ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - AC MILAN

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/17/2011

Where to begin. A true Italian drama. If I hear another Gattuso story I'll vomit. This entire Gattuso-gate situation took the steam off a few other pressing issues that people aren't discussing nearly enough.

1. Flamini is a contract killer/spy posing as a French midfielder for Milan.
2. Milan were humiliated at the San Siro by a team they were favoured against.
3. Allegri had the deer in the headlights look for 90 minutes.
4. The referee was not suited for this type of match, and lost control of the game. Leading to the unsavoury events that transpired before our eyes.

Let's analyze all the situations carefully

Gattuso-gate: A lot of people have been asking me for my thoughts on the entire situation. Here's a sample of the intelligent, highly thought-out tweets I've received in the past few days: "Hey MilanGuy how do you support a team of cheating mafiosos? Gattuso is a scum of the earth. The EPL is so much better than the Serie A, our 5th best team beat your first! Italian players ruining the game."

After soaking up the wisdom from this laundry list of intellectuals, I knew I wouldn't be able to explain the situation with twitters annoying 140 character message limit. I realize everyone thinks Gattuso is a horrible human being, who deserves supplementary punishment other than a Champions League ban, such as water torture. But let me remind all of you of this: Gattuso is not a malicious player. I've seen malicious players, a few that come to mind, in my opinion, are Materazzi, our very own Flamini, and Nigel De Jong. Players who may aim their forceful, bone crunching tackles at something other than the football.

Throughout his career, Gennaro has prided himself on his grit, determination and fiery tackles. Although his barber might want to remind him that a retro mullet look is not the epitome of toughness, his beard more than makes up for this stylistic gaffe.

What went amiss during this philosophical conversation?
©AP

The question every Italian has been asking is what could Joe Jordan (a former Milanista) have said to Gattuso that sent him over the boiling point? According to Rino's agent, Joe Jordan resorted to a xenophobic comment that went something like this:

You f*****g Italian b*st*rd

Harry Redknapp thoroughly denies that his assistant coach said that, and also claimed that Joe had an affinity for our culture, and had many Italian friends. If this was a way for Gattuso's PR staff to play the racist card to quell his violent actions, then shame on them. However, this was not a philosophical conversation between two sophisticated minds. Although Gattuso's actions were disgraceful, Joe Jordan was not a little Scottish angel in the entire dilemma. What was he doing heckling Gattuso on the sidelines? Sit down, and shut up. He knows Gattuso is partially insane, we all do. Why instigate a player who has a certain temperament about him? Either way, I do not condone Rino's actions in any way. No matter what Joe said, Gattuso stepped over the line the second he introduced physicality into his argument.

Mathieu Flamini: The real culprit in all of this. The Frenchman's tackle could've potentially ended the career of Corluka. An absolutely disgusting challenge that he has done many times in the past. And to top it off he celebrated with the crowd immediately after destroying Corluka's leg. A classless act.

I had an epiphany the other morning. Does everyone remember the Inter face term that I coined not too long ago? Well, we're nearly surpassing Inter at their own game. Think of all the players we fielded against Tottenham that are potential Inter face candidates: Gattuso, Flamini, Yepes, Ibrahimovic. Thankfully they were somewhat contrasted by the boyish looks of Abate & Antonini. If I was a Tottenham fan that wasn't too familiar with the Serie A, I'd hate Milan too. What was there to like? Disgusting challenges, classless violence, and a lot of whining. Which brings me to my next section:

Coach Max Allegri: From coaching a team in the rolling meadows of Sardenia, to being placed in the San Siro with nearly 80,000 screaming lunatics in an important Champions League fixture. Max was more out of place than a giraffe in Nepal. Let's look at his errors:

Error #1: An unbelievably defensive setup with a grand total of: 3 central defenders, 1 full back, 1 lucky Milan contest winner who got a chance to play in a CL game of his choice: Antonini, and two defensive midfielders with the technical ability of a cactus. Oh, and all of our offense was supposed to come from the decomposing corpse of Clarence Seedorf who looked slower than usual, which I thought couldn't be possible. It is possible. Then Ibrahimovic and Robinho were placed awkwardly on the front line, receiving a myriad of inaccurate lobs courtesy of Apocalypto Yepes, who had a certain eau-de-Oddo against Tottenham. Speaking of Yepes, he could have scored a brace from corners. Why didn't Allegri take a page out of Barcelona's book and put Yepes as a target man, just like they do with Pique? He could have easily shifted Thiago Silva alongside Nesta, which probably would've negated the goal on Lennon's counter attack.

Here's what really bothered me about Allegri's decision. Why on earth do you put the painstakingly slow Yepes next to Nesta when Tottenham's game plan revolved around breakneck speed on counterattacks? Thiago Silva has plenty of pace, and I don't think Lennon would've gone by him on the goal scoring action. Just my humble opinion.

The formation I would have fielded: Abate, Nesta, Silva, Antonini.. Flamini, Merkel, Gattuso.. Robinho, Pato, Ibrahimovic. "But MilanGuy, Merkel is too young!" Really? Arsenal just won against Barcelona with two under 20 players. It's obvious all of our chips are in the Serie A. We can't even play any of our January signings in the Champions League. So if Cassano can't play, anyone in their right mind would assume that Pato would get the nod. Well, everyone in their right mind EXCEPT for Allegri.

This is one of the longest articles I've written, but there's too much to say about this game.

Last thoughts: Everyone who is writing off Milan for the second leg is insane. How do you give no respect to a team with such experienced players at the European level? I realize White Hart Lane is a tough arena, and I realize Bale will be back, but Milan certainly has a squad capable of making a comeback in London. Either way, it'll be a scintillating matchup in a few weeks. Let's just hope this time the referee doesn't have the fortitude of a bunny rabbit.

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Comments

Posted by matt on 02/17/2011

It's matches like this were Allegri needs to wake up and realize he is coaching a world class club on world class level. EPL acting as if there are no goons in their league is the biggest laugh ever. I believe will come out at White Hart Lane with something to prove. Great article and thoughts.

Posted by N on 02/17/2011

I'd like to see Allegri employ a wider formation, CL is not serie A and Milan have plenty of pace in attack, a more traditional 4-3-3 or even a 3-4-2-1 similar to Napoli's could work, with pato and robinho providing width and Ibra as target in the middle. Also in a 3 defender setup we could play Silva (best defender), Yepes (he's had a great year, but needs help), and Nesta (is it me or has this been his worst year by far?), 4 in the middle allows for 2 holding mids like ambro and flamini and merkel/abate as carrileros.....we need to have speed and width in the field, and any formation that does not include oddo/antonini has to be favored, right? Also when is Zambrotta coming back he is sorely missed...

Posted by Affanesta Kedah on 02/17/2011

Hi Matt,
again brilliant article!
Again I am really against those "any team that beats any team represents the league is better!".

