I am caught in two minds regarding this match. Part of me says it was meaningless, changes in personnel and deployment made the team disorganized and less dangerous, so no reason to read too much into it. But there is this fiercely competitive part of me that is furious that our unbeaten run is over and that momentum is lost, but that’s not all. A good team is only as good as its weakest link and today exposed more weak links than I would have liked to see or worse, have seen by everyone watching!
Allegri’s pseudo 4-1-2-1-2 today was clearly an effort to see if Pirlo and Seedorf could operate in a midfield diamond as effectively as the three bulldog midfielders are working with the CAM. It was an intriguing idea because it gives Milan a more dynamic passing attack if executed properly. The problem with this diamond midfield is that it leaves Seedorf and Pirlo down the middle of the pitch and if the wide DMs get out of position it gives the opponents a lot of space in which to operate, as the team gets overly narrow. Throw in a static figure in Ronaldinho and the balance that has been so solid for Milan in their consistent run of form is basically thrown out the window! Hopefully Max wrote a simple two word note to himself following this match, lesson learned, or the more cryptic, epic fail, depending on how you like your notes to self! I think it is safe to say we won’t be seeing that formation again anytime soon, it is a personal favorite of mine, but this team lacks the personnel ten times over to make it work.
Now formations and tactics are only part of it, what bothered me most about today was the general inconsistency of everyone on the pitch. It was like they decided to play for only a few five to ten minute stretches at a time. I understand the game had little meaning, but there are ways to play deep tactically, conserve energy, and still manage to earn a result. With that much “experience” on the pitch I just figured maybe they would be capable of at least that much. Nope, dominated in possession, dominated in the center of the park, and dominated on the score sheet, no doubt Ajax deserved the win on this day.
Now I don’t want to beat a dead horse here, he is clearly doing a fine job of that on his own, but can someone please write a eulogy for the career of Ronaldinho, or at least Ronaldinho at AC Milan!? Yes, the game may have been meaningless to the team, but for him it should have meant something and he should have shown that, now when his butt is planted firmly on the bench there is literally no one to blame but the player. Hopefully this one of the last few times I even have to mention his name. To some extent the same can almost be said for Pirlo who over complicated matters with low percentage passes and poor choices in possession, why not play simple, move the ball, and play within your means. I pretty much expected this type of lack luster performance from Ronaldinho, but Pirlo should be smarter after returning from injury and keeping things simple in the center of the park.
Onto Bologna for the weekend with the strike being “called off,” Allegri will have to erase this game quickly in training and get this team back into a balance organized unit. I can live with this loss a little easier if the team comes out swinging on on the weekend. I would expect Rino to return, the defense to go back to normal, and KPB most likely getting a start, but there is still a small issue of who plays CAM and will Ambro be able to go 90 if Flamini is not fit for the weekend? All problems that could have been avoided if Allegri put some faith in Strasser and Merkel on this day, and maybe the loss would have been even more palatable blaming it on the lack of experience in exuberant youth.
A few more odds and end to consider…
Bonera: he is officially the “mush” of AC Milan, no player has been on the pitch for more dropped points than this guy, a dubious honor to say the least. Maybe he and Ronaldinho should become better friends on the bench.
Ants: what happened to this guy? Last year he was in Prandelli’s plans, this year he can’t seem to recover from a forward run!? Kind of bothers me because he is our most fit and athletic LB and he can’t seem to get it together, this means more
Zambro, and that is never good. He had a great chance in a deep end line position to rake a ball across the face of goal, and instead a hopeful cross to know one, pretty much sums up his season to date.
Enoh: one word, WOW. Imagine this guy playing CM for AC Milan? Someone tell Braida and Fester he is Brazilian so they at least put him on the scouting list.
Diving: two cards for two blatant dives, finally some good calls. Hopefully with a little consistency from CL refs this problem is slowly eradicated.
Borriello: played a great game today for Roma, and got the goal to see them through. Here’s hoping Ranieri decides he needs to be rested for the match against Milan…
San Siro: there was a time not so long ago that teams came to the San Siro in the CL and knew they were going to drop points, I am not that big into nostalgia, all good things come to an end, but as I watch some of these little sureties disappear I can’t help but wish for the Milan of my youth…
Standard banners by Ro should resume for the weekend, in the meantime forgive the above!
Some musings as we lead up to the match against Ajax, I would preview it but it is rather meaningless and the fact that this point I have no idea who Allegri will send out in this match or the Coppa match on the following day so your guess is as good as mine. I will touch briefly on it after the jump:
-Max says he won’t snub Ajax, I wonder if he should? Milan is qualified and for some strange reason I feel like we should push the issue with the Coppa Italia. One thing is for certain, some players will be rested, ie Zlatan, Abbiati, Nesta, and Silva, but Ronaldinho looks a lock. Get your popcorn ready Dinho fans; this may be the last full 90 you see for a while! There was hints that the defense would contain Oddo, Sokratis, Yepes, and Bonera, with that I say poor Amelia, but hopefully Antonini or DeVito see some minutes this week. Antonini should play for the sake of match fitness and his current lack of it, while DeVito is an option because he is supposedly pretty solid and our need for a LB is pressing. At this point anyone but Bonera is the rally cry. For those of you wondering what is happening with Montelongo, see previously Cardaccio and Viudez.
-If the weekend match against Bologna is in fact called off due to strike, the team will be even more rested come the match against Roma. My only fear is such a long layoff may slow some of this momentum, I hope the strike issue is resolved so Max can decide what to do with the next three matches without a strike hanging over his head.
-The more I watch Milan play well with makeshift CAM’s in Prince, potentially Pirlo, or an aging Seedorf, the more I feel like Cassano would bring this team over the top! I know he is a loose cannon, but Allegri has proved capable of dealing with such enigmatic talents and adding Cassano gives us a legitimate playmaker at a very nice price, FREE. I will make one small point here, isn’t it better he comes to Milan than goes to a direct rival like Inter or Juventus?? Cassano in January, Lazzari in the summer, throw in Astori and a LB suddenly this team is starting to look like a real contender.
-For those of you salivating over the potential of Mario Balotelli, wipe the drool. First and foremost unless we lose Pato or Binho to transfer or season ending injury he is surplus to need. You also don’t need his attitude sitting on the bench, granted I was all for Cassano, but Balotelli on the field is one thing; Balotelli whining on the bench is another! Man City and Mancini won’t let him go so easily either, so I think we can all forget that one.
-It is looking increasingly likely that we won’t get a striker a January, which is OK considering the roster has a few. Borriello was bandied about as coming back, which was squashed. Matri was also an option but with Donadoni in charge of Cagliari, who are winning and trying to stave of relegation, this is also a long shot. I wouldn’t read much into any further rumors though.
-There was a time when Inter would consider a player Milan would buy him just to make sure Inter couldn’t. Now that is what I call good business! If ever that should happen, this is one such move. Ranocchia is the closest thing to Nesta I have ever seen and throw him alongside Silva and you have a ten year CB partnership, bring Astori home as well and suddenly your three man rotation is better than some starting pairs. This is what Milan needs to assure future success, fortify the defense the attack will sort itself.
