Oh, and btw. De Sciglio switched back to Milan mode. Anonymous in attack, awful in defense.

He wasnt that bad if you ask me. I think that debuting vs Napoli had a lot to do with his performance. I think that we should give him time, and with a little more self confidence, he could turn into a decent defender. Even though judging basing only on 1 game is impossible.

Watching those highlights, the defending on Milik's and Callejon's goals was seriously bad. Abate seemed to be getting skinned by Mertens on each confrontation. The midfield simply provided zero cover for the defense so it was way to easy for Napoli's players to create one on one situations and curl the ball around them, both goals came from those type of situations and both times they got the rebound.

I think pushing him into this particular game was always going to be tough for him considering. I'd really like to see him though so I'm hoping Montella gives him a bit of chance and sticks with him instead of the rusty old Paletta, at least Gomez could surprise us given time, with Paletta it's the same old, samle old


I honeslty do not understand this. Is it the environment at Milan that throws him off? Does he only perform well when his team mates are also doing well? Does he not want to be here? Because this is just baffling to me, I don't understand how he can play so well for Italy one moment and be terrible for us the next


Yeah, definitely hard to judge, especially in such a difficult match as Napoli away. I'm going to try to find the torrent for the match and download it. I'm very curious to see how he played

So trying to look at the bright side a bit. I guess we can say that we handled Napoli a smidge better than that hiding we got last season from them early in the season not to mention that we played away today and not at home like last season.

Apart from that, International break is coming up so Montella will have a bit more time to regroup, maybe integrate some of the new additions better and try to find a way to eliminate Monto from that midfield without completely throwing off the balance in the side (saying this because the majority of our mids are more attack minded so playing them could impose more problems than it solves, but Monto simply seems physically shot at this point)

It was a bad defeat because we equalized and fought back. But it is clear that we are missing a leadership in this team on the field. Montolivo is not that. And Abate is a hot head.

It was a decent game, of course there was work to be done - but we're facing the second best team in Italy with a team of kids. It's alright. There are definitely a lot more chances being made, and we do look for once like we can hurt the opposition.

Can't deny the lack of quality in midfield and the lack of cohesion in the defence. But this sort of thing will take time I guess. But yes, the midfield needs a massive overhaul.

Montella: "Maybe the Chinese sent the transfers to the wrong address (Inter)."

Montella: "I won't accept my players to keep protesting against referees. I don't tolerate."

Montella: "I do think that Milan could have done better in the mercato and I am not fully satisfied with the outcome of negotiations."

Montella: "Milan gifted Napoli the win. It's not fair that you play a game like that, and finish with 0 points."

Do you want to get fired? Cos that is how you get fired. He is right though

Silvio might fire him, but Silvio isn't the boss anymore.

By the way yesterday's line-up had 6 players starting who were under 23. If you'd told me this 5 years ago I'd have laughed in your face.

Perhaps we jumped to conclusions. Because MDS looked good with perhaps the best defense in the world at his side (Buffon, Barzagli, Chiellini, Bonucci). Or we have to be more patient. I don't know.


The sooner Montella realizes that Monto is finished, the better. He's a sad excuse for a captain, while as a player he brings little to nothing. At this point, we have to part ways ASAP.


Jack, I have to disagree. Time isn't the answer IMO. This was practically the same team we had last year, they had plenty of time to feel themselves and unite.

I think many things went wrong yesterday. Firstly, I'm really troubled by our mentality. We seem to drag the same old problem from season to season: we're rarely able to play a full game concentrated and in the same pace. Just look at the Torino game. We easily lose rhythm, we rarely take initiative and usually wait for things to happen. On top of it, yesterday I've witnessed things that should be way beneath our level: may it be the behavior of Kucka, Niang and a few others, or the conduct Romagnoli did in the last minutes of the game which is nothing but embarrassing. I think time will only make things worse unless we inject ASAP some fresh blood in the team. And I don't mean players like Pašalić who'll blend right away in this mess, I mean leader characters, winners who can pick up a different kind of vibe and mentality at Milan.


If you told me 5 years ago that a 4-2 defeat at Naples was expected, I'd laughed even harder. I don't see much positivness here to be quite frank. Napoli is a solid squad, nothing more or less. We should have done better.