I still believe, as proven historically,
English medias, at least, or some of their fans, do believe that winning the 1st leg means a lot, or should i say, over confidently belief that they'll through next round. I just want to remind anybody of these stats:

1) 2007 semi final Manutd 3-2 Milan
2) 2010 qtr final Manutd 3-2 Bayern
3) 2004 Milan 4-1 Deportivo.
Those above ended with characteristics of the always overconfident will always ended the losing side,no?

Enough of these "EPL better than anybody else in the world" antics. We just want to watch the best competition in the world after the world cup!

Posted by Ceassy VonDay on 02/17/2011

great article Matteo..believe you me i was as surprised as u are when i saw the line-up...sometimes i just wonder if Allegri enjoys being self-destructive..how do u go from being majestic against parma to huffin it up n hoping IBRA performs magic..at this pace am beginning to fear for our serie a hopes..he seems to get lost in those matches where our identity shd stick up boldly,a reference is all our big matches in serie a alone the inter game included..BUT THEN AGAIN OUT OF ALL THE ROUGH DO WE FIND A DIAMOND...Its like ABATE has learnt the trade of full back within jux six months,honestly i cant tell u how glad i am each time i see him on the pitch...and seriously BERLU needs to have a round table chat with IBRA n ALLEGRI n let them noe PATO is shaping up to becoming our identity n they shd not keep on shattering his confidence as they are doing..say whatever u want that boy is the most clinical finisher on the team by miles..the rest are jux explosive supports,WE NEED HIM PERIOD!!!

Posted by Affanesta Kedah on 02/17/2011

It is plain beauty to have watched Porto and Monaco out of sudden reach the champions league final, liverpool comeback against milan (i am admitting as milan fan), lyon reaching semi finals, bayern against valencia, etc etc. Each of these battles does not even represent any league's inferiority nor superiority. It is completely different styles of leagues with their own characteristics, and I bet everyone can agree that it is just a same model of the world cup. Germany's win over england and argentina does not mean their league is better, for example. Brazil's 5 triumph in world cup also not claiming their league is better. It is just the beauty of the competition that each year will have different competitors, same both world cup and champions league. So please dont spoil this by claiming any league is better because they beat any other team. It's just the essence of the competition, where preparation, mentality, strategies take its toll. Who'd expect uruguay 4th place in the wcup?

Posted by Tarikio on 02/17/2011

Spot on (as usual).
I spent the whole day bigging Milan up to colleagues and then got faced with that line up. What was Allegri thinking? Seedorf? Really? Credit to him for getting it better in the 2nd half though. If we had played the 1st like that then maybe we wouldn't have been commiting so many players forward to search for the goal.

The Spurs game plan was so obvious before the game I cannot believe Allegri didn't see it coming. I agree with the line up you suggested although with Spurs relying on width perhaps a 3-4-1-2 would have been better with Merkel in for Flamini and Antonini & Abate as wing backs.

The English press are terrible. If Milan had of won the first leg at white hart lane 1-0 then they would be called 'typical boring Italians' and Spurs would have 'failed despite heroic efforts to break through'.

I would love Milan to wipe the smugness off their faces in the 2nd leg.

We are looking like the new Inter. Great in the league, poor in Europe.

Posted by DC '05 on 02/17/2011

Nice article.. Strong words..

Posted by iwc24 on 02/17/2011

matteo
thank u soo much for pointing this out. I was thinking the exact same thing. Putting nesta and yepes in defence was suicide against fast counter attacks! Also it took a whole half for allegri to realize that antonini couldnt handle lennon on his own because flamini was clearly not supporting him in the first half and lennon just pulled THE SAME MOVE AGAIN AND AGAIN and antonini could not do much about it.
Our start at the first half was pathetic cuz spurs seemed like the team with the experience and not milan. Finally starting silva gattuso and flamini in midfield was ridiculous. WE ARE AT HOME, it was our shot at dictating the game. Even then if he wanted to go defensive, he could have fielded merkel/strasser(most likely), flamini and gattuso and put silva in defence. Im not too sure about the second leg though. Esp with allegri, he might not have learned his lesson yet. Our ONLY shot is scoring first and then anything can happen but we def need to go all out in the next leg

Posted by David Boatright on 02/17/2011

Great article again, Matteo. It's clear you took a couple days to blow off some steam & write a level-headed article!

Posted by Phil on 02/17/2011

Great article Matteo. I just have to stop reading your stuff while I'm in class. I get a lot of odd looks when I audibly chuckle at your predictable, yet oddly funny humor.

Posted by Sam on 02/17/2011

Nice article mate! Bit of a disgrace from Milan who in reality should have lost by three in my humble opinion if you take into account the handballs and red cards that were overlooked, and people say Inter get all the luck!
Flamini's tackle was a disaster and how he remained on the field will be something that scientists will be poring over for years to come, suprisingly the ref managed to avoid the red card for his first foul then misplace his yellow card for a nasty tackle from behind later in the game. What can you do huh, sometimes you have it!
As for the return match, I just cant see Milan winning, they have looked average since the season restarted and rely way too much on Zlatan who seems to be getting more and more frustrated, Tottenham on the other hand have been a force at home in both league and CL and unless something massive happens at Milan over the next few weeks then it will be a walkover!

Posted by Jerrod on 02/17/2011

Matteo
Great article as usual. I'm equally as frustrated as you about the Tottenham game. Allegri really shot milan in the foot by playing the formation he did and in regards to the EPL fans who talked to you, to hell with them. The EPL has the least educated fan base of any league in the world. So it's really like trying to argue with dolls with the coined phrases. You just can't argue with them. They just don't know anything. Another thing that i've been really curious about too is why Pato doesn't play over Robinho. So Pato, Ibra, and Cassano? Robinho can't finish and we really dont need his playmaking. Ibra and Cassano can score and create so don't you figure Allegri would play Pato?
A- To give Pato more experience considering he is so young and he could learn a thing or two from cassano and Ibra about passing. It could really really benefit him.
B-To have a clinical finisher on the field. Pato is such a prolific goal scorer and we need his pace.
What do you think Matteo?

Posted by Pagliuca on 02/17/2011

Matteo/Fra.

Well put! But let's not kids ourselves either about Tottenham. During that 1st half they used our boys like a punching bag. I think Pelliers(sp?) had 5 hits on him and no warnings by the ref. What about the constant fouls by Spurs' DMF and DF's? No one took a penalty on that. As for Nesta's hand ball. Only good call because his arm was down when it was hit and by the rules he was fine. As with 3DM, considering the injuries we have. Allegri had no choice (almost like Anco in CL 08 vs Aresnal-couldn't feild Puma becuase of injury)to many injuries, and yes Arse has 2 U20's but I think they have experience. I agree with the Pace of Merkel compared with Seedorf, but Merkel is still not experienced. Still not excusing it. Also putting Thigao in that Dessaily spot was necessary since we don't have any type of deep playmaker. With Yepes, he's in form, some slow but gets it done. Only fault I'll give why he didn't wack Lennon on that run took the red and we would still be

Posted by Pagliuca on 02/17/2011

Part II con't. still be in competition. With Gattuso again, it was an emotional night but to be honest if a non-player or coach decides to instigate then they have it coming. As in comparison with Inter. OK, I can see it but I think that CL night was more emotional and treated as a "must-win" then any other match. Flamini's tackle? Agreed, he was Matrixesque on that one. Cassano for that match? Fra, did you see how fast those guys were? I don't know if he would of been in pace mode to keep up with that. I agree on that return leg, nothing is out of favor yet. If we go in there with an attacking purpose, we get Boatneg back, or if Merkel starts with Pato, Ibra, and Robinho up front. I think we can go for a quick 2-0 and then sit back and park the bus and if we give up 1 oh well, as long as if we win by a goal who cares we advanced. Still, Spurs are no angels themselves and the EPL hypicritical media are making them look like angels when it's the opposite. Sempre Milan!

