AC Milan vs. Arsenal Discussion Thread

I'd say it's 50-50 now. The most important thing for Milan is to not concede a goal at San Siro.

Should have been a penalty to Arsenal. Clear pull on Ade's shirt.

WE WAZ ROBBED

De Guzman wrote:

Should have been a penalty to Arsenal. Clear pull on Ade's shirt.

WE WAZ ROBBED

If you give each of those as penalties then there'd be a penalty every single game. Both for and against Arsenal.

True (they give penalties for fouls like this, though not consistently it's a bit of a lottery). Clear pull though. So could have been a penalty & according to the rules it is.

(must say I didn't spot the foul during the match)

I think Milan will need to play a 2nd striker at the San Siro. Kaka & Pato up against 6 Arsenal players each time obviously doesn't work.

Who do you drop though? Pirlo had a shocker, but he probably won't play that bad again. Ambro or Seedorf probably. Depending on how defensive Carlo goes.

Wonder if RVP will be back too. Toure is almost certainly out.

Yeh, as it stands I think RVP is actually supposed to be back but in reality I expect he'll have another hick up.

Would be fantastic if he was back though as he's the type of player that could create that bit of magic to get us through. Assuming he's injured I expect out lineup to be:

-------------Almunia--------------

Sagna---Senderos---Gallas---Clichy

------------Flamenbauer-----------

Hleb-----------Cesc---------Rosicky

--------Eduardo----Adebayor--------

Is RVP is back, assume Eduardo dropped.

Tweedle wrote:Yeh, as it stands I think RVP is actually supposed to be back but in reality I expect he'll have another hick up.

Would be fantastic if he was back though as he's the type of player that could create that bit of magic to get us through. Assuming he's injured I expect out lineup to be:

-------------Almunia--------------

Sagna---Senderos---Gallas---Clichy

------------Flamenbauer-----------

Hleb-----------Cesc---------Rosicky

--------Eduardo----Adebayor--------

Is RVP is back, assume Eduardo dropped.

What did you make of Pato last night? I was at the game, and was very impressed by him. His composure for an 18 year old is fantastic, and he worked very hard. Has a bit a 'grit' about him too.

Flam was a beast yesterday. So was Nesta.

I love Pato and am really excited for him. He did well when you consider that it was his first ever game against an EPL side, and that he probably isn't anywhere near 100% at present.

Definately got a great future in the game

I think we'll see the real Pato on March 4th though.

Flamini was abducted by aliens some time around July last summer. He's not been the same since...

De Guzman wrote:True (they give penalties for fouls like this, though not consistently it's a bit of a lottery). Clear pull though. So could have been a penalty & according to the rules it is.

(must say I didn't spot the foul during the match)

Sure, if we go by the letter of the law then it is a penalty, no question. And had the referee seen what that photo shows I can only imagine he'd have given it...

No, I fully expect Milan to maintain the current formation. Janku at LB is the only change I expect.

Maybe in the second half, if they still need a goal, they might take ambrosini out for Gila/Inzaghi.

But if they are ahead, then it probably will be Seedorf out for Emerson...

Calidad wrote:I think Milan will need to play a 2nd striker at the San Siro. Kaka & Pato up against 6 Arsenal players each time obviously doesn't work.

Who do you drop though? Pirlo had a shocker, but he probably won't play that bad again. Ambro or Seedorf probably. Depending on how defensive Carlo goes.

Wonder if RVP will be back too. Toure is almost certainly out.

Think so too. They'll go for the patient approach: give away little and wait for the chances, that they'll always get.

But Milan need to score? They didn't create much yesterday.

Yeah, at San Siro, they will create more chances with the same bunch... specially if Pirlo is on song. Hleb has a Hell of a job to do!

De Guzman wrote:Think so too. They'll go for the patient approach: give away little and wait for the chances, that they'll always get.

It was an away game. I am sure Milan would have gladly accepted 0-0 before the game, not sure Arsenal would have.

Milan will have a different swagger in their movement at the San Siro, even tho it has not been the case so far this season.

Calidad wrote:But Milan need to score? They didn't create much yesterday.

bluenine wrote:Yeah, at San Siro, they will create more chances with the same bunch... specially if Pirlo is on song. Hleb has a Hell of a job to do!

De Guzman wrote:Think so too. They'll go for the patient approach: give away little and wait for the chances, that they'll always get.

Hleb coped with Pirlo very well me thinks. Yesterday both teams' aim was foremost not to concede. We gave away very little and contained Pirlo & Kaka, making Pato lost on an island (he still looked OK). In the second half we played a better attacking positional game & upped the pace a little, which lead to some chances. Unfortuantely we lacked sharpness when it comes to the final pass and it it was right in finishing.

Think it will depend a lot if we can play as disciplined the away leg. We also will get our chances.

something like 60/40 in Milan's favor now I think.

Calidad wrote:I think Milan will need to play a 2nd striker at the San Siro. Kaka & Pato up against 6 Arsenal players each time obviously doesn't work.

Who do you drop though? Pirlo had a shocker, but he probably won't play that bad again. Seedorf probably.

