Leonardo Thread

[Sage]

Coach

Leonardo: Milan Must Not Enter 'Tunnel Of Pessimism'

The Rossoneri's coach is trying to remain upbeat despite a poor pre-season...

Milan coach Leonardo believes that his team will prove all of its worth when it really matters after an extremely disappointing pre-season, with the team failing to obtain any wins thus far.

Leonardo feels calm and is sure that his side will bounce back from all this negativity, as long as his men stay focused and positive.

"I don't want to be optimistic at all costs, but it's clear that Milan cannot be the team seen until now," explained the Rossoneri's mentor to Milan Channel.

"The talent is undeniably there in this team. There's also spirit of sacrifice, order and discipline. The ingredients are all there to win.

"We cannot enter a tunnel of pessimism. The team must do better, but I am calm: now is the time to restart, I believe in it. If we give everything we have, we can have a good season.

"The basis is there, as is the playing idea. We just need to restart."

Milan take on Juventus this evening at San Siro in the Berlusconi Cup, in the final pre-season game ahead of the start of the new Serie A campaign this weekend.

http://goal.com/en/news/10/italy/200...l-of-pessimism

[David-Regal]

We'll see it after the first game. Let's hope he's right.

[Sidd]

Coming soon, to a press conference near you!

I like A compared our preseason prep from last year to Leo's.
Leo needs all the support he can get right now, coz we know for sure B&G are not giving him any.

[GreatKalu]

Now that we're back in February, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the squad then, and compare it to what we have now. And to be honest, I'd think our current squad may actually be better. Sure we lost Paolo and Kaka', but back in Feb, we didn't have a host of players: Nesta, Gattuso, Bori/Hunt, TS, Dinho given a starting role, etc. With this in mind, I feel we should - at least on paper - be more competitive than we were then.

I know its only pre-season, and believe that we should give Leo more time + players/options to work with, but questions should be raised about Leo's ability to coach a team of Milan's stature and expectations.

I don't think poor teams can just "restart" and turn their fortunes around overnight. There has to be signs that the team is moving in the right direction, or that there is a strong basis to build on.

I think we have a strong base to build on, but are just far too inconsistent to see a pattern of improvement. Humiliated against Bayern, only to turn up more focused and composed the very next day.

This is where Leo has to step in, find the right balance, and get the team performing more consistently.

[zZ[-_-]Zz]

Our new Tabarez.

[GreatKalu]

Perhaps ... will wait till Jan before making my decision on that.

[zZ[-_-]Zz]

That's just what I feel, but I still rather he be our new Capello.

[GreatKalu]

We definitely could do with a Capello right about now.

[Sidd]

This was not the right time for Leo to take over. He should have taken over right after our CL victory in 07. That way he could have afforded to experiment, as the our team was still somewhat solid.
Now as he says there r still alot of links missing. I have no idea wtf is G doing. I was expecting that FB by now.

[zZ[-_-]Zz]

The good old days.



These would have been his reactions if he saw our pre-season.

[GreatKalu]

The management should have done a lot of things differently after 07. But I don't think replacing Carlo with Leo would've been a wise move. Anyway, debating about the past is pointless now as we have to see what Leo must do to get the squad performing.

By "restarting" I'm assuming he's talking about motivation. Try to dismiss the pre-season's shortcommings, get the team motivated for the matches that lie ahead. Good strategy, but I'd rather see it than hear about it in a press conference.

He's got to connect with the players - make them believe in his ideas and plans, get them committed to his vision, gain their respect, etc. We all agreed a problem with Carlo's Milan was that motivation was an issue ... Leo hasn't addressed that as of yet.

[peters]

Originally Posted by madtherchot

I think we have a strong base to build on, but are just far too inconsistent to see a pattern of improvement.

What exactly is that base we can build on, that im reading about alot lately? Because if we take seedorf/pirlo/dinho as that base... then i fear we wont do much of a building. One game all fired up, next game with a fuckup attitude, full of excuses. Nothing to build on here i say, unless someone (Leo) succeeds to motivate them properly, something that carlo failed to do in his last seasons.

[r3dman]

Originally Posted by madtherchot

By "restarting" I'm assuming he's talking about motivation. Try to dismiss the pre-season's shortcommings, get the team motivated for the matches that lie ahead. Good strategy, but I'd rather see it than hear about it in a press conference.

I'm very skeptic about him motivating the midfielders. Gattuso is always motivated, Flamini will also be, but it's Pirlo, Seedorf and Dinho that I'm worried about (the creators).

