Week 2: S.S.C. Napoli - AC Milan 25/08/2018 20:30 CET

[MilanMB]

We'll improve

Calhanoglu will be back, we need to integrate the new players into the team and let the younger develop under less pressure

I'd play Reina for a bit

Agreed with everything here.

No excuses for letting go of a 2-0 lead like that. But first game of the season and hopefully we'll improve. Soon.

 

[Massaro94]

Gattusso is not good enough, simple as that

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Suso proved once again why he's the most important player on the team.

 

[dcfcfan1]

It hurts but this is the best we have played away against a top team (minus the roma game last season) for a while. Both goals were taken well and the passing was good to a certain degree.

If we had been more streetwise after 2-0 up e.g subbing even montolivo/laxalt on for suso to shut out shut and conserve we may have got something. But Up to 60 minutes, donnarumma didnt have much to do and we played well.

 

[shevyshevy]

Please what is the status of Conti? Is he still injured?

 

[Alec]

Hakan can't come soon enough but he won't save us if we make glaring defensive mistakes like we did today. Full backs and Biglia were very bad defensively, Bakayoko gets the benefit of doubt because he's still new to the crew.

It's okay, we win this game if our players don't suddenly turn insane. Fucking sucks and is painful to endure this loss but what can you do expect turn in next time and hope for improvement?

 

[Casualista]

Did Leo and Maldini really believe we are gonna get top 4 with this garbage midfield?

Did they really think that Bakayoko (one of the worst midfielders in PL) was the solution?

Did Gattuso really believe that this team, that cant string 5 passes together and one who has a keeper that wouldnt hit a barn door with a simple pass, can play out the back?

At least they weren't dumb enough to think Savic was going to be their savior.

 

[General]

Hey guys

 

[MilanMB]

If no one's gone say it then I will. Bonucci AKA a defensive leader was lacking today... And it showed. Musacchio didn't exactly cement his spot with this performance.

 

[AndreiX]

imagine losing and not blaming the ref

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

imagine losing and not blaming the ref

kuja?

 

[danilo1899]

Sorry, but I stopped readin at "his best days are behind him".

Why do you think so?

Well, for past few seasons he didn't really set Italy or Europe alight... I mean, you can't say he didn't have world class teammates in Turin. I know, he was overweight, wasn't motivated etc, but he just doesn't strike me as cynical as he was back in his Napoli heyday. I'm not insinuating he's past it completely, but for the money we're paying him he's not gonna drag our team like Ibra did. He's simply not that kind of player. He needs service, which he won't get here. That is my issue, you simply dont blow your budget on that kind of striker if you're not going to surround him with quality teammates He'll bang goals of course, but we're talking about a player that broke Nordhal's record couple of years ago. Conditions for an achievement of similar stature simply don't exist here (atleast this season they don't). As I wrote in my post, our problems are elswhere. He's only mentioned in context of our mercato, and our mercato wasn't good. Problem is that supporting cast is exactly the same as last season. You now, out slow(ish) wingers, our non-creative mids etc. He'll have to do alot of stuff here all by himself and I don't think he'll be able to do it constantly, I simply don't. We don't have wingers that attack space, when he drops down the field he doesn't have any options excelt shielding a ball. If I and the rest of the forum can see that he just isn't placed in a team where his skillset would be maximized, I do not know what did L&M think. Not by signing him, but by not signing pacey winger and crative midfielder to complement him and ensure his maximum productivity on field. That's my gripe here.

 

[Casualista]

imagine thinking atalanta players + higuain - gasperini can get you champions league.

 

[Dokoa]

Conte will come sooner than expected if Gattuso keeps like this

 

[Soldier_of_god]

rofl. zielinski absolutely raped us. we have serious issues in midfield and our wing is average.higuain barely touched the ball.

 

[yagami7gnr]

Summary:

- Overall I think our team was surprised that we were up 2 goals but it was clear that our midfield is shit and Napoli's midfield is decent.

- Gigio? IMO, he was poor. Slow reaction in the first 2 Napoli's goals.

- Calabria? Beside the goal, defensively he was an open door.

- Musacchio? Much better than I expected but I do not think of him as an assurance.

- Romagnoli? The best of the Vanguard.

- RRod? Decent outing but at times shaky.

- Kessie? Bad outing. Tactically speaking all over the place.

- Biglia? Awful. Like I said before only reason he deserved to start this season it was to appease Higuain.

- Bonaventura? From the defensive stand point he leaves lots of space to be attacked. From the offensive point he probably was decent.

- Suso? Some people say that he was good. He was slow to defend and did almost nothing in attack. Zero service for our 9

- Higuain? You could see how frustrated he was with the 0 service. He got 1 pass from Laxalt only which he should have done better.

- Borini? You could explain his night with one play. After Napoli tied the game, they sent a dangerous cross, Gigio gets it and launches the ball to Borini while 4 Napoli players are inside our box, but Borini stops like if he is superstar and waits forever to later kick the ball from the midfield and in the process make Higuain angry.