Posted by Soto on 02/17/2011

Great article as always !!I agree with you on 99% of the things you pointed out ,that 1% is that harsh tackle of Flamini,well my opinion is that the tackle of flamini was not that harsh (do not misunderstand me,he deserved that yellow card) but the media are making such a fuss about it !! --.-- It is cleaR now that Allegri has a lot to learn about UCL and unfortunately just like that traitor Leo he has to learn in Milan!WHY CAN'T MILAN HAVE A COACH WITH EXPERIENCE !!Anyway,i laughed with what Redknapp said about that idiot Joe Jordan,that nobody can resist in a room with him !! lol we are talking about Gattuso vs Jordan !! Anyway i don't know but i have a feeling that the 2 leg will be a great game anD milan will qualify in the end :D !! I just hope that Allegri learned from his mistakes!
FORZA MILAN !!!!!!!

Posted by Cristian on 02/17/2011

Great article man, it was a nice read and would like thank you for it. I need to follow more :)

Posted by MLSfan on 02/17/2011

EPL has its thugs too sure, but not on Spurs. Spurs play some of the most beautiful football in the world out of any non-super club like Barca/Arsenal. They got guys like Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, and Lennon, who are great at playing the ball on the ground.

Allegri is out of his element at this level.

The loss alone does not make Serie A a lesser league, but it is symbolic of a gradual decline. Bundesliga is gonna take one of Serie A's CL spots very soon based on uefa coefficients.

Posted by Astoreenz on 02/18/2011

Another great article Matteo,

Was wondering if you think Prince can make the difference in the 2nd leg??

And why can't Milan finally get a manager with higher experience than a mid-table Serie A side??

Anyway Forza Milan.. We still have a chance in the 2nd leg. Its not even close to being over.

Posted by llcruz on 02/18/2011

Never count out a club like milan. Forza rossoneri semper te

Posted by Briant on 02/18/2011

Yes... I shocked when i saw Milan;s performance in the first 1o minutes. From that i realized that it was going wrong.
Why Milan's Midfielders were all defensive type and one slow Seedorf??

Fucked it!!! Allegri lack of experience is proofed!!!

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/18/2011

@Astoreenz

I'd like to think that if Allegri's side gets kicked out by Tottenham in the CL AND we lose the scudetto, his job is done by the summer. He has no excuses for the Serie A.

@Jerrod

Not placing Pato in the lineup is inexplicable. I really can't find ONE valid reason for this. Let's remember Pato's brace against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. His blazing speed and rocket shot terrify opposing coaches who have to gameplan for him. Did Tottenham fans breathe a sigh of relief when they saw the duck was on the bench? Of course.

Posted by annalisa on 02/18/2011

Great article, Matteo!
I can't stand those comments about the EPL being the best league in the world - according to who? Their fans? Please.
I hope we beat the Spurs for the 2nd leg.... and that Allegri fixes up his line-up!

Posted by abdullahi ma-amun on 02/18/2011

alegri shud sit nd thnk carefuly of d return leg cos we need that match. why are media bein biasd to milan nd also referees? this is d foolishness of both fifa nd uefa 4 gvn a priority to other clubs especialy d ones in d EPL

Posted by D on 02/18/2011

@M: dude glad to see someone finally pointing out that Jordan never should have been up jawing in the first place. What the f was he doing on the field? sit down & shut up

Watching the game on Sky is horrible. English announcers are so biased it's ridiculous. I muted the last 30 minutes.

Agree Pato should have been in the starting XI. I also agree with Pagliuca that Allegri fielded a decent midfield considering the players at his disposal. Losing one sub early to Abiate was a bigger impact than most probably think.

Anyone that thinks 'binho shouldn't be on the field is on crack. He's been one of the more complete players for Milan this season. Agree finishing hasn't been the greatest but did he get 10 goals by accident?

Think the harsh critiques of Allegri are misplaced. For all the joy brought with Ibra, 'binho, and Cassano signing the club didn't do much to reinforce the back line. Those 3 were also known to be head cases and he has them playing well together.

Posted by Anonymous on 02/18/2011

Is it just me, or is Allegri trying to shape Pato into a supersub, just like Hernandez in Man U? It just might make sense, considering that it reduces Pato's chances of getting injured, and if he gets used to scoring as a sub, then there's no one better to adding pace to the team when the opposing team is tired. Although I also think he should have started against Spurs. Totally agree with your lineup - I'd have Merkel play instead of Seedorf any day.

Posted by manutd on 02/18/2011

i think one thing milan lacked was to move the ball around at pace. too many times was the ball moved around too slowly, and the only option being a lump into the box or an attempted ball to feet on the edge of the area from 20 yds away. also, the lack of a genuine winger on either side hurt milan, they lacked width and any width they created they did not have someone who could beat the full back and put a good cross into the box.

Posted by Mordred on 02/18/2011

First of all Milan was not favored over Tottenham for this match. Go check the betting places for this game. As a Tottenham fan, i agree, we are acting a little too confident. Milan will come back at us. But they will not beat us, we have Milan beat at almost every position. Plus if you think the pace was fast for us the last game, wait till you see the pace at WHL.

Posted by punditguy on 02/18/2011

Good points Matteo.

Im speechless. Even after reading your article i still dont know where to begin, because their is just too much. All I would like to say is I hope Boateng and Ambrosini can recover in time for the next leg.

I can only hope this will be our line up for the next game.

Abate Nesta Silva Antonini
Boateng Ambrosini Flamini/Merkel
Pato Zlatan Robinho

If that doesnt happen and Max decides to include the likes of Seedorf, Bonera, and Oddo in the starting line up...then god help us all. :s

Posted by punditguy on 02/18/2011

Just want to say....I hope Burlusconi open his eyes and realize that its long over due time to revamp this squad! Seedorf Pirlo Ambro Oddo Bonera Inzaghi needs to go!

I read some rumored story today of a Pato Ramos swap. I certainly wont mind that but if that happens then we Definitely NEED Balotelli!

Posted by ScotYid on 02/18/2011

Great post.

Glad to see someone putting the Gattuso incident into prespective. As a Spurs fan I was delighted at the end to see Gattuso so obviously upset at loosing, but what really stuck with me after the game was the calus nature of Flamini's behaviour. If UEFA were going to investigate anyone it should have been him.

