For 21 million Euros, he brought two seasons [...] No related posts.]]>

It’s only been a few short seasons since Ronaldinho’s over-hyped arrival at Milan.  He arrived with a lot of fanfare at a club that needed to sell tickets and jerseys. He was brought in as much for his fame as his talent, which had been dwindling at Barcelona.

For 21 million Euros, he brought two seasons of his huge grin and fancy footwork, along with vision and passing.  In his first season, he was largely ineffective playing with Kaka, and in his second he led the offense, although only at his pace.

When we examined his attacking impact at the end of the season, it actually surprised me how effective he was.  After all, I was the same guy who skewered him after only a couple games last season.  The difference was that he became more of a playmaker spraying passes to Pato on the far side and crosses to anyone he could find in the box.

Ronaldinho is an entertaining player who genuinely seems happy to be playing and definitely gives everything he has, as long as it’s in the offensive end.  That said, he’s not a good fit for the new Allegri-run Diavolo, and that’s why Milan is considering letting him leave to Flamengo.

Reports everywhere on the internet are suggesting that Ronie has agreed to personal terms with Flamengo and now only the two clubs must agree.  The move gives the dribbling dynamo a chance to return to Brazil, while Milan will be able to shed his immense salary to make way for younger players.

As someone who watched ~90% of Milan’s games last year, I can tell you one thing about our beloved ‘Dinho.  He needs the ball at his feet to feel good.  He can’t make a one touch pass and sprint to open space, it just doesn’t feel right to him.  He’s transformed himself into a player who is famous for his dribbling, so he feels that he NEEDS to dribble.  It’s become a part of his play that he can’t bypass, even when it hurts the team.

Allegri likes to play an up-tempo, counter-attacking style.  The current version of Ronaldinho is the born nemesis to a counter-attack, because it involves sprinting and quick passes.  Leonardo learned quickly last season that for Milan to thrive with ‘Dinho and Pirlo as their main creative forces, that they needed to play a methodical, possession-driven game.

The other concern for Milan, is the Brazilian’s lack of defensive responsibility.  Against Manchester United in the Champions League, he was consistently beaten by Gary Neville, who could hardly be considered an offensive threat.  Watching teams like Germany, Spain or the Netherlands in South Africa, it’s obvious how important the defensive responsibilities of wing players are.  Ronaldinho doesn’t have the stamina or willingness to provide that type of cover to his teammates.

If Allegri is to implement the system he desires, then rumors of acquisitions like Lucas Podolski make a lot of sense as they simultaneously provide pace and youth at the same time.  A trident of Pato, Borriello and Princy Poldy would surely give Allegri the firepower he needs.

If Ronie really does leave the San Siro, it will probably be in the best interest of both parties, but it will also be a sad event.  He re-discovered his game last season, but unfortunately it might not be good enough to thrive at the highest level.

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Given that they lost 3-2 at home, they’ll need either a mountain of goals or at least a 2-goal victory at Old Trafford.  It’s not likely, but it’s possible.

Milan have received two pieces of great news [...] No related posts.]]> With the Champions League clash against England’s Manchester United ahead, Milan’s manager, Leonardo, has a few tough choices to make.

Given that they lost 3-2 at home, they’ll need either a mountain of goals or at least a 2-goal victory at Old Trafford.  It’s not likely, but it’s possible.

Milan have received two pieces of great news this week.  Alexandre Pato will be fit and Wayne Rooney is not expected to be available for the Red Devils.  Pato is Milan’s only elite finisher at the moment and Rooney may be the best forward in the game.

All that said, coach Leonardo needs to make some important considerations regarding his squad and tactics if he wants to pull off the upset. 

Field a Forward Line with Some Punch

With Ronaldinho manning the left wing of Milan’s 4-3-3, or behind the strikers in a 4-3-1-2 as against Roma, the other two forwards need to be finishers.

