Quite simply this is a thread about the players and management, and ratings out of 10 thus far in the season, taking everything into account. It includes only the most significant players, not fleeting appearances like Saponara. Feel free to agree, disagree, and add your own.

Abbiati: 4 He's had a very poor season for whatever reason and the fact we've not missed him at all says everything.

Gabriel: 6 Let's face it, he's done darn well since he came in. Hasn't let his side down even if he's not set Milanello utterly alight either.

Amelia: 5 Very average goalkeeper, pure squad material. Only playing CL due to Gabriel's ineligibility. Shame really, I used to rate him very highly.

Abate: 8 A generous 8 for our best defender this season. He's got forward brilliantly, and defended as well as his limited ability allows him. Has shown heart, desire and willing despite circumstance.

Zapata: 5 Very below his previous standards, he's not been horrendous but has been often too close to it for comfort.

Mexes: 7 Not been at his rather good consistent best but still been very solid and scored a goal or two as well.

Constant: 3 He's been a nightmare. Cost us 3 points V Parma and clearly running on empty. Should not be getting selected.

Zaccardo: 5 Not rank rotten but nowhere near the standard Milan squad players even need to be. He's been so mediocre we've actually missed Bonera.

Silvestre: 6 Not really played enough to judge but what we've seen has been ok, with one goal added to the mix.

Urby: 6 A much better LB than Constant even if neither is a great LB, he should have been playing in DS's absence.

De Jong: 9 Shambles V Barca aside one of our best players this season. He's got very little wrong, and has used the ball as well as a DM can. Full of hunger and one of the few with the right attitude.

Monto: 6 Definitely below his best, he's struggled so far to assert himself. He's managed to have a few better matches but overall he's definitely not in form by his standards.

Poli: 9 Been excellent. Quite simply he should always play, but finds himself on the bench more often than not.

Muntari: 5 Pure and total frustration. Lousy on the ball, careless, terrible passer and a liability, but scores vital goals and makes some very intuitive last-minute blocks. But shooting aimlessly from 35 yards? Infuriating.

Noce: 6 Been used as a makeweight in midfield to shore it up, and tbh has been ok at that limited role.

Kaka: 9 Ignoring Torino away he's been absolutely magnificent. I'd say 'old Kaka' but this modern Milan would make any good player look 10 times better than they are. That said he HAS been good and has overtaken Robinho as our most important attacker.

Robinho: 8 Another one ridiculously ditched when in form, and it's cost us points. He's been very, very good and the ONE decent thing about that match in Turin was his linkup and understanding with Kaka. A class above.

Birsa: 6 Not Milan class but has a few bright moments now and again and scores a few goals. He at least has a decent attitude.

Matri: 5 He has definitely tried, even if it hasn't come off for him. His signing has been a borderline failure but the goal in Parma suggested maybe the confidence might be about to return.

Niang: 2 Absolutely dire this season. Stinking selfish immature attitude and playing the game like he's the only player out there.

SES: 3 Before injury he was dismally off form anyway. In a very bad way, one easy goal in Amsterdam aside. One wonders if he can ever gain momentum again. Or fitness.

Balotelli: 4 Not been half the force this season he was last, and increasingly letting his petulant side take over. His attitude V Fiorentina was of a player who simply didn't care. Could be the Milan honeymoon is over and he's ready to move. But then, who'd take a moody primadonna who requires a personal babysitter to keep him out of trouble? In danger of throwing his talent away.

Allegri: 3 Been a real shambles this season. Dropping Poli and Robinho, persisting with a shockingly out of form Constant. He's just been making a lot of bad calls and looks like a man who doesn't want to be at this club any more.

Am I the only one that thinks Abate is better defensively rather than offensively then? He is in my view truly clueless going forward, he tries to go past people just with his speed and that's impossible to do when they expect you to do it. He can't do anything unless there's lots of open space for him to run and always passes back for that reason when he gets the ball and kills any attack. And when he does get past his opponent, his crosses are so bad it's painful. He does try but he's very limited.

I think he's better going forward, but his crossing is pub league level.

I think he's good going forward. You don't need to have excellent dribbling skills to be a quality wingback, just good pace and stamina. His crossing, yes, it's sub-par.

His crossing in Amsterdam wasn't pub level He can put in good crosses but can equally put in rubbish ones. Like most attacking players, distribution consistency is hard to come by.

No, Han is with you. Unless you're saying he's just not very good all-round in which case I can't agree with that!

Abate is good at both imo. He's become a really good if not great defender (I think he's pretty great) and has been a very consistent performer defensively speaking, especially when you think about FBs.

His attacking work is great as well, no he doesn't always put in an inch perfect cross, but this part of his game was the one thing most people nit picked on and he's come on in leaps and bounds in this regard when comparing to a few years ago where he couldn't buy an assist to save his life. Now he puts in dangerous crosses on a regular basis.

