AC Milan general spiel 2.0

[San Paolo]

Milan could be set to swoop for Robinho before the transfer window closes tomorrow. Rossoneriblog reports that Manchester City could be willing to let go of the 26-year old for just €10 million to trim their squad to meet the new limitations set to be introduced this week.

Vicenzo Morabito, the FIFA agent involved in the potential deal, confirmed that Robinho's move to Italy is very possible, "Robinho to Milan is one absolutely feasible negotiation," said Morabito.

"The Brazilian [Robinho] is not in the plans of Manchester City and Milan have a deal that is already in place. It only remains to see if he will arrive now or in January," Moribato explained.

If the samba star arrives it would almost certainly mean the exit door for one of Milan's current forwards, most likely Marco Borriello. The 28-year old was already considering his future after the Rossoneri signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona.

"Maybe I am leaving. Juve [Juventus]? Don't rule it out, I wil talk with my agent tomorrow," Borriello said.

[San Paolo]

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has said more players could arrive at the club before the end of the transfer window.

Having landed Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Saturday from Barcelona in a major coup, the chief is building a framework to sign Robinho from Manchester City.

"If a certain player interests us and is functional to our needs then we will be ready for another hit," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Robinho has been linked with Barcelona, but with Pep Guardiola raising the barriers, Milan have been left with room to declare their interest.

Sportmediaset.it reports the Brazilian has fallen out with Roberto Mancini and is only keen on joining clubs in Spain or Italy having rejected interest from several Greek and Turkish sides.

A loan deal between Milan and City has been mooted and a Kakha Kaladze exit could help facilitate the move.

[San Paolo]

possible formation if we get Robinho?

------------GK------------------
---Papa---Nesta----Thiago------
Flamini-------Pirlo---------Ambro
------Robinho--------Roni--------
----------Pato--Ibra------------

obviousley Flamini and Ambro can be changed for Seedorf and KPB

[maro]

I hope you're joking, sp.

[San Paolo]

itsnot serious but it was the only way i could get them all to fit into the starting 11but go on the tell us how we are doomed to oblivion if we buy Robinho and play him. We are also after some CB by the name of Sebastian Coates he is 20 years old and 6ft 5" tall, plays for Nacional in Uruguay anybody know anything about him?

[maro]

In theory you could play them as the front 4 of a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2, though I don't see it really. I should think they're much more likely to be three of a front three in your 4-3-3. With injuries it's easy to imagine plenty of occasions in which one isn't available and starting three of them leaves you somewhere to go from the bench. In short, Robinho would be a considerable upgrade on Mancini last season.

[San Paolo]

but unlike Mancini, would Robinho be willing to sit on the bench hoping we get an injury?

[maro]

Mancini didn't end up spending very much time on the bench, though, did he?

[San Paolo]

no he spent more time on the physio's table.

[maro]

And there, indeed, is your answer.

[San Paolo]

unless we had a rotation policy in so all the strikers got an equal amount of playing time.

[maro]

They won't quite need "an equal amount of playing time" - rather, they would all need opportunities to contribute and to feel important. Given that most teams use 13 or 14 players in each match, presumably always being one of those 13 or 14 would be no small matter and then when one adds injuries and suspensions to the list. I stopped watching yesterday after about half an hour but I take it Boateng came on and played down the right? For whom? Pato? In which case in a game which you weren't winning so easily presumably you'd rather see Robinho than Boateng come along if you were searching for a goal?

[San Paolo]

as for the last point about Boateng, i agree although he did do really well when he came on making surging runs and chasing back to help recover posession, although i think his energy could be utilised better if we have him as a "runner" between midfield and attack carrying the ball foward then laying it off for one of the front guys to work with.

[maro]

Sure, but this is why having Boateng to bring on when you're a goal up, say, or Robinho when you're a goal down and chasing the game makes for important alternatives within the squad. All I'm saying is that I can't see how starting all four of those players in any serious game isn't a recipe for disaster while swapping, as it were, Robinho for Borriello while an easy enough move to dislike on all sorts of moral, sentimental, and even pragmatic (in terms of team spirit) grounds would make some sort of sense tactically. Having to play Huntelaar down the right last season was not a good look for poor old Leo.

[The MAN]

LMAO @ Galliani trying for another loan

We must've broken the world record for loan deals this summer

Robinho is only gonna be helpful if he accepts that, when all forwards are fit, he's on the bench.

If we're trying to start all 4 big names in attack at once, this is doomed to fail.

[San Paolo]

i appreciate the point about it making the team unbalanced by playing all 4 of them, either way we are adding depth to the squad which is something we were/are lacking as last season showed with Hunter as a winger, who of which might be off to Schalke for €13 million.

[San Paolo]

isn't it a deal like Ibra's, a loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season?

[maro]

Not quite an obligation, presumably?

[The MAN]

[San Paolo]

ah i see, still a good signing and shows Berlu has not lost all sight and vision for the club. we are now linked with Maxwell (has a dutch passport), any thoughts?