OFFICIAL A.C. MILAN PRESS RELEASE
7/20/2010
MILAN - A.C. Milan communicate that they have signed the player SOKRATIS PAPASTATHOPOULOS outright from Genoa and have sold NNAMDI ODUAMADI, RODNEY STRASSER and GIANMARCO ZIGONI on a co-ownership deal to the same club.

How on earth can you fit that name into a song? We couldn't with Hitzlsperger!

That's because Villa fans are lame. I bet West Ham fans will do it just fine this coming season

Let's get this out of the way immediately: Shall we call you Papastathopoulos, Sokratis or something different?

"You can do it how you like it. Papastathopoulos is my surname, but it’s too long and it won't fit on the back of the jersey. That's why I chose to have 'Sokratis' on it instead. My friends call me Papa and I like it."

That's quite a demanding nickname, don't you think?

"It's only an abbreviation. I don't want to make any comparisons."

Alright Papa, describe yourself.

"I'm young and I have a lot of desire to learn and work. I will put myself at the service of the team."

Everyone says that, but tell us what kind of player you are. Are you a fullback or a central defender?

"I am a central defender who, if there is the need, can also play at right-back. No problem."

From Genoa to Milan: That's quite a triple jump.

"Apart from the satisfaction, because I have touched the highest point of my career, I feel the responsibility of having to demonstrate who I really am. I will join a group of champions. I will have to integrate myself; listen, study and learn."

Have you talked to any of your new teammates?

No, not yet."

Who do you want to thank?

"First of all, I would like to thank my family: father, mother and my brother who have never left me alone and have allowed me to do what I wished for since I was a child; to become a footballer."

Have you always been playing in the defence or is this the last stage of a long evolutionary process?

"When I was a child I was a great forward. I played for a small team in my local town, Kalamata, and I fared really well. I scored loads of goals, but then I started playing further back on the pitch and I ended up in the defence."

Do you have any role models?

"Paolo Maldini, Nesta and Cannavaro. They are the greatest players that I have seen in action. But I can’t say that I'm inspired by them. That would be conceited."

Married, girlfriend or single?

"I have a girlfriend, but I won't tell you her name. It’s best to protect the privacy."

Will you be living in Milano?

"I will have to think about that, but I probably will. I like to live in the city where I'm playing."

Besides football, family and girlfriend, what else is there in your life?

"Music, a lot of music."

Genre?

"Greek rock."

What's that like?

"It's rock music like the American, English or Italian kind, but the words are in Greek... Nothing special."

Talking about Greece; the economical crisis is changing your country.

"The situation is not as dramatic as it is portrayed in the media. Of course there are many people who have lost their jobs and this is a serious problem, but we can rise again. I'm very close to those, who are currently going through a tough time. I feel privileged because I earn a lot of money and therefore I'm allowed to do everything I want, but I also see what happens around me. And I won't forget it."



la gazetta

I was thinking, if our fullbacks are so strained, perhaps it might not be outside the realm of possibility to play a 3 man defence with Nesta, Silva and Sokratis.

He was not that good. He also made some mistakes but I must admit that he was better than against Arsenal. Is plays better as CB than RB.

No its not a bad idea either, though they say its suicidal in the italian league.



I've read the Italian league is suited for slow-tempo possession formations. Since most teams prefer to play counter attack, it seems one team will always dominate possession while the other will be content to counter. Rarely will both teams fight for who has possession.


favorable formations:

4-3-1-2
4-3-3
4-5-1
4-2-3-1

----------------

3-X-X

is usually an attacking formation where they attack with 7 and then have 2 stoppers and a sweeper to soak up pressure till the fullbacks arrive.


This would be heaven for teams who sit back and then counter with 3 fast players.


-------


the reason 4-possession works well in italy is because the defensive line is deep and usually plays man to man marking, which means they don't worry about the space just where the man moves. The midfield plays zonal, which means they sit in front of the defence and worry about the space they are to hold.



--------x---------x-------x---------x
[space]-----x--------x--------x--[space]

[space..........space........space..........]


This gives time for the fullbacks to arrive and provide the needed with in order to penetrate a deep defensive system.


Also by holding the majority of the possesion and one line of defense playing man to man and the other playing zonal, you will see small gaps open in the middle of the defence from time to time as the ball moves from one side to another.

This is also why players like pato/ronaldinho/kaka dominate in italian league and spanish leagues vs english. Once you beat your man marker, your virtually free to have a shot at net or a cross. While in the english league you have to beat players by using the channels in between defenders via passes because all defenders and midfielders have cover, so you'll run into trouble as soon as you beat your guy.

Arsenal worked us pretty well on the channels this weekend. Had we say 6 months under allegri, that would never have worked. Then the only thing they could have hoped for would be beating us via speed and physique and hoping for luck; like they did in 08.



Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2evhC89YPZI

Watch fio's defence and you'll see how many times the middle is left wide open.
-----


If it worked though, this would look damn good.



-------abbiati------

---sokratis-nesta-silva


abate-flamini---pirlo---antonini

pato------borriello----dinho

My base formation would be...the same backline as yours..except..

---Sok---Silva---Nesta--- [Silva makes some good runs from the middle]
------Pirlo----Flam---Ambro---Zambro
--------Pato/Zee-------R80/Zee/Pato
-----------Marco---------

I don't like the idea of a 3-men defense at all, and knowing Allegri, I doubt he'll ever opt for it.

the reason 4-possession works well in italy is because the defensive line is deep and usually plays man to man marking, which means they don't worry about the space just where the man moves. The midfield plays zonal, which means they sit in front of the defence and worry about the space they are to hold.


Also by holding the majority of the possesion and one line of defense playing man to man and the other playing zonal, you will see small gaps open in the middle of the defence from time to time as the ball moves from one side to another.

This is also why players like pato/ronaldinho/kaka dominate in italian league and spanish leagues vs english. Once you beat your man marker, your virtually free to have a shot at net or a cross. While in the english league you have to beat players by using the channels in between defenders via passes because all defenders and midfielders have cover, so you'll run into trouble as soon as you beat your guy.

Seems like all the more reason for Pirlo to play up farther, no?

I have absolutely nothing against Yepes. I just want to see Papa get more chances. 2-3 games shouldn't decide his Milan future.

Well, safe to say so far Sokratis was a miscalculation. The coach lost confidence in him very fast, but his 2 or 3 appearences for Milan were a disaster. Just compare Yepes with him.

I don't think his future has been decided if that's what you meant. I think he'll get some more playing time in the next few games.

Maybe he just isn't showing enough in training. Allegri seems to place a lot of importance on how players do in training.

Maybe he just isn't showing enough in training. Allegri seems to place a lot of importance on how players do in training.

Maybe Yepes done more mistakes, but Papa's were the lethal ones.

Maybe he just isn't showing enough in training. Allegri seems to place a lot of importance on how players do in training.

I don't think his future has been decided if that's what you meant. I think he'll get some more playing time in the next few games.