Definately lost any respect I had for the sod.

Posted by TTK on 02/18/2011

We had no link up between the back and the strikers in the first half which Allegri got all wrong like you said. Pato was a difference maker in the 2nd half. We sorely miss Pirlo's precision passing, specifically in Europe.

I know we will not have Pirlo back for the 2nd leg, but I think KPB will be a difference maker. He knows what to expect from Premier League teams from last season at Portsmouth. In know way is he Pirlo on the ball, but his work rate and ability to get forward will be huge. Yes, Gattuso has the work rate, but nowhere near the ability to scare opposition's defense like KPB.

I see Tottenham laying back and taking their chances on counter attacks, which have been Milan's weakness all season. We will need width in the 2nd leg to stop Bale and Lennon's blazing speed.

The best chance is to come out strong in the first half hour and take it to Tottenham, but being mindful of the counter. I really think that we can shell shock them and turn the tie around! FORZA MILAN!!

Posted by marcus on 02/18/2011

I thought Allegri was bowing down to Ibra's stated preference to have Robinho alongside him rather than Pato. I thought that's why Pato didn't start.

Posted by jacob on 02/18/2011

"1 lucky Milan contest winner who got a chance to play in a CL game of his choice: Antonini"

I never cared for AC Milan, but after reading this fantastic entry, your blog is about to get one more follower. Great, intelligent writing my friend.

Posted by Alejandro Menocal on 02/18/2011

Matteo very nice article!! And you told the truth! The part I likes the most was the on of Allegri! Merkel has shown in past and recent games that he has ver good techniques, he knows what to do with a ball, and doesn't make stupid things! Great Article!

Posted by Stacy on 02/18/2011

Isn't calling Gattuso an Italian kinda like calling a spade a spade?

....and calling him a bastard is more of the same?

Posted by DCUnitedWillRiseAgain on 02/18/2011

Very good article, but we'll always mention the one thing we disagree with right? With that in mind, why on the one hand do you castigate Flamini for his butcher tactics, then include him in your preferred side? You can't have it both ways. If he is bad for the game, then you have to man up and leave him out. Same goes for DeJong, and Albert Haynesworth of American Football infamy for that matter. If there are no severe lasting consequences for these hit man tactics, they will just keep on breaking legs and cleating people in the chest and face. If you need further rationale, think of this: Eventually they'll get caught at it and red-carded. That can easily lose you the game. Why would you risk that? I would never include a DeJong or a Flamini. I would sell them.

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/18/2011

@DCUnitedWillRiseAgain

You raise a good point, but I only included Flamini in the 1st legs preferred midfield because there are so few MF options available.

Keep in mind KPB will be back for the second leg. Then Ambrosini, Pirlo... Our most effective MF second leg would probably be: Ambrosini, KPB, Pirlo. Considering we need a more offensive spark from the MF.

Posted by Nathan on 02/18/2011

@DC '05
"We are looking like the new Inter. Great in the league, poor in Europe."

What is wrong with that sentence? Did you stop paying attention in '05? When a club is reigning European Champion it is fair to stop indicating that they are poor in Europe.

Breaking news: Any team with Zlatan up front will fail in Europe. The End.

Posted by vikrambrosini on 02/18/2011

Good article Matteo. Hit the bulls eye.

1) Allegri is not Milan material. I dont care that he may sculpt a team with great players next year. Thing is he is a first timer handling huge ego players like ibra, binho, cassano. Like a 3 yr old with a real gun.

2) Louis Van gaal or our very own van basten or rijkaard will be exceptional.

3) I pine for the days when Milan played free flowing football with kaka, sheva, pirlo, inzaghi, ambrosini etc.

Sadly i watch inter and napoli do that with much more ease than milan.

and finally...what milan need the most now, as a team, is:

KILLER INSTINCT.

The players are there, so is the ability..but the gumption and self-belief is lacking.

I really really pray with all my heart and soul that Allegri may come across this article and glance by the comments too.

May White Heart Lane be engulfed in exultations of rossoneri ecstasy rather than the utter despair of hope scorned.

Dont let us down. Forza Milano.

Posted by d on 02/18/2011

I have been reading your blog for very long and i never comment on it because your analysis is always perfect.but this loss has so deeply affected me that i cant resist commenting.
What the hell was wrong with Milan? Since like a month ESPN had been talking about how tottenham will prove deadly on the counter. Does Allegri know any tactics or is it just the talent milan posseses which has gotten us this far?
1) Playing yepes was wrong...you have the world's best defender and you play him out of position?
2) Seedorf- alright he was a good player...10 years ago !! needs to warm the bench.
3) Formation was idiotic.. crowding the midfield with a snail like creator and two hot headed players is suicide against a fast counter team..

Matteo i have a request... since i hear you live near san siro please could you just walk down on one of the trainings and talk some sense into allegri? hand him your formation and also kick his ass...

Posted by willie on 02/18/2011

i felt angry for supporting italian team all this years when ( a 5th team in EPL can even beat the current number one team in milan ) if 2 italian team does not make it to the quarter final, i will make up my mind not to support italian team anynore

i don't see milan winning the 2nd leg at white hart lane

3 weeks from now, will milan prove me wrong by reacting strongly to beat spurs at white hart lane so as to gain back the pride for Serie A fans ???

lastly , to add that : milan need a world class coach if they can't win at white hart lane ! ! !

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/18/2011

Thanks for the compliments. Unfortunately I do not live near the San Siro anymore. I was born there and grew up there but now I alternate my time between Miami & Boston.

Posted by Milan 1987 on 02/18/2011

Allegri is RUBBISH plain and simple and Milan deserves better.Milan are only top because of the great players that have been brought into the team. He is too defensive and he has no idea about tactics or what to do when Milan are losing or drawing.If Milan are knocked out by Spurs,I hope he is fired at seasons end and Rijkaard is brought in.

Posted by bigo1723 on 02/18/2011

I don't quite understand your issue with the referee. If he had had more fortitude than a bunny rabbit, Milan would have been down to nine men before the end of the game. Perhaps we'll see that at White Hart Lane.

Posted by Patrick on 02/18/2011

Matteo --

Spurs supporter here. Fantastic stuff, mate. I always read your posts. I was both delighted and shocked when I saw Pato on the bench. Still scratching my head. I won't respond to most of what you said, just know that I agree with it. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to a rocking night at the Lane in a few weeks.

(PS - due to family ties, I've always secretly supported the Rossoneri in Serie A and in Europe, as has my family, since my Spurs were never involved, so needless to say I was both elated and fearful when the tie was announced in December. I promptly boxed all my Milan shirts up until March)

Thanks for the good read, stick with it. COYS!

Posted by D. Devil's Advocate, Esq. on 02/18/2011

While I understand the move for Cassano regardless of being cup-tied, all the other moves were for defensive plodders (Flamini and Van Bommel in the same midfield is a crime against humanity). This team desperately need a creative lynchpin, which Seedorf used to be but is no more, and Pirlo probably never will be again. Was there no one available to fill that role in the January window?