Despite being an over-the-top Huntelaar backer all year, I’ve finally given up on him after the Roma game.  He looked tentative, awkward on the ball and his movement up front was questionable at best.  Had he played well with Borriello or consistently put threatening shots on net, he may have earned a spot.

That leaves Borriello and Pato as the best options.  Pato brings pace, ball control and finish down the right side, and may even force Patrice Evra to concentrate on defense.  This alone would be worth having him down the right as Evra has been the key Man U’s attacking width down the left.

As for Borriello, he can be an incredibly wasteful striker and usually shoots rather than find an open player, but he’s the best Milan has to offer up front.  At the very least, he seems to have found a connection with Ronaldinho.

Find a Way to Defend Man U’s Right-sided Attack

As this article at Zonal Marking shows so well, Manchester United have a tendency to attack down the right lately.  Milan will likely need to field Antonini at left back and Ambrosini from midfield in purely defensive roles on the left side. 

If Antonini can keep Valencia out wide while Ambrosini provides support, then Man U’s attacking pattern will have to be altered.

Beware of the ‘False 9’

Nesta

I’m obviously pimping the content at Zonal Marking a lot here, but take a look at this breakdown of Wayne Rooney playing the ‘False 9’ role to perfection.  While Rooney may be out, Dimitar Berbatov has plenty of talent to play this role for Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad.  Whether the historically lazy player is up for the work rate this role requires is a different story.

Milan would do well to have Thiago Silva mark the center forward and leave Alessandro Nesta to cover space behind him.  Silva has the pace to get back into the play after tracking a forward up the pitch and Nesta is an extremely intelligent defender who can cover.

Force the Action Through Midfield

In my mind, Manchester United hasn’t been all that stellar through midfield this year.  There’s a good chance that Man U will field Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes as the trio in the middle of the park.

All three players are good, but none would be considered true holding midfielders, giving Milan one way to exploit them.  Andrea Pirlo has the ability to unlock a defense, but must be shielded defensively by the other 2 midfielders in Milan’s system, especially against top competition.

The answer is definitely NOT David Beckham, despite the fact it would be great to see him play in Old Trafford again.  He may be decent sub, but most definitely shouldn’t start.

Leonardo will field Ambrosini, but he needs to play Mathieu Flamini again, just like he did against Roma.  Flamini has the stamina to play all over the pitch, tackles with authority and found his way forward on a regular basis.  He’s probably the best two-way midfielder that Milan have on their squad, yet is incredibly under-used. 

My proposed Lineup for Milan

 The only reason I would pick Abate at the right back position, is to ensure that the side is built more for attacking than defending.  Daniele Bonera was quite good in a defensive role against Roma but offers almost nothing on the attack.

Milan need to play this game well from the beginning and avoid letting United grab the early goal.  Unfortunately for Rossoneri fans, Ferguson has made a career out of tweaking his squad perfectly to close these games out.  Milan will need to do the same if they want to move on.

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Unfortunately, in the last few years the Serie A has been a blowout. Inter has run away with the Scudetto and frankly the only competitions that mattered were [...] No related posts.]]> Nobody likes a blowout. The best part of watching a match is the suspense. Being a fan is the most fun when the competition is close and fierce.

Unfortunately, in the last few years the Serie A has been a blowout. Inter has run away with the Scudetto and frankly the only competitions that mattered were for second to fourth place and the relegation battles.

This season, however, is shaping up a little differently. Inter looked to be running away with it again, but have stumbled lately. Milan is 6 points back with a game in hand. Only 5 points separates 3rd place Roma from 8th place Fiorentina. This year could provide a sprint to the finish that we haven’t seen in a while.

And with the race this tight, the weekend will provide two titanic matchups; Inter vs Milan and Roma vs Juventus.

Here are my thoughts on the two matches:

Milan-Inter

Last time around, Inter embarrassed a Milan team that was still adapting to life under Leonardo.

