AC Milan general spiel 2.0

[p_maldini_3]

i don't think we'd walk off in a bigger game, i'm also surprised by the amount of attention this friendly walk-off is getting all over the world.

[San Paolo]

Silvio has blocked Balotelli saying "He is a rotten apple & if signed could infect the rest of the team" but he still wants Guardiola. Falcao has also said he would like to play in Italy one day but refused to reveal who is favourite team is out of Milan or Juve.

[maro]

I thought he blocked Ballsontelly because he said that the best way to ensure there are no more incidents like that in the Pro Patria friendly has to be not to sign any more darkies?

[San Paolo]

oh, i must have mis-quoted him then

[p_maldini_3]

racism won't exist if the blacks didn't exist!

damn, that is wrong on so many levels.

[maro]

Apparently Berlusconi also said "It's their own fault. If the darkies weren't so like apes they'd never make those racist buu chants."

[red]

Chumming up the Lega Nord in preparation for the election, is he?

[DavidP]

[San Paolo]

how can he be named after Paulo Roberto Falcao if his first name is Radamel? surely they just share a surname?

[DavidP]

yeah, i left that in there for its humor value.

[vtec]

[red]

And what you coach would you want to get the most out of him?

Can't imagine Allegri having the authority to control Balotelli.

[vtec]

i don't think allegri can get the most out of anyone. i think the best coach would be someone who would get his respect. maybe maldini. but i secretly hope that because milan is the team balotelli has supported for most of his life that he would be more humble there and more dedicated.

[p_maldini_3]

balotelli has had 3 major coaches in his professional career. 2 eccentric's (mourinho and mancini) and one that seems to be very down-to-earth (prandelli). he's performed best for prandelli, a coach who puts the team over his own personal ambition. i think if balotelli could get a similar personality to guide him, he'll have less drama around him.

he's still a big ass gamble.

[Bagg10]

[San Paolo]

Nothing up front, little at the back and don't even start me on Boateng. we were lucky to score 0.

[RomaShield27]

Tactics: How Would Kaka Fit In At AC Milan?
Published On: Sat, Jan 19th, 2013 / By Sam Lewis
http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2013/01 ... -ac-milan/

It’s the transfer rumour that has tongues wagging all around the peninsula. The projected return of “The Prodigal Son” Riccardo Kaka’ has been the subject of debate all around Italy and thanks to social networking, the world.

No longer the game winning force of nature he was in his pomp at the San Siro, Kaka’s stock has fallen dramatically since his then record breaking move that ended the six-year love affair the Brazilian had with AC Milan.

However as Adriano Galliani, Milan director and transfer supremo said “some romances never go away” and over the last 18 months the whispers of the midfielder’s return cropped up with an inevitable regularity. The “Return Of The King” has been a transfer “exclusive” for the last four or five windows, but now it seems that Milan really are getting their hands on the man it took Real Madrid €65m to prise away from them in 2009.

The question remains however; how would Kaka fit at AC Milan?

When the Kaka’ exited the Rossoneri it was Carlo Ancelotti’s “Xmas Tree” formation that the Brazilian flourished in. The 4-3-2-1 placed the Selecao forward alongside Clarence Seedorf as a duo of attacking midfielder’s, allowing him to play as a pseduo left-winger/number 10 hybrid.

This pretty much granted Riccardo freedom and space to run at sides, often tearing them apart with his blistering pace and graceful ball control. Ancelotti built his system around his star player and Kaka’ transitioned from a creative force to goalscorer and bona-fide match winner.

However, as is widely reported – Kaka’ is no longer that type of player. Since the knee injuries that nearly ended his career in 2010, the Brazilian lost the pace that dictated much of his game.

Now, when playing for Los Blancos, he is more of a conductor than a destroyer – closer to the man he pushed out a starting place in Milan – Manuel Rui Costa. Instead of beating a man, Kaka’ looks for a pass, linking play and maintaining possession. The Brazilian is closer to the description of a classic #10 than the modern day attacker he once was.

With that in mind, should he arrive at Milan; the system would need to reflect that. No longer can he be placed on the wing and asked to cut in and shoot, nor is he a centre forward.

It is conceivable then, that the formation best suited to Kaka’ at Milan is the one that got the best of the Milan players so far in their time under Max Allegri, as well as the formation Ancelotti utilised in the first few years of his time at Via Turati. The 4-3-1-2, often chastised for its lack of width (and during it’s usage by Rossoneri highlighted as a formation for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and no-one else) could actually be of use yet again.

The reason the 4-3-1-2 was so harshly criticised under Max Allegri was the lack of creativity it brought out of Milan, frustrating fans used to seeing attacking weaponry in abundance. The ‘diamond’ by design is dependant on it’s base and point, and that was certainly the case with the foundation of the formation often being hard tackling Mark Van Bommel, as close a personification of Allegri’s hardline approach as any player.

However, it was the top of the diamond that created the most contention, the lack of a true attacking midfielder in the “1″ in the 4-3-1-2 made creativity in midfield hard to come by, especially when Max packed the centre of the park with defensive minded players as well.

