With reportedly less than 10,000 season tickets sold and basically the same team as last season going out there to commence the new one, this will be a bit of a drag I reckon.

Hopefully Montella can pull something special and maybe one last signing that can really contribute to the team and we can hold on until January.

So let's try to start it off on good footing

Mediaset probable line-up: Donnarumma; Abate, Gustavo Gomez, Romagnoli, De Sciglio; Bertolacci, Montolivo, Bonaventura; Suso, Bacca, Niang.

Season tickets sold in the last 30 years.

https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...amp;oe=5845169E

Wow in 92/93 we sold more than 70k tickets.

Probable lineups for ‪#MilanTorino‬ according to GdS.

https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...amp;oe=5848C7C3

Milan are unbeaten against Torino in Serie A since 2001, winning 10 and drawing seven. Also Torino have not defeated Milan at San Siro since March 1985 (1-0); since then there have been 14 wins for the Rossoneri and 6 draws.#FourFourTwo

Milan have won only one of their last five Serie A season opening games, losing three and drawing one. #FourFourTwo

Honestly, the formation is fine. I don't know if this formation will work for us given that the midfield isn't the best. It would require as usual..high work-rate from Suso and Niang. The defensive line is the best we can put out there except for Gomez who is still a question mark.

It will all depend on how we play it. Let's see, I'm excited that the season will start, but fairly cautious that it might turn out a disappointment like the last one.

My only hopes lie with Montella.

Thanks for sharing this. It's actually really interesting to see that people back then bought much more season tickets! This season is an all time low though.

I have a question, how do season tickets exactly work? Do you buy one, and you get discounts for home games?

Thanks for the information on the history of the two teams. I'm sure Mihalovic wants revenge.

Cheers.

Yes. Same for me.

Looks like Paletta might play instead of Gomez.



Exactly. You pay a specific amount for all home games and you practically get discounted tickets for every match.

Aha! Thanks.

Prediction 2-0

I hope we can get a win here, but I have to say it is rather disappointing to see pretty much the same team out there that we saw last year with a few minor tweaks. One of the best parts of the beginning of a new season is checking out the new players that have come in and this year we don't have anyone who is super exciting.

That being said, we are on the path to rebuilding this team and I hope that Montella begins to integrate the younger players. Donnaruma, Romag, Gomez, Calabria, MDS, Locatelli, Suso and Niang are all young promising players who can hopefully take this opportunity of more playing time to develop into better and more well rounded players. To me the internal growth and development of those players is key in establishing a dominant team.

I hope we get out to a good start against Torino, I predict a 2-1 win with Bacca scoring both. I think he will actually have a solid season playing with the two wings and the team essentially built to support him.

I agree with you. In terms of potential, we've got one of the best sides in Italy, and probably are in the top 10 of Europe. Where we're missing quality is in the midfield.

To be honest, Montella hit the nail on the head in his press conference, when he joked that he'd asked for Iniesta. He's one of the best players in history- true, but that type of player is what we sorely lack. In my opinion, it's impossible to get a player like that in today's market with inflated prices.

I'd prefer we get a strong pure holding midfielder with ball skills - my pic would be Mikel. And then free up Bertolacci while having Kucka play a role not too disimilar to what Kante did for Leicester.

I know. It's weird how much hope I retain for Berto.

But my formation:

-----------Back 4--------------
------------Holder-------------
----Berto-----------Kucka-----
---Suso/Honda------Niang-----
---------------Bacca-------------

Our style would differ drastically depending on if Honda or Suso played. But we would have a better control in midfield I think - if we pushed Berto to the right (he's naturally left footed) and Kucka to the left. Kucka drives down like a train and can ping balls off our fullback and with the slinky Niang on his side, our flank overloads should hypothetically give Bacca a hard-on.

The critical piece here is our Holder Mid. He has to play an auxilliary CB at times and also release the ball very quickly to escape pressing. Which is why I think Mikel would do very well. He has no space at Chelsea with Fabregas doing the same.