This time around, Milan are hotter than a Silvio Berlusconi mistress. Inter, on the other hand have looked shaky in their wins and have given points away to Atalanta and Bari in the last few weeks.

Milan’s keys to victory:

Marco Borriello needs to continue making the most of his chances. He has worked wonders with the service he has been given lately and he’ll need another timely strike or two to help Milan offensively. He isn’t much of a threat with the ball at his feet, but has been able to steer some danger towards the opposition goal with his head and a knack for volleying at just the right time.

Thiago Silva will also need to elevate his game. His speed and agility will be put to the test against Diego Milito and Goran Pandev, especially with Alessandro Nesta injured. If Silva can’t keep the box clear, it will be a long day for Milan.

Inter’s keys to victory:

This squad badly needs Douglas Maicon to find his form again. If he can surge forward in attack, he’ll force Ronaldinho to cover defensively and steal his focus from guiding the Milan attack. Maicon is also fully capable of negating Ronaldinho on the defensive end with a physical style of defense.

Inter may have found the Serie A signing of the summer in Wesley Sneijder. He has been the play-maker they hoped for and a huge threat on free kicks. If Milan allow Sneijder time on the ball or space to operate, Inter will score several.

Roma-Juventus

Another story of two clubs currently going in opposite directions. Juventus and Roma met at the start of the Serie A season. The first matchup was a clear win for Juventus and appeared to mark Diego’s arrival as the next Serie A superstar.

Now, Juventus are in crisis, which seemed so unlikely after destroying Inter just a few weeks ago. Roma, on the other hand are surging up the table on a hot streak.

Juventus’ keys to victory:

The Old Lady signed Diego this offseason for a very specific reason. They needed someone to create chances for their offense and a strong stable of strikers. For Juventus to return to form, Diego needs to play grittier, refuse to be denied the ball and make defenders pay for marking him too close. He is a magician with the ball at his feet but needs to find his confidence again. Both Mexes and Juan are capable of being beaten on the break, Diego needs to exploit that.

Another disappointing player this season has been Amauri. He has looked lost out there for most of the season, despite being Juve’s best player last campaign. Amauri needs to stop worrying about whether he’s Brazilian or Italian and just perform on the pitch. If he doesn’t, he won’t be playing for either national team.

Roma’s keys to victory:

Luca Toni has looked fantastic so far in a few games with Roma. He provides a target up front and frees Francesco Totti to play in the hole, and Mirko Vucinic to terrorize the wing or drop off to link with midfield. If Toni can continue to provide the dangerous presence up front, it will provide much more space for his side’s creative players.

Danielle De Rossi is one of the premier tacklers in all of Serie A. His job on Sunday will be to disrupt Juve’s buildup through midfield and make life miserable for Diego. If he can frustrate the small Brazilian and make him work for touch of the ball, then Roma have a great chance to keep the Bianconeri’s offense stagnant.

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The Rossoneri are currently sitting in second place in Serie A, five points off Inter in the race for the Scudetto. Milan have also advanced to the knockout [...] No related posts.]]>

With the mid-season break almost upon the Serie A, it’s time for many teams to take stock and evaluate the progress their squad has made to this point.

The Rossoneri are currently sitting in second place in Serie A, five points off Inter in the race for the Scudetto. Milan have also advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League and await the draw to find out their next match-up.

After a rough start to the season, the manager, Leonardo, has righted the ship and has the club in contention for both the Scudetto and a decent run in the Champions League.

The Good

After an experiment with a 4-3-1-2 formation in order to play Ronaldinho behind the strikers, failed miserably it appears that Leonardo has finally molded Milan into his image. In their favored 4-3-3 formation with Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato terrorizing the wings, the formation’s use has coincided with the Rossoneri’s strong run of form and has helped give the team an identity.

Seeing Alessandro Nesta return to top form has been a dream come true for Milan management and fans alike. Nesta has patrolled the middle with the style and class that made him one of the best defenders in world football. What is probably most amazing is how quickly Nesta reverted to his old form upon taking the pitch again.