However, with truly creative mind in that advanced position the formation comes to life. Whereas Kevin Prince Boateng was relived of any creative responsibility by virtue of sharing a locker room with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, without a playmaker of any kind the formation becomes stagnant and sluggish, dependant on the front two’s ability to link with each other.

With Kaka’ in the “hole” the midfield have a creative reference point and the forwards have a player to link up with. Rather than the 4-3-3, which the Sampdoria game proved doesn’t quite bring the best out of the players at Milan’s disposal.

The 4-3-1-2 gives an extra body in midfield in addition to having a player of genuine quality in the position of most creative responsibility. When going forward, naturally left sided forward Stephan El Shaarawy will drift to the touchline, which allows Kaka to drift in the opposite direction to stretch play.

In addition, it allows players like Kevin Prince Boateng and Antonio Nocerino to re-transition their game into something they are perhaps more suited to. Kevin Prince Boateng may pull on the sacred #10 jersey whenever he steps out onto the pitch, but the Ghanaian is more Gianni Brera than Gianni Rivera.

The former Portsmouth man’s skill set would arguably be more suited to a box-to-box midfielder, allowing him to push forward to support the attack without the Boateng’s inability to play the killer pass being a huge factor.

In addition, the African’s willingness to press in advanced positions as shown in his stint as Milan’s de facto creator proves that he is willing to play the hatchet man in attacking positions, freeing up Kaka’ from a great deal of defensive responsibility.

Nocerino on the opposite flank doing the same job could allow a regista like Riccardo Montolivo to play at the base of the diamond, similar to the role Andrea Pirlo played under Carlo Ancelotti, protected by the same sort of bodyguard tactic.

Despite having no purely defensive player in the midfield, the necessity to press is a priority, and the pressure on the backline is large. TRhis is no longer such a problem in today’s game, as defending has changed in the last five years, actual physical contact has been replaced by pressure and the ability to close space.

Aside from centre backs, there are nearly no purely defensive roles still existent in football, the need to time a tackle being slowly forgotten as, quite simply, there is little need to tackle at all. Barcelona for example, concede less goals than most teams despite playing only three purely defensive outfield players on their team(Gerard Pique/Javier Mascherano, Carles Puyol, and Sergio Busquets - although Mascherano is a midfielder and Busquets can’t tackle all that cleanly).

Defending is done whilst attacking, holding onto possession and controlling the game by limiting the opponents time on the ball. With that in mind, a disciplined pressing approach taken by players with the stamina to do so can free up space for the players who can create chances is not only conceivable in the modern game, it is an all consuming trend. Milan may benefit from following suit.

Jose Mourinho said last year of Kaka “You don’t get a diamond for free”. If Milan are to get their precious stone, maybe the way to get the best out of it is to make sure the only “diamond” isn’t Kaka’.

[p_maldini_3]

Milan complete Zaccardo-Mesbah swap
By Football Italia staff

Cristian Zaccardo’s agent has confirmed a transfer to Milan in exchange for Djamel Mesbah to Parma. “His contract will be to June 2017.”

The right-back turned 31 last month and has been at Parma since 2009, after spells at Bologna, Spezia, Palermo and Wolfsburg.

“Milan is a great opportunity for Zaccardo and a real high point in his career,” agent Alessandro Moggi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“His contract will be to June 2017, as Milan have bought out the existing deal from Parma. Zaccardo hasn’t given up on anything.”

The transfer had already been in the works earlier this month, but abandoned after Zaccardo refused to accept a shorter contract.

Mesbah makes the move to Parma in exchange and both players are expected to undergo medicals tomorrow.

Signing a right-back also fuels speculation that Milan are about to sell Ignazio Abate to Zenit.
===============

[p_maldini_3]

this might unlock a few things for us.

first, mesbah is finally fucking off.

second, we'll get some good money for abate (reported around 10m), who i don't mind seeing the back of. there's no end-product to any of his plays, he just puts his head down, charges his marker and sends in crosses that were on par with the legendary oddo. de sciglio has more assists per game this season than abate has had the past 3-4. which is a shame, abate came in with the most successful crossing percentage (from empoli), but he never showed us any return on that. de sciglio has made RB (or LB) his own, and with constant pwning people on the left, our starting fullbacks are set. it's a good sale in my opinion.

third, pato 15m, abate 10m, with some money free from salaries, we could end up making a big move. we're either getting kaka', balotelli or drogba. my pick is balotelli hands down. it's huge risk, but i think with right coaching and the proper atmosphere (a la prandelli and the azzuri), balotelli can become more than just a powerful black dude.

shifting tides in milanello, balotelli can really give us a step up in quality up front. although we do need some technical midfielders and better CB's, i won't say no to balotelli.

[San Paolo]

not saying you're wrong but it shows how the media can differe but i saw we were selling Abate for 12.5 million plus 3 million in bonus'. Balotelli now and Kaka in the summer would be how i'd want it but then saying that with our little pharoah in good form would we want him fighting for a place alongside Balotelli?