Abate has been beating his man with speed for years now, that's how he does it, and it's usually our only attacking outlet, especially when things are congested. He's best when he's overlapping someone and just exchanges a pass and bursts in behind them to receive the ball.

There is a reason why Prandelli uses him as his first choice RB and not Maggio or Santon or whoever else out there because Italy have a lot of options in these areas, maybe not the top class choices of years gone by, but they still have good options. Maggio is a great attacker but a bad defender for example. You can't be limited and still be the first choice RB for your country when there are other quality options

But I agree with dst (if this was what he was trying to say), he's a better defender than he is an attacker. And I was one who used to call him a complete hair brained idiot when he was played a FB the first 2 seasons he was back with us after his loan at Torino. Goes to show all the hard work and determination he puts in did pay off

Posting these here since it is a mid-season review thread and these probably fall under it

http://www.football-italia.net/41336/berlusconi-revamp-milan

http://www.football-italia.net/41340/berlu...ange-philosophy

Finally someone willing to do something. I think a big drubbing at Barca could still do the trick. It would hit Silvio where it hurts the most. On the biggest stage against his footballing ideal

To me he's much better defensively. His positioning is quite good and you can't get past him with speed. You won't see him make a great tackle because he usually does not have to. Offensively, he could be so much better. He just doesn't know what to do with the ball when he gets it in a set offense and not a counter attack where he has plenty of space. And yeah of course he can take a good cross once in a while, everyone can, but it's a horrible cross 9 out of 10 times. I'd rather have 5 fairly good ones and 5 bad ones than that.

I think his crosses are usually all pretty good, terrible crossing was Oddo for example, whipping one straight out for a throw on the other side. Abate's crosses are usually whipped in at pace, create trouble in the centre of defence for the opposing sides and he's had more assists last season for example then he'd previously made in his entire career up until that point. I think biggest problem with us is that we don't have any midfield runners coming into the area so usually when one of the FBs make a cross (from either side) the targets are very limited, which makes the notion of crossing very pointless. We don't even create any form of danger from set-piece crosses, we usually just manage to turn them against us with the opposing team countering on us from every set-piece we win.

Agree with dst, Abate is good defensively, but pushing forward lacks a lot. Even in his defensive duties, he isn't that solid, but given the current crop of players, he is good.

Yep, I'll also agree with dst. I think we lost criteria. After years of Mesbah's, Constant's and Antonini's, we've become accustomed of horrible offensive fullbacks, so Abate's running around does the trick. But is he good at it? I don't think so.

Well this ended up being the Abate thread

He's just THAT good

I won't lie, he has definitely been our best defender (in face, admittedly, of pretty slim pickings).

So poor he plays for Italy? I think you're being a bit harsh! I'm not saying he's Cafu but if he was really as poor as you imply he wouldn't be Italy's first choice in that position now.

I do accept that years of Mesbahs, Constants, Antoninis your standards do go down a bit but they are all left backs.

At RB Abate has basically been our first choice since 2009 - before him our standards there had slipped a little since Cafu left - Oddo and Zambrotta were hardly marquee. But certainly we've been more blessed at RB than LB.

I think Mexes is still our best defender, Abate is different because he is a FB, but defensively he has been incredibly consistent this season

Well, Italy isn't blessed with fullbacks either. Who is his competition really? Maggio? Who has been picked over Abate as well in a few important occasions (not that I agree with Prandelli).

As for our RB's, well - we had good player, but offensively none of them could do the trick. Just think of the line: Helveg - Šimić - Costacurta - Stam - Oddo - Zambrotta. Some of those named used to go forward, but they were usually slow (age) or defensively better suited (except maybe Oddo). You also got Contra and Cafu who used to be good or great with going forward, but didn't exactly stay long with us.


Agreed.

Well Prandelli usually picks Maggio when he goes for a back 3 and Abate when he goes for a back 4, I think the thinking behind that is that both are more familiar with those systems, plus Maggio is terrible when he's playing as a proper FB and not a WB.

Don't forget, Italy also have Santon and De Sciglio at RB if Prandelli wanted to go with them, there are quality choices for Italy, just because there are no Maldinis and Baresis in there does not mean that they don't have quality options. Yes the standards set out by players of the past (even from the last era like Nesta, Canna, Zambro, etc) are seriously high but there are options that most other countries do not have

Italy use an awful lot of players. They go through full backs like crazy.

The problem is usually injuries. Especially during qualifiers. Abate has basically got injured the last 3 times he's stepped on the field for Italy, DS has been injured for a while, Maggio as well, don't know why he's not using Balzaretti as DS's direct replacement and Santon as Abate's I think that would be the best FB roster he could have + maybe Maggio