After consecutive wins stemming from inspired efforts, Milan succumbed to defeat at the Stadio Friuli against a tricky Udinese side.

Last week, Milan traveled to Marseille to take on the French giants in the first match of the group stage. As I imagined, Leonardo unleashed Super Pippo to go scavenging in his natural hunting ground: the Champions League. Inzaghi repaid the coaches trust in him by scoring a brace and earning the team three valuable points.

A few days later, Serie A relegation hopefuls Bologna came to visit at the San Siro. Milan management has apparently been reading my blogs and accepting the wisdom I bestow upon them, since in my previous column I stated in bold letters that Ignazio Abate needs to play as a fullback, and that Pirlo should be moved in a more advanced attacking position. Done and done. Abate started from the first minute as a fullback, and Pirlo seemed to play a more offensive role behind the strikers where he's much more effective. Thanks to a horrible piece of defending by Bologna, Seedorf took matters into his own hands and gifted us a goal we desperately deserved after controlling the game throughout much of the 90 minutes.

Fast forward to earlier this evening.

Milan, Udinese. Surprising changes in the formation from the very beginning, as Leonardo was seemingly not content with the squad that played dominantly over the weekend. The lightning fast Abate was replaced by a lumbering Massimo Oddo, who quickly thanked Leonardo for the opportunity by launching one of his trademark crosses that we've come to love, characterized by the ball soaring ten meters above the goalposts and into the first row of the stadium. So far, Oddo has been a symbol of our season. The fact that he's the starting right back on a Champions League side is simply incomprehensible.

Now please tell me if you feel the same way, but there's a certain chronic pessimism that engulfs me while watching Milan games, (strangely enough this epiphany occurs almost exclusively when Huntelaar is our main striker.) but allow me to explain: It feels almost impossible that we can score. Instead, when the opposing team takes the lead in the first half, my initial reaction is: "We lost, it's over. There's no way we can come back from a defeat of this magnitude.". Do you think fans of Manchester United feel this way when Portsmouth scores on them? Or what about if Getafe takes the lead over Barcelona or Madrid? Whether we accept it or not as devout followers or casual fans, this is the worst side Milan has fielded since the shortly lived Oscar Tabarez era in 1996.

Random Notes:

- More has to be made of Alessandro Nesta's return to Milan. Technically, wasn't this our best acquisto of the year? After his campaign last season was blighted with back injuries, he's finally back on the field and nearing his world class defensive form in emphatic fashion.

- Where is Daniele Bonera? I know he was injured a while ago, but we could really use his skill set: a solid central defender who can slot in as left back and is capable in attack as well.

- There was a time not so long ago when we would stock up on all the best players in the world, unfortunately the team is now entering an era of mediocracy. Instead of aiming for the scudetto, it seems that our prime objective has now become to reach third place in the standings. If we continue to lose or draw against small provincial sides, fighting to stay in the top flight will be a more accurate seasonal objective

- Ronaldinho showed that even if he parties until the wee hours of the morning and seems lethargic on the field, he can still change the game by standing still. His wonderfully placed through balls created a few dangerous opportunities to tie the match. Unfortunately, Milan held a contest in the summer that would allow one lucky fan to play a few matches with the regular side. The winner - A young Dutch male named Jan Huntelaar.

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