Only problem is that both Kucka and Bertolacci are completely average, and Niang is unwatchable on the wing. But yeah, all we need is a holding mid. 😑

Official line-up:
(4-3-3): Donnarumma; Abate, Paletta, Romagnoli, Antonelli; Kucka, Montolivo, Bonaventura; Suso, Bacca, Niang.

Bench:
Gabriel, Lopez, Ely, Gomez, Calabria, Vangioni, De Sciglio, Bertolacci, Locatelli, Honda, Poli, Luiz Adriano

We need a regista more than a holding mid. Someone who will dictate the play, Monto is the only one capable of sort of doing that which is why we have so many problems in this area because he's not good enough at it. We need a Xavi not an Iniesta and this has been the case for a while. That's why I think that if we're going after a stop-gap solution that has to be Schweinsteiger and not a Mikel type.

Also, Kucka and Bertolacci are both pretty terrible. If I had the say in this I wouldn't want them anywhere near the first team. Bertolacci is weak on the ball and pretty much doesn't contribute anything of note to the team, while Kucka plays like he thinks he's Iniesta but he really is Kucka.

Same problem with Honda, he's terribly weak on the ball and slow on top of that. so that gets to be problematic especially when he's trying to duke it out with Serie A FBs on the wing.

I don't think 4-3-3 will really work for us in the long run. We've started each season using a 4-3-3 and ended up reverting to something else.

Montella is interesting because the formation in his system is secondary and doesn't really dictate much. But his system does rely heavily on having a competent midfield which we do not have.

So sad...

And why isn't DS starting? He's one of our best players and keeping him on the bench will make sure that he'll be asking to leave shortly. We shouldn't be sacrificing him for the likes of Antonelli

Nice play by Niang there.

A good run and cross by Abate, almost for Niang.

Damn!! Thought Niang had scored there

Yeah, nice play by Bacca. I think Niang is our best player till now in this game.

A superb ball from Suso for Bacca. Blocked.

BACCA!!!

GOOOOOOOOOOOALLLL !!!! BACCCAAAAAAAAAA ! 1-0

BACCAAA

Great goal

What a ball from Niang and followed by a great cross from Abate

I think that Niang made a great pass there for Abate.

Yep.

HT: Milan 1-0 Torino.

Best Milan players in the first half in my opinion were Abate, Romagnoli, Montolivo, Niang and Bacca (since he scored). As for Suso, he tried, but in my opinion he is selfish and has to play with the team more.

Decent first half, but I feel like the attack is doing good, the defence also, but the midfield seems to be like a total after-thought. Our best moments have come from the FBs putting Suso or Niang through, we're completely bypassing the midfield and not controlling the game at all which could be problematic as the game progresses and things get stretched out.

Also don't think this Bona in midfield thing will work out in the long run, his best qualities are nullified player there

Yeah, Suso keeps trying to do solo stuff, but has also had key passes. He needs to lay off trying to constantly dribble inside and shoot

In all honesty Niang does solo stuff as well, even more than Suso.

Decent first half, but as Han mentioned the midfield is completely non-existent.

Maybe it would be better if Niang moved to the right wing, Bonaventura to the left and Bertolacci got in instead of Suso.

Suso does it more often though, and atm Niang is pulling stuff of that's working out for him, while with Suso, not so much.

Still I'm happy with the way the attack is shaping up. Lot's of speed and technique there. I'm curious to see us playing on the counter against better sides because I think we could be lethal in that regard with Bacca;s finishing and the speed of these 2 behind him

Nah, Berto won't really add anything and I'd like to keep the attack as is for now

Torino scores.

FFS!! 1-1

I would make that move just in order for Bonaventura to get more space and chances.

This is the major problem with our midfield, when we're defending it's just the 4 defenders at the back with no cover.

The mids needed to help with the closing down there. Plus Romagnoli got caught flat footed there

BACCAAAAAA

Great cross from Niang

Well at least we're not having any trouble creating goals...

Niang and Bacca working it up quite good there. Im glad to see this.

I can see Bacca scoring a hat-trick here.

Penalty for us

Bacca!

Hattrick

HAT Trick BACCCCA !!! 3-1

You called it

Suso should have run for Niangs pass there.