Subs:

- Bakayoko? Still too early but Montolivo might look like an upgrade. Did Leonardo and Gattuso really thought that Bakayoko was going to be a better "regista" than Locatelli? Still too soon but I wonder how Bakayoko was not a success in the EPL.

- Laxalt? A better Borini was how people talk about him. I would say he is a MUCH BETTER Borini.

- Cutrone? What did Gattuso want it with this change when there was zero service inside the box.

- Gattuso? Where was Andrea "Center-of-the-project" Bertolacci? I expected to see him on the field.

- I think that there were some positives in defense but it is also crystal clear that our midfield needs the more work and probably we MUST HAVE TO buy someone with brains than brawn which it is not what Gattuso wants.

 

[Soldier_of_god]

If no one's gone say it then I will. Bonucci AKA a defensive leader was lacking today... And it showed. Musacchio didn't exactly cement his spot with this performance.

no. shit midfield is what cost us this game.

 

[Massaro94]

Bonucci AKA a defensive leader was lacking today...

10/10

 

[Hugh Janus]

If no one's gone say it then I will. Bonucci AKA a defensive leader was lacking today... And it showed. Musacchio didn't exactly cement his spot with this performance.

Do you still think we can finish ahead of Napoli?

 

[Massaro94]

Conte will come sooner than expected if Gattuso keeps like this

Beauty of Elliott being in control.... no time for sentimentality.

 

[Dokoa]

Gattuso lost it . The Bakayoko Biglia change was disastrous. . He had to remove Bonaventura or Kessiè and move to 4231. With a full team of defensive players, putting an even more defensive player took away the team that felt at the mercy of the opponent. Mentally they needed a push forward and the fact that in the conference says that he does not know why the team at the first mistake has disappeared from the field worries me. Because it is him with his changes that has negatively addressed the trend.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

"Suso did nothing in attack"

One assist, and a crucial pass which led to a goal.

Biased or blind?

 

[Polotelli]

first game of the season and people are asking for Gattuso to be fired?

 

[ForzaACM]

Donna = Disaster
Calabria= Inconsistent
Musa = Solid shift
Capitano = Good
RR = Solid
Biglia = Disaster
Kessie - Invisible
Bona = Solid
Fabio = Solid
Suso= Decent
Pipita = Frustration
Laxalt = One decent run, should have gone in earlier.
Bakayo = Maybe decent vice-kessie in the future but looked worse than Biglia IMO.
Patrick = Not enough time
Rino = Biglia/Baka was disaster sub and took too long to make subs in the end. Not blaming Rino for this L. Biglia and Dollar are the biggest culprits of this shitshow tonight.

 

[ForzaACM]

Gattuso lost it . The Bakayoko Biglia change was disastrous. . He had to remove Bonaventura or Kessiè and move to 4231. With a full team of defensive players, putting an even more defensive player took away the team that felt at the mercy of the opponent. Mentally they needed a push forward and the fact that in the conference says that he does not know why the team at the first mistake has disappeared from the field worries me. Because it is him with his changes that has negatively addressed the trend.

People wondered if we could play Kessie-Bakayoko 4-2-3-1 formation? The answer is clearly no after today.

Bakayoko not tactically good enough. At least from first impressions. Kessie is more box-to-box than DM. Rabiot would be an excellent Kessie partner.

 

[milanator]

Good game, Bakayoko the worst performer, Bonaventura the best. I´m glad we still have Bertolacci and Monto, Bakayoko so far is clearly not fit to play at the center of a midfield of 3.

 

[Y-Bido92]

Our mid is a disaster.

Give the ball to Bonaventura and he hogs it and lacks the vision for a game-changing pass.

Give the ball to Kessie and he might very well run and forget the ball behind him (some people think he's good with the ball to his feet. lmao)

Give the ball to Biglia and he might slip or he will mispass in a dangerous place

Give the ball to Bakayoko and, jk Bakayoko never asks for the ball.

 

[Alec]

"Suso did nothing in attack"

One assist, and a crucial pass which led to a goal.

Biased or blind?

Yeah, Suso was one of the better guys. Could've been better but definitely not the guy to blame. One direct assist for the Calabria goal, hockey assist for the Bonaventura goal iirc.

first game of the season and people are asking for Gattuso to be fired?

People have called for him to be sacked while we were on a winning streak

The same people have been clamoring for him to be sacked in summer. Hope we win the next game so they go back into hiding - or not because they don't really make sense.

People wondered if we could play Kessie-Bakayoko 4-2-3-1 formation? The answer is clearly no after today.

Bakayoko not tactically good enough. At least from first impressions. Kessie is more box-to-box than DM. Rabiot would be an excellent Kessie partner.

Yes, we can conclude what Bakayoko can do from a single 30 min performance - sure. How about we get a bit bigger sample size first? Nah fuck that, let's knee jerk

 

[Cloren]

Fire Gattuso, get Zidane

 

[Cloren]

Milan should have fired Gattuso ages ago and gotten King Carlo. Dropped the ball on that one, now Napoli will benefit from his excellent managerial skills while Milan is stuck with Gattuso who as brilliant and legend of a player he was, is a very average subpar coach