That said, I will continue to repeat myself until the truth becomes common: when things get tough, Ibra and especially Robinho are nowhere to be found. Sure, they look great against the likes of Parma, but against any team that can actually play at the top level, they're always found wanting. Pato is superior to both, in work-rate especially. Leaving Pato out was Allegri's suicidal mistake.

As for Lennon's goal: why play all those defensive MFs if not one can track back on a counter?

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/18/2011

@D. Devil's Advocate, Esq

Very good comments. I agree with you about these topics, although Milan WAS supposed to purchase either Poli or Lazzari (both creative lynchpins) but for some odd reason the deals did not go through.

Ibrahimovic still has something to prove in the Champions League, although last year he netter a brace with Barcelona against Arsenal. To be fair to Ibra/Robinho, there was absolutely no delivery from the midfield. They needed better service + more technical players to help them out.

Posted by Anthony on 02/19/2011

Matteo, great job as always. Witty, honest, and insightful. Here are a few thoughts:

1. Gattuso is Gattuso. We praise his fire & we crucify him for his fire. You live by Gattuso, you die by Gattuso.

2. As I told you last month on Twitter, my fear is that Pato has replaced Ronnie as Allegri's token "least favorite Brazilian". Leaving Pato on the bench in favor of either an extra CB or an extra DM is insane...esp at home against a team you should beat. Allegri has no killer instinct for Europe. Personally, I think Pato has the most riding on UCL success. He has lost his spot in Serie A to Cassano, and his only lifeline in Europe is the fact that Cassano is cup-tied. Pato has to find a venue to prove he can co-exist with Ibra, or I am afraid the young Brazilian will be the odd man out (we'll probably replace him Raul or someone equally ancient).

3. Let's not forget though that we have a perfectly crafted side for Serie A. Europe is a different story. Scary how Inter-ish that sounds

Posted by Jose P on 02/19/2011

@willie
if this result is the deciding factor when it comes to supporting an italian team then to hell with you. a true serie a fan would stick by his side no matter what. if anything this should make you love your team even more. you think juventini got turned off by calciopoli. fuggedaboutit.

Posted by D on 02/19/2011

Saw the same article that pundit did re: Pato for Ramos. Would do that in a heartbeat. Ramos is 24 and can play RB or CB.

The extensive critique of Allegri still amazes me. Where was this outcry when Leo took over a few years back? He had ZERO coaching XP (didn't even have his credentials) yet there wasn't this kind of uproar when we got embarressed by ManU.

... and for those still spouting the PL is the best (and using this game as proof) I'll repost my comment from a few articles ago:

The last 10 years it's Serie A 3 PL 2 for CL titles.
Going back to 1990 the score is Serie A 6 PL 3.

I'll even add this - All time:
Serie A 12 won 14 runner up
PL 11 won 6 runner up

In case you're having trouble with the math that's 26 finals for Italian teams and 17 finals for English teams.

Posted by Affanesta Kedah on 02/19/2011

@ Jose P spot on. If I had to be a fan like willie, i would have not supporting milan since draw at portsmouth in uefa cup back years ago.

a true fan is a fan who always behind the team in glories and downturns.

now is the time where the team needing us more.

Posted by Tancredi on 02/19/2011

fa incazzare che tutti stanno ridendo del nostro calcio, vedranno chi ride per ultimo...poi quest anno che la serie A e piu bella che mai, non ci sono le solite tre squadre in alto come in Spagna. Gente che non segue la Serie A eh ne parla male non capisce niente di calcio. 15 anni fa la Serie A era dove e adesso la Premier, prima pagina di tutto il mondo

Posted by Milan 1963 on 02/19/2011

Gattuso was wrong, he should have at least flattened the nose of Joe Jordan just for being a racist....kidding but not so much. I am used to English abuse on and off the pitch playing against them on a regular basis and I can say that like their medias they are not the most fair play by a distance. As for cheating they are the Masters but off course they will take any opportunity to slam other (superior) countries like Italy, France or Spain if they did the same. I call this hypocrisy.

The best League is the one you like to watch most full stop (I am bored most of time with EPL btw).

As for Allegri I don't get him, he can have the genius move for one game and through it away like he did against Spurs in the next. I would have done the same mistake by playing Yepes and put Silva in midfield but playing Seedorf instead of Pato is sheer madness.

Let's win the return leg to show those cavemen that we are still European Royalties....

Posted by MilanFT on 02/19/2011

All hope is not lost and I believe Milan can win the second leg.In the first leg midfielders were not creating enough for Ibra upfront and this became more and more frustrating.I believe Prince would be very vital as he would provide mobility in the midfield and the much needed link up with Ibra.Playing Seedorf was very unnecessary.Would have preferred Merkel despite his inexperience cos Spurs are very mobile and the key is to match that.Thiago Silva must return back to defence in the second leg as he would be very useful in breaking counters which Milan should prepare for in the second leg.What do u think of a defensive four of Nesta Silva Yepes and Abate with Abate in left back and Yepes in right back?

Posted by Adegoye babatunde on 02/19/2011

I think allegri made a mistake by including seedorf and flamini in the game,when he has merkel and stresser,and not allowing thiago silva to play it central back,nd not starting pato.in the second leg i suggest this formation: abate nesta silva antonini in the defence line, mildfielders:boateng abrosini pirlo,while in the foward should include pato ibrahimovic robinho.FORZA MILANO!!!!

Posted by Nico on 02/19/2011

Didn't know soccernet set up a blog just to bash Milan.

Italian football's tempo cannot cope with the english game's - that should be a known fact.

That said - are you a tottenham fan inside?

Wasted my time reading this piece. Go post for Tottenham's board instead.

Posted by Jake on 02/19/2011

Wow! So many of you boys cannot just accept that Spurs played a better game of football than you at your own place!

Media are scum the world round, English is no worse than your own!

Flamini deserves a good kicking, that was a career ending tackle!

If the ref knew what he was doing Spurs may have won 3-0 or more.

Come on guys open your eyes ... and I am a bloody gooner!

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/19/2011

@Nico

Always enjoy humorous posts like this one. "The Italians cannot cope with the English game." Under what basis? Is this why no London based team has ever won the Champions League? Surely a league with untouchable tempo should be able to easily dominate the competition every year. Tell this tempo story to Chelsea last year (against Inter), or Milan in 2006 against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Also, if you're looking for highly biased Milan fans who distort the truth because they are so clouded by their own love or the team, go on blogger.com I'm sure you'll find plenty of posts there. All I am is brutally honest.