[Wild]

Leo again is pointing @ the right direction : a full back + motivating our old players.
G&B better wake the fuck up or else its gonna b our worst season ever.

[Armin__m]

As time goes on,I`m more and more sure that he`ll get sacked in the first few weeks of the season,leaving us around relegation zone.

He`s new,that`s true,but the team has been playing like there are no tactics,no instructions for them,and I believe it has a lot to do with Leo. Maybe he simply isn`t cut out to be a coach,speacilly at this level. I hope he can return to his previous role with us (or even something higher,he understands what the team needs) if he does indeed get sacked.


One more thing,don`t you think he`s starting to act like a puppet,because after getting Huntelaar,we suddenly need just a fullback (or some small adjustemnts as he says). He has been mentioning a midfielder in his previous interviews too,and we need one even more now than before,because Di Gennaro is injured.

Anyway,good luck tonight,hope we play well and you prove me and all the critics wrong.

[Wild]

Originally Posted by Armin__m

One more thing,don`t you think he`s starting to act like a puppet,because after getting Huntelaar,we suddenly need just a fullback (or some small adjustemnts as he says). He has been mentioning a midfielder in his previous interviews too,and we need one even more now than before,because Di Gennaro is injured.

Thats why I think he should resign rather than starting his first career with such squad/club.
Its better 4 him 2 coach a club with more desire 2 do good like Genoa , Napoli ..... yeah , thats how low our team is.
And I believe he stated that we need a FB & an ST.
DiG is a joke & his injury = 0 effect.

[GreatKalu]

Originally Posted by peters

What exactly is that base we can build on, that im reading about alot lately? Because if we take seedorf/pirlo/dinho as that base... then i fear we wont do much of a building.

There's a lot going for Milan than it seems. In the short run (this season) our central defense is much improved. If Gattuso remains fit throughout the season, thats an added bonus. And even in the long run ... players like TS, Flamini, Pato ... these are top players who we can build a strong team around.

Lets just say, if we are looking strictly at personnel, the squad right now I feel is a lot stronger than the one we had in February.

Originally Posted by r3dman

I'm very skeptic about him motivating the midfielders. Gattuso is always motivated, Flamini will also be, but it's Pirlo, Seedorf and Dinho that I'm worried about (the creators).

Agreed. Which is why we need to get alternatives. Sure, all the fullback talk gets me interested ... but I'd like to see two midfielders brought in. Seasoned alternatives to Pirlo and Dinho, to be precise.

Originally Posted by Wild

Leo again is pointing @ the right direction : a full back + motivating our old players.
G&B better wake the fuck up or else its gonna b our worst season ever.

Leo may be pointing to the right directions, but the team isn't. It is marginally better than the squad we had in February, yet the results aren't showing this. This is Leo's responsibility, and he is to answer for these poor performances.

[peters]

Originally Posted by Armin__m

As time goes on,I`m more and more sure that he`ll get sacked in the first few weeks of the season,leaving us around relegation zone.

Rather see him sacked in first few weeks than after 3 trophyless seasons... if the team doesnt improve much till winter then there's no point keeping him, just like there was no point keeping carlo when we were starting our freerun.

and mad - sure we have some promising players like ts, flamin and pato, but we'll have to change our technical part of the team soon (pirlo, seedorf, dinho if he wastes his career) and i kind of doubt in a quality that we will get for replacement.

Maybe we are stronger than in february, but with so-so dinho, not improved pirlo, wide players that cannot cross even if their life depended on it.. huuuh...

Lets hope the team clicks somehow and starts banging goals like there's no tomorrow Cos reasonable as i am, i cannot find anything better but a blind hope.

[hdcantona]

Originally Posted by peters

Rather see him sacked in first few weeks than after 3 trophyless seasons... if the team doesnt improve much till winter then there's no point keeping him, just like there was no point keeping carlo when we were starting our freerun.

and mad - sure we have some promising players like ts, flamin and pato, but we'll have to change our technical part of the team soon (pirlo, seedorf, dinho if he wastes his career) and i kind of doubt in a quality that we will get for replacement.

Maybe we are stronger than in february, but with so-so dinho, not improved pirlo, wide players that cannot cross even if their life depended on it.. huuuh...

Lets hope the team clicks somehow and starts banging goals like there's no tomorrow Cos reasonable as i am, i cannot find anything better but a blind hope.

that is a harsh, cynical, but very true point.

[Edi]

First trophy for Leo and I hope for many, many more to come. I know it was a crappy Berlusconi cup but definitely it will serve as a confidence boost for a young coach like him.

Forza Milan!