he's going to do next," he said of the Frenchman.

"He's someone that feels the game and he does instinctive things so you never know what he is going to do. He tries things and invents things which is what makes it difficult to defend against him." France will represent a serious test but Senderos sees no reason to fear them. "They did not beat us in the qualifiers (both matches were drawn) so they are going to think we're one of the biggest tests too."

Switzerland's principal strength, according to Senderos, is "good teamwork". However, he cites several players "who make a difference", including striker Alexander Frei and midfielders Johann Vogel, Ricardo Cabanas and Raphael Wicky. "We've got great quality players and we play football. There's no miracles – if you try to play you're going to cause problems for your opponent."

Read a full profile of Philippe Senderos

And what of his own game? Senderos attracted criticism for some of his performances for Arsenal earlier this season but has shone recently in the absence of England defender Sol Campbell. An eager learner, he says he wants to improve "everything", adding: "I play at the back and try to organise my team and that means being concentrated. That's part of my work, the vision and the organisation. I will have to work on that."

There will no better place to continue that education than in Germany this summer.

still nothing official on acmilan.com about senderos

Maybe because it's a loan deal they'll wait for the medical to be completed before it's announced

Senderos expected to complete Milan loan move
By Richard Clarke

The loan of Philippe Senderos to Milan should be completed soon.

The Swiss defender was linked with a move to the Rossoneri in the morning’s media. It was confirmed by Arsène Wenger at his press conference ahead of the game with FC Twente. However it is still subject to the usual formalities.

“Senderos has gone to Milan,” said the Arsenal manager. “He completes a medical today.

"The thinking is that he does not get games here and [this way he] gets top-level games somewhere. We have Kolo, Gallas, Djourou, Song and now Silvestre. We have congestion in there and we want him to play without losing him.”

Wenger was asked whether the 12-month loan would turn into a permanent deal. “It is not decided yet,” he replied.

Arsenal.com

I'm sure this put all unreasonable doubt that Senderos was signed on loan

Djorou and Song over Senderos?? Has he fallen that much??

It's made even sadder since Songs best position isn't even as a defeder..

it is not yet decided how is that even possile that the he is coming for medical and we have no even decided buy option

+1

PHILIPPE SENDEROS AT MILANELLO
8/26/2008
MILANELLO - Swiss international Philippe Senderos has reached the gates of the Milanello sporting center, where he will undergo the medical tests programmed for today.


from acmilan.com

finally welcome Senderos

Ditto. Welcome.

I don't know what he pulled off during his time in Arsenal, but as long as he's wearing the red&black, the least I can do is wish him the best of luck. As long as he doesn't make us look a funking joke, and/or don't have nights out with Carlo to ensure a starting place, we'll be fine.

Regardless of what caliber this player is made of, Milan had done very well in this transfer window. Blustering the midfield, attack and defense with players and giving the team the much needed depth to go all the way in Serie A.


Welcome Sendros, meet Nesta & Maldini, you will be playing second fiddle to them

At least here he would have the chance to learn from giants like Nesta and Paolo, and that's much better from what he had in England

What are you talking about? He had the almighty Gallas to learn from at Arsenal! Under his guidance he's probably learned how to scare kids and throw strops to perfection, bet he couldn't learn that under Nesta.

goal.com is officially reliable they reported it almost 30 hours ago.

What a transfer window it was!

Indeed. Well I think that takes care of the defense issue for now. This has been an incredible transfer season and even a juve fan I know is jealous of who we have signed. We signed all these players for less.

I didn't expect the transfer season to turn out this way. I expected 4-5 players at most.

Been good overall. Still not sure on the defemse, if/when Nesta gets injured, we're in trouble again.

Are u sure goal is officially reliable? i mean do websites just become reliable all of a sudden?

Reliable means that it is giving correct information. So if goal.com continually gives out correct info, then it becomes reliable.

oh okay...

oh god... i go to quebec city for two days and i come home to this.... although i can see him outperfoming kaladze i dont think he has it in him to start for milan... who knows...

i see defensive problems for years to come...

I think he's the correct player for us and he can learn a lot from other defenders, but I would have picked a different player. But still I'll stand behind him since he's a Milan player now. Does anyone think that Flamini had anything to do with impacting who we went for?

We'll get another defender next transfer season I think.

And maybe Brocchi will get swapped for Stendardo... who knows.

This is something goal.com reported...

http://www.goal.com/en-US/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=835238

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed Philippe Senderos has left for Milan on loan, and in doing so admitted that the Swiss defender may never return to the Emirates.

Guys, we are now officially the dumping ground for clubs in europe.

Anyway, Galliani said Senderos is injured, he won't played so soon. So at least our nightmare may not start right away Senderos

The dumping ground? How is that exactly?

I don't see it that way... I think we acquired many quality players. And some young youth talent too...

Senderos should be fully fit in like ten days... in the first game against Bologna Darmian will probably be on the bench to come as a sub../.

Galliani does. And I sure hope he's working on it as I type this. The guy has no place in the Milan midfield, at least the one put forward this season. Ambro, Gattuso, Flamini, Pirlo, Seedorf, Ronaldinho, the Uruguayan dude(s), oh dear. Does he honestly think he's got a semblance of a chance?

He has a chance if he's still sleeping with the boss.

That's a really disturbing mental image, Kurt.

Sorry, it's just a figure of speach.

I mean he's obviously friendly with Carlo in some way or another to get the playing time he does.

That just brought on a bout of "Oh my eyes, my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Don't worry, I'm sure Galliani will figure something out. If I was Brocchi, I'd very much not waste my career and Milan's time. Not rocket science. I don't think he even reads the forums and visit footballing sites.

he's got hell lot of work to do.. better start now.. learn from the best, kid..