Posted by ZIZOU on 02/19/2011

BORING BORING ITALIANS.....BEST TEAM IN SERIE A LOOKING LIKE A PUB TEAM /// I MEAN HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU JUST PASS THE BALL TO THE OTHER TEAM WITHOUT BEING IN ANY REAL PRESSURE....IT WAS PRICELESS WATCHING IT WITH MILAN FANS AFTER 20 MINUTES HALF OF THEM WANTED THE GAME TO END HAHA ROBINHO/ABATE/ANTONINI I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE NEW AND IMPROVED MILAN....WHY ON EARTH WOULDNT YOU START PATO???
IT'L BE A GOOD GAME IN THE LANE AS SPURS WILL HAVE BALE RESTED AND READY TO GO. HAVE A FEELING MILAN WILL GET PASSED TO DEATH LIKE THE OTHER MILAN TEAM AND LENNON WILL ABUSE WHICHEVER LB YOU START, HECK YOU CAN EVEN PUT TWO LEFT BACKS
LENNON IN ONE SIDE THEN BALE AND ASSOU-AKOUTO IN THE OTHER SIDE SUPPLYING BALE.....GOOD LUCK MILAN

Posted by GoneGooning on 02/19/2011

I can tell you from the perspective of an arsenal fan that Milan were thoroughly outplayed, and Tottenham shut them down effectively. I was ashamed of Flamini's tackle the former Arsenal man needs to learn that dropkicks aren't proper tackles at all. Also, while I will not say one league is better than the other the depth is a much greater in the EPL. Gattuso should be ashamed of himself, despite how "emotional" the evening was seeing the 33 year old Gattuso scooting around on the ground like a child in a grocery store was laughable and pathetic. Out-coached, out-played, and out-classed, I don't see Milan picking up the goals necessary to get the job done at White Hart. I hope they do though, as I can't stand Tottenham!

Posted by Astoreenz on 02/19/2011

@ZIZOU

theres a button on the left of ur keyboard called "Caps Lock" please dont click it before you write. thanks.

FORZA MILAN

Posted by Mark Hayden on 02/20/2011

I completely agree with you...Allegri completely botched the game by starting both Flamini and Gattuso with Seedorf as the CAM....Seedorf is way too old to be relied on to be the trequarista....basically Milan played with 1 goalie 7 defenders 1 over the hill playmaker and 2 fowards....and why on Earth Pato was not in the starting XI is beyond me....

Posted by ben on 02/20/2011

Great article as always Matteo; in a way, being down 1 goal might be good as Spurs might be surprised in Rnd 2. I think there is a positive side, however insane this may sound. Milan is always a technical team, & when we face physically strong teams like Inter, Liverpool (Istanbul), Arsenal (especially); these teams have a lot of dynamism, energy, robustness, strength, & speed. take a look at Milan-Real; Real COMPLETELY dominated us at the San Siro during UCL group stage. they won balls quickly & wasn't afraid to play hard. Milan bent over & allowed them to rip us a new asshole. what this game has shown is that Allegri expected Spurs to play physical (which happened exactly). so it was nice to see Milan being able to play HARD for once & not be bullied. now all we need is to mix that new grit with our skill & PACE. Allegri needs to be tactically flexible like dalglish, who changes formations according to opposition teams. Liverpool played 3-4-2-1 against chelsea, who would've expected?

Posted by ACMFTW on 02/20/2011

First of all great article Matteo !!

And i must say i'm not surprised how EPL fans respond. i can see they're still doubtful that they can handle the 2nd leg and just re-assuring themselves with the comments.

Ok here's whats gon happen...

I can see Abate-Nesta-Silva-Antonini in the starter back line this time, Ok Abate can handle ur allmighty Bale unless he can actually surpass No.20's last CL target (Cristiano)in the upcoming weeks...Silva & Nesta can hold their Own while Anto wont have to track alot cuz i'm pretty sure KPB can help to keep Lennon in place yeh Boateng can do alot in the mid line.

Ambrosini the stamina of a steam train, and certainly is the fitting Captain for organising our mid along with IMO Merkel for speed and decicivness, can have our front line Trio at ease.

Pato hopefully will be a heavy load for Gallas while robinho & Ibra can do their magic.

If we can get about 2 goals past Gomes who's actually superman at night. We will be hearing Hardluck Supurs !!

Posted by Richard on 02/20/2011

I have to agree mostly on everything you've said in this article, the tie is not finished at all. Whilst Gattuso has come across as a raving psycho from that match, I know Rino is competitive, and thats great, and I also know that Joe Jordan shouldn't of been heckling him.

As a Manchester United fan, I know that the importance on establishing control of the midfield in a football match, players who do this often end up on the winning side, Providing their strikers have a good day. I used to admire Roy Keane for the way he played his competitive football, but i lost a whole lot of respect for him when he dived in on Alfie Haaland. Anyone to say the EPL is a better league because we dont have that behaviour is ridiculous. People have such short memories? How about the behaviour of Joey Barton? Placed up against something Like that it is NO different, and what about Ben Thatchers 'actual assault' on Pedro Mendes? Do people not remember these incidents that cloud our game?

Posted by lcovati acm4life on 02/20/2011

good article!i'am so sick of reading about this spurs match!true milan fan's know that pirlo,ambro and even boateng are out!cassano and mvb are cup tired!no,excuses are to be made!the spurs are without question a hot side this term and i'll give them credit but they really got lucky with the counter attack!people act as if milan can't turn this leg around with ease in london!i'am also sick of our so-called milan fan's trashing the club and players like seedorf and bonera!

Posted by Joel on 02/20/2011

Nice article. The rejoinder to the idiots that take one game as proof of league superiority is the 2010 Champions League final (Bayern v Inter for those with short memories).

I am a fan of neither team, but have watched about half of Milan's games over the last couple of years. For me this team seems to have the same issues as the Italian team at the World Cup -- stayed too long with players that have accomplished great things in their younger days. To compound the problem, management has brought in players that don't entirely mesh with the mix they have. In addition, what they have done with Pato is a crime. i can't imagine him not on the team sheet any time he is healthy.

I know Milan is in first place now, but this team has the feel of a team that is going to go through some bad times before they really get back to being a top European team.

Posted by M.O.B on 02/20/2011

I beg to disagree giving Allegri any blame to whatever happened in that match other than the 'mistake' of fielding seedorf. I call it a mistake because he must have mislead the coach into giving him a starting place with his earlier/expected performance. He (Allegri) corrected that mistake very early enough unlike other coaches (apologies Sir Alex).....And do not blame the man about the lineup....what would you have done if you had 'no' midfielders to play with?....and dont forget a second keeper who is a mobile badluck to the team...No offense

Posted by supertjx on 02/21/2011

Great insights as usual Matteo. Keep up the great work.

Posted by Jack on 02/21/2011

I couldn't stop laughing at "the decomposing corpse of Clarence Seedorf". You definitely have a love-hate relationship with the Rossoneri, Matteo.

I was very disappointed by Milan. They didn't look like the European-savvy team of a few years ago who played above their level in this competition. Spurs play open football and I expected Milan to score one or two goals, but their attacking football was very poor, and a decent defensive display was undone by a simple counter-attack. Lennon made a fool out of Yepes.

I can still remember Milan winning 2-0 in Munich with a fantastic performance when they needed a big result away from home. Sadly this doesn't look like the same team, even though many of the players are still there, and are beginning to decompose!