Napoli vs Milan players' rating. Suso MOTM, Kucka FOTM.


https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...amp;oe=5857FEEB

What has Suso done to be MoM? Apart from that goal, I expect much more. Look at the sheet - 0 passaggi.

It's nice to see the coach actually speaking up. Miha tried at first but he was quickly shut up. Pippo and Allegri just went along with everything and Seedorf was the only other guy who tried to speak his mind which is why he was axed as well.

The new management should be taking note and listening to Montella, he's a good coach, but the situation is simply not helping him


I think that's simply part of the problem, too many young kids with no clear leader on the pitch willing to stamp his authority. Monto is a ghost and Abate tends to get sucked into situations which are tense. That being said, he's the only one who can realistically take that armband and be a leader of some sort in the team, at least he has passion and drive, which is much more than can be said of Monto


Agreed on all counts. Regarding Montella picking Monto, I think he does it because he feels like there's no one else in the team capable of playing that position, and honestly speaking, I don't begrudge him that thinking because I don't see anyone who's capable of playing there. We already have a problem because Kucka doesn't defend all that much and we moved Bonaventura in the midfield. And with Monto barely able to keep pace we basically have 3 players ghosting in and out of the game in that midfield, which makes it incredibly easy for the opposition to cut through our entire midfield and basically have only an isolated back 4 to break through

Montella has played with 3 at the back before right?

I think this can be a stop-gap solution for us until we can bring in the right players in the winter. This 4-3-3 business is mostly exposing how terribly weak our midfield is. We should try to offer PSG a loan move for Motta, and just play a 3-5-2 similar to what Italy did at the Euros.

And I know what you guys might say re; Motta... I honeslty don't like him at all, I can't stand him playing for Italy and wouldn't like him here either, but he's the only player I can think of that might be available on the cheap at this point in the transfer window who can play that role and help shore up that midfield for us

We'd play something like this for now



This would allow us to control the midfield a bit better, help out in terms of the defence which is getting very isolated because of our midfield, allowing us to form 5 at the back when we're defending and when we're on the attack we'd have Jack and Sosa who can be given more creative freedom by having someone like Motta behind them

I see why it would make sense, but it takes a lot of hard work to train a back three. Not sure if that would be too much of a risk. I think Bonaventura in the mid three is a failed experiment. He's just been a ghost. We might have better luck with Honda there I think. Honda runs and defends a lot better too.

I agree with yours and Filippo's points. We have youth, but no mature head for them to look up to or to learn from. It's basically a poor man's Arsenal ~2012 for us.

I'm hopeful that this winter we might make some crucial buy-ins. But it's most important that we stay within touching distance of the top 5 (~4 points). This I believe we are fully capable of doing even with this current squad.

I think Bonaventura was absent yesterday but I thought he was good against Torino. I think the problem is that Monto and Kucka don't provide any real cover for the back 4 and Montella has him running back just to drop extra bodies in front of the box. He always looks dangerous when igniting counter attacks from a quasi midfield position.

I see Bona as a Hamsik-lite. Because Hamsik plays next to Jorghino who is a Monto type and Allan who is a runner/ defensive specialist the deficiencies of Hamsik's defensive game are covered adequately. I also think that giving El Sha away was really foolish. Niang isn't a winger as he doesn't really track back. I see him as more of an ss. El Sha may come in and out of a game but he does always contribute defensively. Suso on the other hand doesn't defend much at all and i think thats part of the reason Abate and DS were so exposed. Those 3 guys Bacca, Niang, and Suso and to some extent Bona don't defend well at all which leaves us exposed down the wings and weak in the middle.

Not sure if Montella ever done such a thing. But I'd be against it. Firstly, we don't have the right defenders to pull this thing off. Look at Juventus, they played with a back 3 for a while, but it was a delicate matter where practically one absent leader (Bonucci, Chiellini) would rattle the cage almost by definition. Gomez and Paletta would be a disaster waiting to happen. With no defensive leader and no Motta (don't think he's gonna come in the last 48 hours, why would he, especially if Matuidi leaves?), I don't think it's a risky worth taking.