Seedorf is Milan's best player and you want to drop him when they need a goal . Pirlo gets away with being Cr@p too often and still has his reputation intact. He will do nothing in the return game other than maybe a great free kick. You can sig that if I'm wrong.

shazlx wrote:

Calidad wrote:I think Milan will need to play a 2nd striker at the San Siro. Kaka & Pato up against 6 Arsenal players each time obviously doesn't work.

Who do you drop though? Pirlo had a shocker, but he probably won't play that bad again. Seedorf probably.

Seedorf is Milan's best player and you want to drop him when they need a goal . Pirlo gets away with being Cr@p too often and still has his reputation intact. He will do nothing in the return game other than maybe a great free kick. You can sig that if I'm wrong.

We drop Seedorf because our formation allows it, and he holds on to the ball for too long at times. This has been his main problem and it really slows us down. Great player, but sometimes we need a little more directness.

Seedorf on Dutch tv told in a post match interview he isn't fully fit & still a bit hampered by (returning from) an injury He said the same goes for Kaka.

I am not worried at all now.

We defended every Arsenal attack fairly easily, and only once did my heart skip a beat (Adebayor chance).

Arsenal were very predictable, and they were at home too. Fabregas seems to have no shot, and Adebayor has no accuracy (Nesta and Maldini marked him quite easily).

The way Arsenal fans (except Tweeds) made it out to be was that Milan were going to be run ragged. I am sorry, on the balance of play yesterday, I thought we were always in control (though we didn't play that well ourselves).

If a DM is going out then it should be Gattuso and not Ambro the monster, who has been a lot better than him throughout the season.

Although I think that both will play, since Ancelotti would only use 2 strikers if Ronaldo was fit.

@De Guzman: Do you write in arsenal-mania by any chance (clockwork orange)?

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:I am not worried at all now.

We defended every Arsenal attack fairly easily, and only once did my heart skip a beat (Adebayor chance).

Arsenal were very predictable, and they were at home too. Fabregas seems to have no shot, and Adebayor has no accuracy (Nesta and Maldini marked him quite easily).

The way Arsenal fans (except Tweeds) made it out to be was that Milan were going to be run ragged. I am sorry, on the balance of play yesterday, I thought we were always in control (though we didn't play that well ourselves).

Its worth noting that Adebayor is far better than what he showed last night.

I've been saying all season though that we lack the right personnel on the wings.

I'm sorry, but Eboué and Eduardo are not wingers! Eboué is a c**t, and Eduardo is a forward. Wenger needs to seriously invest here in the summer.

Tweedle wrote:

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:I am not worried at all now.

We defended every Arsenal attack fairly easily, and only once did my heart skip a beat (Adebayor chance).

Arsenal were very predictable, and they were at home too. Fabregas seems to have no shot, and Adebayor has no accuracy (Nesta and Maldini marked him quite easily).

The way Arsenal fans (except Tweeds) made it out to be was that Milan were going to be run ragged. I am sorry, on the balance of play yesterday, I thought we were always in control (though we didn't play that well ourselves).

Its worth noting that Adebayor is far better than what he showed last night.

I've been saying all season though that we lack the right personnel on the wings.

I'm sorry, but Eboué and Eduardo are not wingers! Eboué is a c**t, and Eduardo is a forward. Wenger needs to seriously invest here in the summer.

Ricardo Quaresma club record signing in the summer presented with the legendary number 14?

Would love Quaresma to join us.

We only need one extra winger IMO as one of Rosicky and Hleb you'd expect to always be fit.

Tweedle wrote:Would love Quaresma to join us.

We only need one extra winger IMO as one of Rosicky and Hleb you'd expect to always be fit.

Yeah Quaresma would be ideal cos there is no way he will go to Manchester United and i wouldn't want to see him at either Liverpool or Chelsea

You keep saying this Tweedle, but we haven't played with genuine wingers for some years now (almost as it were following the worldwide trend for "wide midfielders" instead). I find it difficult to imagine Wenger going for that, the more so as it would entail a considerable shift in our playing style.

P.S. You support far too many teams and like far too many players EM . I hadn't seen it working that way before but it is squashing the whole thread rightwards!

Allez les rouges wrote:You keep saying this Tweedle, but we haven't played with genuine wingers for some years now (almost as it were following the worldwide trend for "wide midfielders" instead). I find it difficult to imagine Wenger going for that, the more so as it would entail a considerable shift in our playing style.

I'm not sure if Quaresma suits Arsenal's quick-passing, fluid style either.

Calidad wrote:

Allez les rouges wrote:You keep saying this Tweedle, but we haven't played with genuine wingers for some years now (almost as it were following the worldwide trend for "wide midfielders" instead). I find it difficult to imagine Wenger going for that, the more so as it would entail a considerable shift in our playing style.

I'm not sure if Quaresma suits Arsenal's quick-passing, fluid style either.

He would have to learn to adapt besides its not the same Quaresma who was at Barca during 2003-04

Allez les rouges wrote:P.S. You support far too many teams and like far too many players EM . I hadn't seen it working that way before but it is squashing the whole thread rightwards!

gloryhunter

Now I feel a bit guilty

Still, "Portuguese and Brazilians" is a bit more precise and honest than a top ten...

How about Crozilians?