Alongside Nesta in the middle of the defense, Thiago Silva has cemented his place in the starting lineup. Silva has used his tremendous athletic ability to excel as a defender on the ball and in the air. He has even found ways to contribute on offense with 5 goals on the season.

Ignazio Abate has proven to be the versatile player that Milan needed to fill a variety of roles. Despite being a fairly young player, Abate has played at right back, right midfield and right wing so far this season. That versatility and his excellent work ethic have quickly made him a favorite of coach Leonardo and the Diavolo fans

Ronaldinho has found his role within the team. He has dropped deep from his left wing position and has consistently provided quality service to Pato on the far wing as well as the strikers in the middle. His ball possession has become less wasteful and he is no longer under any illusions that he still has top pace. I may have to take back my reports of his early demise.

The Bad

I continue to be amazed that Mathieu Flamini has such a hard time finding a role in the Milan midfield. He started for Arsenal alongside Cesc Fabregas and looked phenomenal. In the two seasons he has been with Milan, he has played aggressively, with pace and adding more offense than either Gattuso or Ambrosini. He has young, fresh legs and has played on a top-flight club. Leonardo needs to use this asset in a more efficient manner if Milan are to make deep runs in all competitions.

Massimo Oddo and Marek Jankulovski are clearly no longer capable of starting for a top club. Neither one has pace, any desire to play defensively and have lost their pinpoint crossing ability. Milan needs to cut them loose and look for younger replacements.

The lack of depth at center back behind Nesta and Silva is appalling. With Silva out for a few games, the options are Kakha Kaladze and Giuseppe Favalli. While Favalli can hold his own against the lesser clubs, Kaladze is a shadow of his former self. Oguchi Onyewu may be the answer, but injuries have kept him from seeing the field at all this year.

I may be the only one who believes this, but Marco Borriello has done very little for Milan this year. While the hot run of form has coincided with his prominence at the striker position, he is usually the recipient of great service, rather than making chances out of his touches. Milan is denying Klaas-Jan Huntelaar the chance to earn a starting spot, by awarding it to a player that has done very little to impress.

Transfer Window Rumors Involving Milan

The first and most prominent rumor at the moment is that of Klass-Jan Huntelaar either joining FC Twente on loan or being sold to Manchester United. I believe that the only situation in which either of these moves makes any sense, is if Milan has already sewn up a deal for Edin Dzeko. Huntelaar has excellent pedigree, displayed his class by snatching a victory in the final minutes of the match against Catania, and has been given very little opportunity to prove his worth. With only 5 starts on the season, he really hasn’t been given much playing time.

Edin Dzeko of Wolfsburg has again been making noise about his desire to play for Milan. If Galliani and Berlusconi are serious about acquiring top young talent, then Dzeko is the perfect acquisition. If they do acquire him in January, he will be cup-tied for the UEFA Champions League and will only be available for league play. That said, this may be the best opportunity to acquire him as Wolfsburg has been knocked out of the Champions League and appears unlikely to qualify for next year’s competition.

Another recent rumor is that Milan would like to acquire Goran Pandev as cover on the wings for Ronaldinho and Pato. This would be an excellent acquisition for Milan, as Pandev has proven to be a fantastic offensive catalyst in Serie A and would take some of the workload off the Brazilian duo.

If you haven’t heard of the return of David Beckham to Milan, you probably haven’t been following soccer. The hope at the San Siro is that Beckham will provide cover or enter into a rotation with Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo in the midfield. Currently Milan don’t have another play-making midfielder, so they lose an element of their attack when either the Dutchman or the Italian international need a break. Obviously this one is a done deal and not a rumor, but definitely worth mentioning.