Honda seems to be completely out of favor, but I agree with you on that. I also think that Bonaventura in the mid three isn't working good. He doesn't add up to the midfield rhythm and get's lost too often. I think that we should abandon the mid 3 system because it's obvious that we lack all the needed ingredients; Monto, Bona and Kucka are all inadequate or better suited elsewhere/to a different system.

That being said, I don't see Montella dropping his system that soon.

That being said, what type of formation/system do you guys think would work with this group of players? Because the 4-3-3 will be abandoned sooner or later, I'm sure

I think we have a team that's wrong in one too many aspects. We have diversified players, but we lack skills. We have no proper wingers, which means we have to play with one or two strikers: Niang and Bacca.

But then there's the question of Suso, Bonaventura, Honda, Sosa. What to do with those guys? What to do with the likes of Poli, Bertolacci and Kucka? Are they contributing to something in the team? IMO little to nothing.

I'd play a 4-4-2, a classic one, with Suso and Bonaventura on the flanks and a working midfield of Poli/Honda and Kucka/Berto.

But all the formations in the world will bring little steps forward or backward. We need true football players, we need people who put a stamp on the team, who lead the team and who - by their talent and skill - influence tactics and lineups.

I think you're right Fillipo, there are not really players who bring anything special in terms of skills. I feel like we have a bunch of good athletes in Poli, and Kucka. Runners in terms of Berto, Bona, Sosa, and Suso but no one in the midfield who does anything special. No great passers, no great creative elements, no distinguished defensive mids just average guys with no real speciality.

When you think of Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, those guys all were distinguished in certain ways. I understand that comparing those world class players to our current lot isn't fair, but the point is that the guys we have now are all positionless save for a few. They are just guys who run and don't do much else well.

It comes down to management being unable to recognize the real issues and papering over the cracks with ill fitting replacements. Add that to the fact that we can't seem to pull the trigger on any sales and we have been stuck with basically the same ill fitting parts for 3 years straight.

As far as the Montolivo situation goes I think we should integrate Locatelli. I don't expect him to be a savior but how much worse than Montolivo could he be. Monto has been our worst player in these first 2 games. I understand that the team is already young and we need veteran leadership now but the kid has promise, and Monto clearly can't keep up at this level anymore. His passing has tailed off completely to the point that he can't even make the easy back passes anymore.

Agreed on all accounts. Locatelli certainly cannot do much worse then Monto's already doing.

What is beyond me is why we let go of Alex and de Jong so easily. I think both would have had a place in our team. (And yes, I know that they were getting old, but honestly did Kucka bench de Jong? Did Zapata bench Alex? Is anyone better then the two right now in our roster?)

I am not sure I would want de Jong back. He is getting quite a reputation in MLS, came close to forcing a few players into early retirement.

As for the rest, my only hope is that we somehow manage to "survive" until the Winter transfer season. Then maybe we will get some cash and find some reasonable options in that timeframe. FWIW, I would like to see Locatelli, but I have a feeling we are stuck with Monto.

Forcing how? What has he done?

4-4-2 for me with:

I think he is referring to his tough fouls. He has been suspended several times now.

de Jong was always known for his rough tackles, it was really only with us that he toned it down a hair. That being said, I would still rather have him and Alex than our current lot. Teams are now much more willing to do business for players as they play a few games and see that their squads are too big. We should really make a move for some of those guys from the various Man City, Man Utd, Real type of teams. I understand that we can't give money up front but surely someone will bite on a loan + deal just to have these guys out of the way.

I think we need another defender. Gomez may turn out but clearly we have a problem with discipline so having an extra cb in there can't hurt. Or try an experiment, try to convert MDS or Calabria if possible to play more centrally. Our midfield is so poor atm, and playing Poli in there just makes me cringe. I like the guy, he runs hard but he makes horrible errors soetimes and his attacking ability leaves so much to be desired.


I'd say we stick with the 4-3-3, the players don't fit but at least we are finding a way to score. Or maybe a 4-2-2-2. Bona and Sosa could share the playmaking load while either Niang or Lapa drops in to the hole.