Posted by EDavids26 on 02/21/2011

Hello Matteo! Spurs fan here, just to declare my bias straight away. I want to comment on everything you touched on: reasons the EPL is currently the strongest league in the world (legit ones do exist), Gattuso's history of unsporting and unprofessional behavior and Flamini's history suggesting that he is the perfect heir to Rino. But honestly it was a very emotional game and here's why I took issue with Milan's behavior. No doubt a great club, with an unbelievable history (which is why I would never write them off before the 2nd leg) Spurs thoroughly outplayed them in the 1st half, though they didn't create enough chances themselves. To me, Milan lacks width as well as pace (Abate aside) and those are 2 things Spurs have loads of. So it was easy to keep possession and everything was comfortable. It was as if Milan had no answers and instead decided to try to get into Spurs players' heads instead of playing football. That to me was the real disgrace. It wasn't honest football

Posted by kelon on 02/21/2011

matteo u would have to b reading my mind, that exactly the team i was expecting an ready these articals i agree on two mostly 1.in europe ibra is crap 2.pato is the best player upfront 3.imsrry ta say guys but it looks like were the new inter,some might not agree wid me but milan is a european powerhouse an to go out of this competition like this is not acceptable so here goes ,ibra either goes or next window get some one creative cause for me his work rate sucks.also aree on a milan clear out alot of those old guys needs to go immediately.to all milanista good luck against tottenham guys

Posted by @jydough on 02/21/2011

Excellent article as usual. Well i'm just gonna air my thoughts on Milan's chance of winning at White Hart Lane... for me, it simply depends on the players that Allegri fields. Once i see the starting line up and Pato's missing, then i can be rest assured that we will not qualify for the quarter finals.

Posted by punditguy on 02/21/2011

After reading all these comments i need to get something off my chest....

For all those who criticized Allegri, may I refresh your minds or perhaps give you a crash course in history. Remember the likes of Capello and Sacchi? Both had very little XP and did wonders with Milan! How did they do it? Because they had excellent players to work with. Allegri has very little to work with and he has to make do with what ever he has because we have 11 players out with injury!

Yes i agree with you all about not fielding Pato but currently this guy has us in 1st place! We dont have a team capable of winning every thing this year especially CL and i would honestly prefer we get knocked out of CL and focus on Serie A. When summer comes and hopefully they strengthen the Midfield and Defense then he has no excuse. But for now I'll take Serie A, because i havent felt this kind of joy in YEARS!!!! I forgot how it felt!

Posted by punditguy on 02/21/2011

So please...give the guy a break! I know all of us Milan fans have ran out patience and longing for a trophy but im sure that this year Serie A will be ours!!!!!!!!!!

FORZA MILAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Peter on 02/21/2011

STupid italians! they think they can just be violent...typical wogs!

Posted by matt on 02/21/2011

@ Affanesta Kedah

manchester united 3-bayern 2 was the second leg. the first leg was bayern 2-manchester united 1.

good article, although i truly believe that milan really don't have a chance at white hart lane. no disrespect, its just tottenham are exceptional at home.

Posted by RedDevilsFan on 02/22/2011

Being a ManUtd Im disgraced of people comparing different leagues and saying EPL is better. All leagues have their own set of qualities Italian, Spanish or English. Having said that, i understand totally your sentiment on Gattuso. Ive never liked him but faced with a brawl Id rather have him on my team then against him.

Milan is a good side. Saying theyll get pummeled at Hart Lane is just plain naive. I think it will be an enticing affair. Im not rooting for an English win nor am I rooting for an Italian win. However I do believe its going to be a good game.

come on Spurs!
Forza Milan!

Posted by D on 02/22/2011

Seems like pundit and I are the only 2 defending Allegri.

So Rino gets 4 games. Still waiting for the announcement on Jordan's penalty for putting himself on the pitch during the game and becoming involved with a player ...

Posted by North-face on 02/22/2011

Ahh. Whats with Spurs fans. Just Letting you know there are was an elbow on Ibra by Dawson inside the 18 yard box. Straight penalty in every one's eyes. But we didn't get it. But thats football you get some and some you don't. Stop bitching about the tackles, i'm sure if you have seen soccer for some time then you would notice that there are far worst tackles happening all the time, which go on unpunished. Suck it up princess.

Posted by Peter on 02/23/2011

Matteo great article as always.

Poor game all round for milan vs spurs. We had no help in midfield for the strikers. Who from our midfield looked like scoring or even being in a position to lay off a pass. At least merkel would have been a bit faster if not more accurate.

Question what did Jankulovski do at milan for him to be always left out? from memory the last time he was a starter in a season 08/09 he was one of the best in seria A. The leo comes and he never plays no max as well. Is he not at least the equal of antonini with better passing?

1 thing i have always noticed is that the prem league manipultes fixtures to suit its ECL teams. Games are always postponed or moved leading up to big fixtures. Spurs have no game against arsenal then 1 game vs wolves prior to hosting milan. We play Napoli this week then Juve 3 days before spurs. Lega Calcio should do simlar

For those who doubt me look back at any other team from the epl getting favourable fixturing prior to ecl.

Posted by Pagliuca on 02/23/2011

To all the EPL/Spurs fans;
1-You certainly never watched Serie A! Most to all of the teams play a high tempo but thoughtfull match. In other words, they dribble, complete meaningful passes and attack from the sides. Whereas in EPL is mostly worthless running and long balls, hardly any meaningful build ups. So saying Serie A lags behind is not just laughable but absurd.
2-Flamini, ok-open stud tackle but he aimed solely for the ball and never once did he aim or want to delibretly hit Corluka's legs. Big difference between hitting the legs or knees and going solely for the ball. Still maybe some what exeseive.
3-Gattuso-ok, Rino lost it and should have been controled, but Jordan instigated it and asked for it when he bad his racist remark.
4-Allegri/Milan playing style: look at the bench and injuries and then come back. Still, Milan had chances but didn't convert.
5-Return leg: will be tough but to count Milan out and with returning starters(Boateng, Pirlo, Abiatti etc),

Posted by Pagliuca on 02/23/2011

Con't. to count Milan out completley is ridiculous. If Allegri decides to just go for it at WHL. I want to see how the Totts defense will handle, Pato, Ibra, and Robinho coming after them. And if Boatneg comes back that will link a faster MF to those up top. It will be tough with Spurs at home but then again when Milan's backs are to the wall they can deliver.