Another player who was being linked with Milan a few months ago, but less so now is Milos Krasic, of CSKA Moscow. In my mind, this was one of the better options for the Rossoneri. Krasic is a 25 year old midfielder from Serbia with the ability to contribute offensively. He has been excellent for CSKA in the Champions League and has 13 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions this year. He could be the ideal replacement for Seedorf at the point of the midfield.

The final name to be regularly linked with Milan in January is Dominic Adiyiah. The Ghanian absolutely set the U-20 World Cup on fire by winning the MVP, the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot. While most media has reported the transfer to Milan from Fredrikstad in Norway as a done deal, nothing official has been completed. This would be another great signing for Milan, but obviously more for the future than for immediate dividends this season.

Despite having extremely poor play at the fullback spots so far this year, Milan has not been linked with any players of note on either the right or left side. Either this is a fantastic strategy by Galliani and company to disguise their intentions, or once again he is only focused on offensive players. That would be a grave mistake given the vulnerability that Milan have shown down the wings.

2010 holds a lot of promise for the Rossoneri, but their ability to nab 1 or 2 players in January could be the difference between a top finish in all competitions or a slightly deflated finish by an exhausted squad.

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In the [...] No related posts.]]> In the past few years, the Serie A has been relegated to a second tier player in the UEFA Champions League. Back in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons of the tournament, the Serie A held 3 of the 8 quarter final spots and in both seasons had a team in the semi-finals or finals.

In the previous three seasons, the clubs of calcio have been successful in navigating the group stages but have lost in the first knockout round all too often. The 2006-07 tournament proved to be the beginning of a downward spiral. Despite Milan winning it all, a promising Roma team was humiliated 7-1 in the second leg of the tie against Manchester United after winning 2-1 in the first leg.

With the Premier League dominating the final four the last few years and La Liga producing a dominating champion, Barcelona, along with a newly built Madrid powerhouse, it didn’t look like a promising year for Serie A. It was especially dismal since two of the leagues best players, Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, were sold to La Liga clubs in the summer transfer period.

With only one match left in the group stage, it appears to be time for some guarded optimism on the peninsula.

Fiorentina has already qualified for the knockout stages, with Inter, Juventus and Milan all controlling their own destiny against lesser opponents. It is by no means a guarantee, given that Rubin Kazan is fully capable of giving Inter fits, Juventus must play a past champion in Bayern Munich and Milan lost to Zurich earlier in the competition. That said, the Serie A clubs will be favored in all three matches.

Another reason the Italian teams could make a deep run into the Champions League is the change in level of competition. In the past few years, the Premier League clubs were clearly the strongest and with the most depth. With the exception of Chelsea, the rest of the Big 4 appear to be having a down year. Liverpool has already been knocked out, while both Manchester United and Arsenal have suffered from the loss of experienced talent in the transfer market. Either team could still make a run, but aren’t as imposing as they were in years past.

So if Serie A is to return to prominence, who will it be? For starters, I believe all four clubs have the talent and form to make it to the quarter finals, which would be a success on its own.

The teams with the best combination of talent, depth and a secure position in the Serie A table are Inter and Juventus. They could reasonably sustain a prolonged Champions League run while still battling for top spot in the league.

Milan have a great Champions League history and a starting eleven capable of winning some close match ups, but the depth is not available along the back line or in the wide attacking positions. This could force key players like Nesta, Pato and Ronaldinho to tire as the season goes on.

The Viola are the most intriguing squad of all in my mind. They have played stunningly in the Champions League and appear ready to unleash one of the world’s best young players in Stevan Jovetic. If you haven’t seen him play, watch this clip. He is capable of creating goals out of nothing and has the fire to compete on any level. Cesare Prandelli has his team playing with great movement and organization, to the point that they are a nightmare match up for any team in the draw. They will be the underdog against any of the bigger clubs, but stand a puncher’s chance against anybody.

Hopefully, I haven’t applied the Sports Opinionated Curse to the Serie A clubs like I did to Jay Cutler, and we can all enjoy a resurgence of Italian football this season.

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