-------------Donna

Abate- Gomez-Romag- MDS

-----Poli/ Kucka- Locatelli
Suso/Sosa-------------Bona/Niang
--------Bacca------Niang/ Lapa

Yup

I've always said we should play 4-4-2.

Donnarumma
Abate - Gomez - Romagnoli - MDS
Suso - Pasalic - Bertolacci - Bona
Bacca - Niang

My only concern is Suso's stamina. Playing as RWM requires a lot of running, he might get tired too easily. Other than that, I think it's the formation that suits us best.

We tried the 4-4-2 last season. I feel we struggled to penetrate and left Bacca isolated. With this new formation and playing style, we're definitely creating more chances.

Agreed on that.

I personally would go for a 3-5-2 formation because that would give us the most cover and limit the influence that the midfield has on the game, where as in a 4-3-3 it's essential that the midfield 3 control the game

I understand though that the defenders we have could struggle in a 3-man defense as they're not used to playing in that type of system.

That being said, I wouldn't go for a 4-4-2 either though, I think last season we tried it and it worked to a certain extent, but it has limitations and I don't think Montella will go for it.

I personally don't think this Bonaventura in midfield experiment will work in the long run, he's best further up the pitch. We have too many attack minded mids and all the ones capable of playing at CM are pretty bad. Bertolacci and Poli are disasters if you ask me, so x-off/Fillipo I wouldn't play either of them in the center of a 4-4-2. Bertolacci has proven to be physically weak and he's not capable of putting in the kind of shift that would require. While Poli just runs around aimlessly accomplishing nothing of note. Monto is basically finished but honestly speaking, do you think we can replace him with anyone from the selection we have? People are mentioning Locatelli, Pasalic and sky even mentioned Sosa being tried there. But I don't think Locatelli should be pushed in there playing such a crucial role. We know absolutely nothing about Pasalic and from the very little I could deduce using youtube vids as a reference, he seems to be more of an attacking mid than anything else. And Sosa is simply another Bonaventura, he can't play a regista role.

I agree with Fillipo that we have a mish mash of players that don't fit any particular set-up and don't really gel with each other either.

Once again the midfield has been ignored and we've just brought in random guys to fill in a very huge void. Montella will have to work some serious magic to try and get this lot to mesh together. Atm our biggest and most obvious weakness is that defence but it's so becuase of the midfield not providing any protection. If we could just bring in one player capable of pulling the strings we could maybe see an improvement

Yes, we tried the 4-4-2 last season - and it didn't completely fail us, yes? Because the 4-3-3 has also limitations and in the long run I think it won't prove much better/effective. With the 4-4-2 last season Milan had at least games where we dominated and played really good. The first two matches this season tell me that we'll once again struggle to achieve domination and a cohesive unit. More importantly, I don't understand why we should play the 4-3-3, because it emphasizes the exact weak spots we have in our team: midfield and wings. This makes our team vulnerable. Napoli managed to capitalize on these points; other teams will do that as well. The defense per se isn't the main issue, it was the midfield and the completely inactive/not dangerous wings. So why would we play 4-3-3? What's the pro argument here again?

As for Montolivo, Han, at this point I'm open to try anyone, Pašalić, Locatelli, Sosa... Anyone. I don't think they can get much worse then Montolivo, but maybe better in some basic elements Monto isn't capable of doing any more?

I meant that using the 4-4-2 we struggled to produce chances last season. Obviously we don't know how Montella would implement it differently to how Miha did, so it could work out differently. But with the way we're conceding goals, I wouldn't like to see us struggle to score as well on top of that

Anyway, we'll have to see. Montella could be reluctant to choose such a formation.

As for Monto, you're correct, but I don't think using either Poli or Pasalic would solve any of our problems. With Poli at least I'm pretty sure of this as he simply runs around like a headdless chicken for around 60 minutes then he runs out of steam and becomes an even bigger liability than he was when the game started.

With 4-4-2 last season we played our best football in years. We were comfortably 6th and in the Copa final. Then Miha got unjustly sacked and Brocchi changed formation to please Silvio's irrational demands.

4-4-2 is a surefire formation, because it's very basic in concept and any team play with it. It just requires effort and teamwork. Playing 3-5-2 would be a huge experiment that could go very badly for us.