Posted by Erik on 02/23/2011

I believe Yepes to be a solid player (though next leg should see him on the bench). Comparing him with Pique is insane as Pique has great foot skills and composure in the offensive third. Yepes, more than likely is laking in these skills. Next, Merkel melted down quicker than ice cream in the desert. He should get the nod but if he is misplacing passes, replace him. Away, in England is no place to watch a young player fall apart

Posted by guistino on 02/23/2011

would of won the game with cassano if he could play. big mistake to play seedoff first behind the strikers. pato should of started, t.silva should of played cb while have merkel in the midfield (hes more than enough compared to seedoff) anyway i wouldnt underestimate milan even if away, i have total faith milan can win at white hart lane

Posted by iwc24 on 02/24/2011

hey matteo,
you're probably going to talk about this in your next post since all seria a sides lost in the cl, but if you're not, what do you think of seria a altogether? their performances in the champions league and the europa league this season? I agree they have been wayyyy below par in both cups but do you think it's because the standard in serie a is going down or just unlucky/lack of concentration or lack of interest (in the europa league at least). Me personally, i'm a big fan of seria a itself because it's definitely more technical than the epl. I don't like how most epl teams are focused on strength and speed rather than skill. I do agree that those qualities are required to make a great team but you can also make up for it with more skill. Anyways let me know what you think. Thanks

Posted by Milan 1963 on 02/25/2011

Serie A is like the Roman Empire. It dominated the world and now is getting invaded by the Barbarians. Hopefully the Risorgimento (Renaissance) will come sooner than in a few hundred years:-). Let's not forget that it is still an Italian team holding the CL.
As for Milan it is still a work in progress but we still have our chances at WHL, we won in hottest places than that in the past and sometimes you need a bit of luck to unblock a game and come on top. We will see. A big Ciao to all the Milan Fans from hot and sunny Singapore.

Posted by EPL V Serie A on 02/25/2011

I just cant stand this. EPL is better than Serie A. No arguments about that. It wasn't like that in the past, but it is now. Serie A lost their way and it declined after Juve with some other clubs bribe the referees.

If you compare the way the EPL, Serie A and the Spanish league play. There is a totally huge gap between EPL and Spanish league to the Serie A. The pace itself is already on a different level. If you say pace does not matter in football, then you are wrong! Pace is almost everything. Ronaldinho, CR, Ronaldo or whatever. Name any great players and dare you say if pace is not a key factor in football.

When is the last time a Serie A club became a big challenger at the Champions league except for when Mourinho is still around? Nada. Even the Portuguese dude say how bad he wanted to coach in EPL again.

Dont get me wrong, I am a fan of Italian football. But saying the EPL is not better than Serie A is nonsense. Total nonsense.

Posted by AJ on 02/26/2011

Great article Matteo, agree on most things, i do wonder where in the world was Pato at the start of the game, "don't worry Pato Slowdorf will make the runs, quick passing, and dribbling past defences" NOT

Posted by D on 02/26/2011

@EPLVSA:
Dude that's nice you have a 'feeling' EPL is better but the numbers say otherwise. If JM wants to coach there it must be better? lol
Since you probably didn't catch it amongst the other 90 comments in this article:

The last 10 years it's Serie A 3 PL 2 for CL titles.
Going back to 1990 the score is Serie A 6 PL 3.

I'll even add this - All time:
Serie A 12 won 14 runner up
PL 11 won 6 runner up

----------------------------

If you'd like to argue going back 10 years is too far, ok - the last 5 CL titles Serie A 2, EPL 1.

btw - since you brought up La Liga. Out of the last 10 CL titles they have 3 (same as Serie A).

Since '85 there are only 3 clubs not named RM or Barca that won La Liga (happening 4 times). Doesn't sound like a strong league - just 2 strong teams.
(btw 8 different clubs claimed the Serie A title in that same span)

Oh yeah ... Milan beat Liverpool in '07 (JM wasn't around Italy)

Posted by Matteo Bonetti on 02/27/2011

Good statistics. I'm actually doing a podcast with beyondthepitch.net talking about the ridiculousness of people claiming the Serie A is in freefall, disrespecting the league, etc. You'll hear our case and then everyone can make their own decisions.

Posted by Anon Ymous on 02/28/2011

can we please please please please NOT have a commentator who is scottish, british, etc. he has the right to be biased for his own country's team, but fsc have picked people who go to far. i have a theory cl games loook worse than they actually are with a brit constantly harassing the squad every 5 mins. towards the end of the game, the commentator praised spurs' tactics by "keeping the ball" and "passing it nicely" so they can "reserve their lead"
.. if milan did that, they would scold their anti-football tactics, and yell at them for wasting the clock down.
why cant the serie a commentators do some cl games, too?

Posted by punditguy on 02/28/2011

Good stats! BTW....when Milan beat Liverpool in CL in 07, Didnt Liverpool beat JM's Chelsea to reach the final?? And then we kicked Liverfool's rears in the final?

So EPLVSA, you gotta get your facts straight before you come around here running your mouth. Because you just might look stupid.

Posted by Pagliuca on 02/28/2011

Agreed with other's. @ EPLVSA. look at the stats and also look at the teams individualy. Let's compare Milan with in CL with the current consistant EPL teams;

vs. Liverpool (Milan 7 Cl vs Liverpool 5)
vs Chelsea (Milan 7 CL vs Chelsea-0)
vs.Arsenal (Milan 7CL vs Arsenal-0)
vs Manchester United (Milan 7 CL vs Manchester-3)

as for La Liga, good football-YES, but only 2 teams that fight it. Now where is the competition? Also Liga is great to watch, but they are "soft" on their tackles and defending. Serie A is harder and more elegant but hard in thier defending. EPL? Very open like a volleyball match and defending and tackling is ugly or suicidal! Though it has it good moments will not disagree but to come out and say it wipes Serie A? Only newcomers to football who have never watched it would say something like that.

Posted by punditguy on 03/01/2011

Its like this...

Back in the days i was huge death metal fan! I even scream for a band occasionally. I just loved the speed and hardcore rifts and the growling/screaming and the gore. NO one could have said anything else to change my mind.

But as i grew older i got a little wiser and so i started listening to other types of rock such as Tool, Incubus, Pearl jam, Dream Theater and Rush and others. And then i started to realize that this type is soooo much better because it has more substance to it and made so much more sense than death metal. You can actually here what they are saying and its not all speed but more technicalities!

So thats how i interpret it. Death Metal/Cannibal Corpse=EPL and Progression Rock/Tool=Serie A

Its just a joke EPL guys so dont take it seriously. lol.

But no, for real...thats how it is. lol

Posted by Milan 1963 on 03/02/2011

Wow Punditguy, I love your comparison, you forgot to mention Porcupine Tree and mostly Opeth who started as a death metal band and now is more progressive and is probably one of the best in the genre with Dream Theater of course. Actually for me EPL is more like Disco Funk or Rap crap LOL....
Now going back to the Pato case, I was unsure whether to sell him at the end of the season but with the last two games and what he showed he is capable of, I am even more doubtful and think we should definitely keep him. He even went for extra training on an off day to get fitter, that to me shows he wants it badly and prove that he has great will to excel with our favorite colors. Grande Papero continue like that.

Posted by muno on 03/03/2011

ac milan should sell players like seedorf, ambrosini,gattuso, flamini,bonera,zambrotta,and even antonini, antonini is not milan material

Posted by punditguy on 03/03/2011

@ Milan 1963

Totally forgot about Opeth....my bad. lol. I didnt compare the rap scene cuz i like rap. Not all of them but like 2pac and Dre and the older stuff. Maybe i should have compared it to wana be Rappers like 15cents. lol

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